replaced with new covered stands. Construction began in 2006 and was completed in 2008. New stands with a total capacity of 8,500 seats were opened on 10 May 2008 in a league match against Nafta Lendava. The match was played in front of a sold-out crowd of 12,435 spectators, with Maribor winning the game 3–1. The second phase of the project was carried out between 2009 and 2011, and saw the completion of the premises under the East Stand, which includes new dressing rooms, two gyms and a new boiler room. West Stand renovation In 2014, the stadium barely passed UEFA stadium regulations for international competitions due to the insufficient condition of the West Stand. In August 2015, the first plans to renovate the West Stand were announced. Three years later, in August 2018, NK Maribor and the City Municipality of Maribor presented the entire documentation of the proposed renovation. The new stand was designed by OFIS Architects and was expected to be completed by September 2019. However, the renovation was later postponed to 2020 due to incorrect calculations of project costs, which rose from €5 million to €8 million. The refurbishment finally started in June 2020 and was completed by mid-2021. As part of the renovation, all seats were replaced. Other changes included new underground corridors, elevators, camera platforms, entrances, and landscaping. The arched roof has retained its original appearance. The new capacity of the West Stand is 3,265 seats, and the total capacity of the stadium was reduced to 11,671. There are 651 VIP seats in the stand, of which 120 are in VIP boxes. In addition to the West Stand, the previously unfinished premises under the North and South stands were completed, which now include a media press centre and dressing rooms and warehouses for the football academy. The total investment costs, including the West Stand and the premises under the North and South stands, amounted to approximately €10 million. The West Stand was renamed as the Marcos Tavares Stand on 14 May 2022, in honour of Marcos Tavares, a longtime captain and the club's all-time most capped player and top goalscorer. Other uses International football Ljudski vrt has hosted a total of 24 international matches of the Slovenia national team. The first was a friendly match against Cyprus on 27 April 1994, which Slovenia won 3–0. The first competitive game was played on 7 September 1994