Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
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| Full name | Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys |
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| Former names | Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc |
| Location | Barcelona, Spain |
| Built | 1927 |
| Renovated | 1989 |
| Architect | Pere Domènech i Roura |
| Capacity | 55,926 |
| Tenants | |
| 1992 Summer Olympics RCD Espanyol (1998-2009) |
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Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (formerly known as the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc) is a stadium in Barcelona, Spain. Originally built in 1927 for the 1929 Expo in the city (and Barcelona's bid for the 1936 Summer Olympics, which were awarded to Berlin), it was refurbished in 1989 to be the main stadium for the 1992 Summer Olympics. The stadium is located in the Anella Olímpica, on Montjuïc, a large hill to the southwest of the city which overlooks the harbour.
In 2001 the stadium was renamed after the former president of the Generalitat de Catalunya Lluís Companys i Jover, who was executed at the nearby Montjuïc Castle in 1940 by the Franco regime.
When the Spanish Grand Prix and other races were held at the Montjuïc Formula One racing circuit until 1975, the stadium was used as a paddock for the teams. Due to safety concerns, the 1975 F1 race was nearly boycotted by drivers.
The stadium has a capacity of 55,926 (70,000 during the 1992 Olympics), and served as the home of RCD Espanyol from 1998 until 2009. The Estadi Olímpic made its final La Liga appearance during the 2008-2009 season, as Espanyol will move to the newly constructed Estadi Cornellá-El Prat. It also served as the home of the Barcelona Dragons American Football team until 2003. Because the size of the playing surface was slightly shorter than the regulation American Football length, the stadium only had 7-yard end zones, three yards shorter than regulation NFL size.
The Estadi Olímpic has also hosted many pop-rock concerts: among them, Bruce Springsteen (1993, 2003), Rolling Stones (1990, 1998, 2003, 2007), Tina Turner (1990,1991), U2 (1997), Metallica (2003), Madonna (1990, 2009), Prince (1990), David Bowie (1990), AC/DC (1991, 2009), Pink Floyd (1994), Michael Jackson (1992), Guns n' Roses (1993), Bon Jovi (1995, 2008) and RBD.
The stadium hosted the Euro 2008 qualifying match between Andorra and England on the 28 March 2007 and also the same fixture on 6 September 2008 for the 2010 World Cup qualifying match.
On Saturday 20 June the Perpignan-based rugby league team, Catalans Dragons lost 12-24 to Warrington Wolves in the first Super League match to be played in Spain, drawing a crowd of over 18,500.
| Preceded by Seoul Olympic Stadium Seoul |
Summer Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies (Olympic Stadium) 1992 |
Succeeded by Centennial Olympic Stadium Atlanta |
| Preceded by Seoul Olympic Stadium Seoul |
Olympic Athletics competitions Main Venue 1992 |
Succeeded by Centennial Olympic Stadium Atlanta |
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Coordinates: 41°21′53.14″N 2°9′20.37″E / 41.3647611°N 2.1556583°E
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