THE Vicente Calderon Stadium was once the home of Atletico Madrid, but six years on from its closure it is set to be turned into a park.
Built in 1966 the stadium was used for Atletico’s home games for over 50 years before they moved into the swanky new Metropolitano Stadium.
The ground played host to World Cup fixtures in 1982, 14 Copa del Rey finals and saw greats of the game such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo grace the pitch.
At its peak it had a capacity of 66,000, over 5,000 more than the Emirates Stadium, but it was later reduced to 54,907 in order to allow for it all to be seating.
It took over seven years to build after breaking ground in 1959 and opening in 1966.
But now it has been reduced to rubble with plans to turn it in to a park.
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The plans will see a roman circus built, which will be surrounded by trees offering a space for members of the public to go on walks and enjoy a rest.
And, despite the stadium no longer being their for fans to marvel at, the Madrid City Council have ensured the new park will continue its legacy.
It will be named “Park Atletico Madrid” as a homage to the La Liga club who played their football there.
The final game played at the Vicente Calderon Stadium was a fixture between a past and present Atletico Madrid side against a World XI comprising of an array of mega stars.
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Fernando Torres lined up for Atletico whilst legends of the game such as Ronaldinho and Clarence Seedorf took part for the World XI.
The 11 time La Liga champions now play their games at the Metropolitano Stadium which has an impressive capacity of 70,460.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
