Estádio do Arruda, Football stadium in Recife, Brazil
Estádio do Arruda is a football stadium in Recife whose long, low roofline is banded with red, white and black panels, including a fan-shaped red-and-black pattern near the centre. Below it, an open tier of seating rests on a row of pale, slender columns, with lattice floodlight towers at each end and trees in front of the base. Santa Cruz Futebol Clube plays its home matches here before 60,044 spectators.
The stadium opened in 1972 when Santa Cruz defeated an amateur Brazilian national team 1-0 in the inaugural match. Since its opening, it has remained a major football venue in Recife.
The stadium is named after José do Rego Maciel, a former Recife mayor who donated the land for construction in the 1950s. It has become deeply rooted in the city's football culture and the identity of Santa Cruz fans.
The stadium is located on Avenida Beberibe and has multiple entrance gates for smooth crowd flow during events. Arriving early is recommended for major matches to avoid congestion and long queues.
The record crowd of 90,200 on 23 March 1994 saw Brazil beat Argentina 2-0. Capacity was later cut for safety reasons. The stadium also hosted matches of the 1989 Copa América and Brazil's national team.
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