Metropolitano Stadium Explained

Stadium Name:Estadio Metropolitano
Nickname:Metropolitano
Fullname:Cívitas Metropolitano
Location:Madrid, Spain
Built:1990–93
Owner:
City of Madrid (2002–2017)
Atlético Madrid (2017–present)[1]
Operator:Atlético Madrid
Surface:Grass
Architect:Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos
Main Contractors:FCC
Record Attendance:69,500 vs Real Madrid (Copa del Rey 2024)

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/matchstats/_/gameId/694657

Dimensions:105x
Tenants:Atlético Madrid (2017–present)
Rayo Majadahonda (2018)[2]
Spain national football team (selected matches)
Publictransit: at
Construction Cost:45 million (1994)
240 million (2017)[3]
Seating Capacity:70,460
Estadio Metropolitano

Metropolitano Stadium (Spanish:), also referred to as Cívitas Metropolitano for sponsorship reasons, is a stadium in Madrid, Spain. It has been the home stadium of Atlético Madrid since the 2017–18 season. It is located in the Rosas neighbourhood, in the San Blas-Canillejas district.

The stadium was built as part of Madrid's unsuccessful bid to host the 1997 World Athletics Championships, and was opened on 6 September 1994 by the Community of Madrid. It was closed in 2004 due to the city's unsuccessful bid for the 2016 Olympics and in 2013 it passed into the possession of Atlético Madrid. The stadium was renovated and the new facility was reopened to the public on 16 September 2017, when Atlético Madrid faced Málaga in La Liga. The stadium had a capacity of 20,000 spectators upon its closure and re-opened with a seating capacity of 68,456 after renovation. By September 2023, this had been adjusted to a capacity of 70,460.[4]

The stadium hosted the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final on 1 June 2019.[5] It is one of the potential host cities for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Name

The stadium was formerly known as Estadio de la Comunidad de Madrid (Madrid Community Stadium), Estadio Olímpico de Madrid (Madrid Olympic Stadium), and more commonly by its nickname Estadio de La Peineta (The Comb Stadium). In 2016, naming rights were acquired by the Wanda Group, a Chinese real estate company.[6] Following the expiration of the deal with the Wanda Group at the end of 2021–22 season season, Cívitas Pacensis, a real estate firm, became the naming rights partner.[7] Due to UEFA sponsorship regulations the stadium is known as in UEFA marketing materials.[8]

History

During the early 1990s the Sports Council of the Community of Madrid promoted the city's bid to host the World Athletics Championships in 1997. The preparations began for a stadium in eastern Madrid, next to the M-40 motorway and close to the Madrid–Barajas Airport.

Construction of the new stadium began in 1990 and was based on a design proposed by Cruz y Ortiz. It was completed in November 1993 at a cost of €45 million,[9] and the inauguration took place in September 1994 in front of then IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch, then Community of Madrid president Joaquín Leguina, and then mayor of Madrid José María Álvarez del Manzano.[10] The single seating tier stadium with a capacity of 20,000 seats became known as La Peineta (the comb) because of its similarity with a traditional hair comb.

The 1997 World Championships in Athletics were eventually awarded to Athens in 1995, and La Peineta was used for minor sports and cultural events during the first decade of its existence.[11]

New stadium

In 2004, the stadium was closed for a future project upon the Madrid bid for the 2012 Olympics. The following year, the bid failed. In December 2008, Atlético's president Enrique Cerezo and mayor of Madrid Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón signed an agreement indicating that Atlético Madrid would eventually move to the stadium in the following years and for the renovations to begin.[12] The club was initially supposed to move to the new stadium in 2013, but this was pushed back numerous times due to Olympic bids and the economic crisis.[13] [14]

Following another defeat of Madrid's Olympic bid in 2009, this time for the 2016 Olympics, many proposals were made for the future use of the stadium. In November 2011, the first demolition works were carried out at the stadium.[15] In Spring 2012, more works were carried out, this time with the removal of the lower seating tier and the removal of the athletics track.

Madrid made a bid again for the 2020 Olympics, which failed as well in September 2013. A few days after the 125th IOC Session, on 11 September 2013, Atlético Madrid announced their plans to build a stadium on the location of La Peineta, and ownership was officially transferred to the club.[16]

The new stadium was scheduled to replace Vicente Calderón Stadium as Atletico's home for the 2017–18 season.[17] On 9 December 2016, the club announced that the renovated stadium's official name would be Wanda Metropolitano[18]Wanda for sponsorship reasons and Metropolitano after the 1923–1966 arena which hosted Atlético's matches before Vicente Calderón.[19] In March 2017, the club officially bought the stadium from the City Council of Madrid for €30.4 million.[20] [21] As of 15 April 2017, around 48,500 season tickets had been reserved by the club fans.[22]

On 17 September 2017, the Estadio Metropolitano's inaugural event was a 2017–18 La Liga match between Atlético Madrid and Málaga CF. King Felipe VI of Spain attended the match. Atlético's Antoine Griezmann would go on to score the first goal at the new stadium, in which the match ended in a 1–0 win for Atlético.[23] On 27 September 2017, the Metropolitano hosted its first European game as Chelsea beat Atlético Madrid 2–1 and became the first English club to defeat them at home in any European club competition, as well as the first visiting team to win at the new stadium.[24]

The stadium was also the first 100% LED stadium in the world.[25] [26]

Notable events

La Peineta hosted the second leg of the 1996 Supercopa de España on 28 August, with Atlético beating FC Barcelona 3–1 on the night but losing 6–5 on aggregate.[27] [28]

During the 1997–98 Segunda División season, Madrid-based club Rayo Vallecano played some home matches at La Peineta, due to renovation works on its stadium, the Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas.[29]

On 21–22 September 2002, La Peineta hosted the 9th IAAF World Cup, an international track and field sporting event sponsored by the International Association of Athletics Federations.[30]

On 20 September 2017, shortly after the inauguration of the stadium, it was selected by UEFA to host the final match of the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League.[31] [32] This was the fifth European Cup/UEFA Champions League final held in Madrid, after the 1957, 1969, 1980, and 2010 finals, all held at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium of Atlético's cross-town rival Real Madrid.[33]

On 27 March 2018, the stadium hosted the Spain national football team for the first time for a friendly against Argentina, which ended in a 6–1 win for Spain.[34]

On 21 April 2018, it hosted the 2018 Copa del Rey Final between Sevilla and Barcelona. Barcelona won the game with a final score of 5–0. During the game Andrés Iniesta was substituted with a standing ovation by the fans since it was his last final with Barcelona.[35]

On 17 March 2019, Metropolitano hosted the Spanish women's league match between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona, with 60,739 spectators attending the match, thus beating the worldwide record for a women's football match between clubs.[36]

On 1 June 2019, the stadium hosted the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in which Liverpool defeated Spurs 2–0.[37]

On 1 June 2022, the Rolling Stones held a concert there as their first show of their Sixty tour.

On 18 July 2023, The Weeknd held a concert there as part of the Europe leg in his After Hours til Dawn Tour.

Between 2024 and 2026, the stadium will host the final of the World Rugby Sevens Series[38]

Concerts

List of concerts at Civitas Metropolitano, showing date, artist, event and attendance!Date!Artist!Event!Attendance
22 June 2018Bruno Mars24K Magic World Tour
14 July 2018Iron MaidenLegacy of the Beast Tour
11 June 2019Ed Sheeran÷ Tour
7 July 2019Bon JoviThis House Is Not For Sale Tour
1 June 2022The Rolling StonesSixty Tour
4 June 2022Alejandro SanzSanz En Vivo
3 June 2023Rockin' 1000Rockin' 1000 Madrid
9 June 2023Guns N' RosesGuns N' Roses 2023 Tour
23 June 2023RammsteinRammstein Stadium Tour
18 July 2023The WeekndAfter Hours til Dawn Tour
12 June 2024Bruce SpringsteenSpringsteen and E Street Band 2023 Tour
14 June 2024
17 June 2024
21 June 2024MoratSi Ayer Fuera Hoy World Tour
22 June 2024EstopaGira 25 Aniversario
12 July 2024MetallicaM72 World Tour
14 July 2024
27 July 2024 FeidFerxxocalipsis World Tour
30 May 2025Ed Sheeran+–=÷× Tour
31 May 2025

Transport and access

The Madrid City Council, the Spanish Ministry of Public Works and Transport and Atletico Madrid signed an agreement to improve access to the stadium. The first phase of the work was planned to be completed before the stadium opened, and included the new entrance from the M-40 towards Avenida Luis Aragonés, the braiding link between the Eisenhower Knot (M-14 and M-21) and the stadium service road, the improvement of the entrance by Arcentales Avenue, the construction of a second vestibule, and finally access to the Estadio Metropolitano Metro station.[39] [40] These infrastructures will be paid by the club for a fee close to 30 million euros.

The second phase was planned to take place after the inauguration. According to the announcement by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, it consists of the opening of the O'Donnell Cercanías Madrid station, which will convert the existing stop into a new station for the Rejas neighborhood. The station will be located at the intersection of the M-21 dual carriageway and M-40 highway, close to Ciudad Pegaso and the Plenilunio Shopping Center and near the Wanda Metropolitano.

The City Council is in talks with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Community of Madrid about further improving access to the new stadium and adapting to the substantial increase of traffic to the neighborhood once it is operational. The measures proposed by the municipality of Madrid include a request to extend line 2 of Metro to the future O'Donnell Cercanías Madrid station, as well as the connection of said line to line 7's Estadio Metropolitano Metro station, which has the largest platform in the network.[41]

There are three more Metro stations within a two to 20 minute walk of the stadium: Las Rosas (line 2), Canillejas (line 5), and Las Musas (line 7).[42] The buses of EMT Madrid with a stop close to the stadium are lines 28, 38, 48, 140, 153, E2, N5 and N6 (the last two lines are nocturnal buses). The long-distance buses are lines 286, 288 and 289. The EMT operates a special service on match days; one line runs from the Canillejas exchanger to the stadium (SE721 line). Canillejas has connections to Metro line 5 and EMT bus lines 77, 101, 140, 151 and 200.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: El Ayuntamiento venderá la parcela de La Peineta al Atlético. es. El País. 1 March 2016. 16 September 2017. 6 May 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170506163444/http://ccaa.elpais.com/ccaa/2016/02/28/madrid/1456688895_983392.html. live . Gallo . Bruno García . Moñino . Ladislao J. .
  2. Web site: El Wanda, la última solución para el Rayo Majadahonda. Marca. es. 29 June 2018. 1 July 2018. Wanda, the last solution for Rayo Majadahonda. 29 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180629211654/http://www.marca.com/futbol/segunda-division/majadahonda/2018/06/29/5b364572268e3e4c768b456f.html. live.
  3. Web site: Wanda Metropolitano. StadiumDB. 1 May 2017. 8 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180708174619/http://stadiumdb.com/constructions/esp/estadio_la_peineta. live.
  4. Web site: 2023-09-07 . Club Atlético de Madrid - El aforo del Cívitas Metropolitano crece hasta los 70.460 espectadores . 2023-09-07 . Club Atlético de Madrid . es-ES.
  5. Web site: 2019 Champions League Final: Tottenham vs. Liverpool. 9 May 2019. 10 May 2019. 30 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190430122140/https://www.esmadrid.com/en/whats-on/final-champions-league-2019-wanda-metropolitano-stadium. live.
  6. Web site: Chinese firm Wanda to sponsor Atletico Madrid's new stadium. Reuters. 2 October 2017. 9 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180609125801/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-spain-atm-stadium/chinese-firm-wanda-to-sponsor-atletico-madrids-new-stadium-idUKKBN13Y1KF. live.
  7. Web site: Jones . Rory . 2022-07-20 . Atletico Madrid confirm '€10m per year' Civitas Metropolitano naming rights deal . 2024-04-11 . SportsPro . en-GB.
  8. Web site: Club Atlético de Madrid 2017-18 UCL matches. UEFA. 27 August 2017. 22 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171222132521/http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2018/clubs/club=50124/matches/index.html. live.
  9. News: Casqueiro. Javier. 1993-11-18. El olímpico de Canillejas. es. El País. 2021-09-07. 1134-6582. 7 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210907221645/https://elpais.com/diario/1993/11/19/madrid/753711896_850215.html. live.
  10. Web site: 7 September 1994. 'El Estadio de Madrid' página 78. live. 2021-09-02. ABC Madrid. 27 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220727221546/https://www.abc.es/archivo/periodicos/abc-madrid-19940907-78.html.
  11. News: Álvarez. Paz. 1995-05-21. 'La Peineta' se queda 'coja' sin los Mundiales de 1997. es. El País. 2021-09-07. 1134-6582. 7 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210907221645/https://elpais.com/diario/1995/05/22/madrid/801141867_850215.html. live.
  12. Web site: 2008-12-12. La Peineta será el nuevo estadio del Atlético para la temporada 2012-13. 2021-09-02. La Vanguardia. es. 3 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210903041859/https://www.lavanguardia.com/deportes/20081212/53598075412/la-peineta-sera-el-nuevo-estadio-del-atletico-para-la-temporada-2012-13.html. live.
  13. News: Gallo. Bruno García. Marcos. José. 2014-11-05. FCC paraliza las obras de La Peineta y retrasa a 2017 la mudanza del Atlético. es. El País. 2021-09-05. 1134-6582. 7 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210907221647/https://elpais.com/ccaa/2014/11/05/madrid/1415221786_435912.html. live.
  14. News: Marcos. José. 2013-09-07. La Peineta, en el limbo. es. El País. 2021-09-14. 1134-6582. 15 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210915054123/https://elpais.com/ccaa/2013/09/08/madrid/1378593183_168106.html. live.
  15. Web site: 2 November 2011. Comienzan las obras de derribo en La Peineta. live. 2021-09-02. Marca.com. 3 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210903041858/https://www.marca.com/2011/11/02/futbol/equipos/atletico/1320246983.html.
  16. Web site: El Ayuntamiento de Madrid bendice la compra de La Peineta por parte del Atlético. es. El Mundo.es. 23 November 2016. 12 December 2016. 10 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161210010657/http://www.elmundo.es/madrid/2016/11/23/58357ee546163f30158b45f0.html. live.
  17. Web site: Atlético Madrid's new stadium coming along a treat. AS.com. 20 January 2016. 20 January 2016. 1 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170801153142/https://as.com/diarioas/2016/01/20/english/1453319456_678765.html. live.
  18. Web site: Presentamos el Wanda Metropolitano. es. Atletico de Madrid.com. 9 December 2016 . 12 December 2016. 12 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161212014922/http://www.atleticodemadrid.com/noticias/presentamos-el-wanda-metropolitano. live.
  19. Web site: Atlético de Madrid. Twitter.com. 9 December 2016. 7 April 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170407104945/https://twitter.com/atletienglish/status/807203625978232833. live.
  20. Web site: 14 March 2017. El Atlético de Madrid compra el estadio de La Peineta por 30,4 millones. live. 2021-09-05. Idealistanews.com. es. 7 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210907221647/https://www.idealista.com/news/inmobiliario/construccion/2017/03/14/745700-el-atletico-de-madrid-compra-el-estadio-de-la-peineta-por-30-4-millones.
  21. Web site: 2017-03-13. El Atlético compra el estadio de La Peineta por 30 millones. 2021-09-06. AS.com. es. 7 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210907221653/https://as.com/futbol/2017/03/13/primera/1489405983_221380.html. live.
  22. Web site: Madrid: New Atletico stadium with season ticket record. Stadium DB.com. 12 December 2017. 12 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171212084507/http://stadiumdb.com/news/2017/04/madrid_new_atletico_stadium_already_with_season_ticket_record. live.
  23. News: Lowe. Sid. A stadium called Wanda: opening night at Atlético Madrid's new home. 23 September 2017. The Guardian. 18 September 2017. 23 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170923194239/https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/sep/18/a-stadium-called-wanda-opening-night-at-atletico-madrids-new-home. live.
  24. News: Henry. Matthew. Atlético Madrid 1–2 Chelsea. 2 October 2017. BBC Sport. 27 September 2017. 30 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170930200205/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41379696. live.
  25. Web site: Official Atlético de Madrid Website - Features. 2021-09-07. Club Atlético de Madrid. en. 6 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200606052429/http://en.atleticodemadrid.com/atm/features. live.
  26. Web site: 2020-05-03. Estadio Wanda Metropolitano. 2021-09-07. Las Rosas Madrid. es. 17 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211117191038/https://lasrosasmadrid.com/estadio-wanda-metropolitano/. live.
  27. Web site: Madrid – Estadio La Peineta / Wanda Metropolitano. 21 April 2015. 14 January 2015. 2 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150102033931/http://www.estadiosdeespana.com/posts/madrid-estadio-la-peineta-nuevo-estadio-del-club-atletico-de-madrid/. live.
  28. Web site: 2017-10-12. Atlético de Madrid: Cuando el Atlético ganó 3-1 al Barça en La Peineta... ¡en el debut de Ronaldo!. 2021-09-02. Marca.com. es. 3 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210903041859/https://www.marca.com/futbol/atletico/2017/10/12/59df64c222601d42198b45a9.html. live.
  29. News: Durán. Luis Fernando. El Rayo, desterrado a La Peineta. The Rayo, exiled to La Peineta. 28 March 2018. El País. 6 September 1997. Madrid. es. 28 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180328102549/https://elpais.com/diario/1997/09/06/madrid/873545073_850215.html. live.
  30. Web site: IAAF: Results - iaaf.org. IAAF.com. 17 January 2017. 24 March 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110324160157/http://www.iaaf.org/history/WCP/season=2002/eventCode=2947/news/index.html. live.
  31. News: Madrid to host UEFA Champions League Final 2019 . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 20 September 2017 . 20 September 2017 . 20 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170920181024/http://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/mediaservices/newsid=2502786.html . live .
  32. Web site: UEFA Champions League schedule (kickoff dates and times will change due to domestic competition).. UEFA.com. 14 October 2018. 4 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190404022124/https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2019/matches/#/rd/2000984. live.
  33. Web site: UEFA Champions League finals. 20 September 2017. UEFA.com. 26 July 2018. 1 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201114821/http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2501768.html. live.
  34. News: Bell. Arch. Spain smash Argentina for six. 28 March 2018. Marca. 27 March 2018. 28 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180328102728/http://www.marca.com/en/football/spanish-football/2018/03/27/5abab523e5fdea7d498b4607.html. live.
  35. Web site: Iniesta Ever Last Final With Barca. . 22 April 2018 . 22 April 2018. 23 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180423033340/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/barcelona-andres-iniesta-transfer-copa-del-rey-goal-highlights-lionel-messi-a8316586.html. live.
  36. Web site: 60.739 espectadores en el Wanda: récord de un partido femenino a nivel de clubes. Marca. 17 March 2019 . es. 17 March 2019. 18 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190318075833/https://www.marca.com/futbol/futbol-femenino/primera-division/2019/03/17/5c8d58f922601df9688b464f.html. live.
  37. News: Liverpool beat Spurs to become champions of Europe for sixth time . 1 June 2019 . BBC . 5 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190905112812/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48368443 . live .
  38. Web site: Madrid to host first World Rugby Sevens Series Grand Final from 2023-24 | World Rugby .
  39. News: 2017-02-23. Consulte en exclusiva los planos de la mejora de los accesos al Wanda Metropolitano. es. AS.com. live. 2017-06-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20170528234436/http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2017/02/22/album/1487799472_343236.html#1487799472_343236_1487814387. 28 May 2017.
  40. News: Así serán la urbanización y los nuevos accesos al Wanda Metropolitano. Morato. Iván. Esto es Atleti. 2017-06-19. es-es. 19 June 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170619214929/http://www.estoesatleti.es/2017/03/asi-seran-la-urbanizacion-y-nuevos-accesos-wanda-metropolitano/. live.
  41. News: El Wanda Metropolitano y su gigantesca estación de Metro. 2017-04-30. abc. 2017-06-20. es-ES. 14 June 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170614215535/http://www.abc.es/espana/madrid/abci-wanda-metropolitano-y-gigantesca-estacion-metro-201704300031_noticia.html. live.
  42. News: Inauguración del Wanda Metropolitano: accesos y cómo llegar al estadio. es-ES. 20minutos. live. 2017-10-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20171005152128/http://www.20minutos.es/deportes/noticia/estreno-wanda-metropolitano-como-ir-datos-3134350/0/. 5 October 2017.