6°15′24.48″N 75°35′24.62″W / 6.2568000°N 75.5901722°W
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| Full name | Unidad Deportiva Atanasio Girardot |
|---|---|
| Location | Medellín, Colombia |
| Operator | INDER Medellin |
| Capacity | 44,826 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 19 March 1953 |
| Renovated | 2011 |
| Tenants | |
| Atlético Nacional (1953–present) Independiente Medellín (1953–present) | |
Estadio Atanasio Girardot (Atanasio Girardot Stadium), commonly referred to as El Atanasio, is a multi-purpose stadium in Medellín, Colombia.
Located in the Laureles comuna of Medellin, the stadium is currently used mostly for football matches by Atlético Nacional and Independiente Medellín, the most popular clubs in the Antioquia Department. On occasion, the stadium has held Colombia national team matches too.
The stadium was inaugurated on 19 March 1953 with a friendly match between Antioquia XI and Club America.[1]
It was renovated for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup to the capacity of 40,943. The renovations also included the removal of the high fencing around the pitch, the removal of the running track, and the painting of seats.[2][3] Its current capacity is 44,826[4] which ranks as the third largest in the country behind Estadio Deportivo Cali and Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez.[2] The stadium was named after Atanasio Girardot, a Colombian revolutionary leader who fought alongside Simón Bolívar.[5]
The stadium is part of the Atanasio Girardot Sports Complex.
In 2021, the stadium was renovated to prepare for the 2021 Copa América, which was originally to be held in Argentina and Colombia. However, the tournament was moved to Brazil. The renovations cost around $11 million and included more press boxes, more luxury boxes, better lighting, seating replacements, and bathroom renovations.[6]
- ^ "Un día como hoy, pero hace 67 años, se inauguró el Atanasio Girardot". Antena 2 (in Spanish). 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
- ^ a b "FIFA U-20 World Cup Colombia 2011: Technical Report and Statistics" (PDF). fifa.com (in English, French, German, and Spanish). FIFA. 29 July – 20 August 2011.
- ^ "Cambio extremo para el "viejo" Atanasio Girardot". Elcolombiano.com (in European Spanish). 2011-04-27. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
- ^ Anuario Conmebol Sudamericana 2022. CONMEBOL. 3 April 2023. p. 74. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ "UD Atanasio Girardot | Escenarios Deportivos". Inder.gov.co (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
- ^ "El estadio Atanasio Girardot se renueva con miras a la Copa América con una inversión de $11.000 millones". Alcaldía de Medellín (in Spanish). 2021-03-17. Retrieved 2023-11-16.