- The VELTINS Arena has a unique beer pipeline that keeps drinks cold and fresh
- England will take on Serbia in the opening match of Euro 2024 at the stadium on June 16
- click here to follow the Mail Sport Euro 2024 WhatsApp channel for all the latest news and updates from Germany
England supporters will be able to enjoy a crisp and refreshing cold beer – and that will do it – when they travel to Gelsenkirchen for the opening match of the Euro 2024 against Serbia.
Gareth Southgate will lead his team into the state-of-the-art Arena AufSchalke on June 16, but visiting English fans will be able to take advantage of a high-tech ‘beer superhighway’ built into the stadium.
In most cases, beer is supplied to football stadiums via kegs, but the VELTINS Arena, as it is also known, is known for the 5km network of pipelines that connect the stadium’s bars to the cold storage and storage room.
The problem for Schalke, who play in the 62,271-capacity stadium – which opened in 2001 – was that the 5,000-metre pipeline can only send beer in one direction. That meant nearly 8,000 liters of beer had to be pumped out of the stadium and transported back to suppliers VELTINS during the COVID-19 pandemic, per Business standard.
The sun writes that almost 50,000 liters of beer are expected to be sold during the English battle against Serbia on June 16.
The high-tech VELTINS Arena will be able to supply fans of England and Serbia with more than 50,000 liters of beer
England take on Serbia in the opening match of Euro 2024 at the VELTINS Arena
The stadium has a 5 km beer pipeline that ensures that cold and fresh beer flows to the fans in the arena
But the VELTINS Arena must have the infrastructure to handle the influx of fans. The stadium’s unique design allows it to store nearly 52,000 liters in the catacombs located deep beneath the football field.
‘The beer comes directly from the four cooling centers in the catacombs of the arena, where up to 52,000 liters of beer can be stored. The beer then goes from the central pipeline via connection points to the taps and ultimately to the cups of the thirsty guests,” according to the VELTINS Arena website.
‘To ensure that it comes out of the tap perfectly cooled, even at the most remote kiosk, the pipe is surrounded by the most modern insulation materials and is of course regularly cleaned and maintained.’
The stadium’s beer highway is also good news for English fans, as the nearest pubs to the stadium are around a 25-minute walk away.
Supporters heading to Germany will also be pleased to hear that fans wanting to get their hands on a pint of Bitburger Pils will only have to pay £4.20 (€5).
Half a million British fans are expected to travel to Germany for the tournament, but that could rise to 800,000 – depending on how England and Scotland fare in the tournament, with Steve Clarke’s side taking it in the opening match of the tournament will compete against host country Germany. the tournament.
England fans have been told not to mingle with opposition supporters and to be careful when drinking.
The VELTINS Arena is home to Bundesliga side Schalke and opened in 2001
Gareth Southgate (pictured) is expected to name his 26-man England squad for the tournament on Friday
Bayern Munich star Harry Kane (pictured) hopes to lead England to victory in Germany
Fans have been warned by the Foreign Office to ‘know their limits’ as fears over the strength of alcohol could be stronger in Germany than at home in Britain
The stadium had to pump out almost 8,000 liters of beer that could not be drunk during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Foreign Office said: ‘Beer can be stronger than in Britain, so drink responsibly, know your limits and respect local laws. If you drink too much, you won’t be allowed into the stadium.’
Southgate’s side will travel to Germany in the coming weeks and will be keen to reverse the misery of their previous defeat at the Arena AufSchalke on June 16.
The last time England played at the Gelsenkirchen stadium was during the 2006 World Cup, where Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side were defeated by Portugal in the quarter-finals on penalties.
A special fan park has been opened for English fans at the Trabrenbahn racecourse in the center of Gelsenkirchen. It is free to attend and the event will feature music, games and food and drink stalls to help fans get into the mood for the Three Lions’ opening match of the tournament.