Estadio Alberto J. Armando

Lore & Background

The stadium opened on May 25, 1940, with a friendly match between Boca and San Lorenzo, which the home side won 2–0. The first official game was on June 2, 1940, when Boca Juniors beat Newell's Old Boys 2–0. The stadium was named on April 20, 1986, by team President Antonio Alegre in honor of Camilo Cichero, a former team president under whose tenure work on La Bombonera began. It was renamed on December 27, 2000, by team President Mauricio Macri in honor of Alberto Armando, team president during its resurgence during the 1960s as well as a former business partner of his father Francisco Macri. The nickname 'La Bombonera' is said to have originated from architect Viktor Sulčič, who used a chocolate box to show that the box shape was very like the stadium they were designing. Other stories credit journalist Hugo Marini or broadcaster Joaquín Carballo Serantes (aka 'Fioravanti') for the nickname.

In Their Own Story

The air inside La Bombonera tastes of salt from the nearby Riachuelo and the dust of a thousand battles. As the referee blows the final whistle, the ground beneath your feet vibrates with a rhythmic thumping that is not just noise, but a heartbeat shared by fifty thousand souls. The vertical walls of concrete seem to lean inward, pressing down on the pitch, turning the green grass into an island of pure adrenaline. In this cauldron, time slows; the roar of the '12th man' drowns out thought, leaving only instinct and the primal urge to defend the blue and gold crest.

Reader's Guide

La Bombonera currently has a gross capacity of 58,305, which results in around 57,200 seats being available for games. Out of its capacity of 49,000, there are 37,538 seats, 2,780 in boxes, and 8,682 standing. Both its interior and exterior are lined with a number of murals painted by the artist Pérez Celis depicting many of the club's legendary players and aspects of the district's culture, such as the lives of Italian immigrants. In 1996, a small stand was built on the fourth side, which had been largely open until then, except for some VIP boxes. Diego Maradona had his own executive box at the stadium. There are three parking lots at the stadium for members.

Did You Know?

• The stadium's nickname 'La Bombonera' means 'The Chocolate Box' in Spanish.
• The stadium was originally named after Camilo Cichero in 1986, then renamed after Alberto J. Armando in 2000.
• The stadium has hosted concerts by Lenny Kravitz, Elton John, James Blunt, the Bee Gees, and the Backstreet Boys.
• The unusual shape of the stadium gives it excellent acoustics.
• The stadium is noted for its tendency to shake with heavy fan activity; writer Christopher Thomas Gaffney said, 'La Bombonera does not shake, it beats.'