José Amalfitani Stadium


The José Amalfitani Stadium is a stadium located in the Liniers neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, near Liniers railway station. The venue is the home of the Argentine Primera División club Vélez Sarsfield and is also known as El Fortín de Liniers or Vélez Sarsfield. The stadium was named after José Amalfitani, who was president of Vélez Sarsfield for 30 years.
The original, temporary stadium was built between 1941 and 1943 in wood, and the current facility was built in cement between 1947 and 1951. It was renovated and enlarged 26 years later in preparation for the 1978 FIFA World Cup. The stadium has a capacity of 49,540 spectators, although it does not provide seating for all of them like most Argentine stadia.
The José Amalfitani Stadium is also the national stadium for the Argentina national rugby union team. Although the team plays test matches throughout the country, their highest-profile tests are usually held here. The Jaguares, a team in the Super Rugby league since 2016, plays its home games at the stadium.

History

Predecessors

During its first years of existence, Vélez Sarsfield football team played its games in vacant lands of the neighborhood, with removable goal posts. In 1913 the Argentine Football Association ordered the club to host its home games at a bigger stadium so the club moved to the Juan Martín Figallo's countryhouse on Rodó and Escalada streets. Figallo rented the club part of his land.
In 1914, the club called an assembly to discuss the possibility to rent lands on better places. The club got a land behind Villa Luro station, between Cortina and Bacacay streest. But the definitive stadium would be built in 1922, when the club rented a land to López Bancalari Brothers on Guardia Nacional street. The club started to built a grandstand while the team continued playing in Villa Luro and other fields, until the construction finished. Works were ready in 1924, when the club inaugurated its first stadium with a grandstand, lockers, coffee shop, personnel room and secretary. The stadium was officially opened in a friendly match v River Plate.
New grandstands were built between 1926 and 1927, completing the four sides of the stadium and therefore increasing its capacity. In 1935, the first match with artificial lighting was played at Vélez Sarsfield venue. The local team defeated Platense 4–2. The end of an era came in 1940 when the club was intimated to leave the lands where the stadium was located due to the rental contract had expired.

Current venue

After suffering relegation from the Argentine Primera División in 1940, Vélez was sacked from the Villa Luro ground they were renting. Three years later, in 1941, the club obtained the terrain of the current stadium, property of the Buenos Aires Western Railway. The ground was a swamp of the Maldonado Stream, where construction was difficult. However, the club's president José Amalfitani led the construction of the first stadium at the site, which was inaugurated on April 11, 1943. The new stadium used the same wood stands from the old Villa Luro stadium, and was inaugurated in a 2–2 draw with River Plate. Vélez striker Juan José Ferraro scored the first goal in the stadium's history. The current stadium was inaugurated on April 22, 1951.
The stadium was renamed in honor of José Amalfitani on December 7, 1968. The following year, a modern lighting system by Siemens was installed, and the first of the upper stand sections was completed.

Events hosted

Football

1978 FIFA World Cup

The stadium was refurbished for the 1978 FIFA World Cup with the completion of press boxes and another section of upper stands, and hosted three games in the group stages.
DateRoundGroupTeam 1Vs.Team 2
June 3132–1
June 7131–0
June 11131–0

Argentina friendly matches

DateRivalRes.
22 April 19742-1
5 May 19822-1
23 June 19831-0
25 September 19841-1
16 December 19871-0
13 March 19910-0
27 March 19913-3
21 December 19941-0
10 March 19982-0

Rugby union

The José Amalfitani Stadium is the current home ground for the Jaguares, an Argentine Super Rugby franchise. The ground has also hosted the Argentina national team since 1986, when the side left to play at Ferro Carril Oeste Stadium searching for higher capacity stadiums.
When South Africa played Argentina in November 2005 at Vélez Sarsfield, they faced a strong Pumas side, which took a 20–16 lead into the half-time break, before fading in the second half and losing 34–23.
In the 2006 mid-year tests, the second test against Wales, saw the Pumas win 45–27, Argentina's largest win ever over Wales. The national squad next hosted the world's top team, the All Blacks. The New Zealanders survived an Argentine assault in the final minutes to hang on to win 25–19 and to deny Argentina a huge upset.
Los Pumas began their final preparation for the 2007 World Cup with a summer two-test series against visiting Ireland, including a 16–0 win at Vélez Sarsfield.

Argentina test matches

DateRivalRes.Score
31 May 1986won15–13
7 June 1986lost9–22
18 June 1988lost15–18
25 June 1988won18–6
31 October 1987tie19–19
7 November 1987won27–19
24 June 1989won21–16
28 July 1990won15–13
4 August 1990lost12–25
6 July 1991lost14–28
13 July 1991lost6–36
4 July 1992lost12–27
11 July 1992lost9–33
13 June 1998lost18–35
20 June 1998lost12–37
15 June 2002won28–27
22 June 2002lost18–26
14 June 2003won10–6
20 June 2003won33–32
4 December 2004lost7–39
5 November 2005lost23–34
17 June 2006won45–27
24 June 2006lost19–25
2 June 2007won16–0
14 June 2008lost14–26
26 June 2010won41–13
15 June 2013lost26–51
15 August 2015lost12–26
1 October 2016lost17–36
30 September 2017lost10–36
29 September 2018lost17–35
21 July 2019lost16–20

Concerts

The stadium has hosted many international concerts since the 1980s. English rock band Queen was the first to perform at Vélez Sarsfield –giving three concerts in February 1981– as part of The Game Tour to support their successful homonymous album. The visit of the band had huge repercussions in Argentina, being widely covered by the media, and famous personalities –such as Diego Maradona– attending to their concerts.
José Amalfitani Stadium hosts events of up to 50,000 spectators.
ArtistDateTour
QueenFebruary 28, March 1 and 8, 1981The Game Tour
YesFebruary 1, 2 and 8, 19849012Live Tour
Tears for FearsJanuary 23, 1990Seeds of Love
Bon JoviFebruary 1, 1990New Jersey Syndicate Tour
ErasureMarch 31, 1990Wild! Tour
RoxetteMay 2 and 3, 1992Join the Joyride! Tour
NirvanaOctober 30, 1992Nevermind Tour
Joe Cocker and Brian MayNovember 7, 1992
The B-52'sNovember 8, 1992
Duran DuranApril 30, 19931993-1994 The Dilate Your Mind Tour
MetallicaMay 7 and 8, 1993Nowhere Else to Roam
SantanaMay 29, 1993Milagro Tour
Peter GabrielOctober 2, 1993Secret World Tour
Bon JoviNovember 12, 13 and 14, 1993I'll Sleep When I'm Dead Tour
Luis MiguelNovember 19, 1993Aries Tour
AerosmithJanuary 17, 1994Get a Grip Tour
INXSMarch 4, 1994Dirty Honeymoon Tour
StingMarch 25, 1994Ten Summoner's Tales Tour
Depeche ModeApril 8, 1994Exotic Tour/Summer Tour '94
Whitney HoustonApril 16 and 17, 1994The Bodyguard World Tour
RamonesMay 14, 199420th Anniversary Tour
Luis MiguelNovember 11& 12, 1994Segundo Romance Tour
TestamentJune 16, 1995Low
Marilyn MansonSeptember 11, 1997Dead to the World Tour
Luis MiguelNovember 14, 15 & 16, 1997Romances Tour
Iron MaidenDecember 12, 1998Virtual XI World Tour
Luis MiguelNovember 5, 6 & 7, 1999Amarte Es Un Placer Tour
Queens of the Stone AgeJanuary 13, 2001Rated R
Iron MaidenJanuary 13, 2001Brave New World Tour
Red Hot Chili PeppersJanuary 24, 2001Red Hot Chili Peppers 2001 Tour
Roger WatersMarch 7, 2002In the Flesh Tour
Luis MiguelNovember 24 and 25, 2002Mis Romances Tour
Luis MiguelDecember 5, 6 & 7, 200333 Tour
Iron MaidenJanuary 11, 2004Dance of Death World Tour
Luis MiguelNovember 10, 11 & 12, 2005México En La Piel Tour
ShakiraNovember 24 and 25, 2006Oral Fixation Tour
The KillersNovember 2, 2007Sam's Town Tour
Bob DylanMarch 15, 2008Never Ending Tour 2008
Rod StewartApril 11, 2008Rocks His Greatest Hits Tour
Queen + Paul RodgersNovember 21, 2008Rock the Cosmos Tour
Luis MiguelNovember 27, 28, 29 & 30, 2008Cómplices Tour
Peter GabrielMarch 22, 2009Small Place
Guns N' RosesMarch 22, 2010Chinese Democracy Tour
Linkin ParkOctober 7, 2010A Thousand Suns Tour
Luis MiguelNovember 25, 26, 27 & 28, 2010Luis Miguel Tour
Iron MaidenApril 8, 2011The Final Frontier World Tour
Rod StewartOctober 22, 2011Heart & Soul Tour
Elton JohnMarch 2, 201340th Anniversary of the Rocket Man
NickelbackSeptember 26, 2013Here and Now Tour
Bon JoviSeptember 26, 2013
Stevie WonderDecember 12, 2013
One DirectionMay 3 and 4, 2014Where We Are Tour
No Te Va GustarApril 11, 2015
KISSApril 16, 2015The KISS 40th Anniversary World Tour
ChayanneApril 25, 2015En Todo Estaré Tour
Iron MaidenMarch 15, 2016The Book of Souls World Tour
Green DayNovember 10, 2017Revolution Radio Tour
Queens of the Stone AgeMarch 7, 2018Villains World Tour
Foo FightersMarch 7, 2018Concrete and Gold Tour
ShakiraOctober 25, 2018El Dorado World Tour
Iron MaidenOctober 12, 2019Legacy of the Beast World Tour