Authorities fear potential damage at historic Izmir stadium after earthquake

The Izmir Governorate ordered the closure of the historic Atatürk Stadium in the city for all matches following the deadly 6.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the Aegean city last week, Daily Sabah reports citing Demirören News Agency (DHA).

According to DHA, the governorate ordered the stadium located in the Konak district to be inspected for any potential damage before allowing any matches to be held at the venue.

A legendary football ground that holds the highest attendance record for a second-tier game between Izmir archrivals Göztepe and Karşıyaka in 1981, Atatürk Stadium is one of only two Olympic stadiums in Turkey. The other is the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, which was completed in 2002.

Following last week’s earthquake that killed at least 114 and injured more than 1,000, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) had already called off last week’s matches across the city after several buildings collapsed and dozens sustained critical damage.

Completed in 1971 to host the Mediterranean Games that year, the Atatürk Stadium initially could host up to 80,000 fans but its capacity was lowered to about 51,000 seats after renovations in 2005 ahead of Universiade games held in the city to reinforce the venue against earthquakes.

The stadium lies only 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) south of the most affected areas in the Bayraklı district, where nearly 20 buildings collapsed. Once dotted with swamps, streams, orchards and a lake providing most of the freshwater to the city, the area comprised of the Mersinli and Çamdibi neighborhoods underwent serious changes in the 1970s and 1980s with industrial zones and factories popping up.

Atatürk Stadium lies in the middle of the area formerly occupied by Halkapınar Lake, while its namesake train and metro station currently serves as the city's main transport hub.

It is not the first time authorities raised fears over potential damages at the venue due to earthquakes, citing its poor construction quality and unstable ground.

The stadium underwent a series of repairs in 2015 addressing the roof over the stands and its grass pitch, and replacing some seats, but the stands were not reinforced.

The venue was also temporarily banned from hosting matches by TFF in 2017, when another 6.3 magnitude earthquake rocked the city.