Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
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| Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys | |
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| Full name | Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys |
| Location | Barcelona, Spain |
| Built | 1927 |
| Opened | |
| Renovated | 1989 |
| Owner | |
| Former names | Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc |
| Tenants | RCD Espanyol (La Liga) |
| Capacity | 55,926 |
The Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (formerly known as the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc) is a stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia (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 rebuilt 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.
The stadium is named for 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 has served as the home of RCD Espanyol since 1998. 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 hosted many pop-rock concerts: among them, Madonna (1990), Bruce Springsteen (1993, 2003), Rolling Stones (1990, 1998, 2003, 2007), U2 (1997), Metallica (2003), Prince (1990), Tina Turner (1990), David Bowie (1990), AC/DC (1991), Pink Floyd (1994), Michael Jackson (1992), Guns n'Roses (1993) and Bon Jovi (1995, 2008).
The stadium hosted the Euro 2008 qualifying match between Andorra and England on the 28th of March 2007 and is due to host the same fixture on 6th September 2008 for the 2010 World Cup qualifying match.
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