Oaka, The Olympic Stadium of Athens “Spyros Louis” is a sports stadium situated in Athens, Greece. This stadium is also a part of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. It gets its name from the first ever modern olympic stadium marathon gold medalist in 1896. The stadium comes with a capacity of a whopping 69 618 seats with 600 (Press seats). This stadium was inaugurated back on 08 September 1982. The stadium was constructed in a period of two years i.e. 1980-1982.
The stadium was again renovated between the years 2002 – 2004. The overall cost of the stadium was a whopping €265m (2004). The stadium is known for hosting two of the biggest sport clubs in Greece, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens. The stadium served as the main stadium during the 2004 Summer Olympics.
When you’re in Europe, you can also visit the Camp Nou Stadium which is situated in Barcelona, Spain.
History of the stadium
Oaka Stadium was named after the Greek winner of the first Olympic marathon Spiros Louis in 1896. Back in 1983, Oaka Stadium was the one who hosted the European Cup final between Hamburger SV and Juventus (1-0). After a year, the Panathinaikos moved into OAKA after the Leoforos Stadium went into repair. Then in1985 and 1987 AEK used the stadium, but after some time they decided to shift to their Nea Filadelfeia.
After four years in 1987, the stadium hosted the Cup Winners’ Cup final between Ajax and Lokomotiv Leipzig (1-0). Coming to 1994, the Oaka Stadium was ready to host its second European Cup final, contested between AC Milan and Barcelona (4-0).
Coming to 2000, At this time the Panathinaikos moved back to the upgraded Leoforos. But after some time, the redevelopment of Oaka Stadium started for the Olympics 2004. One of the most amazing features of this new stadium was the roof designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
All of the games hosted by the stadium, it has also held several opening and closing ceremonies and athletic events. The Oaks stadium is also known for hosting the Champions League final between AC Milan and Liverpool (2-1) in 2007.
Both Panathinaikos and AEK moved into their own stadium after the Olympics as the stadiums had again fallen into disrepair and failed to pass safety requirements.
Both of these clubs are planning to build new stadiums, but it didn’t happen due to the lack of funding. Again in 2014, Panathinaikos managed to get things on track with Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium sufficiently to move back in. Well, it lasted just for five years and they moved to Oaka in 2018. Finally, in 2018 AEK got the approval for a new stadium. Currently they are working on Agia Sofia Stadium, which is currently ongoing with an expected completion date of 2021.
Ways to get to the Stadium
OAKA Stadium situated in the Maroussi area in the north of Athens is a part of the Olympic complex. It is about 9 kilometers from Athens city center. One can reach the stadium with the help of the metro.
The Irini and Neratziotissa stations lie on line M1 which is quite close to the Olympic complex. The Line M1 runs straight through Athens city center.
Places To Eat and Drink near the Stadium
The Olympic complex area is a residential one even though there is a luxurious Golden Hall shopping mall next to it. If you move a bit to the north, you might find the Mall Athens shopping center. This mall has several options to eat and drink and also to be entertained.
There are several cafes and restaurants in the neighborhood. But we think you must be focused upon eating and drinking in Athens city center. It is the city center where you’ll find the nightlife of Athens. The best place is to be at the southern beaches (e.g. Glifada) for the summer.
If you’re planning to live by the stadium, then there are various hotel options for you. The Civitel Olympic and Athens Habitat are located near the Golden Hall, But are a bit high on the price. A more affordable option would be the Olympic Hotel. There’s another hotel named The Civitel Attik that lies to the north of the stadium near The Mall.
Suppose you’re looking forward to spending more time in Athens, then you must stay in the city center is likely a better idea.
Information about the Tickets (AEK and Panathinaikos)
If you’re looking for AEK match tickets, then you can buy them online or also book them by calling on +30 801 100 2121, at the Ticket Office at OAKA Stadium. You can also buy tickets at the gate on the day of the match.
The ticket prices range from €10.00 for a seat behind the goal. Whereas the tickets for the long sides cost either €15.00 or €40.00, and VIP seats go for €100.00.
Talking about the Panathinaikos tickets, they can be bought online through viva.gr, or through any of the viva sales points (viva spots). Generally, the tickets go on sale at least 4 to 5days before the match. This period might be shorter for high-profile matches. Panathinaikos rarely sells out a regular league match.
Hotels near the Stadium
President Hotel Athens
4-star hotel
Leof. Kifisias 43, Athina 115 23, Greece
+30 21 0698 9000
Civitel Olympic
4-star hotel
Leof. Kifisias 2, Marousi 151 25, Greece
+30 21 0680 1900
Athens habitat Hotel
3-star hotel
Saronikou 5, Athina 151 25, Greece
+30 21 0684 2967
Civitel Attik Rooms & Suites
4-star hotel
Eptalofou 13 – 15, Athina 151 24, Greece
+30 21 0610 1000
MIRIVILI | Rooms & Suites
4-star hotel
Strati Mirivili 3-5, Chalandri 152 33, Greece
+30 21 3071 1333
ACROPOL HOTEL
2-star hotel
Leof. Pentelis 71, Chalandri 152 33, Greece
+30 21 0682 6650
Oaks Melbourne on Collins Hotel
4-star hotel
480 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
+61 3 8610 6444
Conclusion
Oaka Stadium is a must when you’re in Athens. It has witnessed many Olympic matches in all of these years. If you’re in the city, then you shouldn’t give this place a miss. We hope this blog will help you to know more about the stadium and its nearby. If you have any queries or questions, please share in the comments.