The conflict between the Deportivo de La Coruña club and the A Coruña city authorities over the Riazor stadium has dominated recent events in the Spanish city. In addition, plans to expand the stadium have emerged and will be scrutinised by La Liga authorities. This is not an abstract idea with record attendances at the stadium for the 2023/24 season.

A Coruña's conflict with Deportivo

Following Deportivo's recent promotion to the Segunda División, fans celebrated the club's success. Traditionally, the celebrations were supposed to end in the Plaza de María Pita, but the club unexpectedly cancelled their visit to the city hall, expressing their dissatisfaction with the current relationship with the city authorities.

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Inés Rey, mayor of La Coruña, strongly criticised the actions of Abanca, Deportivo's owner, accusing the bank of using the club for its own financial purposes. Rey pointed out that the city does not allow the commercial use of Abanca-Riazor by the bank and that the stadium will remain in public ownership.

City Hall has proposed a 25-year contract, with the proviso that it can be cancelled if the club is sold to an entity outside the province. The city also wants the stadium to be used exclusively for sports related to Deportivo's official games.

In response to the city's stance, Deportivo proposed a 40-year contract that would include full use of the stadium for all sporting and non-sporting events. The club also agreed to pay an annual rent of €400,000 if it played in the Primera División, and €200,000 in the Segunda División.

The club eventually agreed to a compromise by proposing a 25-year extension to the current contract, forgoing a longer term and accepting a renegotiation clause in the event of a change of ownership. Deportivo also expressed its willingness to use the stadium exclusively for sporting purposes, without hosting other events. The contract for the 25-year use of the arena has now been signed, but this is not the end of the conflict, which was also over the name of the stadium itself.

© Héctor

Name of stadium stays

At the end of May, the dispute over the name of the arena linked to the Abanca bank also came to an end. The City Council approved at the end of May the authorisation of the name for the city stadium during Deportivo matches. It will invariably be called Abanca-Riazor.

Given the club's importance in the city, the City Council will not put any obstacles in the way of continuing this sponsorship. With the signing of the new contract, which is also on the agenda, the club is asking the city council to extend the trade name Abanca-Riazor. This permission corresponded with the local government board.

Representatives of Deportivo La Coruña expressed their satisfaction at the signing of the agreement, stressing that Abanca's support is crucial for the club's financial stability. For its part, Abanca sees the project as an opportunity to increase its visibility in the region.

La Liga evaluated the stadium

La Liga emissaries visited Estadio Riazor in May to check its readiness to host league matches following Deportivo La Coruña's promotion to the top flight. The visit is standard procedure for all teams that are promoted to the professional game, and is designed to assess the state of the stadium's infrastructure.

In the case of Abanca-Riazor, it was expected that the league would assign Deportivo the task of carrying out the works and repairs before the start of the league. The club, along with the city, agree to carry out the necessary repair work, to be carried out by Real Club Deportivo.

© Cristian García

Record attendance at Riazor in 2023/2024 season

This season, Deportivo La Coruña have recorded one of the highest attendances in their history at the stadium, despite playing in the third tier of the Spanish competition. For the first time in years, the average number of spectators exceeded 20,000 per game. Stadium attendances were impressive, with several games exceeding 20,000 spectators. The average attendance was 21,877 spectators per match ahead of clubs such as Villarreal and Union Berlin.

The current result is comparable to the 2017-18 season, when Deportivo played in the Primera División, with an attendance of 20,647 spectators per game. It also surpasses the result from the 2013-14 season, when the team was promoted to the top division with an attendance of 19,637 spectators per game. The highest average attendance in the club's history was achieved in the 2012-13 season with 23,864 spectators.

Depormania in A Coruña - stadium development

Deportivo de La Coruña is experiencing an unusual period, known as depormania. The number of fans wishing to join the club is exceeding all expectations. With more than 11,000 people on the waiting list, Abanca Riazor stadium is unable to accommodate all those wishing to join. Currently, following promotion to the Segunda División, the number of official supporters on the club's registers has risen to 28,346, forcing the club to close the possibility of new members joining in September.

Due to the growing number of fans and the upcoming 2030 World Cup, the stadium will undergo a comprehensive upgrade. The project includes the construction of a third level of stands, the lowering of the pitch level and the complete reconstruction of the Preferencia sector. The cost of the investment has increased from an initial €62.5 million to €90 million and the new stadium capacity is expected to be 48,015 seats, meeting FIFA requirements.

Galicia, with the Riazor as one of the main stadiums, is likely to host three matches of the group stage of the 2030 World Cup. The joint candidature of Spain, Morocco and Portugal envisages the use of 11 stadiums, but the final decision rests with FIFA. You can read all the arenas most likely to be selected for the 2030 World Cup in a separate article.

© Cristian García

80 years of old Riazor

Abanca Riazor Riazor stadium, located in La Coruña, is one of the most iconic sports venues in Spain. Its history can be traced back to the 1940s, when the construction of the facility, destined to become the home of the club Deportivo La Coruña, began. The official opening of the stadium took place on October 28, 1944, and the first match played at the new venue was between Deportivo and Valencia CF, which ended with a score of 3:3.

The stadium originally held around 28,000 spectators, but has undergone numerous upgrades and expansions over the years. One of the most important moments in the stadium's history was the 1982-1984 redevelopment, when its capacity was increased to 34,000, preparing the venue to host World Cup matches in 1982. Further upgrades took place in the 1990s and early 2000s, when the stadium was brought up to UEFA's requirements, allowing it to host major international matches.

Riazor stadium has witnessed many historic moments, both triumphs and defeats for Deportivo La Coruña. The greatest success was winning the Spanish championship in the 1999/2000 season, which made the Riazor a place of celebration for thousands of fans. The facility not only serves the athletes, but has also become an important cultural and social centre for the city of La Coruña.