Mendizorroza Stadium (Vitoria-Gasteiz)

Mendizorrotza or Mendizorroza is a football stadium in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. The stadium is the home ground of Deportivo Alavés.

General information

Arena capacity: 19,840 spectators

Address: Cervantes Ibilbidea, 20, 01007 Gasteiz, Araba, Spain

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 42°50′13.60″N 2°41′16.96″W

Year of construction: 1924

Construction cost: €50 million

Field: grass lawn with dimensions of 105 x 68 m

Seating plan of Mendizorroza Stadium

The renovations to the stadium in 1999 added corner seating, meaning that it now has the appearance of a continuous bowl of seating, common in plenty of European grounds. It is essentially a single-tier stadium, though in most of the stands there is a lower section that has a different seating design to the upper section.

Where to buy tickets?

Ticket prices for football matches vary depending on the likes of the opposition, how old you are and where in the ground you want to sit. For example, tickets for Alavés’ home game against Real Sociedad cost between €10.80 and €75; whereas tickets against the likes of Barcelona are likely to be pricier.

One of the best places to start in your search for tickets is Alavés’ official website. The games rarely sell-out unless the big guns such as Real Madrid or Barcelona come to town, so you’ll likely be able to get tickets on the day of the game, too.

How to get there?

The stadium is located around 1.5 miles from the centre and takes 25-30 minutes to walk.

Train

It will take you a little under a day to get a train from London to the Alavés area, so you’re probably best making alternative travel arrangements unless you’re left without a choice. Once there the closest station to the ground itself is Vitoria/Gasteiz, which is about ten minutes walk away.

Bus

The 63, L2, L4 and L6 are all examples of buses that stop within walking distance of the ground.

Car

If you’re looking to drive to the stadium then you’ll want to keep your eye out for the N-102 and A-3102, both of which run quite close by.

Taxi

A taxi from Bilbao Airport to the stadium will take about an hour to complete its journey and will likely cost you in the region of about €80.

Parking

There is a large car park that serves the ground, so if you’re driving then you’ll want to head there and try to find a space.

Where to eat and sleep?

It might not be the biggest tourist hotspot in Spain, but the Alava province is no stranger to visitors either.

1. Hotel Jardines de Uleta Suites. Less than half a mile from the stadium is this hotel with more than 100 rooms. There’s a restaurant and two bar areas, as well as both a fitness centre an a business centre. If you’re looking for somewhere to chill out then you might want to head to the rooftop terrace or the garden area, whilst those of you with computers will be pleased to know about the free Wi-Fi that’s available.
• Find the best odds for sports betting.
2. Silken Ciudad de Vitoria. About half a mile from the ground is this hotel with around 150 rooms. It’s located near to the beach, so is the place to go if you’re looking for a chilled out, relaxing holiday. It offers free Wi-Fi, self-parking and has six different meeting rooms. There’s a restaurant, a bar and a garden.
3. Hotel Sercotel Boulevard Vitoria. Slightly further afield at about two miles from Estadio Mendizorroza is this pleasant 4-star hotel. It offers guests free Wi-Fi and has both a business centre and a fitness centre. There’s also a library and a restaurant, where you can buy breakfast the following day should you choose to.
• New predictions for soccer, tennis, hockey, basketball, etc. are created every hour.

Dos beer por favor.

1. Bar Adurtzabal. Bar Adurtzabal is a decent place to head to if you’re looking to get a bite to eat and a drink ahead of going to a game. The food is tasty bar food, such as burgers and omelettes, and there are plenty of drinks to choose from and you’ll be able to watch some live sport around the place, too.
2. Bar Mendizorrotza. About as close to a UK style sports pub, as you are likely to get over in Spain, Bar Mendizorrotza is a lively place frequented by fun loving locals who enjoy watching the football and having a boogie. It’s a place for having a drink rather than your more typical continental ‘cafe that also sells beer’ type place. It’s a football bar that supports Deportivo Alavez though, so don’t go in singing your club songs or anything.
• Take a look at the freebets offered by the bookmaker.
3. Café Bar La Lonja. Another venue calling itself a ‘café’, the Café Bar La Lonja is more of what we might understand as a sports bar. There’s a pool table at the back of the place, a couple of TVs dotted around and a nice outdoor area if the sun’s shining. This is a regular haunt for Alvés supporters, so you’ll be able to get right into the mood ahead of kick-off.

Facilities

Alavés’ hospitality options are impressive for a relatively small club in such a competitive league. You have access to VIP boxes with catering, drinks facilities and an excellent view of the pitch. You’ll also be able to enter the VIP lounge ahead of the game, during the half-time break and after the full-time whistle.

As with most major football clubs, Alavés offer some of their facilities for the likes of conferences, celebrations, presentations and more. If you want to know more, then your best bet is to contact the club and let them know the specifics of what you’re after.

History

Located in the South-West of Vitoria-Gasteiz, the Estadio de Mendizorroza was built within the Paseo Cervantes. In the years since its erection more sports areas were built in the area, making it a complete sports complex. There’s a swimming pool, basketball courts and other sports arenas that are all owned by the local municipality. When it was re-designed in 1999 it became a fully-covered arena, complete with a scoreboard built into the roof.

When the stadium opened, it had enough room to welcome around 8,000 supporters, with a stand to the North of the ground and open terracing to the South. The club built an art-deco style radio tower over the terracing in the middle of the 1930s. Things remained much the same until the 1980s when the stadium was redeveloped, but the changes cost the club too much money and they were soon demoted to the third division, with the players having spent most of the 1985-1986 season unpaid. The major redevelopment came just before the turn of the millennium.