Anoeta Stadium

Anoeta
Location San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Coordinates 43°18′4.96″N 1°58′25.02″W / 43.3013778°N 1.9736167°W / 43.3013778; -1.9736167Coordinates: 43°18′4.96″N 1°58′25.02″W / 43.3013778°N 1.9736167°W / 43.3013778; -1.9736167
Owner City Council
Operator City Council
Capacity 32,300
Field size 105 metres (115 yd) x 68 metres (74 yd)
Opened 1993
Tenants
Real Sociedad (1993-present)

Anoeta is a multi-purpose stadium in San Sebastián, Basque Autonomous Community, Spain that was inaugurated in 1993. The stadium lies at the Anoeta Sports Complex, and is mostly used for football matches where La Liga side Real Sociedad contest their home games.

In recent years, it has also been used for occasional Heineken Cup rugby union fixtures by nearby French Basque club Biarritz Olympique. Since the 2009–10 Top 14 season, both Biarritz Olympique and fellow Basque club Aviron Bayonnais took home matches to the Anoeta. Also, in a generous gesture from Real Sociedad, Basque arch rivals, Athletic Bilbao, used Anoeta for their first two home games of the 2013-14 La Liga season, as their new ground San Mames Stadium was still under construction.

The total seating capacity of the stadium is 42,076.

Proposals

In 2004, José Luis Astiazarán, then the president of Real Sociedad, launched a project called Gipuzkoarena.[1] Planned to be completed in 2007, it was intended to increase the stadium's capacity to 42,000, which would include the removal of the athletics track. The project also intended to construct a hotel and shops, among other items. This proposal was soon rejected by the city council and left behind.[2]

Towards the end of 2007, Badiola, as candidate for president of Real Sociedad, proposed that the club buy the stadium.[3] This was also soon rejected by the city council.[4] In 2008, Badiola, already as president, made another two proposals for the stadium,[5] one of them similar to Gipuzkoarena. These proposals were going to be studied by the city council, but after 20 December Badiola was no longer the club's president. Later, the next president, Jokin Aperribay, launched a new attempt to reform the stadium.

In 2015 the club announced that it would begin reforms on Anoeta in 2016. The stadium reforms will cost 30 million euros and will enlarge the stadium as well as removing the track around the field.

Complaints

Over the years, fans have never been happy with the stadium due to the athletics track causing a distance between the stands and the field itself, resulting in a "cold" atmosphere during matches.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Gipuzkoarena (video proposal in YouTube -Spanish-)
  2. ↑ Elorza comunica a la Real que el Gipuzkoarena "pertenece ya al pasado" (El País, 31/08/2004 -Spanish-)
  3. ↑ Badiola propone que la Real compre Anoeta al Ayuntamiento (diariovasco.com, 4/12/2007 -Spanish-)
  4. ↑ Odón Elorza frena la propuesta de Badiola de comprar Anoeta (diariovasco.com, 6/12/2007 -Spanish-)
  5. ↑ Badiola propone al Ayuntamiento convertir Anoeta en zona residencial y trasladar el estadio (Noticias de Gipuzkoa, 15/04/2008 -Spanish-)
  6. ↑

External links

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