Estádio Anacleto Campanella

Estádio Municipal Anacleto Campanella, usually known simply as Estádio Anacleto Campanella is a football (soccer) stadium in São Caetano do Sul, São Paulo state, Brazil. The stadium holds 22,738 people. It was inaugurated in 1955. The stadium is owned by the City Hall of São Caetano do Sul, and its formal name honors Anacleto Campanella, who was São Caetano do Sul's mayor from 1953 to 1957, and from 1961 to 1965.

History

A local team, called São Bento, created by the fusion of two other clubs, São Caetano Esporte Clube and Comercial Futebol Clube (a club from São Paulo city), acquired a groundplot at Monte Alegre Novo. This groundplot was the place where the stadium construction started. The stadium construction was completed in 1955.

The inaugural match was played on January 2, 1955, when São Bento beat XV de Piracicaba 1-0. The first goal of the stadium was scored by São Bento's Gilmar.

After two seasons, São Bento was relegated to the Campeonato Paulista second division, and the club split.

As São Bento folded, the stadium was then managed by the Municipal Prefecture of São Caetano do Sul.

On July 28, 1964, the stadium was renamed to Lauro Gomes de Almeida, after a local politician, and was reinaugurated.

In the 1980s, the stadium was the home ground of Saad.

In 1989, the stadium was reformed again, returning to its previous name, Anacleto Campanella, and two matches were played on its reinauguration on May 7 of that year. In the first match, Associação Atlética São Caetano and Ribeirãopirense Futebol Clube drew 3-3. In the second match, a Brazilian team formed by veteran players defeated a São Caetano do Sul city team 2-0.

Since 1991, AD São Caetano's home ground is Estádio Anacleto Campanella.

In 1999 and 2000, the stadium was modernized, with the bleachers being expanded, and the field being reformed.

The stadium's attendance record currently stands at 19,805 people, set on December 9, 2001 when AD São Caetano beat Atlético Mineiro 2-1.

On December 23, 2001, the second leg of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A final was played at Estádio Anacleto Campanella. Atlético Paranaense beat AD São Caetano 1-0, and won the competition.

References

*"Enciclopédia do Futebol Brasileiro", Volume 2 - Lance, Rio de Janeiro: Aretê Editorial S/A, 2001.

External links

* [http://mavalem.sites.uol.com.br/sp/SCaetano.htm Templos do Futebol]
* [http://www.adsaocaetano.com.br/estadio.htm AD São Caetano Official Website]
* [http://www.saocaetanosp.com.br/estadio_historia.htm São Caetano Fansite]