San Mamés

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The first stages of planning occurred as early as 2004, with initial contracts signed late in 2006 after receiving approval to build in March 2006. The new stadium was built next to the existing San Mamés on land occupied until 2003 by the Bilbao International Trade Fair. The ground-breaking ceremony took place on 26 May 2010. Initially, three-quarters of the new stadium were built and then matches took place in it, while the old one was demolished to make room to complete the new arena. The total cost was €211 million, with 52.6% paid by public institutions. San Mamés was inaugurated on 16 September 2013, 102 days after the final game at the old stadium. The first match was a friendly between Athletic Club and Celta Vigo, which the local team won 3–2. The first ever goalscorer at the stadium was Celta's Charles. The stadium reached full capacity for a Champions League playoff tie against Napoli on 27 August 2014. Roof extensions were completed on 20 November 2016. The stadium hosted the 2018 finals of the European Rugby Challenge Cup and Champions Cup, with the Champions Cup final setting an attendance record of 52,282 for that event. On 30 January 2019, it hosted a Copa de la Reina match that set a Spanish attendance record for a club women's football match with 48,121 spectators.

In Their Own Story

The new era began on 16 September 2013, exactly 102 days after the final game at the old stadium. Although partially completed with a capacity of just 35,686, the first match saw Athletic Club defeat Celta Vigo 3–2 before a crowd of 33,000. Celta's Charles scored the historic first goal, followed shortly by Mikel San José for the hosts. Prior to kickoff, captains and President Josu Urrutia participated in a traditional Aurresku dance presentation. Notably, the season's actual opening fixture had been played at Anoeta due to the new stadium not being ready, but this September match marked the official birth of the arena. Full capacity was reached on 27 August 2014 during a Champions League playoff against Napoli, where 49,017 fans witnessed a 3–1 victory. The stadium has since hosted diverse events, from the 2018 European Rugby finals (setting an attendance record of 52,282) to a women's football match in 2019 that set a Spanish record with 48,121 spectators.

Reader's Guide

The stadium is equipped with a sophisticated lighting system on its exterior which can be programmed to illuminate hundreds of panels on its facade. It features a giant external video screen (15.5m x 9.8m) placed at the same point where the original San Mamés featured a large club crest. A bust of Pichichi is located at the entrance to the players' tunnel, where visiting captains traditionally leave a bouquet of flowers. In August 2017, Athletic opened their new club museum at the stadium, featuring a stuffed lion won from the president of Alavés in 1984. Safe standing rail seats were installed in part of the north stand in 2019, later expanded into a 'singing section' across the whole lower tier at that end of the ground in 2022. As part of the club's 125th anniversary celebrations in 2023, a feature was unveiled depicting the exact placement of the goal lines of the old pitch, followed later by a statue of appearance record holder José Ángel Iribar.

Did You Know?

• The first ever goalscorer at the new San Mamés was Celta Vigo's Charles, not an Athletic player.
• The stadium's roof extension, completed in November 2016, won an international structural engineering award in 2017.
• San Mamés was awarded Sports Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival in Singapore on 5 November 2015.
• The stadium hosted a MTV World Stage concert headlined by Muse, with Berri Txarrak and Crystal Fighters as supporting acts on 3 November 2018.