In the world of football, grand stadiums are often associated with a club’s success and dominance. However, some big teams, despite their history and popularity, still play in stadiums that are considered small compared to their status. Here are 10 famous teams that face this reality:
1. Estádio Urbano Caldeira – Santos FC (Brazil)
Capacity: 16,000
Santos FC is one of Brazil’s most legendary clubs, having produced legends like Pelé and Neymar. However, their stadium, known as Vila Belmiro, is very small for such a big club.
2. Allianz Stadium – Juventus (Italy)
Capacity: 41,507
Juventus is one of the biggest clubs in the world, but their stadium is relatively small compared to the European giants. Compared to San Siro or Santiago Bernabéu, the capacity of the Allianz Stadium could be a barrier to revenue growth.
3. Stamford Bridge – Chelsea (England)
Capacity: 40,341
Chelsea are one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League, but their stadium is smaller than that of rivals Arsenal (Emirates Stadium) or Manchester United (Old Trafford). The project to expand Stamford Bridge has been a topic of ongoing discussion.
4. BayArena – Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
Capacity: 30,210
Leverkusen is an important club in German and European football, but their stadium is relatively small, especially compared to Bayern’s Allianz Arena or Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park.
5. Louis II Stadium – AS Monaco (Monaco)
Capacity: 16,360
AS Monaco have competed at the highest levels of French and European football, but their stadium is one of the smallest in the top European leagues. However, Monaco’s small population somewhat justifies its size.
6. Groupama Arena – Ferencváros (Hungary)
Capacity: 22,000
Ferencváros is the biggest club in Hungary and often represents the country in European competitions. Despite this, their stadium remains modest.
7. King Saud University Stadium – Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia)
Capacity: 25,000
With stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Nassr has become one of the most popular clubs in the world, but their stadium is too small for a team with such a large global following.
8. Todoroki Sports Park – Kawasaki Frontale (Japan)
Capacity: 26,232
Kawasaki Frontale is one of the strongest teams in Japan, but their stadium doesn’t match the club’s ambitions to become a major power in Asia.
9. Al-Hilal Stadium – Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Capacity: 22,188
Al-Hilal is the most successful team in Asia and has a huge fan base. Their stadium, however, doesn’t reflect the size of the club and its fans.
10. Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes – Cruz Azul (Mexico)
Capacity: 33,000
Cruz Azul is one of the biggest clubs in Mexico, but their current stadium doesn’t match the team’s history and huge fan base.
Why do these teams need bigger stadiums?
Revenue: Larger capacity means more tickets sold and higher revenue.
Prestige: A larger stadium puts a club at a higher level compared to its rivals.
Fan atmosphere and experience: Small stadiums often cannot accommodate the high demand for tickets, leaving many fans out.
Competitiveness in the global market: With the growth of international audiences, clubs need larger stadiums to attract sponsors and major investors.
Despite their glorious history, there are some teams that have started plans for new, larger stadiums and others should consider building or expanding stadiums to better match their real size in the world of football.
