32°40′14.25″N16°53′00.69″W / 32.6706250°N 16.8835250°W /32.6706250; -16.8835250
Choupana | |
 The new stand which was built in 2007 | |
 Interactive map of Estádio da Madeira | |
| Full name | Estádio da Madeira |
|---|---|
| Former names | Estádio Eng.º Rui Alves |
| Location | Funchal,Madeira, Portugal |
| Owner | C.D. Nacional |
| Capacity | 5,200 |
| Field size | 105 x 68 m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1999; 26 years ago (1999) |
| Opened | 13 February 1999 |
| Expanded | 16 November 2007 |
| Construction cost | €23 million[1] (complex) |
| Tenants | |
| C.D. Nacional C.F. União (2012) | |
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|---|---|---|
Eponyms and public art Media Family Related | ||
TheEstádio da Madeira, previously namedEstádio Eng.º Rui Alves and informally known asChoupana, is afootball stadium located in the city ofFunchal,Madeira, Portugal. The stadium currently has a capacity of 5,200 people and is owned byNacional da Madeira.[2]
The stadium is located inCidade Desportiva do C.D. Nacional (English:C.D. Nacional Sport City), which also includes training pitches and a youth campus calledCristiano Ronaldo Campus Futebol, in honour ofCristiano Ronaldo. The Cidade Desportiva is located in the north ofFunchal, high up in the mountains in the Choupana neighbourhood.[3]
For the majority of their history, Nacional played its home matches atEstádio dos Barreiros together with rival teamsMarítimo andUnião.[4]
However, with visionary President Rui Alves at the helm of the club, plans were announced in 1997 for a new stadium and sport complex in the Choupana, area ofFunchal, with construction starting the following year.[5] On 13 February 1999, the venue, then with only one stand for 2,500 seats and named asEstádio Eng.º Rui Alves, hosted Nacional's first official match at theChoupana Sports Complex.[6] In that debut, Nacional beatAmora 3-0. The official inauguration of the first phase of the Complex took place on 8 December 1999. That year, the club moved permanently to Choupana ceasing to play at the municipal stadium, Estádio dos Barreiros, which was shared between the three largest clubs in the region.[7][8]
Following Nacional's promotion to thePrimeira Liga and appearance in the2004–05 UEFA Cup, further development on the stadium was announced in 2005, with plans to increase the seating capacity and expand the surrounding sports complex, with theregional government committed to fund 80% of the budget.[9] After a period of construction, the stadium re-opened in 2007 with its second expansion, increasing the seating capacity to 5,200 seats with a new fully covered west stand. Since then, the stadium has had two stands running the entire length of the pitch, with high fences at both ends of the pitch.[10]
On 1 June 2007, the stadium was renamedEstádio da Madeira, after the club reached an agreement with the local government to promote theMadeira Region. The newly constructed west stand was opened for the home match againstBenfica on 2 September 2007,[11] whilst the full expansion of the C.D. Nacional Sports Complex, was inaugurated on 16 November 2007 with a friendly match, also against Benfica.[12] The youth academy Football Campus was named in honour of former playerCristiano Ronaldo.[13] The total cost for the stadium and sport complex expansions were reported to be around €23 million, funded by the regional government of Madeira.[1][14]
Media related toEstádio Eng. Rui Alves at Wikimedia CommonsAuthority control databases: Geographic |
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