During my time in Lisbon, I was able to sneak inside the Estadio Restelo (somewhere Pope John Paul II once held a mass to over 100,000 people!) and was able to get some photos.
It's a stones-throw from Lisbon's picturesque seafront where you'll find the Belem Tower and the monasteries where Pastel de Nata's were invented, and it's in the top 15 largest capacity stadiums in Portugal.
It was home to Belenenses - third biggest team in the capital behind Benfica and Sporting Lisbon. However, due to football politics (the Portuguese variety of which I don't understand), one version of Belenenses don't actually play their games here anymore.
Instead 'home' games are played a few miles down the road at Estadio Nacional - an open-air, large-capacity venue which is a pain in the backside to reach by public transport but is where Celtic defeated Inter Milan in the 1967 European Cup Final. Another club has been created and plays at Estadio Restelo albeit in the lower reaches of Portuguese football.
Football aside, what's for certain is that I'll be back in Lisbon one day as it's one of the best cities on the planet which you should definitely visit sometime.
Football aside, what's for certain is that I'll be back in Lisbon one day as it's one of the best cities on the planet which you should definitely visit sometime.
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