In the heart of Spain’s gloriously beautiful capital city Madrid lies a club ready to break the status quo of Spanish football. LaLiga is typically dominated by Barcelona and Real Madrid, who share a unique rivalry, but in the shadows of the Bernabeu stadium, Atlético de Madrid have been banging a loud drum, eager to topple the duopoly once more.
In this post, we’ll tell you all about the newly build Civitas Metroplitano, one of Europe’s most aesthetically pleasing stadiums.
Civitas Metropolitano: location and capacity
Address: Av. de Luis Aragonés, 4, 28022 Madrid, Spain – the Rosas neighbourhood
Capacity: 68,456
Year of build: 2017
A rebuild of the Estadio Olímpico de Madrid
The stadium was built in 1994 and was originally called the Estadio Olímpico de Madrid. In 2013, it was closed for renovations and a complete rebuild. The original building hosted 20,000 fans, and was indeed not used in the Olympics as the city of Madrid failed that particular bid to host the Olympics.
It was then that the stadium underwent a new renovation to become the new home of Atlético de Madrid. Its large capacity made it the third largest stadium in Spain after the Spotify Camp Nou and the Santiago Bernabeu.
The inspiration behind the design: the Vicente Calderón
The stadium’s design was inspired by Atlético de Madrid’s former stadium, the Vicente Calderón, and has a striking outer shell with a series of diamond-shaped plates in shades of blue, white, and red. The seating is arranged in a bowl shape, giving fans an excellent view of the pitch, and there is a massive video screen at one end of the stadium.
The Vicente Calderón will always hold a special place in the hearts of Atletico’s vociferous fan base. It was quite frankly iconic and saw the club establish itself as one of the emerging big teams in Spain. The increase in capacity from the Calderon’s 54,907 to the Metropolitano’s 68,456 was not the only significant change as match days changed forever with modern technology and faster entry and exit points.
The principal building material used is concrete, while fibreglass was used for the roofing. Solar systems are used to power the LED lighting in and around the stadium, while fans are kept cool or warm with air conditioning systems. It is a huge upgrade from the previous venue in that regard. As expected, you’ll see a mix of red and white materials used, symbolising the team colours.
The Two Fan Zones
The Civitas Metropolitano’s overall footprint is huge at over 88,150 square meters and this is great news for fans. Two Fan Zones have been set up in the stadium’s vicinity, one in the South section and one opposite in the north, which is a designated family area.
Each Fan Zone, or fondo, is equipped with huge video scoreboards, and the usual comforts a fan would expect in a Fan Zone.
The first match at the new stadium
17th September 2017 can be considered as the stadium’s birthday, with Atlético de Madrid taking on Málaga CF in a highly anticipated game. Members of the Spanish royal family were present, including King Felipe VI, who got to witness the stadium’s first-ever goal. Antoine Griezmann opened the scoring in a 1-0 win and it’s always a good omen to win your debut match in a new stadium!
Major events held at the Civitas Metropolitano.
The Civitas Metropolitano hosted the 2019 UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. The stadium has also hosted other major events, including concerts by international artists such as Bruno Mars, Guns N’ Roses, and Alejandro Sanz.
Territorio Atletico: Museum & Tours
Who doesn’t love a good stadium tour? Well, fortunately, the Metropolitano encases a fantastic museum, documenting the club’s history and of course, showcasing the trophies the team has won. Their extraordinary trophy cabinet has been further enhanced in recent years under the guidance of their current coach.
Stadium tours and museum tickets come as little as €25 and cover everything from the ground up. You’ll explore the changing rooms, gym facilities, press rooms, boxes and even the players’ tunnel and dugout, giving you a view of what it is like to be a professional footballer.
Live the Dream: Play at the Civitas Metroplitano
And if you really want to be a professional football player for a day, well, with Socios.com and Atlético de Madrid Fan Tokens, you can!
Yes, you read correctly, we’re organising a match on the famed turf and you can participate too. You’ll literally be treated like a pro, and we’ll make sure you look the part too with all the kit included.
Our Live the Dream experiences do exactly what the label says: help you live your dream and have a fantastic day out. Oh, and you’ll also be able to meet a club legend too, who will be there on the day.
