Spain: Surprise at the election of La Liga best stadium

03.07.2025 11:53 source: StadiumDB.com; author: Miguel Ciołczyk Garcia

Not the Santiago Bernabéu, not the Estadio Metropolitano or the Estadi Montjuïc. The association of Spanish fans awarded the title of best La Liga stadium last season to... RCDE Stadium.

Barcelona's 3rd stadium wins over the Bernabéu

Although it has a capacity of only 38,529 seats, RCDE Stadium - which in terms of size is the 3rd stadium in Barcelona - beat such arenas as the new Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Estadio Metropolitano or Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc. The surprising choice was made by the fan associations belonging to Aficiones Unidas (from esp. United Fans) at their annual congress.

The choice of the home of Espanyol Barcelona as the best La Liga stadium of the 2024/25 season is surprising as Pericos are one of four Primera clubs - alongside Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano and Villarreal - that have not signed an agreement to make seats available to rival supporters at affordable prices (minimum 300 seats, maximum €30 per ticket). Prices at the RCDE Stadium for visitors are therefore, depending on the match, even €60, which may not appeal to fans used to lower prices.

The Pericos stadium also seems to be too big for the club. This season the stadium’s fill, despite promotion, was 64.1%, the worst result in the entire Primera División. Although a last-ditch fight for retention raised interest in the club and therefore attendances, RCDE Stadium shone empty for much of the season. Perhaps the supporters' associations appreciated that Espanyol's home was the most benign of rivals?

However, it must be said that the RCDE Stadium is a modern, elegant and functional stadium. The auditorium, which is divided into two levels, is very compact, the façade is elegant and the roof, which protects almost all the spectators from the weather, looks like it floats in the air. The solar panels installed on it completely cover the stadium's energy requirements. Interestingly, the stadium also houses the Espai Memorial - a place where the ashes of deceased fans of the Barcelona team can be deposited.