Estadio Presidente Perón – stadium description

What did Estadio Presidente Perón look like before it was rebuilt in 1950?

Racing Club built its first stadium at the intersection of Adolfo Alsina and Colón streets in the Avellaneda district of Buenos Aires. The stadium never had an official name, so today it is recognised as Estadio Racing Club or Alsina y Colón, based on the nearby streets. The timber-framed facility hosted, among other things, national cup finals and the last game of the 1916 Campeonato Sudamericano, which we know today as the Copa América.

The stadium could hold around 50,000 spectators, making it one of the largest sporting venues at the time. It was inaugurated in 1903 and already eight years later had two covered stands along Alsina Street. Unfortunately, the plot of land on which it stood belonged to a British railway management company, which required the club to negotiate continuously for the development of the infrastructure.

After protracted talks since 1938, the Racing Club reached an agreement on 27 March 1944 to purchase 30,000 m² of land adjacent to the stadium. The land still belonged to the railway, but its acquisition enabled the club to build a new, more modern stadium with concrete stands.

A key moment in the club's history came on August 16, 1946, when the Racing Club received a loan of 3 million pesos from the national government. With the support of Finance Minister Ramón Cereijo, this amount was increased to 11 million pesos. Managed efficiently, the club quickly repaid the entire commitment.

As a token of gratitude for the financial support, the Racing Club's board of directors appointed Argentine President Juan Domingo Perón as honorary president of the club, while Minister Cereijo and Eva Perón, Argentina's first lady, became honorary members. Other prominent government figures, such as Chancellor Juan Atilio Bramuglia and Central Bank Governor Miguel Miranda, also received honours for their contributions to the club.

On December 1, 1946, Racing Club played its last match in the old stadium, after which demolition began. Geopé, a subsidiary of the German company Philipp Holzmann, known for its experience in rebuilding cities destroyed during the Second World War, was responsible for the construction of the new stadium. This company has also carried out other important projects in Argentina.

What does Estadio Presidente Perón look like?

The Estadio Presidente Perón stands out for its original circular shape, unusual for a football venue, which is why it is commonly known as El Cilindro (The Cylinder), or less commonly referred to as the Coliseum.

It used to be able to host audiences in excess of 100 000, making it one of the largest stadiums in South America and the world, but nowadays the capacity of the stands has been reduced to 55 000.

The auditorium is divided into two tiers, although the lower level also has separate sections along the pitch. The stands are largely made up of standing sectors, with seating only in the central sections of the stands on the east and west sides. The upper floor of the stands is covered.

In order to blend the football pitch into the circular stands, the auditorium was somewhat trimmed behind the goals. However, it was not possible to completely avoid leaving empty spaces along the playing field, which were even managed... by painting small pitches in the front of the stands. The colour scheme of the stands and the entire facility is maintained in the club's colours (white and blue).

Another distinctive feature of the stadium is the slender 60-metre high tower rising from behind the west stand.

The stadium is located in the city of Avellaneda, which is part of Greater Buenos Aires, less than 10 km from the centre of the conurbation. Right next to the Estadio Presidente Perón is another large stadium, Estadio Libertadores de América, belonging to Racing Club's derby rival, the CA Independiente team.

How has Estadio Presidente Perón changed over the years?

In 1966, new lighting towers were inaugurated, and during an international friendly match Racing Club beat Franz Beckenbauer's Bayern Munich 3:2.

On May 17, 1981, the stadium was closed for lack of maintenance. Racing had to play at other venues until the stadium reopened on October 12, 1983.

In 1997, the stadium became the first in Argentina with covered stands, following the installation of a translucent roof, which made its debut during a Copa Libertadores match against Sporting Cristal. In 2002, a new control and security system was implemented, and in 2004 the fences in the stands were removed to reduce violence in the stadiums.

In 2016, a street adjacent to the stadium was named in honour of Diego Milito, one of Racing Club's legends. In 2017, new lighting and a giant LED screen were installed. In early 2024, the upgraded lighting was launched by Synergia IT Group.

As well as the appearance, the number of available spectator seats has changed. From the beginning in 1950, the stadium held around 120,000 seats and this number gradually decreased. In the 1990s it was 70 000 and now the number is less than 42 000.

What sporting events have taken place at Estadio Presidente Perón?

On February 25, 1951, the stadium was the arena for the opening ceremony of the first edition of the Pan-American Games, which featured a parade of 21 delegations and a fireworks display, which was innovative for this type of event.

In 1967, the Copa Libertadores final between Racing Club and Nacional of Uruguay was played here. In the same year, Racing beat Celtic 2:1 in the second match of the Intercontinental Cup, attracting a record 120,000 spectators, and won the world title.

Other historic events include the 1969 Torneo Metropolitano final, when Chacarita Juniors beat River Plate 4:1, and the Superclásico as part of the 1976 Torneo Nacional final, in which Boca Juniors beat River Plate 1:0, attracting around 100 000 spectators.

What non-sporting events have taken place at Estadio Presidente Perón?

Since 1992, the stadium has also hosted concerts. Argentine stars such as Pappo, Divididos, Los Piojos, La Renga and Wos have performed here, as well as international bands such as Rammstein, Whitesnake and Judas Priest.