Featured image credit: RCD Mallorca
RCD Mallorca played its first match at the new-look Estadi Mallorca Son Moix on Saturday as the LaLiga club drew 1-1 against Celta Vigo.
The €30m (£25.8m/$32.8m) renovation project has taken place over the course of a year and a half and resulted in the removal of the stadium’s athletics track to bring fans closer to the pitch.
The south stand was the final section of the stadium to undergo renovation work ahead of Saturday’s match, which was preceded by family-friendly games and music performances. The club also invited 2,000 fans to a pre-match paella meal on the esplanade of the new stadium store.
The doors of the stadium officially opened at 2:15pm local time, two hours ahead of kick-off. Fans who entered the stadium early were also able to witness a parachutist landing on the pitch to plant the RCD Mallorca flag.
The party atmosphere was punctured just 10 minutes into the match as Iago Aspas gave Celta Vigo the lead. Cyle Larin equalised for Mallorca just before half-time but the home team was unable to find the winning goal after the break.
Last summer, Mallorca agreed deals with Telefónica and LG Electronics to support the redevelopment of the stadium, which now has a capacity of just over 26,000.
The venue opened in 1999 and the club has previously stated the need for the stadium to evolve and adapt to “changing times”. Telefónica will help enhance audiovisual experiences at the stadium, while LG has supplied two large scoreboards and more than 200 TV screens.
The initial phase of the project cost €5.4m and centred on a new structure in the lower part of the south stand. Mallorca appointed architect Izaskun Larzabal, who oversaw a renovation of Real Sociedad’s stadium, to carry out the project.
RCD Mallorca has placed a focus on sustainability, with photovoltaic panels fitted and existing lighting systems replaced with LED technology. Water consumption and plastic usage was also reduced.
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