Estádio Couto Pereira

Estádio Major Antônio Couto Pereira

Couto Pereira
Interior of the stadium
Full name	Estádio Major Antônio Couto Pereira
Former names	Estádio Belford Duarte
Location	Rua Ubaldino do Amaral, 37, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
Owner	Coritiba
Operator	Coritiba
Capacity	40,502[1]
Record attendance	70,000
Field size	109 x 72 m
Surface	Grass
Construction
Built	1927–1932
Opened	November 20, 1932
Renovated	2005, 2014
Expanded	2014

Estádio Major Antônio Couto Pereira, often shortened to Couto Pereira, is the home of Coritiba Foot Ball Club, located in Curitiba, Paraná state, Brazil. Its formal name honors Major Antônio Couto Pereira, who was Coritiba's president in 1926, 1927, and between 1930 and 1933. He started the stadium construction.

History[]

Couto Pereira during a night match in 2019

In 1927, Major Antônio Couto Pereira, the club's president at that time, acquired a 36,300 m² area, paying for it a hundred contos de réis. Between the groundplot purchase, which should also accommodate the club's headquarters at the Alto da Glória neighborhood, and the stadium construction, almost five years passed.

The stadium was originally named after Belfort Duarte,. The stadium was named after Belfort Duarte because the Coritiba counselors did not come to an agreement about the stadium name. The name Belfort Duarte was chosen by president Couto Pereira as a provisory name, which lasted 45 years.

The stadium floodlights were inaugurated in 1942, when Coritiba beat Avaí 4-2.

On February 28, 1977, a General Assembly renamed the stadium to Major Antônio Couto Pereira, after the club's former president died.

In 1988 a ditch around the pitch was built, to prevent supporters from entering the field, and to give a more modern look to the stadium. At the same time the cabins were built, which reduced the stadium capacity, but also made it more comfortable.

The inaugural match was played on November 20, 1932, when Coritiba beat América 4-2. The first goal of the stadium was scored by Coritiba's Gildo.

The stadium's attendance record in a football match currently stands at 65,943, set on May 15, 1983 when Atlético-PR beat Flamengo 2-0.

The stadium's general attendance record was set on August 5, 1980, when 70,000 people came to see Pope John Paul II.

References[]

External links[]

• (in Portuguese) Templos do Futebol
• (in Portuguese) Coritiba Official Website

Coordinates: 25°25′16.0″S 49°15′34.2″W / 25.421111°S 49.259500°W / -25.421111; -49.259500