Balaídos

Balaídos

Balaídos in 2009
Full name	Estadio Municipal de Balaídos
Former names	Stadium de Balaídos (1928–1946)
Address	Avenida de Balaídos, s/n 36210 Vigo, Pontevedra
Location	Vigo, Galicia, Spain
Coordinates	42°12′43″N 8°44′23″W / 42.211842°N 8.739711°W / 42.211842; -8.739711 (Estadio Municipal de Balaídos)
Owner	Concello de Vigo
Operator	R.C. Celta de Vigo, S.A.D.
Capacity	29,000[1]
Record attendance	45,000 (Celta Vigo vs Getafe, 16 May 1982)
Field size	105 m × 70 m (344 ft × 230 ft)[1]
Surface	Grass
Construction
Built	1925–1928
Opened	30 December 1928 (1928-12-30)
Renovated	2004, 2015–2018, 2021–present
Expanded	1967, 1982
Architect	Jenaro de la Fuente
General contractor	Stadium de Balaídos, S.A.
Tenants
RC Celta Vigo (1928–present) Spain national football team (selected matches)

The Estadio Municipal de Balaídos (Spanish pronunciation: [balaˈiðos]), known as Abanca-Balaídos for sponsorship reasons, is an all-seater stadium in Vigo, Spain. The stadium is the home of Celta Vigo, and accommodates a total of 29,000 spectators.^[1]

History[]

Construction[]

In September 1924, a group of local businessmen took the first steps towards the construction of the stadium by buying the 75,000 m² on which the stadium would be built. The first job they faced was diverting the Lagares river. Two years later, the businessmen founded the Stadium de Balaídos, S.A. company, which would carry out the actual construction work on the new stadium. The architect of the stadium was Jenaro de la Fuente.^[1]

Inauguration[]

Balaídos was inaugurated on 30 December 1928. The stadium was blessed by the archpriest of Fragoso, Father Faustino Ande.^[2]

The inaugural match was played between the hosts, Celta Vigo, and the Basque team Real Unión. The ceremonial kick-off was made by Carmen Gregorio-Espino, the daughter of former mayor Adolfo Gregorio Espino. Celta Vigo's Graciliano was the first player to score a goal in the new stadium, in a 7–0 win.

Renovations[]

Balaídos underwent its second large-scale renovation in preparation for the 1982 FIFA World Cup; The Rio stand was completely re-built, the Gol end was added to the stadium, and the Tribuna and Marcador stands were renovated.

In the 2002–03 season, Celta qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history. Their celebrations were cut short when the stadium failed the subsequent UEFA stadium inspection required to host their fixtures.^[3] It was briefly mooted that Celta might have to play their home matches at Porto's Estádio do Dragão. However, the necessary upgrades were paid for by the local authorities.

Redevelopment projects[]

Due to the poor state of the stadium, the idea for a New Balaídos (Galician: Novo Balaídos, Spanish: Nuevo Balaídos) has been proposed several times in the past decade.

2003[]

In 2003, then club president of Celta Vigo Horacio Gómez presented an ambitious project for a new stadium and the surrounding area. The 95,000m² redevelopment would include a shopping centre, a hotel and sports centre. It was approved by the financiers, Caixanova, but was rejected by the local authorities due to the strong opposition from Javier Riera, the director general of the nearby PSA Peugeot Citroën factory, because of the increased disruption it would cause in the area.

2015–17[]

Starting from 2015, Balaídos has been undergoing major renovations. The stands have been entirely reconstructed to allow a much closer view for the spectators.^[3] Once renovations are completed, the capacity of the stadium will become 31,000 seats. Renovations are expected to be finalized in 2019. The stadium continues to host Celta's home matches during the renovation process.

In February 2017, the roof of the stadium was damaged due to a storm, forcing a Liga match to be rescheduled due to safety concerns.^[4]

Structures and facilities[]

Balaídos is located on the Avenida Balaídos, in the district of Coia. It occupies the block bounded by Avenida Balaídos, Rúa Val Minor, Avenida Alcalde Portanet and Rúa dos Olimpicos Galegos.

The stadium comprises four stands: Tribuna, Río (main stand), Gol (west end) and Marcador (east end), giving a total official capacity of 29,000. The record attendance at the stadium is 45,000 which was set in a Segunda División match between Celta and Getafe in 1982.

Tribuna[]

The Tribuna stand runs parallel to Avenida Balaídos. It is a two-tiered stand – the upper-tier is Tribuna alta and lower-tier is Tribuna baixa. The club's bar, Celta Bar, is located in the Tribuna stand.

Río[]

The Río stand is two-tiered and is the newest of the stands (built in 1981). The upper-tier is known as Río alto and lower-tier is Río baixo. The stand is named Río (River) as it was built over the original course of the Lagares river.

International matches[]

Spain national team matches[]

Data	Opponent	Score	Competition
2 April 1933	Portugal	3–0	Friendly match
26 September 1979	Portugal	1–1	Friendly match
23 January 1980	Netherlands	1–0	Friendly match
19 January 1994	Portugal	2–2	Friendly match
25 March 1998	Sweden	4–0	Friendly match
13 November 1999	Brazil	0–0	Friendly match
18 November 2014	Germany	0–1	Friendly match

1982 FIFA World Cup[]

The stadium hosted three group matches at the 1982 FIFA World Cup. The other Group 1 games were also held in Galicia, at Riazor, A Coruña.

References[]

External links[]

• Balaídos at RC Celta de Vigo