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Inside Europe's most dangerous abandoned stadium where going inside could kill you

Football fans will want to stay well away from this abandoned football stadium

[An abandoned stadium in the Pripyat, near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant ]

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Avanhard Stadium has been abandoned ever since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986

The Avanhard Stadium remains a perilous location, 40 years since the football venue was abandoned following the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. The ground was the former home of Soviet club FC Stroitel Pripyat who were a fourth tier side created in 1970s.

Pripyat was founded to serve the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant which was nearby. The stadium was built in 1979 with the club's players sporting a black and green jersey on the pitch. By 1986, the Soviet city had grown to an estimated 50,000 people with the creation of a football club high on the agenda.

Stroitel had become accustomed to silverware having won the Kyiv Oblast Football Championship three years in a row between 1981 and 1983. However, the date of April 26, 1986 will remain a tragic one for eternity after the meltdown and explosion of a reactor at a nuclear power plant.

The blast occurred near the cities of Pripyat and Chernobyl with the origin said to be located around an 11-minute drive from the stadium. It occurred the same day as FC Stroitel Pripyat were in the midst of their preparation for a cup semi-final clash against FC Borodyanka.

The uninhabitable levels of radiation caused by the nuclear explosion meant everybody within an 18-mile radius of the power plant had to relocate. The desertion of the population also had dire consequences for FC Stroitel Pripyat who did not play for the remainder of 1986.

While rebranding to FC Stroitel Slavutych the following year, the club was shelved in 1988. With Pripyat remaining completely abandoned almost 40 years on from the worst nuclear disaster in history, parts of Avanhard Stadium have endured throughout the decades.

[A photo of the turnstiles]

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The stadium was once home to Stroitel Pripyat FC

[One of the stands of the stadium]

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The town of Pripyat was evacuated following the Chernobyl disaster

Much of the venue has been overrun by greenery with trees and forest engulfing most of the area, which can be seen from a bird's-eye view. The steps leading down to the pitch, which is also covered in trees, remain visible to the human eye with benches in the stands remaining.

While admission to the structure has been non-existent in several decades, the entrance is relatively undamaged. The common aspects of a football pitch, the green grass and white lines, are no more with the centre of the field resembling a forest more than a place where sport was once competed.

[The moss-covered terraces]

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Most of the terraces are covered with moss following decades of abandonment

[Aerial view of the abandoned Avanhard Stadium]

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The area is unlivable for around 150 years due to the nuclear disaster(Image: DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

The long-lasting impact of the radiation means the area will be uninhabitable for around 150 years, therefore it'll be long while before repairs can be done to restore the once 5,000 capacity venue. And fans would be putting their lives at risk if they attempted to enter the area.

While the abandoned stadium remains a devastating reminder of the horror that was caused almost 40 years ago, Ukraine as a footballing nation continue on their course to qualify for their first FIFA World Cup since 2006.

[Avanhard Stadium]

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Pictures of the stadium breeds an eerie atmosphere

Managed by Serhiy Rebrov, who captured 75 caps for Ukraine and scored 15 goals in 14 years of representing his nation, Ukraine sit second in Group D in their World Cup qualifying, five points behind leaders France.

They were in action on Friday and earned a thrilling victory in a gripping eight-goal clash with Iceland, running out 5-3 winners. They return to action on Monday as they host Azerbaijan as they aim to take another step towards their return to the grandest stage of international football next year.

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