Estadio Metropolitano
Encyclopedia
Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez is a multi-use All-seater stadium
in Barranquilla
, Colombia
. It is the home stadium of local football team Atlético Junior
. The stadium holds 49,612, making it one of the largest in Colombia. It was built for the failed Colombian World Cup bid in 1986. It was inaugurated in 1986 with a game between Uruguay and Atletico Junior, which the Uruguayans won 2-1. The first official name of the stadium was "Estadio Metropolitano", which was changed around 1991 in order to honor a hero of Colombian football, Roberto Meléndez. This is the official stadium for the national football team of Colombia
. The stadium was most recently refurbished in 2011.
In the early 1970s, the expansion of the Romelio Martinez Stadium was projected with the construction of new bleachers for the sports arena. However, an architectural error would force the reduction of the 72nd Street to complete the works. After some time it was decided to demolish the new forum yet unfinished in the midst of strong criticism, which the local press called the Gallery of Shame. Due to the large amount of money being spent on this project, it failed because subsequent studies showed the impossibility of conducting a proper extension to the scenario, it was decided that the best solution was to design an entirely new football stadium for the city.
In 1979, the governor of the department of Atlántico, Pedro Martín Leyes presented President Julio Cesar Turbay the project to build a new stadium in Barranquilla, supported the idea of doing a host of World Cup 1986 to be held in Colombia. The project is approved and the foundation stone for the building is placed on December 7 of 1979 in an area of 30 hectares, located on the avenue Circunvalar with Murillo Street, donated by the Instituto de Credito Territorial (Inscredial). For its construction the firm Metrofútbol was formed, led by architect Jaime de Biassa. José Francisco Ramos was appointed as architect of the stadium, awarding construction to engineer Julio Gerlein and electrical Engineer Luis Gonzalo Prada Ch.
The opening match was played between the teams Junior and Selection Uruguay higher, led by Omar Borrás technical, which was preparing for the World Cup of 1986.
The match ended with the victory of the visiting team, the Uruguay, 1-2, with goals from Enzo Francescoli (the first goal scored in the stadium criminal to 62 minutes) and Jorge da Silva and discounted by the visiting player José "Perilla" Angulo by the angle table local. The three goals were scored in the second half.
The first red card was for the player Uruguayan Walter Barrios to 87 minutes. Four days later, another match was held before the selection of Argentina during their tour in preparation for World Cup 1986, which ended up winning the world championship.
It also hosted the 2001 Copa America, the opening ceremony was held here which was presented in a colourful parade and a dance, and he disputed the six matches in Group A took part in the selection of Colombia (champion), Venezuela, Chile and Ecuador. Those matches were held between July 11 and July 17 of 2001.
It was also the venue where he played as the local selection of Colombia in the playoffs for the World Cups in Italy (1990), United States (1994), France (1998) and Germany (2006). In the first three playoffs ranked sequentially after 28 years of absence.
It was the farewell party for Carlos Valderrama on February 1, 2004, which was attended by players Diego Maradona, Jose Luis Chilavert, Enzo Francescoli, Alberto Acosta, Mauricio Serna, Faustino Asprilla, Arnoldo Iguarán, Leonel Álvarez and the popular singer Carlos Vives.
In 2006, the stadium hosted some football matches of the XX Central American and Caribbean Games, which were held in Cartagena.
In 2011, the stadium will be one of eight stadiums that will host matches during the FIFA U-20 World Cup
.
The stadium has also hosted numerous concerts of various artists such as Shakira
, Juanes
and Carlos Vives
.
The profiles of the time, sports highlights Meléndez as the best Colombian player of the moment, part of the selection Colombia who was present at the Copa America in 1945. It won the national amateur title in 1932 as Junior and Youth with invicta He was also the first Colombian player transferred to a foreign team, because in 1939 he was hired by the team Hispanoamericano Galician Center of Cuba. Roberto Meléndez died in 2005.
It also has four dressing rooms, eight bathrooms, 27 radio booths, newsroom systems, lighting towers (24 reflectors), medical services and parking for up to 1,600 vehicles. The stadium's field measures 110 m by 75 m.
The south and north side galleries were the names of Korea and Vietnam, respectively, in honor of two Asian countries that suffered from wars during the twentieth century, one of which was the presence of Colombian soldiers fighting (Korea).
It is currently being carried out a complete renovation with a budget of COP$22,500,000,000. The remodelling of the stadium involved building giant screens, repairing of the athletic track, a new parking lot behind the north gallery, new lighting, dressing rooms for ball-catchers, overall structure restoration, a security camera system, renovation of electrical systems and communications among other improvements.
The crossing of the avenues and Circunvalar Murillo is an easily accessible, both avenues have enough availability of transport. At this point, is widening the carriageway of the road from the Avenue Circunvalar cordiality. Other gateways may be Boyacá Avenue and Avenida Las Torres.
In Murillo street Transmetro
, the mass transport line is an alternative access at Joaquín Barrios Polo station.
All-seater stadium
An all-seater stadium is a sports stadium in which every spectator has a seat. This is commonplace in football stadiums in nations such as the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. Most soccer and American football stadiums in the United States and Canada are all-seaters, as are most baseball...
in Barranquilla
Barranquilla
Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. It is the home stadium of local football team Atlético Junior
Atlético Junior
Corporación Popular Deportiva Junior, known simply as Junior or by its former name Atlético Junior, is a Colombian football team based in Barranquilla. The club was founded in 1924 Known as "Los Tiburones" , or "El Equipo Tiburón" have won the Colombian professional football championship six times...
. The stadium holds 49,612, making it one of the largest in Colombia. It was built for the failed Colombian World Cup bid in 1986. It was inaugurated in 1986 with a game between Uruguay and Atletico Junior, which the Uruguayans won 2-1. The first official name of the stadium was "Estadio Metropolitano", which was changed around 1991 in order to honor a hero of Colombian football, Roberto Meléndez. This is the official stadium for the national football team of Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
. The stadium was most recently refurbished in 2011.
History
Before the construction of Metropolitan Stadium, the city only had the Romelio Martinez Stadium, which was built in 1934 with a capacity of 10,000 spectators. Since the advent of professional football to Barranquilla in 1948, it became evident the need for a sports arena that would house the football fans.In the early 1970s, the expansion of the Romelio Martinez Stadium was projected with the construction of new bleachers for the sports arena. However, an architectural error would force the reduction of the 72nd Street to complete the works. After some time it was decided to demolish the new forum yet unfinished in the midst of strong criticism, which the local press called the Gallery of Shame. Due to the large amount of money being spent on this project, it failed because subsequent studies showed the impossibility of conducting a proper extension to the scenario, it was decided that the best solution was to design an entirely new football stadium for the city.
In 1979, the governor of the department of Atlántico, Pedro Martín Leyes presented President Julio Cesar Turbay the project to build a new stadium in Barranquilla, supported the idea of doing a host of World Cup 1986 to be held in Colombia. The project is approved and the foundation stone for the building is placed on December 7 of 1979 in an area of 30 hectares, located on the avenue Circunvalar with Murillo Street, donated by the Instituto de Credito Territorial (Inscredial). For its construction the firm Metrofútbol was formed, led by architect Jaime de Biassa. José Francisco Ramos was appointed as architect of the stadium, awarding construction to engineer Julio Gerlein and electrical Engineer Luis Gonzalo Prada Ch.
Inauguration
The construction of Metropolitan Stadium lasted six years, after which a grand opening was held on May 11, 1986 with a folk show in which 5,000 artists, an awards ceremony for VIPs Sport Colombia, a giant ball that left 200 white doves and the holding of an international friendly match.The opening match was played between the teams Junior and Selection Uruguay higher, led by Omar Borrás technical, which was preparing for the World Cup of 1986.
The match ended with the victory of the visiting team, the Uruguay, 1-2, with goals from Enzo Francescoli (the first goal scored in the stadium criminal to 62 minutes) and Jorge da Silva and discounted by the visiting player José "Perilla" Angulo by the angle table local. The three goals were scored in the second half.
The first red card was for the player Uruguayan Walter Barrios to 87 minutes. Four days later, another match was held before the selection of Argentina during their tour in preparation for World Cup 1986, which ended up winning the world championship.
Events
The Metropolitan Stadium was one of the venues where they contested the National Games in 1992.It also hosted the 2001 Copa America, the opening ceremony was held here which was presented in a colourful parade and a dance, and he disputed the six matches in Group A took part in the selection of Colombia (champion), Venezuela, Chile and Ecuador. Those matches were held between July 11 and July 17 of 2001.
It was also the venue where he played as the local selection of Colombia in the playoffs for the World Cups in Italy (1990), United States (1994), France (1998) and Germany (2006). In the first three playoffs ranked sequentially after 28 years of absence.
It was the farewell party for Carlos Valderrama on February 1, 2004, which was attended by players Diego Maradona, Jose Luis Chilavert, Enzo Francescoli, Alberto Acosta, Mauricio Serna, Faustino Asprilla, Arnoldo Iguarán, Leonel Álvarez and the popular singer Carlos Vives.
In 2006, the stadium hosted some football matches of the XX Central American and Caribbean Games, which were held in Cartagena.
In 2011, the stadium will be one of eight stadiums that will host matches during the FIFA U-20 World Cup
2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the eighteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup since its inception in 1977 as the FIFA World Youth Championship. Colombia hosted the tournament between 29 July and 20 August 2011, with matches being played in eight cities...
.
The stadium has also hosted numerous concerts of various artists such as Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
, Juanes
Juanes
Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez , better known as Juanes is a Colombian musician who was a member of heavy metal band Ekhymosis and is now a solo artist. In 2000, his solo debut album Fíjate Bien won three Latin Grammy Awards.Juanes has sold more than 13 million albums...
and Carlos Vives
Carlos Vives
Carlos Alberto Vives Restrepo is a Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award winning-Colombian singer, composer and actor.-Biography:...
.
Roberto Meléndez
The stadium was officially named after Roberto Meléndez, on the initiative of journalist Chelo de Castro, as of March 17, 1991 in honour of the player Roberto "El Flaco" Meléndez, a great footballer (striker) historical Colombia in age of amateur sport. It was a team player insignia Barranquilla Juventud Junior (first name of the club Junior) and select the mid-Atlantic in the 1930s. He later became head coach of Junior in the 1940s, with which he was runner up in the first championship held in the Colombian Professional Football in 1948.The profiles of the time, sports highlights Meléndez as the best Colombian player of the moment, part of the selection Colombia who was present at the Copa America in 1945. It won the national amateur title in 1932 as Junior and Youth with invicta He was also the first Colombian player transferred to a foreign team, because in 1939 he was hired by the team Hispanoamericano Galician Center of Cuba. Roberto Meléndez died in 2005.
Facilities
The stadium has five galleries: Southern (Korea), with the "Frente Rojiblanco Sur" supporters; Northern (Vietnam), with the groups of supporters "La Banda" and "Los Kuervos"; Eastern, Western and numbered Western.It also has four dressing rooms, eight bathrooms, 27 radio booths, newsroom systems, lighting towers (24 reflectors), medical services and parking for up to 1,600 vehicles. The stadium's field measures 110 m by 75 m.
The south and north side galleries were the names of Korea and Vietnam, respectively, in honor of two Asian countries that suffered from wars during the twentieth century, one of which was the presence of Colombian soldiers fighting (Korea).
It is currently being carried out a complete renovation with a budget of COP$22,500,000,000. The remodelling of the stadium involved building giant screens, repairing of the athletic track, a new parking lot behind the north gallery, new lighting, dressing rooms for ball-catchers, overall structure restoration, a security camera system, renovation of electrical systems and communications among other improvements.
Location and access routes
The Metropolitan Stadium is located in the south of the city, heading for Transport Terminal and the municipality of Soledad, near Shopping Centers and Metropolitan Metrocentro. Currently the gallery is constructed in the commercial public sector north side of the stadium (crossing the Avenida Las Torres).The crossing of the avenues and Circunvalar Murillo is an easily accessible, both avenues have enough availability of transport. At this point, is widening the carriageway of the road from the Avenue Circunvalar cordiality. Other gateways may be Boyacá Avenue and Avenida Las Torres.
In Murillo street Transmetro
Barranquilla's Transmetro
Transmetro is a massive transport system that operates in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia, since April 7 , 2010.-External links:* * *...
, the mass transport line is an alternative access at Joaquín Barrios Polo station.