Source:REUTERS/Jason Cairnduff
[Saba Sports News] According to German media reports, UEFA plans to introduce new rules for standing areas, meaning Borussia Dortmund’s home stadium will need renovations. From the 2026–27 season onward, all 55 national associations will be permitted to have standing sections, but only in compliance with clear safety regulations. This creates a problem for Dortmund’s South Stand, which holds 25,000 spectators. The issue is that UEFA requires continuous anti-crash barriers to be installed on every row to prevent fans from surging forward. Dortmund must remodel the stand: currently, the upper tier of the South Stand uses the backrests of movable seats as barriers. If they fail to do so, they will have to reduce the number of standing places. Furthermore, Dortmund slightly fails to meet UEFA’s rule of a maximum of 4.7 fans per square meter — under building regulations, the stadium is allowed 5 fans per square meter.
The editor believes that it is estimated that the cost of temporary modifications and restoration to meet UEFA requirements for each match will amount to tens of thousands of euros. The club therefore hopes to eventually reach a solution with UEFA that is more aligned with national local regulations.