MADRID, 12 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
On Monday, Atlético de Madrid commemorated the first five years of the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano with the presentation of the book ‘Estadio Metropolitano (2017-2022)’, “the home of the Atléticos” and “part of the heritage” of the club, of which they feel “very proud”
“I am excited to present this book, a work that summarizes in images the first five years of life of this facility, the home of all athletics, of which we feel very proud,” said the president of the entity, Enrique Cerezo, during the ceremony held in the auditorium of the sports venue.
The leader was the first to speak at an event that was attended by Antonio Cruz, architect and designer together with Antonio Ortiz of the new rojiblanco stadium; the director of the club’s Social Area, Fernando Fariza; the photographer Iñaki Vinaixa; and the CEO of Atlético, Miguel Ángel Gil Marín. In addition to other legends of the entity such as Adelardo Rodríguez and other participants in the Metropolitan project.
During his speech, Cerezo recalled that Antonio Cruz and Antonio Ortiz began with the idea of the new stadium in 1991 with the first design, which they later adapted. “It is an architectural work that has received numerous awards since its inauguration on September 16, 2017. A singular work with an avant-garde design,” he highlighted.
“It is a source of pride that this great stadium is part of the club’s heritage,” he acknowledged, before revealing that the book that honors the start of the Metropolitano “contains historic moments, matches to remember and unforgettable moments”, in addition to the opening by of King Felipe VI.
In addition, he thanked the multinational Wanda for accompanying them at that beginning and advanced that they are already working on a second work for the next five years. “Five years are nothing, but they have given a lot for everything,” she said.
Asked about the opening day, the president of Atlético Cerezo said that it was “very exciting.” “We had the honor that the King was there and he won the game. They did a great job and it wasn’t easy, we had many problems from the beginning, but we have achieved a comfortable and easily accessible state,” he stressed.
“It was a shame that the League was won without people in the stands, but those were the circumstances. It was one of the greatest things this stadium will see,” he commented on the domestic title achieved in the 2020-2021 season, when the competition was still affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
For his part, Antonio Cruz confessed that the Metropolitan project “has been a long history that has lasted almost 30 years.” “In the sporting aspect, we did a good job so that a stadium that could have been used as an athletics stadium had that character of scenic intensity that football demands. It is very well equipped for the arrival of players, the provision of changing rooms, there is no other stadium with those capacities”, he valued.
“Urbanistically speaking, it is a reference point for the area. It is already the Metropolitan area, with a lot of power due to its size and impressive shape. We were able to unify the previous stadium, keep that first building and make it not look like a ‘Frankestein’, but as a single It was a challenge to maintain the first work and now everything looks harmonious,” he explained.
In addition, from the club they insisted that the new stadium should be a “multipurpose” space, to host concerts, other sporting events or even be a vaccination point, which was a “challenge” from the social and commercial point of view.
“The positioning of this area has radically changed, we had that responsibility with the fans by stripping them of the Calderón, it was an obligation to turn this stadium without history into the home of the Atléticos, transferring part of the Calderón atmosphere, and in general it has been achieved “, celebrated Fernando Fariza, who emphasized that the Metropolitan is a “much more comfortable” venue for fans.
Finally, Iñaki Vinaixa, creator of most of the photographs that illustrate the book, stated that the conversations with the club to participate in this project began “when the Calderón still existed”. “Everything was pretty smooth and they gave me absolute freedom,” he added.