Kick-off - Day of the open stadium gates

The time has finally come: the gates to the new stadium will open on 18 June. The opening event starts at 11 a.m., after which there will be an all-day opportunity to explore the stadium.

The city of Chemnitz and Chemnitzer FC have put together an extensive programme for the family day. Regular tours of the stadium will be offered after the opening. Visitors can explore the main building, the main stands and the interior of the stadium. There is also the unique opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of the stadium. The route leads through the players' and referees' changing rooms, through the players' tunnel, past the coaches' and substitutes' benches. Press rooms are also open and the VIP area can be visited.

The brave can even get a bird's eye view of the stadium. Thanks to the Chemnitz fire brigade, you can climb to lofty heights. The turntable ladder will be extended - providing a unique view from above. There will be photo boxes at three different points in the stadium - everyone can take a personal photo of themselves and take it home with them.

Another highlight for Chemnitzer FC fans is a tour of the team bus. Anyone who has always wanted to know how the football boys travel to their away games will get an insight on Saturday. The new fan shop at the stadium will also be open for the first time. There will be plenty of hands-on activities for children and families on the stadium forecourt: there will be magical action artists, ball artists and, of course, you can try your hand at the ball yourself. In various football modules, ball enthusiasts can shoot at a goal wall, dribble and much more.

The fan project will be on hand to help children paint flags and offer various craft stands. They will also be presenting the active fan scene and the fan club.

The team for the 2016/2017 season will be presented at 1.30 pm. They can prove themselves on the pitch at 4.30 pm. A Chemnitz selection will challenge the professional kickers from Chemnitzer FC in the first ever match in the new stadium and in the first test match of the season over 2 x 30 minutes on the day of the open stadium gates. Each of the 28 teams in the Chemnitz district association was able to nominate one player, and the unique selection will be coached by legendary coach Christoph Franke. The 28-strong line-up also includes a female footballer and two juniors. The city team will meet for training for the first time on 16 June at 6 pm.

The pre-match kick-off of honour is left to CFC legend Jürgen Bähringer and a child. Eins Energie, which is supporting the Open Stadium Gates Day, will be handing out 750 numbered footballs to boys and girls throughout the day. The lucky winner, who will have the honour of being the first to kick off, will be drawn shortly beforehand and will then be allowed onto the pitch. So it's definitely worth staying in the stadium until the test match.

On the stadium forecourt there is a sports mile organised by the city sports association. There, everyone can get active and try out different sports: A total of 16 clubs will be presenting their sports. Basketball, for example: the Niners, the ChemCats and the wheelchair basketball team will all be there. The Chemnitzer Athlenclub e. V. is bringing dumbbells, the TUS 1861 Altendorf is represented by gymnasts and the Chemnitzer Polizei Sportverein is building a net for volleyball.
a net for playing volleyball. You can also try your hand at archery, American football, baselball, floorball and climbing.

The Open Stadium Day will be accompanied live by Radio Chemnitz with presenters André Hardt and Karsten Kolliski as well as stadium announcer Olaf Kadner. There will be a fan talk on the Radio Chemnitz stage, with former players, coaches and officials chatting away. Of course, the day will be accompanied by music.

The city of Chemnitz will also report on the day via all media channels. The latest news will be available on chemnitz.de, Facebook and Twitter. The Open Stadium Gates Day is supported by Eins Energie and Radio Chemnitz. The Freie Presse and the "So geht sächsisch" campaign are also partners.