Detail

Estádio José Alvalade was constructed for the Portuguese hosted Euro 2004 tournament where it hosted five games including the semi final between Portugal and Netherlands which the home side won 2-1. The inaugural match was held the previous summer on the 6th August 2003 when Sporting Lisbon played Manchester United in an entertaining friendly match which ended in victory for the tenants of the new stadium. Immediately classified as a Five-star stadium by UEFA upon completion, the 50,095 capacity ground was designated as the host of the 2005 UEFA Cup Final which saw Russian side CSKA Moscow defeat Sporting 3-1 in a match with disappointment levels comparable to those of the Euro 2004 final against Greece. Designed by famous architect Tomás Taveira who also helped conceptualise two of the Euro 2004 stadiums in Aveiro and Leiria, Estádio José Alvalade is famous for it’s bright exterior, curvy architectural lines and colourful seats inside the ground. Built within a wider entertainment complex known as Alvalade XXI which includes a cinema, health club, offices and museum. Built adjacent to the now demolished former stadium, the new Estádio José Alvalade continues to be named after Sporting Club founder despite the trend for commercialisation across Europe, with the record attendance of 48,855 for a domestic match was set when Sporting CP hosted great rivals Porto on the 7th January 2012.

DRIVING The stadium is located on The Segunda Circular which is the major ring road of Lisbon, and can be reached by taking the Estádio de Alvalade exit. The address for satnav is as follows: José Alvalade Stadium, Rua Professor Fernando da Fonseca, 1501-806 Lisbon, Portugal Car parks There are a moderate number of spaces located just north-east of the stadium but the official website hasn’t got any information regarding matchday availability and price. TRAIN Rossio Railway Station aka Estação Central is the main train station of Lisbon. Located on Rossio Square it is well connected to the rest of Portugal and it is 6.7 km south of Sporting’s stadium. METRO The closest metro station is Campo Grande Station which can be accessed via both the yellow (Amarela) and green (Verde) lines which is coincidetally the two colours of Sporting Lisbon! BUS The stadium is served by several Carris bus routes throughout the city and local area including 1, 3, 7, 36, 47, 77, 101, 106 and 108. AIRPORTS Lisbon is served by Aeroporto da Portela which is the largest airport in Portugal. Often known as Lisbon Portela Airport, it is located pretty much adjacent to José Alvalade Stadium, less than 10 minutes by car.