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Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella

Coordinates: 42°30′5″N 1°30′50″E / 42.50139°N 1.51389°E / 42.50139; 1.51389
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Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella
Map
Full nameEstadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella
LocationAndorra la Vella, Andorra
Capacity1,249
SurfaceGrass

The Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella is a small football stadium in Andorra la Vella, the capital of Andorra. The stadium has a capacity of 1,249.[1][2] It was built in 1990.[3] The stadium also has a running track. The Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella and the Camp d'Esports d'Aixovall together host all games from Andorra's two highest football competitions, the Primera Divisió and the Segona Divisió.[4] It also hosted all Andorra national football team games until the opening of the Estadi Nacional in 2014.

History

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Due its size, Andorra occasionally had to move matches away from the Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella. An example of this occurred during UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying when the Andorran Football Federation opted to move their match against the England national football team to the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona, Spain in order to accommodate the large number of England fans.[5] The ground does meet the UEFA stadium criteria to host UEFA Europa League qualifying matches.[6] However it has since been adjudged to no longer meet UEFA standards for hosting international competitive games.[7]

Owing to its location under the Pyrenees, it is noted to have a swirling wind that can affect play.[8] In 2015, the football magazine FourFourTwo named it as one of their top twelve most beautiful football grounds in the world.[9]

In 2024, it was proposed that the Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella would be renovated and expanded in order for FC Andorra to continue to meet Royal Spanish Football Federation rules about having to play league matches on natural grass pitches after the Estadi Nacional was converted to artificial pitch for the Andorra national rugby union team. However, this proposal was dropped after opposition from FC Andorra owner Gerard Pique.[3] In 2025, the stadium caught fire during renovations in preparation for the Games of the Small States of Europe, after receiving a €514,000 grant for them.[10] However the Andorran Fire Brigade were able to extinguish it and only a scissor lift was damaged.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "First Division Clubs in Europe" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 May 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  2. ^ "Andorra venue and ticket allocation confirmed". www.whufc.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Andorra says no to a new stadium for Gerard Pique's club". stadiumdb.com. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Estadi Comunal". Libero Guide. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  5. ^ "England to play Andorra in Spain". BBC Sport. 23 January 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  6. ^ "West Ham in Andorra: What Europa League trip to Lusitans holds". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Euro 2016: Wales qualifier in Andorra will not be moved". BBC Sport. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  8. ^ האתר, צוות (15 July 2014). "The "Little House in the Pyrenees"". Maccabi Tel Aviv. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  9. ^ Moore, Nick (12 November 2015). "The 12 most beautiful football stadiums in the world". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  10. ^ "La segona fase de la reforma de l'Estadi Comunal costarà més de mig milió d'euros". Altaveu (in Catalan). Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  11. ^ "Una plataforma elevadora s'incendia a l'exterior de l'Estadi Comunal". Diari d'Andorra (in Catalan). 5 February 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2025.

42°30′5″N 1°30′50″E / 42.50139°N 1.51389°E / 42.50139; 1.51389

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