Riazor

Estadio Riazor does not hide behind a single style. This mismatch suggests the ground has been rebuilt piece by piece rather than designed as a whole.

The pitch sits lower than the surrounding road level. This was done to meet broadcasting regulations, though the drop is not immediately obvious from the terrace. The grass is natural, the same surface used when the doors first opened in 1944. It has been replaced a couple of times since, but the cut and the lines remain familiar.

The commercial name Abanca-Riazor replaced the older Municipal title, but the ground’s identity remains rooted in the city of A Coruña. The wind here comes straight through the open end, carrying the smell of wet grass and old concrete.