Estadio Nacional (Chile)

Estadio Nacional de Chile (National Stadium) is a football stadium in Santiago, capital of Chile . Regular player is Universidad de Chile . Capacity is 47,000 spectators.

The "Colossus (the district) Ñuñoa 'was opened in 1938 by President Palma . The Austrian architect / urbanist Karl Brunner designed a large sports park, including a stadium with the Olympic Stadium of Amsterdam as an example. Also this stadium with athletics track, has the shape of a large, flat dish.

The stadium was a center for the 1962 FIFA World Cup, with the opening ceremony and four games, including the final ( Brazil beat Czechoslovakia ).

Concentration [ edit ]
The stadium used as a concentration camp

Plaque for the construction of the stadium

After Augusto Pinochet on September 11, 1973, a coup d'etat, the stadium was used as a concentration camp for 40,000 political prisoners. Catacombs were used as a torture chamber, unknown numbers have been killed there. To show that the colonels well cared for their prisoners, two weeks later, foreign journalists were invited. Johan van Minnen, of VARA's Behind the News , could not hide his surprise, he was welcomed by soldiers - unashamedly in the role of SS guards - and with propaganda that the statements of the prisoners were not taken seriously. Sometime later, the stadium had to be evacuated for a football game.

Chile - Russia In that same September 1973 was the qualification for the World Cup 1974 in Germany. The intent was that now winners of the European group (ultimately Russia / USSR ) and the South American group ( Chile ) would still be playing for one place in the World Cup. Moscow remained on 26 September 0-0. The return was scheduled on 21 November, and the National Stadium Chile had chosen for the meeting. It would be timely 'cleared'. FIFA (dr. Käser) would move the game if there was still shot, but the FIFA -delegatie saw during an inspection no objections. Russia refused to play in this stadium, and anyway in Chile. For security Chile had the Brazilian Santos FC invited to the public while offering a contest. Russia stayed away, and Chile was declared winner of the match. Russia was so disabled, Chile went to the World Cup in Germany. Strangest of course, is that FIFA have moved the race, even within Chile.

At present, the stadium is a National Historic Landmark, precisely because of the history.