Estadio Romano – stadium description

Name of this stadium becomes clear when one realises it lies just meters away from the Roman theatre and ruins of the Roman amphitheater. The name was quite adequate in 1953, when it was first inaugurated as an 8,000-capacity athletics stadium.

Stadium of those days is no more as it was completely reconstructed into a football-only venue for AD Merida in 1995. The project was carried out during the team’s heyday, in time to witness the team advance to the Premera División twice in 1995 and 1997. With enthusiasm peaking, even the original name was changed to later return to the old one after ADM were relegated downwards. Merida were never able to stay for more than a season in the top league, but it’s worth mentioning some games even as low as third league were drawing crowds of 10,000+.

Besides the local team, the stadium also held national team games of the U21 side (twice in 1991) and even an official qualifying game of Spain (against Estonia) before the 2010 World Cup.