Mercedes-Benz Arena (German pronunciation: [mɛʁˌtseːdəs ˈbɛnts ʔaˌʁeːna]) is a stadium located in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany and home to German Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart. Before 1993 it was called Neckarstadion ([ˈnɛkaʁˌʃtaːdi̯ɔn]), named after the nearby river Neckar and between 1993 and July 2008 it was called Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion [ˌɡɔtliːpˈdaɪmlɐˌʃtaːdi̯ɔn]. From the 2008–09 season, the stadium was renamed the Mercedes-Benz Arena, starting with a pre-season friendly against Arsenal on 30 July 2008.