Estadio Eduardo Santos
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 Estadio Eduardo Santos | |
 Interactive map of Estadio Eduardo Santos | |
| Location | Santa Marta, Colombia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 11°14′23″N 74°11′42″W / 11.2398262°N 74.1951263°W |
| Capacity | 23,000 |
| Surface | grass |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1951 |
| Opened | 1951 |
| Expanded | 1998 |
| Closed | 2013 |
| Tenants | |
| Unión Magdalena (formerly) | |
Estadio Eduardo Santos is a multi-use stadium in Santa Marta, Colombia, used mostly for football matches. It is the largest sports facility in Magdalena Department with a maximum capacity of 23,000 people.[1][2] The stadium is named after politician and publisher Eduardo Santos, President of the Republic of Colombia from 1938 to 1942.
Since its opening in 1951, Estadio Eduardo Santos has been home to the football club Unión Magdalena, and witnessed the birth of prominent figures of Colombian football, including former captain Colombia Carlos 'El pibe' ('The Kid') Valderrama.[3] In 2002, a monumental sculpture of Carlos Valderrama was unveiled at the stadium entrance in a grand ceremony with fireworks attended by about 14,000 people, including 3,000 special guests.[4][5] The 6.5 meter high, eight ton monument sculpted by Amilkar Ariza, is considered the world's largest bronze for a footballer.[4][5][6] It has become the most visited sculpture in Santa Marta.[4][6]
In 1968, with a final game against Deportivo Cali played in the Eduardo Santos Stadium, Union Magdalena won its first and only Colombian Football League Championship to date. During the celebration a motor vehicle accident took the life of a fan in the caravan of triumph, and it is said that Magdalena can never again rise to champion due to the "Curse of the Celebration.”[7]