Raimundo Saporta Pavilion

Infobox_Stadium
stadium_name = Raimundo Saporta Pavilion| nickname = El Pabellón


location = Paseo de la Castellana, Madrid
broke_ground =
opened = 6 January 1966
closed = 2004
demolished = August 2004
owner = Real Madrid
operator = Real Madrid Baloncesto
surface = Parquet Floor
construction_cost=
architect =
former_names = Sports City of Real Madrid Pavilion
tenants = Real Madrid (ACB) (1966–1986), (1998–2004)
seating_capacity = 5,200 (basketball)
Raimundo Saporta Pavilion was an Indoor sports arena used particularly for basketball matches of Real Madrid. Until 1999 it was known as the Sports City of Real Madrid Pavilion, when it was renamed in honorary of the former president of Real Madrid basketball team, the late Raimundo Saporta [http://www.elpais.com/articulo/madrid/derribo/pabellon/Raimundo/Saporta/da/paso/construccion/rascacielos/elpepiautmad/20040811elpmad_9/Tes El derribo del pabellón Raimundo Saporta da paso a la construcción de cuatro rascacielos] , 11 August 2004 es icon] .It was demolished in 2004.

Early History

The arena was inaugurated in 6 January 1966 for the annual intercontinental Philips trophy (later renamed annual Christmas tournament), in which Ignis Varese defeated local Real Madrid, the Jarnaco Saints of Chicago and the Brazilian Corinthians. [http://www.losojosdeltigre.com/eventos/homenajes/pab_saporta/historia.htm PABELLÓN DE LA CIUDAD DEPORTIVA DEL REAL MADRID (1966-2004)-Historia] es icon] A year after its inauguration, on 1 April 1967, The arena saw the home team Real defeat Simmenthal Milano to claim its third European Champions cup title after a 93-91 victoryJavier Gancedo, [http://www.euroleague.net/final-four/madrid-2008/main-page/i/31833/1813/item Euroleague final back in Madrid after 41 years] , May 4 2008] .During the 21 consecutive years that Real played on the field of the old pavilion it would conquer 5 European Champions titles, 4 Intercontinental ones, 17 League Championships, 10 Cup titles, 1 Supercopa of Spain, 2 Matches of the Community of Madrid and 16 Matches of Christmas.The tremendous successes in that period of time made the 5,000 seat arena too small for a team of that magnitude, and in 1987 the team moved its home matches to the Palace of Sports of the Madrid Community located in the Goya Street of Madrid.

Recent years

Soon after Real decided to return and host its home matches in the arena in the start of the 1998-1999 season, the arena was renovated at a cost of roughly 350 million pesetas [El Mundo, [http://www.elmundo.es/1998/11/11/deportes/11N0094.html El «nuevo-viejo» Pabellón del Madrid, listo para diciembre] , 11 November, 1998] and reopened in 4 February 1999 and was also renamed Raimundo Saporta Pavilion in honor of the club director who had passed away in February 1997. The pavilion had increased seating capacity of 5,200 seats and was one of most modern and functional of its sort.

The bad economic situation of the club forced club president Florentino Pérez to sell the lands on which the Sports city was located for an estimated 188 million euros in November 2001.The demolition of the arena took place in August 2004, and Real Madrid moved its home games to Palacio Vistalegre.

Demolition and current development

The former site of the Sports city and the Raimundo Saporta Pavilion is now used for the Four Towers Business Area, an Important business park.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.losojosdeltigre.com/eventos/homenajes/pab_saporta/historia.htm PABELLÓN DE LA CIUDAD DEPORTIVA DEL REAL MADRID (1966-2004)] , a Real Madrid fan site homage

succession box
title = Home of
Real Madrid
years = 1966 – 1987
1999 – 2004
before = Vistalegre Fronton
Palacio de Deportes de la CAM
after = Palacio de Deportes de la CAM
Palacio Vistalegresuccession box
title = FIBA European Champions Cup
Final venue
years = 1967
before =Palazzetto dello sport
Bologna
after = Palais des Sports de Gerland
Lyon