(photo: Disclosure/Atlético Goianiense)
After the 3-0 defeat of Alianza, in Colombia, in the Copa Sudamericana, Cruzeiro will return to the field to face Atlético-GO, in the sixth round of Series A of the Brazilian Championship. The teams will face each other this Sunday (12/5), at 4pm, at Antônio Accioly, in Goiânia. The duel stage has some curiosities.
Built in the neighborhood of Campinas, in the capital of Goiás, the Atlético-GO stadium is the smallest among all 20 used by First Division clubs (see them all at the end of this article). With a modest structure, the Dragão venue has a capacity for around 12,500 people, a far cry from the 78,000 seats offered by Maracanã, the country’s main football venue.
The stadium is named after the first president of the red-and-black club. Antônio Accioly was known for solving Atletico’s problems, especially financial ones. He was responsible for obtaining the land for the construction of the field and, for this reason, he received the honor.
Accioly died on July 8, 1973, at the age of 57, and left a great legacy in the sporting world in the state. Atlético-GO was the first team in Goiás to have its own football field.
However, at the beginning of the 21st century, Atlético-GO faced serious financial difficulties due to poor administration. As a result of the crisis, the stadium was abandoned, with plans to build a shopping mall on the site.
Modernization and reopening of Antônio Accioly
It was only in 2005 that Antônio Accioly was rebuilt. After that, it underwent three more works to expand the space. The first was in 2013, when it was renovated, but due to a lack of resources, the repair did not reach its full potential.
A major renovation began at the end of 2017, transforming the modest stadium into a more modern facility. Capacity was increased to 10,500 seats. The work was only completed in the second half of 2018.
The ‘Castelo do Dragão’ was only reopened in the 1-0 victory over Coritiba, on August 18 of that year, in the 21st round of Série B of the Brasileirão, with an audience of 6,220 people.
After accessing the First Division in 2019, Atlético-GO’s home underwent new repairs in 2020 to adapt to the requirements and reports of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). In addition to improvements to the pitch, the changing rooms and external access to the stadium were improved.
Capacity of stadiums used by Serie A clubs
- Athletico-PR – Ligga Arena (42 thousand)
- Atlético-GO – Antônio Accioly (12.5 thousand)
- Atlético – Arena MRV (46 thousand)
- Bahia – Arena Fonte Nova (48 thousand)
- Botafogo – Nilton Santos (46 thousand)
- Corinthians – Neo Química Arena (49 thousand)
- Criciúma – Heriberto Hülse (19 thousand)
- Cruzeiro – Mineirão (62 thousand)
- Cuiabá – Arena Pantanal (43 thousand)
- Flamengo – Maracanã (78 thousand)
- Fluminense – Maracanã (78 thousand)
- Fortaleza – Arena Castelão (64 thousand)
- Grêmio – Arena do Grêmio (55 thousand)
- International – Beira-Rio (50 thousand)
- Youth – Alfredo Jaconi (23 thousand)
- Palmeiras – Allianz Parque (42 thousand)
- Red Bull Bragantino – Nabi Abi Chedid (17 thousand)
- São Paulo – Morumbis (66 thousand)
- Vasco – São Januário (22 thousand)
- Vitória – Barradão (30 thousand)
Atlético-GO x Cruzeiro in the Brazilian Championship
Atlético-GO and Cruzeiro will face each other at very different times in the Brasileirão. The home team did not win any of the four matches played and are in second place, with just one point. Meanwhile, the Celestials are in tenth place, with seven points from four games.
