Estádio Beira-Rio
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| Beira-Rio | |
| Full name | Estádio José Pinheiro Borba |
| Nickname | Gigante da Beira-Rio |
| Built | 1959 |
| Opened | April 6, 1969 |
| Capacity | 56,000 |
| Home of | Sport Club Internacional |
| Pitch size | 108 x 72 m |
Beira-Rio is Sport Club Internacional's stadium, located on the Rio Guaíba shoreline in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul. Its official name is "Estadio José Pinheiro Borba" – the name of an ageing Portuguese engineer who supervised the building of the stadium for many years, thus becoming the biggest accomplisher of his own dream. Unfortunately, he died before seeing it complete.
The stadium is nicknamed Beira-Rio (literally: river bank) because it is located along the margins of Rio Guaíba.
Estádio Beira-Rio replaced Internacional's previous stadium, called Estádio dos Eucaliptos.
[edit] History
In 1956, councilman Ephraim Pinheiro Cabral presented a document to the government that included a donation of real estate in Rio Guaíba, witch would be filled over with earth, for Sport Club Internacional.
Estádio Beira-Rio was constructed with the help of the club's enthusiasts and supporters. They contributed bringing bricks, concrete and iron.
During the sixties, Estádio Beira-Rio was ironically called "Bóia Cativa", since it seemed that never it would be concluded, especially since those were difficult times for Internacional on the field.
The stadium's debut was played on April 6, 1969, when Internacional beat Portugal's Benfica 2–1. The first goal ever scored in the Stadium was done by Internacional's Claudiomiro.
The stadium's attendance record currently stands at 106,554, set on June 17, 1972 when a Rio Grande do Sul All-Stars team and Brazil's national team played a 3–3 draw.
[edit] References
- Enciclopédia do Futebol Brasileiro, Volume 2 - Lance, Rio de Janeiro: Aretê Editorial S/A, 2001.
