In Turkey, the world's first football stadium powered solely by solar energy has been opened. Construction of the "Antalya Arena" in Antalya began in the summer of 2013. The leaders of the Turkish Football Federation and the country's government had announced that the stadium would host the final stage matches of the 2016 European Championship, but the Turks lost in the competition for hosting rights to the homeland of UEFA president Michel Platini, France. Solar panels are installed on the stadium roof, each of which can generate 7200 kilowatts of energy. The stadium is unique in its full oval shape, and one of the stands has a balcony overlooking the sea. The stadium cost 35 million US dollars and accommodates 33 thousand fans. The local team "Antalyaspor" plays their home matches there, currently represented by the Cameroonian football legend Samuel Eto'o. In the opening match, the hosts lost 1-5 to Istanbul's "Besiktas" team.
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