Raimundo Saporta Pavilion
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| Raimundo Saporta Pavilion | |
|---|---|
| El Pabellón | |
| Location | Paseo de la Castellana, Madrid |
| Opened | 6 January 1966 |
| Closed | 2004 |
| Demolished | August 2004 |
| Owner | Real Madrid |
| Operator | Real Madrid Baloncesto |
| Surface | Parquet Floor |
| Former names | Sports Ciry of Real Madrid Pavilion |
| Tenants | Real Madrid (ACB) (1966–1986), (1998–2004) |
| Capacity | 5,200 (basketball) |
Raimundo Saporta Pavilion was an Indoor sports arena used particularly for basketball matches of Real Madrid. Until 1999 it was known as the Sports Ciry of Real Madrid Pavilion, when it was renamed in honorary of the former president of Real Madrid basketball team, the late Raimundo Saporta[1]. It was demolished in 2004.
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[edit] Early History
The arena was inaugurated in 6 January 1966 for the annual intercontinental Philips trophy (later renamed annual Christmas tournament), in which Ignis Varese defeated local Real Madrid, the Jarnaco Saints of Chicago and the Brazilian Corinthians.[2] A year after its inauguration, on 1 April 1967, The arena saw the home team Real defeat Simmenthal Milano to claim its third European Champions cup title after a 93-91 victory[3]. During the 21 consecutive years that Real played on the field of the old pavilion it would conquer 5 European Champions titles, 4 Intercontinental ones, 17 League Championships, 10 Cup titles, 1 Supercopa of Spain, 2 Matches of the Community of Madrid and 16 Matches of Christmas. The tremendous successes in that period of time made the 5,000 seat arena too small for a team of that magnitude, and in 1987 the team moved its home matches to the Palace of Sports of the Madrid Community located in the Goya Street of Madrid.
[edit] Recent years
Soon after Real decided to return and host its home matches in the arena in the start of the 1998-1999 season, the arena was renovated at a cost of roughly 350 million pesetas[4] and reopened in 4 February 1999 and was also renamed Raimundo Saporta Pavilion in honor of the club director who had passed away in February 1997. The pavilion had increased seating capacity of 5,200 seats and was one of most modern and functional of its sort.
The bad economic situation of the club forced club president Florentino Pérez to sell the lands on which the Sports city was located for an estimated 188 million euros in November 2001[1]. The demolition of the arena took place in August 2004, and Real Madrid moved its home games to Palacio Vistalegre.
[edit] Demolition and current development
The former site of the Sports city and the Raimundo Saporta Pavilion is now used for the Four Towers Business Area, an Important business park.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b El derribo del pabellón Raimundo Saporta da paso a la construcción de cuatro rascacielos, 11 August 2004 (Spanish)
- ^ PABELLÓN DE LA CIUDAD DEPORTIVA DEL REAL MADRID (1966-2004)-Historia(Spanish)
- ^ Javier Gancedo, Euroleague final back in Madrid after 41 years, May 4, 2008
- ^ El Mundo, El «nuevo-viejo» Pabellón del Madrid, listo para diciembre, 11 November 1998
[edit] External links
- PABELLÓN DE LA CIUDAD DEPORTIVA DEL REAL MADRID (1966-2004), a Real Madrid fan site homage
| Preceded by Vistalegre Fronton Palacio de Deportes de la CAM |
Home of Real Madrid 1966 – 1987 1999 – 2004 |
Succeeded by Palacio de Deportes de la CAM Palacio Vistalegre |
| Preceded by PalaDozza Bologna |
FIBA European Champions Cup Final venue 1967 |
Succeeded by 1968 Final Venue Lyon |
