Iconic La Liga stadium that had road running through it was demolished after 56 years

Atletico Madrid’s old stadium will always hold fond memories for football fans of a certain generation.

Built in 1966 and named after the club’s long-standing president, the Vicente Calderon was one of the grand cathedrals of European football. It hosted plenty of high-profile matches, including 14 Copa del Rey finals as well as three games at the 1982 World Cup, but was best known as the home of La Liga giants Atletico.

Atletico swapped the crumbling Calderon for the gleaming new Wanda Metropolitano in 2017, waving goodbye to their famous old home after 51 years. In doing so, they gave up a truly unique stadium that had one very unusual feature running right through it – an actual motorway.

Remarkably, the the M-30 dual carriageway ran right underneath one of the main stands at the Calderon, going all the way from the South Node Toledo Bridge.

Unfortunately, the Calderon was demolished following Atletico’s move to the Metropolitano six years, with the final stand coming down in 2020. In its place will be a new housing and shopping development, called Mahou-Calderon.

Current Atletico manager Diego Simeone was one of many to pay tribute to the Calderon following the club’s move. He said: “The sentiment of the fans will carry on to the new stadium. The same people who were here today will be at the Metropolitano tomorrow, and their passion for the club will continue to exist in the new stadium. It will be our home.”