La Bombonera of the Boca Juniors: A Stadium that "Beats"

All soccer fans know that La Bombonera, the stadium for the Boca Juniors, is one of the most legendary stadiums. Keep reading to learn more.

Its official name is Alberto Armando, but everyone knows it as La Bombonera since its shape resembles a box of chocolates. For those who’ve been lucky enough to visit it, there’s no doubt that it’s a stadium that “beats.” We’ll tell you all about it in this article.

The changes in La Bombonera

The opening date was May 25, 1940, and the festivities began very early on the corner of Brandsen Street in the La Boca neighborhood. The president at the time, Camilo Cichero, was in charge of cutting the ribbon to open the stadium.

Then, there were celebrities, a parade, and of course, a soccer game. Here, the Boca Juniors beat San Lorenzo de Almagro 2-0.

However, the work on La Bombonera didn’t stop there. A year later, they added a second tier, and a decade later they started adding a third. In addition, they added their artificial lighting system.

Between 1953 and 1996, there were no changes to the Boca field. Everything changed under Mauricio Macri. He decided to increase the capacity for fans. Therefore, they demolished the boxes on Calle Del Valle Iberlucea.

In 2008, they installed an electric scoreboard, which was the third in the country after Vélez and River had theirs. In 2012, they added seats and replaced the old yellow seats on the popular second tier.

Also, they made other small changes, such as their drainage system, and a digital clock. The goal of the latter was to count the years and days of Boca in the first division, clearly referencing the descent of their rival, River, in 2011. However, they got rid of it at the start of this year.

Why is it called that?

To talk about the curious name of the Boca Juniors stadium, we need to travel back in time when they designed it. The project was carried out by the architect Viktor Sulčič. Legend has it that he was working on his birthday when he received a box of chocolates as a gift.

With that in mind, he met with the other project participants and showed them his idea: a stadium that resembles a box of chocolates or a capital letter D. From that moment, even before construction began, they renamed the stadium “La Bombonera” or “box of chocolates” in Spanish.

However, that’s not the official name. In 1986, they named it Camilo Cichero, in honor of the president who was in command during the stadium’s inauguration. Later, in 2000, they changed its name to Alberto J. Armando, as a tribute to the man who was president for more than two decades.

La Bombonera “beats”

There were many important events that happened in this stadium, both while Boca and the Argentine team were playing. What nobody can deny is that the field has a special mystique, something that sets it apart from the rest… is that a slogan on one of the corners of the stadium says, “La Bombonera late” which means “La Bombonera beats” in Spanish.

We must thank this famous architect who decided, rightly, that the “D” shape would give it excellent acoustics. Also, since this site was quite small to make such a large stadium, they needed to lift the tiers closer together and closer to the grass.

What the fans’ song generates during a game is hard to explain in words. You have to experience it live and in-person. Many players, local and visitors, say it’s a feeling you won’t get anywhere else.

Soccer celebrities such as Pelé, Maradona, Iniesta, or Henry have stated that La Bombonera is a stadium that all players need to step on at least once if they dare.

With almost 80 years of life, La Bombonera has become one of the most intimidating stadiums in international soccer. That’s not just because of its design, but also the passion of its fans… that’s why they say it “beats” in every game.