Alejandro Villanueva Stadium

The Alejandro Villanueva Stadium, formerly called Alianza Lima Stadium and popularly known as Matute Stadium, is a football stadium owned by the Club Alianza Lima of the First Division of Peru. It is located on Avenida Isabel la Católica 821 in the district of La Victoria, in the center of the city of Lima. It was designed by the Uruguayan architect Walter Lavalleja.

It was one of the alternate venues for the Peruvian Soccer Team in the South American qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and was also registered as one of the alternate venues for the South American qualifiers prior to the 2018 Russia World Cup. considered as a possible venue for the 2019 Pan American Games but its accreditation was not finalized.

The Blue and White Fund, a group of investors that runs Alianza Lima, has an ambitious project to remodel, expand and modernize the stadium. The project would include the four stands, the playing field, underlying buildings, the alternate field, the intimate villa and the surroundings of the enclosure. This expansion, according to Fernando Salazar, current administrator of Alianza Lima, will provide the Victorian colossus with a capacity of approximately 47,000 spectators.

Description

According to official documentation, the stadium has a maximum capacity for 33,938 spectators. The area designated for the public is divided into four stands: south, north, east and west; dividing the latter into sectors known as central west, lateral west and red box. The club's main bar, the Commando Sur., is generally located in the south stand. Similarly, between the east stand and the north stand, there is a sector called "visit east", popularly known by the local fans like "el corral" because it is a fairly small space in proportion to the rest of the venue which is usually used by visiting fans.

The stadium has an advanced video surveillance and facial recognition system for its security. It also has implemented 2 high-tech security cameras, which capture images in 4K resolution and are located in the eastern and western stands. It is the only sports venue in Peru that has this type of surveillance system.

The stadium, its esplanade and auxiliary fields occupy almost the entire block in which they are located. The avenues and streets that adjoin the venue are Avenida Isabel la Católica (to the south), Jirón Abtao (to the east stand), Jirón Mendoza Merino (to the west stand) and Jirón Hipólito Unanue (to the north stand)..

Construction

In 1951, the Presidency of Peru donated the land where the blue and white stadium would be built, which belonged to the Peruvian State. On February 15, 1951, commemorating the club's fiftieth anniversary, General Odría laid the first stone of what would be the club's new venue. However, financial problems caused the project to be postponed indefinitely. The stadium was originally planned to have a capacity of 60,000 spectators.

It was not until April 11, 1966 that the stage of construction of the stadium formally began with a press conference. The Uruguayan engineer Walter Lavalleja was in charge of carrying out the project. However, economic problems delayed the construction again. Thus, it was not until the end of May 1969 that the works began. On June 6, 1972, the Government issued a Decree Law where the club was granted ownership of the land, which until then had been in usufruct. In this way, the club was able to request a loan to finish building the venue.

Once construction was finished, it was named Alianza Lima Stadium. A quarter of a century later, in September 2000, the members decided to change the name to Estadio Alejandro Villanueva in honor of one of the most relevant players in the club's history.

Opening

Alejandro Villanueva was inaugurated, under the name Alianza Lima Stadium, on December 27, 1974. The opening match (part of an international home run between Alianza Lima, Universitario, Independiente de Avellaneda and Nacional de Montevideo) was played by Alianza Lima and Nacional, a match that was tied 2-2 before the attendance of 36,966 spectators.

The referee was Carlos Rivero while Augusto Mulánovich, a former president of the club, was in charge of giving the play of honor. The first goal scored in Matute was scored by the Uruguayan Hebert Revetria after 18 minutes. In turn, the first Alliance goals scored in the Victorian colossus were the work of Juan José Ávalos and Juan Rivero, at 29 and 50 minutes respectively.

In the next game, Universitario clearly beat Independiente de Avellaneda 3-0. The remaining matches ended as follows: Independiente 2-1 Alianza Lima, and Universitario 1-0 Nacional . In this way, Universitario was the champion and taking the Olympic lap in Matute for the first time and Alianza Lima finished in fourth place behind Nacional and Independiente and Nacional, which were second and third respectively.

The following season, just one year after its inauguration, the Alianza Lima stadium was part of a new Alianza national title. A then modern artificial lighting was placed six years later in 1980. Universitario, Olimpia from Paraguay and the Miami Strikers together with Alianza Lima played a home run. The results wereː the first game Alianza Lima 1-1 Strikers and the second Universitario 2-2 Olimpia de Paraguay , the last date Universitario tied 1-1 with Strikers, and Olimpia defeated Alianza 3-1, crowning champion of the Olimpia Tournament, second Universitario, third Strikers and last Alianza Lima.

Infrastructure

Inauguration of digital advertising panels on the last date of the 2010 Decentralized Championship.

Among its facilities are the Main Field, the Complex of the club's Minor Divisions and the Villa Íntima, which is the place where the first team is concentrated.

On October 31, 2008, the so-called "Alameda del Deporte" was inaugurated, uniting two of the most emblematic stadiums in Lima: the Alejandro Villanueva stadium and the National Stadium of Peru. The mall seeks to promote sports, as well as promote the urban development of the area, advance economically and increase commercialization in the Victorian district. The work began to be carried out on May 13 with an approximate investment of 1,500,000 soles, whose financing was provided by the Ministry of Housing and the Municipality of La Victoria, which contributed S/ 750,000 and S/ 300,000 respectively. The modification included eight blocks: from the "Vía Expresa" of the Paseo de la República, location of the National Stadium; to the Mendoza Merino jirón, where the Matute stadium is located.

On December 4, 2010, it became the first Peruvian stadium to have a 25-square-meter high-resolution LED screen (P16), which was replaced, in August 2017, by a new one with P10 resolution and at the which added 2 more screens to have a total of three high definition LED screens. Likewise, it is one of the few sports venues that have a perimeter digital banner intended for full publicity of the stadium, which was also renovated for a higher-definition one inaugurated on Blue and White Night 2020. The club also has:

In January 2018, a new sprinkler irrigation system was installed under the grass of Alejandro Villanueva for irrigation and maintenance of the playing field. Likewise, the field was completely reconditioned to be ready at the time of starting its official football presentations.

At the end of November 2022, the original lighting towers of Alejandro Villanueva began to be dismantled, since the lighting system was going to be renovated and modernized to adapt to FIFA and Conmebol requirements. The new lighting system consists of 4 poles with 70 LED luminaires each, making a total of 280 luminaires and providing 1500 lx illumination. with the possibility of extending it up to 2000 lx.

Matches

Peruvian soccer classics

Men's First Team

The Peruvian soccer classic is the match played by the two most popular teams in Peru, Alianza Lima and Universitario. The following table shows the data of the classics played at Alejandro Villanueva.

Date	Local	Outcome	Visitor
2-3-1975	Alliance Lima	3 - 1	University
9-10-1975	Alliance Lima	2 - 1	University
18-6-1976	Alliance Lima	1 - 1	University
8-5-1977	Alliance Lima	2 - 1	University
27-10-1977	Alliance Lima	2 - 2	University
30-12-1977	Alliance Lima	6 - 1	University
22-1-1978	Alliance Lima	4 - 3	University
3-12-1978	Alliance Lima	2 - 1	University
24-2-1979	Alliance Lima	3 - 6	University
9-9-1979	Alliance Lima	1 - 0	University
2-12-1979	Alliance Lima	1 - 1	University
6-7-1980	Alliance Lima	2 - 2	University
26-4-1981	Alliance Lima	3 - 1	University
1-8-1982	Alliance Lima	1 - 1	University
26-9-1982	Alliance Lima	2 - 1	University
30-1-1983	Alliance Lima	2 - 0	University
13-4-1983	Alliance Lima	2 - 1	University
1-11-1983	Alliance Lima	1 - 2	University
15-4-1984	Alliance Lima	0 - 1	University
11-11-1984	Alliance Lima	1 - 1	University
3-3-1985	Alliance Lima	1 - 0	University
8-8-1985	Alliance Lima	0 (7) - 0 (8)	University
8-9-1985	Alliance Lima	2 - 0	University
3-8-1986	Alliance Lima	4 - 0	University
28-12-1986	Alliance Lima	5 - 1	University
9-8-1987	Alliance Lima	1 - 2	University
31-1-1988	Alliance Lima	0 - 0	University
27-7-1988	Alliance Lima	0 - 1	University
6-8-1989	Alliance Lima	1 - 0	University
16-9-1989	Alliance Lima	0 - 2	University
26-11-1989	Alliance Lima	0 - 1	University
21-3-1990	Alliance Lima	0 - 0	University
27-5-1990	Alliance Lima	1 - 1	University
28-4-1991	Alliance Lima	0 - 0	University
22-3-1992	Alliance Lima	0 - 2	University
12-9-1992	Alliance Lima	0 - 2	University
10-10-1993	Alliance Lima	0 - 1	University
23-3-1994	Alliance Lima	1 - 2	University
21-5-1994	Alliance Lima	1 - 0	University
20-5-1995	Alliance Lima	6 - 3	University
29-10-1995	Alliance Lima	0 - 0	University
19-10-1996	Alliance Lima	0 - 0	University
4-10-1997	Alliance Lima	0 - 0	University
29-3-1998	Alliance Lima	0 - 0	University
6-9-1998	Alliance Lima	1 - 0	University
11-9-1999	Alliance Lima	0 - 0	University
20-12-1999	Alliance Lima	1 - 0	University
5-3-2000	Alliance Lima	0 - 2	University
19-8-2000	Alliance Lima	0 - 1	University
27-5-2001	Alliance Lima	1 - 0	University
11-11-2001	Alliance Lima	1 - 1	University
19-5-2002	Alliance Lima	1 - 0	University
9-3-2003	Alliance Lima	1 - 0	University
10-8-2003	Alliance Lima	1 - 1	University
14-8-2004	Alliance Lima	1 - 0	University
22-12-2004	Alliance Lima	0 - 2	University
25-7-2005	Alliance Lima	0 - 0	University
18-9-2005	Alliance Lima	0 - 0	University
25-3-2006	Alliance Lima	1 - 1	University
20-8-2006	Alliance Lima	1 - 0	University
6-5-2007	Alliance Lima	1 - 2	University
25-11-2007	Alliance Lima	1 - 1	University
6-7-2008	Alliance Lima	1 - 1	University
29-11-2008	Alliance Lima	1 - 2	University
22-3-2009	Alliance Lima	0 - 1	University
8-12-2009	Alliance Lima	0 - 1	University
6-4-2010	Alliance Lima	0 - 0	University
10-11-2010	Alliance Lima	2 - 2	University
16-4-2011	Alliance Lima	0 - 0	University
24-5-2015	Alliance Lima	1 - 0	University
1-4-2016	Alliance Lima	1 - 2	University
17-9-2016	Alliance Lima	1 - 1 → 3 - 0	University
12-2-2017	Alliance Lima	2 - 0	University
9-9-2017	Alliance Lima	1 - 0	University
11-4-2018	Alliance Lima	2 - 0	University
3-11-2018	Alliance Lima	2 - 1	University
15-4-2019	Alliance Lima	2 - 3	University
4-9-2022	Alliance Lima	0 - 2	University

Matches won by Alianza Lima
Matches tied by Alianza Lima
Matches lost by Alianza Lima

Women's First Team

The Peruvian women's soccer classic is the match between the two most popular teams in Peru, Alianza Lima and Universitario. The following table shows the data of the classics played at Alejandro Villanueva.

Date	Local	Outcome	Visitor
11-9-2022	Alliance Lima	2 - 1	University

Matches won by Alianza Lima
Matches tied by Alianza Lima
Matches lost by Alianza Lima

Finals

Nationals

Report of the finals played in the Alejandro Villanueva

Date	Local	Outcome	Visitor	Competition
20-12-1999	Alliance Lima	1 - 0	University	Final Round Decentralized Championship 1999
22-12-2001	Alliance Lima	3 - 2	Science	Final One Decentralized Championship 2001
27-12-2006	Alliance Lima	3 - 1	Science	Final return Decentralized Championship 2006
8-12-2009	Alliance Lima	0 - 1	University	Final decentralized Championship 2009
11-12-2011	Alliance Lima	0 - 1	Juan Aurich	Final Round Decentralized Championship 2011
12-12-2018	Alliance Lima	1 - 4	Sporting Crystal	Final decentralized Championship 2018
15-12-2019	Alliance Lima	2 - 0	Binational Sports	Final Round League 1 2019
06-10-2022	Alliance Lima	3 - 0	Carlos A. Manucci	Final Round Women's League 2022
12-11-2022	Alliance Lima	2 - 0	F. B. C. Melgar	Final Round League 1 2022

Matches won by Alianza Lima
Matches tied by Alianza Lima
Matches lost by Alianza Lima

International

Final Copa Libertadores Sub-20 2012; 1 July 2012, 18:00	Ombudsman Sporting	0:1 (0:0)	River Plate	Estadio Alejandro Villanueva, Lima
			50' Solari	Arbitrator: Henry Gambetta (Peru)

Peru National Soccer Team

The Peruvian soccer team has played sixteen times at the Alejandro Villanueva stadium. The balance is favorable with ten games won, one tied and five lost. The first match played by the team in this stadium took place on July 1, 1975, where in a friendly they defeated the Ecuadorian team by the score of 2:0.

• Updated 14 October 2014.

Date	Local	Outcome	Visitor	Competition
1-7-1975	PeruPER	2 - 0	ECUEcuador	Friendly
10-7-1975	PeruPER	2 - 0	PARParaguay	Friendly
7-8-1975	PeruPER	3 - 1	BOLBolivia	Copa America 1975
20-8-1975	PeruPER	3 - 1	CHIChile	Copa America 1975
4-10-1975	PeruPER	0 - 2	BRABrazil	Copa America 1975
12-11-1980	PeruPER	1 - 1	URUUruguay	Friendly
4-2-1981	PeruPER	1 - 3	TCHCzechoslovakia	Friendly
11-2-1981	PeruPER	1 - 2	BULBulgaria	Friendly
26-2-1984	PeruPER	1 - 3	HONHonduras	Friendly
23-6-1999	PeruPER	3 - 0	VENVenezuela	Friendly
23-2-2003	PeruPER	5 - 1	HAIHaiti	Friendly
11-2-2009	PeruPER	0 - 1	PARParaguay	Friendly
14-10-2009	PeruPER	1 - 0	BOLBolivia	South American Eliminators South Africa 2010
8-10-2010	PeruPER	2 - 0	CRCCosta Rica	Friendly
29-6-2011	PeruPER	1 - 0	SENSenegal	Friendly
14-10-2014	PeruPER	1 - 0	WATERGuatemala	Friendly

Matches won by Peru
Matches tied by Peru
Matches lost by Peru

Other events

Musical events

List of Concerts Held at the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium:

Arista	Date
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades	6/12/1980
What?	18/12/1983
Luis Miguel (Aries Tour)	7/9/1993
Gilberto Santa Rosa	6/1996

2018 Esplanade Shot

On September 10, 2018, at around 3:30 a.m., at least 2,000 members of the Upper Room Protestant World Church illegally took possession of the stadium esplanade. A large number of policemen arrived to protect the people who were observing their actions. Months before the events, the leader of El Aposento Alto, Alberto Santana, stated that they had bought the esplanade and wanted to buy the stadium, according to him, by divine design.

In response, at 7:19 a.m., Benjamín Romero, then head of the Marketing area and representative of Alianza Lima, said that the occupation was an "arbitrary takeover." At 7:40 a.m., nearby schools and businesses suspended classes and closed businesses due to the arrival of Club Alianza Lima fans who had already found out what had happened. At 9:30 a.m., the fans circumvented the police security and entered the stadium, starting the brawl between both sides that ended with the eviction of the parishioners from the evangelical church.