Estádio do Dragão
Capacity | 50 033 |
---|---|
1176 (Business seats) | |
194 (Press setas) | |
104 (Disabled seats) | |
Country | Portugal |
City | Porto |
Clubs | FC Porto |
Floodlights | 1,600 lux |
Inauguration | 16/11/2003 (FC Porto - FC Barcelona 2-0) |
Record attendance | 52,004 (FC Porto - FC Barcelona, 16/11/2003) |
Cost | € 125 million |
Design | Manuel Salgado |
Contractor | Amorim, Somague, Ballast-Nedam |
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Estádio do Dragão – stadium description
Successor of the famous Das Antas didn't carry the same name, though it was among the options discussed before opening. Eventually Estádio do Dragão (Dragon Stadium) won the vote, celebrating the creature from FC Porto's crest. The club had arguments for it, being the major investor of the building. Of €98m invested, only €18,5m was subsided by the government ahead of Euro 2004.
Construction brough tensions between Porto's mayor and club president, resulting in works being halted several times. Still, the contractors managed to deliver it on time, 7 months before Euro 2004. Inaugural game between FC Porto and Barcelona brought a record crowd, unbeaten to this day and even higher than the capacity, a number rarely seen in modern venues.
During Euro 2004 the opening game took place here, as well as three group fixtures and one semifinal.
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