The
Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos is the
national stadiumMany countries have a national football stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadium. Usually, a national stadium will be in or very...
of
ChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and is located in the
ÑuñoaÑuñoa is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. Its inhabitants are primarily a middle and upper-middle class....
district of
SantiagoSantiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
). It is the largest stadium in Chile with an official capacity of 47,000, and is part of a 62
haThe hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
sporting complex which also features
tennis courtA tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s, an aquatics center, a modern
gymThe word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, a velodrome, a BMX circuit, and an assistant ground/warmup athletics track.
Construction began in February 1937 and the stadium was inaugurated on December 3, 1938. The
architectureArchitecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
was based on the
OlympiastadionThe Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March...
in
BerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The stadium became infamous after its use as a
prison campInternment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
by the military regime following the 1973 Chilean coup d'état.
In 2009, a complete modernization plan was unveiled for the stadium and surrounding facilities. President
Michelle BacheletVerónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria is a Social Democrat politician who was President of Chile from 11 March 2006 to 11 March 2010. She was the first woman president of her country...
said it would become the most modern stadium in South America.
History
The stadium was built on former farmland, donated in 1918 by farmer Jose Domingo Canas. The first sporting event in the new stadium took place on 3 December 1938, with a friendly match between the Chilean club
Colo-ColoClub Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo is a Chilean football club based in the commune of Macul, Santiago. It competes in the Primera División, the top-flight football league in the country, from which they have never been relegated. Their home ground is the Estadio Monumental David Arellano.Colo-Colo...
and Brazilian club
São CristóvãoSão Cristóvão is a Brazilian city in the Northeastern state of Sergipe. Its population was 75,353 and its area is 437 km². It is the third largest settlement in the state, behind Aracaju and Nossa Senhora do Socorro.-History:...
. Colo-Colo won the fixture 6-3.
The stadium hosted the final stages of the
1959 World Basketball ChampionshipThe 1959 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Chile from January 16 to 31 , 1959. Amaury Antônio Pasos was named the MVP....
that was held outdoors due to the intended venue, the Metropolitan Indoor Stadium, not ready in time for the original date of 1958.
In the early 1960s, under the government of
Jorge AlessandriJorge Alessandri Rodríguez was the 27th President of Chile from 1958 to 1964, and was the candidate of the Chilean right in the crucial presidential election of 1970...
, the stadium was expanded to host the
1962 FIFA World CupThe 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
. The main change was that the velodrome that surrounded the stadium was replaced by galleries, thereby increasing its original capacity to around 95,000.
The stadium hosted group stage games between
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
,
West GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
,
SwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Chile, including a notoriously ill-tempered and violent clash between Italy and Chile which became known as the
Battle of SantiagoThe Battle of Santiago is the name given to a particularly unsavoury and infamous football match during the 1962 FIFA World Cup. It was a game played between hosts Chile and Italy on June 2, 1962 in Santiago...
. Also held at the ground were a quarter-final, a semi-final, the third place play-off, and the final, in which Brazil was crowned world champions for the second time. In the third-place play-off, Chile defeated Yugoslavia 1-0, marking the team's greatest success in international football.
Today, the ground serves as the home field for both the national team and first-division club
Universidad de ChileClub Universidad de Chile is a professional football club based in Santiago, Chile, which plays in the Primera División.The club was founded on May 24, 1927, as Club Deportivo Universitario. Universidad de Chile is the second most successful and popular football clubs in Chile, having won the...
. It also hosts non-sporting events, such as political celebrations, charity spectacles and concerts.
On July 5, 2008, the stadium was officially renamed
Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez PrádanosJulio Martínez Prádanos was a Chilean sports commentator specializing in football who had a long career in the written press, radio and television. He won the 1995 Premio Nacional de Periodismo de Chile , awarded by the Chilean Ministry of Education...
, in honor of a recently deceased sports journalist.
Use as prison camp
After the coup d'état of September 11, 1973 that ousted President Salvador Allende, the stadium began to be used as a detention facility and torture camp. An article in Harvard Review of Latin America reported that "there were over eighty detention centers in Santiago alone" and gave details of the National Stadium and others.
Over 40,000 people spent time in the compound during the
junta regime. Twelve thousand detainees were interned between September 11 and November 7. The field and gallery were used to hold men, while women were held in the
swimming poolA swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
changing rooms and associated buildings. Locker rooms and corridors were all used as prison facilities while interrogations were carried out in the
velodromeA velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
. The Red Cross estimated that 7,000 prisoners occupied the stadium at one point, of whom about 300 were foreigners. According to the testimonies of survivors collected by the humanitarian group, detainees were tortured and threatened with death by shooting. Some were shot on the premises and then taken to unknown locations for execution.
FIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
president of the time Sir Stanley Rous insisted the
USSR teamThe Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
play a World Cup qualifier at the time. The Soviets naturally refused and
ChileThe Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
qualified automatically for the
1974 World CupThe 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
, where they failed to advance from a group containing both FR Germany and the
GDRThe East Germany national football team was from 1952 to 1990 the football team of East Germany, playing as one of three post-war German teams, along with Saarland and West Germany....
as well as Australia.
It is sometimes mistakenly believed that Chilean folk singer and political activist
Víctor JaraVíctor Lidio Jara Martínez was a Chilean teacher, theatre director, poet, singer-songwriter, political activist and member of the Communist Party of Chile...
was murdered at Estadio Nacional. He was actually murdered at the formerly called
Estadio ChileEstadio Víctor Jara is the name of the former Estadio Chile, or Chile Stadium, in Santiago, Chile. The multi-use sports complex was renamed as a memorial to folk singer Víctor Jara, who was killed there, during the Chilean coup of 1973. It has a total capacity for an audience of 4,500 persons...
, which was renamed in his honor in 2003.
The use of the stadium during the coup d'état is depicted in the 2002
documentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Estadio Nacional, directed and produced by Carmen Luz Parot.
It is also important to note the 1982 film "Missing" by Greek filmmaker Costa-Gavras, depicting the September 11, 1973 US Government led coup d'état and execution of American journalists Charles Horman and Frank Teruggi at the Estadio Nacional de Chile.
2009 - 2010 renovation
On June 15, 2009, President
Michelle BacheletVerónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria is a Social Democrat politician who was President of Chile from 11 March 2006 to 11 March 2010. She was the first woman president of her country...
announced several infrastructure improvements in order to modernize the stadium and its immediate facilities. Out of the total 24 billion
pesosThe peso is the currency of Chile. The current peso has circulated since 1975, with a previous version circulating between 1817 and 1960. The symbol used locally for it is $. The ISO 4217 code for the present peso is CLP. It is subdivided into 100 centavos, although no centavo denominated coins...
(US$42.3 million) contemplated in the plan, 20 billion pesos (US$35.3 million) are destined to bring the stadium up to modern standards. The changes include, a roof covering all the seats, which will also provide illumination; installation of seats around the entire stadium, lowering the current capacity to 47,000; a new state-of-the-art
scoreboardA scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score in a game or match. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards in the past used a mechanical clock and numeral cards to...
; a 2.5 m deep 2 m wide pit will separate the track and the spectators to replace the fence; and several other changes. Because the stadium is a
national monumentThe National Monuments of Chile , also abbreviated MN, are the constructions, elements and places that form part of the country's cultural heritage, and they are protected by law...
the façade will remain the same, with the roof structure placed on top, without modifying the exterior. The stadium was closed on August 15, 2009. The stadium was scheduled to be reinaugurated in March 2010 to stage a double friendly match between Chile and
North KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and
PanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, but the works were not finished on time. The construction of the roof has since been postponed by the government of President
Sebastián PiñeraMiguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique is a Chilean businessman and politician. He was elected President of Chile in January 2010, taking office in March 2010.- Education :...
due to financial constrains brought about by the
February 27, 2010 earthquakeThe 2010 Chile earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile on Saturday, 27 February 2010, at 03:34 local time , having a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, with intense shaking lasting for about three minutes. It ranks as the sixth largest earthquake ever to be recorded by a...
. Although the stadium suffered minor damage from the earthquake, it partially opened to host the match between
C.F. Universidad de ChileClub Universidad de Chile is a professional football club based in Santiago, Chile, which plays in the Primera División.The club was founded on May 24, 1927, as Club Deportivo Universitario. Universidad de Chile is the second most successful and popular football clubs in Chile, having won the...
and
C.D. GuadalajaraClub Deportivo Guadalajara , is a Mexican professional football club based in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Guadalajara plays in the Primera División de México and is the most successful club in Mexican football, having won 11 First Division titles, 7 Campeón de Campeones and 2 Copa México...
for
Copa Libertadores 2010The 2010 Copa Libertadores de América was the 51st edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's premier international club tournament. The tournament began on January 26 and ended on August 18...
. It was officially re-inaugurated on September 12, 2010, during Chile's bicentennial festivities.
2014 South American Games renovation
On September 12, 2010, during the Chilean bicentennial festivities, President
Sebastián PiñeraMiguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique is a Chilean businessman and politician. He was elected President of Chile in January 2010, taking office in March 2010.- Education :...
announced that the capacity of the stadium will be increased so as to reach 70.000 seats for the 2014
South American GamesThe South American Games , formerly the Southern Cross Games are a regional multi-sport event held between nations from South America, organized by the South American Sports Organization .The first...
that will take place in Santiago. The works are expected to begin in 2012.
On June 3, 2011 further renovation plans were announced by the government. The complete area surrounding the stadium will be turned into a park to be called "Citizenry Park" (
Parque de la Ciudadanía). Over 70% of the new 64 ha. park will consist of green areas, and the rest will include new infrastructure such as a lagoon or restaurants. The new park is expected to be ready for the 2014 games. New sporting venues will be built for the 2014 games, such as two modern gymnasiums, a new temperate pool for
synchronized swimmingSynchronized swImming is a hybrid form of swimming, dance and gymnastics, consisting of swimmers performing a synchronized routine of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music....
, a renovated velodrome and an expanded CAR, which will also serve as residence of the future Ministry of Sports. The only venues that will remain are the stadium, the main tennis court, the velodrome, the CAR, the athletics track, the skating track, the hockey field and the
caracolas.
Attendances
The highest attendance for a match at Estadio Nacional to date is 85,268, for a
Primera DivisionThe Primera División del Fútbol Profesional Chileno is the top level of Chilean football, and main component of the Chilean football league system. It is organized by the Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional and is currently ranked 9th in the IFFHS' Best Leagues of the World ranking...
match played on December 29, 1962;
Universidad de ChileClub Universidad de Chile is a professional football club based in Santiago, Chile, which plays in the Primera División.The club was founded on May 24, 1927, as Club Deportivo Universitario. Universidad de Chile is the second most successful and popular football clubs in Chile, having won the...
defeated
Universidad CatolicaClub Deportivo Universidad Católica is a professional football club based in Santiago, Chile, which plays in the Primera División.Universidad Católica is one of the most successful and popular football clubs in Chile and considered one of the three "big teams"...
4-1..
A concert by
Michael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
on 23 October 1993, during his
Dangerous World TourThe Dangerous World Tour was the second worldwide concert tour by American megasuperstar Michael Jackson. The tour, sponsored by Pepsi-Cola, included 69 performances to an audience of 3.5 million. All profits were donated to various charities including Jackson's own "Heal the World Foundation". The...
, received an attendance of 75,000 people. Meanwhile, 77,765 people attended
U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's concert on 25 March 2011, part of their
U2 360° TourThe U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. It was named for a stage configuration that allowed the audience to almost completely surround the stage...
.
Capacity
It was built with an original capacity of 48,000 spectators in 1937, at the time was called "white elephant" because it was thought could never be filled.
For the
1962 FIFA World CupThe 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
its capacity was expanded to comfortably seat 74,000 people may go to more than 80,000 people, for it eliminated the cycling track that was moved to another location. Over the years, visits were reduced in order to keep escape routes clear and prevent accidents.
For the
2000 World Junior Championships in AthleticsThe 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2000 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Santiago, Chile.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
, it required the installation of individual seats which reduced its capacity to 66,000 spectators with which you can not get a larger audience as was the visit of the Pope in 1987 (believed to be attended by more 90 thousand people, could not be counted accurately and that attendance was free, with no control) or the closing of the Telethon.
The current capacity is 66,660 spectators, divided as follows:
- Gallery "A song to life": 18,760 people
- Gallery "A song of joy": 18,491 people
- Tribune "A hymn to love": 17,355 people
- Tribuna "Divine Justice" Center: 4,776 people
- Tribuna "Divine Justice" North: 3,613 people
- Tribuna "Divine Justice" South: 3,665
External links