As much as we sometimes believe that the atmosphere of important matches is created by the connection between players and fans, there are stadiums that have become emblematic within this sport.
One of these courts with its own life, celebrated this past May 80 years since its first heartbeat. With a capacity of nearly 58,000 seats, it is considered the home of Boca Juniors, one of the most popular teams in Argentine football.
La Bombonera, a stadium located in La Boca neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, owes its nickname to its similarity to the present that a woman gave to one of its architects, Viktor Sulcic.
A completely recognisable installation due to its “D” shape, in which the close proximity of the pitch to the grandstand and the outstanding inclination of the latter are remarkable. The reason for this is that it was originally agreed to build four stands, but there was not enough space in the area where they were to be built. Consequently, the upper tiers were built slightly further forward than the lower tiers.
One of the most descriptive anecdotes about La Bombonera is that after the opening ceremony only seventy minutes of the match could be played, since the stadium did not have artificial lighting. It was not until 1953 that the complex was properly lit.
In such a scenario have defended their colors illustrious as Martin Palermo, Sebastian Battaglia, Juan Roman Riquelme, Carlos Tevez or Diego Armando Maradona. He also made his debut with Argentina in a match against Hungary at the age of sixteen.
On various occasions, the most recent being in 2017, it has been distinguished as the best stadium in the world, surpassing Wembley, Allianz Arena or Santiago Bernabéu among others. Similarly, attending a SuperClásico at La Bombonera (a duel between Boca Juniors and River Plate) has been described as a must-see show before dying.
Foot Renegades 