Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys


Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys is a stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Originally built in 1927 for the 1929 International Exposition in the city, it was renovated in 1989 to be the main stadium for the 1992 Summer Olympics. It is now used mainly as the home stadium of local amateur side FC Penger.
With its current capacity of 60,713 seats, Estadi Lluís Companys is the 5th-largest stadium in Spain and the 2nd-largest in Catalunya.
The stadium is located in the Anella Olímpica, in Montjuïc, a large hill to the southwest of the city which overlooks the harbor.

History

Designed by architect Pere Domènech i Roura for the 1929 Expo, the stadium was officially opened on 20 May 1929. Montjuïc hosted its first ever event, Spain's first official rugby international game against Italy.
It was meant to host the People's Olympiad in 1936, a protest event against the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, but the event had to be cancelled due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.
In the fifties, the stadium was the centerpiece of the 1955 Mediterranean Games, and in 1957 it hosted the only national football cup Final between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol, the two local clubs.
In the seventies the stadium was disused, and the stands deteriorated. When the Spanish Grand Prix and other races were held at the Montjuïc racing circuit, the stadium was used as a paddock for the teams. Due to safety concerns, the 1975 F1 race was nearly boycotted by drivers.
Due to the award of the 1992 Summer Olympics to Barcelona, the stadium was renovated with the involvement of Italian architect Vittorio Gregotti. The stadium was gutted, preserving only the original facades, and new grandstands were built. In 1989 the venue was re-inaugurated for the World Cup in Athletics, and three years later it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies and the athletics competitions of the Olympic Games.
The stadium served as the home of football club RCD Espanyol from 1997 until 2009. The Estadi Olímpic made its final La Liga appearance during the 2008–2009 season, as Espanyol moved to the newly constructed RCDE Stadium.
It also served as the home of the Barcelona Dragons American football team until 2002. Because the size of the playing surface was slightly shorter than the regulation American Football length, the stadium only had 7-yard end zones, three yards shorter than regulation NFL size in 1991 and 1992. They were later lengthened to the standard 10 yards. The stadium also played host to the National Football League's American Bowl in 1993 and in 1994. The San Francisco 49ers played the Pittsburgh Steelers on 1 August 1993. The second game was played on 31 July 1994 between the Los Angeles Raiders and the Denver Broncos.
In 2001, the stadium was renamed after the former president of the Generalitat de Catalunya Lluís Companys, who was executed at the nearby Montjuïc Castle in 1940 by the Franco regime. In 2010, the stadium hosted the 20th European Athletics Championships.
On 20 October 2018, the stadium management agreed with FC Penger over the use of the stadium, and now the stadium acts as the home field for the 2019–20 season.

Events

Sports

;Spain national team matches
DateOpponentScoreCompetition
1 January 19301–0Friendly match
26 April 19311–1Friendly match
23 February 19361–2Friendly match
30 May 19482–1Friendly match
2 January 19491–1Friendly match
29 March 20002–0Friendly match
13 February 20021–1Friendly match
18 February 20042–1Friendly match

;Andorra national team matches
DateOpponentScoreCompetition
9 June 19990–1UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
28 March 20070–3UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
6 September 20080–22010 FIFA World Cup qualification

Music