Anniversary of Lima: historical photos of the great stadiums of the capital

“Football, without fans, is nothing. The fan is the music of football”, says the writer Martín Caparrós, and he says it well: playing behind closed doors is watching a match fade. The magic happens to the extent that the party has more guests. And the breath goes down from the stands to the field. The stadiums house that accumulation of emotions and stories that continue to be written year after year. Stadiums are not owned by football, they are monuments of a country’s popular culture. Regarding the anniversary of Lima, a photographic review of the main temples of the capital.

National Stadium

The selection house was a gift from the British government in the 19th century and was therefore called National Stadium. It was inaugurated in 1897 in the center of the city, between the districts of Cercado de Lima and La Victoria. From the fifties, with its refoundation, its name became Spanish. In October last year, it celebrated the 70th anniversary of that first major remodeling.

It has undoubtedly been the scene of the great deeds of the Blanquirroja and exciting matches of the much-loved local League. But not only that. He has also promoted other sports. To the point of hosting a large number of federations. From boxing to karate.

In May 1964, one of the most unfortunate events happened in a stadium worldwide. In a match between Peru and Argentina to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, the controversial decisions of a referee generated chaos that, coupled with negligent police, resulted in the death of 328 people by suffocation and more than 500 injuries.

‘Lolo’ Fernandez Stadium

It was inaugurated on July 20, 1952 and is the sentimental space for the fans of Universitario de Deportes. It was built with the wooden seats from the old National Stadium, in the Breña district. The last great scene of this temple happened in 1992, when the cream people turned Olympic, in a stadium there was no room for a single soul.

The man from the stadium is a tribute to Teodoro Fernández, the maximum emblem of Universitario de Deportes, a lethal striker from the first half of the 20th century. Like every idol, a legend has been woven around him. But his greatness is undeniable and he transcends swelling.

Alejandro Villanueva Stadium

It must have been built in the fifties, but it was completed in 1974. It was baptized with the name of the greatest Alianza Lima figure of the first part of the 20th century: Alejandro Villanueva, a lanky attacker of scandalous skill who died early at the age of 35. . He popularized the huacha, the taco and all the soccer heritage of intimates. He is popularly known as Matute, and more recently as La Caldera, in reference to the fervor of his fans.

Panoramic view of the land in La Victoria where the blue and white stadium was built. The current leadership has a project to expand its capacity that currently does not exceed 35 thousand spectators.