| La Romareda | |
| Fullname: | La Romareda[1] |
| Broke Ground: | 19 September 1956 |
| Opened: | 8 September 1957 |
| Renovated: | 1977, 1982, 1994 |
| Owner: | Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza |
| Operator: | Real Zaragoza |
| Surface: | Grass |
| Architect: | Francisco Riestra |
| Project Manager: | José Beltrán |
| General Contractor: | Agromán |
| Capacity: | 33,608 [2] |
| Dimensions: | 107mx68mm (351feetx223feetm) |
| Tenants: | Real Zaragoza (1957–present) Spain national football team (selected matches) |
La Romareda pronounced as /es/ is the home stadium of Real Zaragoza, in Zaragoza. It was inaugurated on 8 September 1957, with a game between Real Zaragoza and CA Osasuna (4–3). The official capacity is 33,608,[3] with an average attendance of around 20,000 for Real Zaragoza matches. Currently, it is the 12th-largest stadium in Spain and the largest in Aragon.
The stadium has gone through various upgrades, in 1977 and in 1982, when it was a 1982 FIFA World Cup venue. The stadium was also used for football group matches and a quarterfinal during the 1992 Summer Olympics. It became an all-seater stadium in 1994.The stadium also hosted the 1992-94 FIRA Trophy match between Spain and Romania in 1994.[4] Plans to build a new stadium in Zaragoza have been abandoned.
La Romareda was proposed as the Olympic Stadium in Jaca's failed bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Works for the enlargement of La Romareda into a 43,000-seat stadium were due to begin on April 17, 2006 and end in time for the Zaragoza Expo of 2008. However, a lawsuit was filed by a political party (PAR), claiming that the enlargement of the stadium would be to the detriment of the population, in order to suspend the planned works. A judge ordered the suspension and the works were put on hold.
The construction of La Romareda was due to the efforts of the mayor Luis Gómez Laguna, and his successor Cesáreo Alierta, who was the president of Real Zaragoza. Their previous ground Estadio Torrero, with a capacity of 15,000, was considered too small.The matter was brought before the city council, who on 9 February 1956 approved the plans to build the stadium. The task of building the stadium was given to the construction company Agroman, who in the 15 months it took to build the stadium employed 350 employees. The stadium has been used as a concert venue. Michael Jackson performed at the stadium during his HIStory World Tour on September 23 1996 in front of 45,000 of attendance. Gloria Estefan performed at the stadium in front of another sold out crowd of 45,000 on her Evolution Tour on October 20, 1996.
La Romareda boasts the bizarre claim to have Europe's deepest goal nets, which stretch back four metres. The nets also have a striking blue and white diagonal stripe design.
The stadium was one of the venues of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, and held three matches:
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 June 1982 | 0–0 | Group 5 (first round) | 25,000 | ||
| 21 June 1982 | 1–1 | 15,000 | |||
| 24 June 1982 | 0–1 | 25,000 |
It could potentially host matches for the 2030 FIFA World Cup which Spain will co-host along with Morocco and Portugal.