Estadio Brigadier General Estanislao López, Football stadium in Santa Fe, Argentina
Estadio Brigadier General Estanislao López is a football ground in Santa Fe whose grass pitch, 105 by 70 metres, is ringed by concrete grandstands, with an upper tray on the north, east and south sides and boxes in the northwest and southwest corners. It holds 30,835 spectators, and the red seats of the lower foreground section alternate with white ones in stripes.
Colón lost its original ground on Zavalla, Moreno, San Juan and Corrientes streets in March 1938 when the land was seized over a debt. The club bought a plot in the Centenario neighbourhood on 2 March 1939, and after delays the stadium was inaugurated on 9 July 1946 with a friendly against Boca Juniors before 10,000 spectators. In 1952 it was named Eva Perón, who had backed Colón's 1948 AFA affiliation and helped fund the first concrete stands and floodlights; after the 1955 coup the name was changed to Brigadier General Estanislao López.
Colón fans call the ground "el Cementerio de los Elefantes" (the Elephant Graveyard) because of wins over visiting giants: Pelé's Santos, unbeaten in 43 matches and twice intercontinental champion, lost 2-1 here in 1964, and the same Colón side later beat the Argentina national team 2-0. The stadium was named "Eva Perón" in 1952 for her support of Colón's 1948 AFA affiliation and funding of the first cement stands and floodlights; after the 1955 coup the name was banned and it was renamed after Estanislao López, governor of Santa Fe from 1818 to 1838.
The venue has modern scoreboards and enhanced lighting for daytime and evening matches. When attending, be aware that the stands can become crowded during major games.
The ground earned the nickname 'The Elephant Graveyard' following an unexpected victory against a renowned Brazilian opponent in the 1960s. This memorable triumph became part of local football legend and continues to be remembered by fans today.
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