Estádio da Madeira – stadium description

New stadium for Nacional football club was built in 1998 in a place many wouldn’t have believed to be suitable. High above the city of Funchal, on a barely accessible site. But that’s very much the issue of congested Funchal, where space for a new stadium and training field was scarce.

Initially the stadium offered only one main grandstand in the east, but despite having only some 2,500 seats it also offered unmatched views. To the left the Atlantic, to the right the local mountains and down below the vivid city of Funchal.

Pieces of that view were taken away as a new main grandstand was built in 2007 along the western side. This time modern, completely covered and offering 20 skyboxes, the structure grew along with surrounding training fields. One behind the northern goal has nearly 700 parking spaces underneath.