The move to the Civitas Metropolitano has been a major change for many Atlético de Madrid fans. The main one is the capacity, as the new stadium, which will be seven years old this month, can hold 70,000 spectators. A significant difference compared to the eternal Vicente Calderón Stadium, which could hold a maximum of 54,000 people.
There is no doubt that the club has won on this ground, despite the nostalgia that every fan who passes by Piramides , Pontones or the Río Manzanares suffers. Something is missing, something is missed; it is like life itself and like that emptiness that is felt when special dates arrive. But the red and white team has adapted to its new stadium, and the number of season ticket holders has shot up compared to the ground, formerly located on the Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto .
Not only have the marketing and retail figures, the number of businesses and the number of bars around the stadium grown, but also the number of shops that have opened. There are three in total at the Metropolitano, plus one inside.
Atlético is the second team with the most season ticket holders
Today, the club from Madrid has 60,285 members, the highest number in its history; it has never had so many members before. In fact, the red-and-white team is hot on the heels of Real Madrid , according to data from Diario MARCA . Atlético is the second team with the most members in LaLiga EA SPORTS FC, close behind the club from Madrid is Real Betis Balompié , with 10,000 fewer members .
Athletic Club Bilbao , which is probably experiencing its best moments in recent decades, is the team with the fourth most members, with 43,649. It is followed by Sevilla FC , which is the fifth team with the most members in LaLiga , behind Real Sociedad , with 38,000, and Valencia CF , with 37,000. But it is very surprising, although it is understandable given its move to Montjuic, the place that FC Barcelona occupies in this peculiar classification.
Barça has fewer season ticket holders than Espanyol
The Blaugranas have a total of 22,600 season ticket holders, even fewer than their city rivals, RCD Espanyol de Barcelona . The Blanquiazules have 26,032 season ticket holders, almost 3,000 more than their rivals from the Catalan capital. The reason is the limited area of Montjuic and the exit from Camp Nou , which is under construction.
FC Barcelona is usually the team with the most LaLiga season ticket holders, which is logical, since its stadium has the largest capacity of all in the championship. The Catalans are still undergoing renovations and have a few months to go before returning to the Les Corts neighbourhood. The data for Real Madrid are also not entirely correct, as they have not updated their figures, according to the Madrid newspaper itself.