José Amalfitani Stadium, Rugby union and football stadium in Liniers, Argentina
José Amalfitani Stadium is a football and rugby ground in the Liniers neighborhood of Buenos Aires, home of Vélez Sarsfield. Its concrete stands, largely rebuilt from 1947 and opened in 1951, hold 49,540 spectators, not all seated. Two decks of tiered seating curve around the grass field, separated by a white band, with a tall floodlight tower and a dark scoreboard above the stands.
Vélez Sarsfield obtained the Maldonado Stream swamp from the Buenos Aires Western Railway in 1941 and filled it in over two years, opening a first stadium on 11 April 1943 with wooden stands brought from the old Villa Luro ground; a 2–2 friendly against River Plate drew the first goal from Juan José Ferraro. The foundation stone of the concrete stadium was laid in 1947, and the cement stands were inaugurated on 22 April 1951 with a 2–0 win over Huracán. The venue was renamed after José Amalfitani on 7 December 1968 and enlarged for the 1978 World Cup.
The stadium serves as home to Vélez Sarsfield football club and as the national rugby ground for Argentina's Los Pumas team. Visitors experience how both sports shape the neighborhood's identity and bring crowds of dedicated fans together throughout the year.
The stadium is located near Liniers railway station and accessible through multiple entrances, with food stands and areas designated for different ticket categories. Plan to arrive with plenty of time on event days, as crowds can be substantial and parking may be limited.
The 1969 floodlights were proposed by Raúl D'Onofrio, a Vélez committee member inspired by US baseball-stadium lighting, and built by Siemens Argentina: four 45-metre towers with quartz-iodine and HKI lamps, inaugurated on 6 December 1969 in a friendly against Pelé's Santos.
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