{"id":3177,"date":"2012-02-11T15:35:47","date_gmt":"2012-02-11T15:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stadiumguide.com\/?p=3177"},"modified":"2017-04-08T13:22:36","modified_gmt":"2017-04-08T13:22:36","slug":"rosaleda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stadiumguide.com\/rosaleda\/","title":{"rendered":"Estadio La Rosaleda"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estadio<\/h3>\n

Key facts<\/h3>\n

Club: M\u00e1laga CF | Opening: 1941 | Capacity: 30,044 seats<\/p>\n

History and description<\/h3>\n

The first stone of\u00a0Estadio La Rosaleda was laid on 21 June 1936, however due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War it took four years for building works to actually start.<\/p>\n

The first match at La Rosaleda was played on 13 April 1941. M\u00e1laga, then still called Malacitano, beat guests Ferroviaria 6-0. The match had been put forward due to the destruction of the pitch of Malacitano\u2019s old ground by a thunderstorm.<\/p>\n

Estadio La Rosaleda officially opened on 14 September of the same year with a match between M\u00e1laga and Sevilla. The stadium back then counted with a capacity of about 8,000 places.<\/p>\n

In the following years, La Rosaleda got gradually expanded, and the construction of a new two-tiered east stand in 1965 resulted in a capacity of about 22,000.<\/p>\n

Estadio La Rosaleda was selected as one of the playing venues for the 1982 World Cup, and therefore needed further expansions. Second tiers were erected on the remaining single-tiered stands, the pitch was lowered to create extra rows of seating, and the rest of the stadium got extensively refurbished.<\/p>\n

During the World Cup, La Rosaleda hosted three first round group matches. Capacity at that time was about 37,000.<\/p>\n

The stadium remained practically unchanged for the next 20 years, until in 2000 a major redevelopment program was started. Over a period of six years, La Rosaleda got gradually rebuilt and renovated, resulting in more cover, increased hospitality facilities, and better comfort, but also a reduction in capacity to under 30,000.<\/p>\n\n\n \t\t\n\t\t\t\t