Picture perfect

With no national stadium and no movement since the doomed Abbotstown development, Ireland remains a laughing stock across Europe.Meanwhile, in a small backwater city in Germany, they have funded and developed one of the most impressive new stadia in Europe.How, asks Declan Colley.

IN terms of European soccer, the name VfL Wolfsburg does not mean much - indeed, the club's only claim to fame much like the city is that it is home to the giant German car manufacturer Volkswagen. For many years VfL were known sarcastically in the Bundesliga as 'the factory team'.

The put-down is far from fair, even though VW have a huge influence on the VfL set up no more obviously than at the club's magnificent new €53m home, the unsurprisingly named Volkswagen Arena, a multi-adaptable stadium capable of seating 30,000 people, all under cover.