El estadio Único que nunca lo fue (SPA-ENG)

The Unique Stadium That Never Was

In La Plata city, capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, the same passion for football is shared throughout the rest of the country; a large city with almost 800,000 inhabitants, 1 million if you include the region known as Greater La Plata, which includes the Ensenada and Berisso districts.

Like other major cities in the country, except the Federal Capital, two teams share the sympathies and passions of fans: Estudiantes and Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata, the latter being the oldest football club in Argentina, founded in 1887.

Each of the two teams playing in Argentina's first division has its stadium. Gimnasia has been located in the Bosque (the park) since 1924, a vast public park located in the city center. Estudiantes, for its part, had its stadium in the heart of the government and administrative center, at the intersection of 1st and 60th Streets (right across from the hospital where I was born). They currently have a brand-new stadium, also located on the outer edge of the city's Bosque (the park), just a few blocks from their bitter rival.

What many people know is that there is a third stadium, originally called Estadio Único de la Ciudad de La Plata, which was later renamed after one of our country's greatest football idols: Estadio Único Diego Armando Maradona. It is one of Argentina's most iconic and modern sports facilities.

Its history dates back to the mid-20th century, more precisely to 1947, when the idea for its construction arose from the governor of the province, Domingo Mercante, who ordered the expropriation of a large vacant lot located on 32nd and 25th Streets. However, everything remained just intentions, and many years passed without any action. That original idea began to gain momentum again in 1972, when the idea of ​​building a stadium was considered for the city to be one of the venues for the 1978 World Cup, which our country would organize. Once again, it remained an idea that never materialized.

It wasn't until 1998 that the idea gained definitive traction when architect Roberto Ferreira's project was selected in a competition organized by a foundation created for that purpose, represented by directors of Estudiantes and Gimnasia, with the idea of ​​having a single, shared stadium. The new stadium was partially inaugurated in June 2003 with a presentation by local artists. It wasn't until 2011 that the work was completed; the Estadio Único was a reality that would soon prove to be unused for its intended purpose.

From the new leadership of both clubs to their members and supporters, they stubbornly refused to abandon their strongholds. Too many memories, stories, and passions would not be abandoned and forgotten by a practically forced move to a sterile stadium, no matter how modern and comfortable it was.

Estudiantes used it for a significant period, from 2006 (when the work was not yet fully completed) until 2019 while building its new stadium. Gimnasia only used it on rare occasions, mainly when making improvements and upgrades to its old stadium.

On December 18, 2020, the installations was renamed the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, a few days after his death and as a posthumous tribute to the great player and captain of the national team that won its second World Cup in Mexico in 1986.

The city's two most important clubs did not change their home venue to these modern facilities. There were other important football events, such as the Copa América held in La Plata in 2011 and the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2023, but not much more.

Today, La Plata's Estadio Único is primarily used for a variety of events, including concerts by national and international artists, food festivals, and other celebrations and cultural events. Notable international artists who have visited its stages include Coldplay and U2.

United soccer remained a mere wish.