The decline of the Maspalomas Municipal Stadium

The Maspalomas Municipal Stadium is not in its best shape; as Maspalomas24h reported a few days ago, PP-AV has emphasized the poor condition of various sports infrastructures in the municipality, including the stadium.

 

The latest events hosted by the venue are festivals or concerts, highlighting that of the renowned international reggaeton singer Anuel AA, who managed to host more than 12000 people at the Maspalomas Stadium. But years ago, renowned footballers and big European clubs came to Gran Canaria in search of the perfect climate for playing sports.

 

One of the greatest achievements of this venue was hosting Second Division matches (current SmartBank League) being the temporary “home” of the defunct University of Las Palmas, which played in Maspalomas in the 2000-2001 season due to the refusal of the UD Las Palmas. Palmas to give up the Insular Stadium. Even in a certain way the Maspalomas Municipal Stadium figures in the history of Spanish football; Since with its season in the Second Division playing in the Tirajanero venue, the Universidad de Las Palmas holds the record of being the only team in the history of Spain to reach professional football from the lowest regional category.

 

The stadium also hosted an international tournament that for more than 30 years brought together Europe's leading teams in January. Ajax, Cagliari, Fortuna Düsseldorf, PSV Eindhoven (the club that won the tournament the most times), Twente, Bayer Leverkusen and even the Soviet Union football team. The last edition was held in 2016 and was won by UD Las Palmas.

 

 

The lower categories of the Spanish National Team played on several occasions at the Maspalomas Municipal Stadium; highlighting a preparatory match for London 2012 of the Olympic team, which faced Senegal and lost 0-2. A match in which current football stars such as David De Gea, César Azpilicueta, Ander Herrera, Koke, Muniain, Isco and Sadio Mané could be seen in Maspalomas. In 2018 it also hosted a training session for the Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team, which would face the senior team at the Gran Canaria Stadium.

 

Times of prosperity that contrast with the current state of the premises, which has an appearance of almost total abandonment and whose grass looks like a potato field due to the excessive growth of weeds on it.