Estadio Sarriá
Encyclopedia
Estadi de Sarrià was a football stadium in Barcelona
, Catalonia
, Spain
. The stadium was the home of RCD Espanyol
from 1923 to 1997. The stadium was located in the Barcelona district of Sarrià
and has become a legendary place for the Catalan club.
The opening game was played on February 18, 1923 with RCD Espanyol beating UE Sants 4-1, the first goal scored by Vicenç Tonijuan. In 1929 the club won its first Cup in Spain. On 10 February, at the Sarria stadium, 'Pitus' Prats scored the first goal of the first Spanish league title. The team currently stood above everyone "The Divine", Ricardo Zamora. However, although the club won several Catalan Championships they had to wait until 1940 before winning their second cup in Spain.
In 1951 terracing behind the south goal was demolished, and a new grandstand was built which was overlayed in 1956. In 1960 floodlights were installed.
During the sixties, several outstanding players such as Cayetano Re, Martial, Rodilla, Jose Maria and Peck played at the Sarria Stadium, but especially noteworthy were Ladislao Kubala (1963–1964) and Alfredo Di Stefano (1964–1967) who finished his career at the Sarria stadium.
After being relegated twice during the 1960s, the club recovered in the early 1970s with players like Daniel Solsona and Chilean Carlos Caszely.
Manuel Meler, the president at the time, completed the southern tier raised above the new gallery, installed the lower side and reconstructed the north stand, all in twelve years.
. The stadium held the three matches of Group C in the second round, with three of the favourites for the cup playing in this group: Argentina (Diego Maradona, Mario Kempes, Daniel Passarella), Brazil (Zico, Socrates, Falcao, Eder) and eventual champions Italy (Dino Zoff, Claudio Gentile, Marco Tardelli, Paolo Rossi). The key game was the third in which Italy defeated Brazil 3-2, in a match widely regarded as one of the best ever played at a World Cup.
Pink Floyd
performed at the stadium during their A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour on July 20, 1988 and three days later George Michael
performed at the stadium with his Faith World Tour
.
Sting performed at the stadium during The Soul Cages
Tour on June 12, 1991.
The venue hosted some football matches at the 1992 Summer Olympics
.
until 2009, when it moved to the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The stadium was the home of RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
from 1923 to 1997. The stadium was located in the Barcelona district of Sarrià
Sarrià-Sant Gervasi
Sarrià-Sant Gervasi is one of the biggest districts of Barcelona, situated on the north-west of the city, surrounded by districts of Les Corts, Gràcia, Eixample i Horta-Guinardo, and by the villages of Sant Just, Sant Feliu, Molins de Rei and Sant Cugat...
and has become a legendary place for the Catalan club.
Beginning of a legendary stadium
The stadium was named after the road in which it was constructed, which linked the ancient cities Barcelona and Sarria. Construction began on December 31, 1922 under the supervision of architect Matías Colmenares, and the cost was 170,000 pesetas. The initial forecast capacity was for 40,000 spectators, but due to the bankruptcy of the construction company the initial capacity was only for 10,000 spectators.The opening game was played on February 18, 1923 with RCD Espanyol beating UE Sants 4-1, the first goal scored by Vicenç Tonijuan. In 1929 the club won its first Cup in Spain. On 10 February, at the Sarria stadium, 'Pitus' Prats scored the first goal of the first Spanish league title. The team currently stood above everyone "The Divine", Ricardo Zamora. However, although the club won several Catalan Championships they had to wait until 1940 before winning their second cup in Spain.
Successive enlargements
In 1948, Espanyol under club president Paco Saenz, repurchased the stadium, which until then belonged to Riva family, for 5 million pesetas.In 1951 terracing behind the south goal was demolished, and a new grandstand was built which was overlayed in 1956. In 1960 floodlights were installed.
During the sixties, several outstanding players such as Cayetano Re, Martial, Rodilla, Jose Maria and Peck played at the Sarria Stadium, but especially noteworthy were Ladislao Kubala (1963–1964) and Alfredo Di Stefano (1964–1967) who finished his career at the Sarria stadium.
After being relegated twice during the 1960s, the club recovered in the early 1970s with players like Daniel Solsona and Chilean Carlos Caszely.
Manuel Meler, the president at the time, completed the southern tier raised above the new gallery, installed the lower side and reconstructed the north stand, all in twelve years.
1982 World Cup
The most memorable moments in the history of the Sarria stadium were when it hosted the 1982 FIFA World Cup1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
. The stadium held the three matches of Group C in the second round, with three of the favourites for the cup playing in this group: Argentina (Diego Maradona, Mario Kempes, Daniel Passarella), Brazil (Zico, Socrates, Falcao, Eder) and eventual champions Italy (Dino Zoff, Claudio Gentile, Marco Tardelli, Paolo Rossi). The key game was the third in which Italy defeated Brazil 3-2, in a match widely regarded as one of the best ever played at a World Cup.
Other Events
The stadium held the first leg of the final of the 1988 UEFA Cup, where Espanyol played Bayer Leverkusen.Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
performed at the stadium during their A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour on July 20, 1988 and three days later George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
performed at the stadium with his Faith World Tour
Faith World Tour
The Faith World Tour was the supporting concert tour of George Michael's massively popular Faith album.-History:George Michael embarked on his massive sold out world tour in 1988. In the set list of the show there were a couple of songs from the Wham! era and some standards like "Lady Marmalade"...
.
Sting performed at the stadium during The Soul Cages
The Soul Cages
The Soul Cages is the third full length studio album released by Sting. Released in 1991, it became his second No. 1 album in the United Kingdom. It spawned four singles: "All This Time", "Mad About You", "Why Should I Cry For You" and "The Soul Cages"...
Tour on June 12, 1991.
The venue hosted some football matches at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
.
Demolition and sale
Unfortunately, the club's financial problems forced the company to sell the stadium to property developers. The last game played in Sarrià was against Valencia on June 21, 1997. Espanyol won 3-2 and the last goal was scored by Jose Cobos. The club then played at the Montjuic Olympic StadiumEstadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys is a stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Originally built in 1927 for the 1929 International Exposition in the city , it was renovated in 1989 to be the main stadium for the 1992 Summer Olympics...
until 2009, when it moved to the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat.