For a stadium that bears the name of such a giant of the Spanish game, the Estadio Vicente del Bosque is somewhat slight in stature. Let’s just say it’s a reflection of the man’s modest & humble presence off the pitch, rather than his outstanding achievements as a player and manager.
Situated in the Barrio del Pillar, the stand out feature when entering the enclosure is actually the looming presence of the Cuatro Torres Business Area. These four skyscrapers that stand on the site of Real Madrid’s old Ciudad Deportiva. The quartet of towers dwarf practically everything in the north of Madrid and stand in stark contrast the low rise simplicity of this football ground. With a capacity for just 2,000 spectators, and no cover from Madrid’s seasonal extremes, this enclosure is 3 kilometres and a world away from del Bosque’s old stamping ground of the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. The only raised area is a 50 metre long terrace that stands atop of the stadium’s changing facilities. The rest of the capacity is made up of hard standing in front of the main stand.
The Estadio Vicente del Bosque staged third tier football during the 2017-18 season, following the promotion of Agrupación Deportiva Unión Adarve to Segunda B. The club was founded in 1992 following the merger of Agrupación Deportiva y Cultural Adarve & Unión Deportiva Barrio del Pilar. Those early years were spent at the Polideportivo Isla de Tabarca, before a move to the Campo Vereda de Ganapanes in 2005. Unión Adarve first reached the Tercera in 2007-08 season, but this ended in relegation. They returned to the Tercera in 2011-12 and recorded top four finishes on four occasions, the last of which saw them earn promotion to Segunda B via the play-offs. In the summer of 2016, Unión Adarve moved around 2km to the west of Campo Vereda de Ganapanes to the Estadio Vicente del Bosque.
Unión Adarve’s debut in the third tier was impressive, recording an 11th placed finish. However the shortcomings of the Estadio Vicente del Bosque were apparent. Particularly problematic was the ageing synthetic pitch. Following consultation with the local municipality, the decision was made to upgrade the facilities at the stadium. This would necessitate Unión Adarve taking up temporary residence at the Campo Garcia de la Mata, some 6km to the south east of the present location. In addition, the municipality made a commitment to redevelop the club’s former home, the Campo Vereda de Ganapanes. The project would see a single stand stadium built, with facilities on a par with those required to stage La Segunda matches. Going by the name of Project Comunale, it has a timeline of 2-3 years.
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