The Estadio Municipal de Balaídos (Galician pronunciation:[balaˈiðʊʃ]), known as Estadio Abanca Balaídos for sponsorship reasons,[3] is an all-seater stadium located in Vigo, Spain. It is owned by the Vigo's city council, and is the home of La Liga club Celta Vigo. The stadium opened in 1928 and currently accommodates 24,870 spectators.[1]
History
Construction
In September 1924, a group of local businessmen took the first steps towards the construction of the stadium by buying the 75,000 m2 on which the stadium would be built. The first job they faced was diverting the Lagares river. Two years later, the businessmen founded the Stadium de Balaídos, S.A. company, which would carry out the actual construction work on the new stadium. The architect of the stadium was Jenaro de la Fuente.[2]
Inauguration
Balaídos was inaugurated on 30 December 1928. The stadium was blessed by the archpriest of Fragoso, Father Faustino Ande.[4]
The inaugural match was played between the hosts, Celta Vigo, and the Basque team Real Unión. The ceremonial kick-off was made by Carmen Gregorio-Espino, the daughter of former mayor Adolfo Gregorio Espino. Celta Vigo's Graciliano was the first player to score a goal in the new stadium, in a 7–0 win.
Renovations
Balaídos underwent a large-scale renovation in preparation for the 1982 FIFA World Cup; The Rio stand was completely re-built, the Gol end was added to the stadium, and the Tribuna and Marcador stands were renovated.
2003–2004
After finishing in fourth place in the 2002–03 La Liga season,[5] Celta qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history. Their celebrations were cut short when the stadium failed the subsequent UEFA stadium inspection required to host their fixtures.[6] It was briefly rumoured that Celta might have to play their home games at a different venue; however, the necessary upgrades were paid for by the local authorities.
2015–2023
At the beginning of 2015, the reconstruction of the stadium began, divided into four phases corresponding to the four stands of the venue. In the first phase of the project, the front part of the Tribuna (North Stand) was moved three meters closer to the pitch, and the new changing rooms and private boxes were constructed. The Rio (South Stand) has been refurbished and includes new media facilities, and both stands also got new roofs.[6] The reconstruction of both stands was completed by 2018.[7] During the renovations, the stadium continued to host Celta's home matches.
The Marcador (East Stand) was completely reconstructed by 2023 and accommodates 6,209 spectators.[8][9]