Ramón Sanchéz Pizjuán – The story of Seville’s sacred stadium with a hellish atmosphere

Estádio Ramón Sanchéz Pizjuán is the stand where Sevilla FC regularly plays its home games. Theatmosphere in the stadium is one of the best in Spain.

If you want to experience true hell on earth, head to Sevilla. The atmosphere at Ramón Sanchéz Pizjuán is frenetic. The stadium has a capacity of 43,883 spectators, making it the ninth largest in Spain.

But in terms of atmosphere, it’s one of the best in the country. Ramón Sanchéz Pizjuán is located in the El Nervión area, one of the best in Seville.

The basics

The proposal for the new stadium was made by the then boss D. Ramón Sanchéz Pizjuán. This set things in motion in 1954, with the winner of the audition being Manuel Muñoz Monasterio, backed by the results of Santiago Bernabéo (Real Madrid) and Mestalla (Valencia).

The stadium originally held 70,329 spectators, most of them standing, of course. Sadly, before the stadium could be completed, Ramón Sanchéz Pizjuán died in 1956, thus failing to fulfil his lifelong dream of seeing Sevilla’s stadium become a reality. However, the stand was named in his honour.

The stadium was completed during 1957 and 1958, while it was not until 1975 that the upper parts of the north and south stands were finished. The first match was played in this stadium on 7 August 1958, when Sevilla welcomed Real Jaén in a friendly match.

Capacity reduction

In 1982, due to safety regulations, the capacity was reduced to 60,000 spectators. A large part of the stadium was remodelled to host the World Cup semi-final between France and Germany. Among other things, fences were removed, aisles were introduced between sectors and a roof was installed over the west stand.

In 1986, Ramón Sanchéz Pizjuán hosted the European Cup final between Barcelona and Steaua Bucharest. Ten years later, UEFA mandated that all seats in the stadium be seated. The capacity of the Seville stand thus dropped significantly to 43,000 spectators.

In 2015, another renovation of the stadium began. The seats were brought out in club colours, the outside of the stadium was fitted with LEDs, the refreshment stands and toilets were renovated and several other renovations were made inside the stadium.

A representative record

Estadio Ramón Sanchéz Pizjuán is a paradise for the Spanish national team. The team has never lost in this stadium. In total, La Roja has played 25 matches here, winning 20 and drawing only five. This streak goes back to 1961.

The new stadium

The club’s management is already thinking about a new stadium. However, these were immediately halted by Sevilla’s loyal fans, who don’t want to leave the Ramón Sanchéz Pizjuán for anything.

Thus, it is only a matter of remodelling the stadium, which could increase the capacity by 15 to 20 thousand spectators. This will certainly come in handy, as Sevilla will have no problem filling the capacity and it will mean even more support in home games. Now this must be reconciled with not disturbing the history and structure of the sacred stadium.

Source: Sevilla FC