The Allianz Arena will be lit in Croatian national colours on the night when the European Union gains a new member state. As of July 1, 2013 the Republic of Croatia will become the 28th member of the European Union and on this occasion the iconic illuminated "panels" of the exterior façade of Munich’s Allianz Arena will be lit up in red and white - the colors of the Croatian national coat of arms. The lighting will happen on June 30 from 10:00 pm and will end on July 1 at 02:00 am.

"I am proud Croatia becomes part of the EU,” commented FC Bayern München star Mario Mandžukić. Mandžukić, who joined the team in 2012, is also a member of the Croatian national football team. "With this impressive illumination, my home stadium the Allianz Arena becomes Croatian for a few hours."

This day has been anticipated by Croatians for many years. After its secession from former Yugoslavia, the Republic of Croatia began official negotiations to join the EU in June 2004. In December 2011 Croatia signed the Treaty of Accession to become the EU's 28th member.

Allianz started its activities in Croatia in January 1998 by building its business from the ground up, offering property and casualty as well as life and health insurance products. The company is market leader in the life and in the pension fund business today and continuously growing.

"I am happy Croatia joins the EU family," said Bruce Bowers, regional CEO for Central and Eastern Europe of Allianz SE. "This is an important step – not only for Croatia and its citizens but also for the entire European Union. Croatia is an important market for Allianz in the CEE Region. Hrvatska, dobro došla – welcome Croatia!"

With more than 1,600 employees and nearly 300,000 customers, Allianz in Croatia generated in 2012 146 million euros in premiums. In the pension fund business Allianz in Croatia has more than 700,000 clients with total assets under management of 3.1 billion euros.

"We are pleased to see one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world in the colors of the Croatian coat of arms. That’s a sign of recognition for us in both sports and business. The EU accession brings many advantages for Croatia and our clients and I am confident that new jobs will be generated," commented Boris Galić, CEO of Allianz Croatia.

Allianz Arena

The Allianz Arena is one of the most famous football stadiums in the world. During the World Cup in 2006, the Arena was part of a global party of football and friendship. Since the opening of the Allianz Arena in 2005 over 300 games have been held in the stadium, which can host up to 71,000 fans - altogether more some 18 million fans have been hosted so far. Allianz performed a key role in the Arena's development, conducting the fire resistance tests for the outer material of the facade at the Allianz Center for Technology (AZT). Since 2012, Allianz has expanded its "Allianz Family of Stadiums" to include Allianz Stadium in Sydney, Allianz Park in London and two projects are currently under construction: Allianz Riviera in Nice and Allianz Parque in São Paolo.