The Vicente Calderón: 50 years old today
On this day...
It was October 2, like today, but very different. A cold, rainy, dull, morning. Atlético had just opened their new stadium: an almost personal work of an intelligent and tenacious president, Vicente Calderón, who was responsible for bringing the project back to life. When he arrived, the club had no money nor permission to build on a ground whose regulation was being fought over by the Canalisation of River Manazanares and Madrid’s City Hall. They put together some money, though, and put up the stadium quickly and recklessly, without authorization. The influence of Villavicencio, a big Atlético personality and ex-vice-president of the club as well as Franco’s Civil Office chief, helped bend the arm of the mayor at the time, Arias Navarro.
A rush job, but a new age
That’s the way in which it was inaugurated, but it was inaugurated all the same. The upper tier of the arena was left without seats, the corners were left non-joined-up (as they’ve remained ever since), there was a smell of wet concrete, and only 20,000 spectators could be accommodated out of its supposed capacity of 40,000. However, it was the founding stone of a new age for Atlético Madrid. A group of fans unveiled a banner, saying: “Now we’re here in our home and no one has humiliated us. And while they stand up, we all sit down.”
Temporary home at the Bernabéu
The new stadium didn’t have standing tickets, which was a step forward at the time. In the Bernabéu on the other hand, only a third of its capacity had seating with the rest were terraces. There was some bickering too whether Atleti would have to play at Real Madrid’s ground before moving to their own home. Madrid allowed it, but on the condition that their season ticket holders got in free to the games. That resulted in Atleti playing almost as if it were an away game.
One giant leap for Atleti
That LaLiga campaign started for Atletico in San Mamés, followed by matches against Barça and Deportivo, and then finally on week four, they were able to open up the new stadium. A little precarious, but it avoided the torture of playing at the Bernabeu any longer. The game, which was televised, was a scrappy one, but it was a giant leap for Atletico.