The Frankenstadion was inaugurated in 1928 in Nuremberg. Since 1966 it has been home stadium to the Bundesliga club 1. FC Nuremberg. It is located next to the Zeppelinfeld. In 1991 it received its current name; before that it was known simply as the Städtisches Stadion (Municipal Stadium). It also neighbors the new Nuremberg Arena. The stadium hosted five games of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. On March 14, 2006, the stadium was renamed EasyCredit-Stadion for a period of five years, after a financing product of the German bank DZ Bank AG. The fans, however, call the stadium Max-Morlock-Stadion in honour of one of the best player in the club's history, Max Morlock.
The available facilities at the stadium include two changing rooms for players, changing rooms for coaches, referees. Also physician and treatment rooms are available. A 300 m² press area, an area for press conferences, and three TV studios make the Frankenstadion a truly modern stadium. 1200 m² makes up the VIP area with room for 800 guests. To compensate for the large amount of seats there are 15,000 parking spaces with 205 for VIPs.
The stadium also has track and field facilities that follow international regulation. A full sprinkler system, that feeds the grass with rain water. The pitch is also heated, and lit with a floodlight system. There are two 60 m² video walls that provide video to the fans. There is also a full power back up system, powered by diesel generators.
Beginning in 1933 the National Socialists began to use the stadium as a marching area for the Hitler Youth. The 4th Deutsche Kampfspiele, one of the biggest events organized by the Nazi Sports Body, took place in this stadium from July 23 to 29, 1934.
Following 1963 the Stadium was reconditioned multiple times so that it could meet the requirements for football in the Bundesliga.
The Frankenstadion has been renovated two times, once in 1988 to 1991, and then again renovation began again in 2002 to be ready in time for the 2006 World Cup. The 2002 renovation cost €56.2 million; the cost is split between the city of Nürnberg, The State of Bavaria and the building society which managed the stadium. The Stadium has had its capacity increased to 47,559. This was achieved by extending the southwest and northwest grandstand. The playing field was lowered by 1.30 metres in order to provide all seats an unrestricted view of the field. The Max Morlock place was developed as a place for fans to meet and enjoy something to eat; the total area of this place is 1,000 metres.
The Frankenstadion and the adjacent Nuremberg Arena are well serviced by public transportation to facilitate transport of Fans from and to the various sports and musical events taking place there:
During mass sports and entertainment events, such as Bundesliga games or the annual Rock im Park festival, additional S-Bahn trains running between main station and Frankenstadion station are being put into service. Before the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Frankenstadion station had the length of its existing platform doubled and an additional platform built for that purpose.
The stadium was one of the venues for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
The following games were played at the stadium during the World Cup of 2006:
| Date | Time(CET) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-06-11 | 18.00 | Mexico | 3-1 | Iran | Group D | 41,000 |
| 2006-06-15 | 18.00 | England | 2-0 | Trinidad and Tobago | Group B | 41,000 |
| 2006-06-18 | 15.00 | Japan | 0-0 | Croatia | Group F | 41,000 |
| 2006-06-22 | 16.00 | Ghana | 2-1 | United States | Group E | 41,000 |
| 2006-06-25 | 21.00 | Portugal | 1-0 | Netherlands | Round of 16 | 41,000 |
