Stadium
Nova Creu Alta
Sabadell, Spain
The fans wave flags in a blue and white check pattern that matches the paint on the curved ends of the stadium. It is a working ground, not a monument.
The most notable chapter in its history was six games during the Barcelona Olympics, when the world came to watch. The crowd was larger then, and the city felt different. Since the seat installation in 2013, the capacity has shrunk, but the view has improved. The new LED lights were installed recently, cutting the cost of running the floodlights and keeping the nights brighter.
The pitch is natural grass, cut short and striped. It is often used for the Copa Catalunya final, a fixture that brings in the big clubs from Barcelona. When Sabadell won the promotion playoff in 2026, the stands emptied into the centre circle. It is a small town with a big dream, played out on a rectangle of grass that is older than the federation itself. The architect Gabriel Bracons designed it to be functional, and it remains so.
The Estadi Municipal de la Nova Creu Alta is a working-class stadium in the Catalan town of Sabadell. It opened in 1967 and has hosted Olympic football and promotion deciders. The ground is defined by its open-air ends and the blue and white paintwork on its curved stands.