Benfica Campus

38°38′26″N 09°05′31″W / 38.64056°N 9.09194°W / 38.64056; -9.09194OwnerS.L. BenficaOperatorS.L. Benfica SADCapacity2,721
(1,533 covered seats)^[2]Acreage46.95SurfaceGrass (6)
Synthetic turf (3)ConstructionBroke groundJanuary 2000Built2003–2005Opened22 September 2006Expanded2013–2014, 2017–2019^[1]Construction cost€15,000,000ArchitectPedro George
Isabel PessoaBuilderBritalarTenantsBenfica (training ground)
Benfica B
Benfica women's
Benfica (youth)WebsiteBenfica Campus

Benfica Campus (formerly Caixa Futebol Campus), also known as centro de estágio e formação do Seixal, is the training ground and youth academy of Portuguese football club Benfica. Having nine pitches (three of synthetic turf), including the main one with 2,721 seats – Benfica B's home ground – the training centre is used by Benfica's first-team, the reserves, and youth levels such as the under-19s.^[3] Located in Seixal, Benfica Campus opened on 22 September 2006 and was sponsored by Caixa Geral de Depósitos until September 2019.^[4]

Infrastructure

Benfica Campus has a building consisting of a hotel with a capacity of 86 rooms, due to having the club's youth academy embedded in it. Moreover, it has two gyms, three physiotherapy rooms, 28 locker rooms, two cafeterias, two auditoriums, swimming pools, jacuzzis, sauna, and so on.^[5] After Benfica TV was launched in 2008, it gained a TV studio as well (the channel's second).

The infrastructure was expanded to accommodate all Benfica youth levels and, in particular, the Benfica B team. A new stand with 1,188 seats was constructed at the main field, increasing the latter's overall capacity to a maximum of 2,708 – thus surpassing the minimum required by Liga Portugal.^[6] In addition, a presidential box was created, and some changes were made to the press area, the control room, the tourniquets location, and the sector for supporters of visiting teams. The new stand was inaugurated on 1 December 2013.^[7]

As part of the training centre's expansion, its total area was increased from 15 to 19 hectares and, among other changes, three new pitches were created, one of them with a capacity of 604.^[8]^[2]

References

^ Maia, André (4 September 2019). "É esta a "nova" casa do Benfica. As fotografias do remodelado Caixa Futebol Campus" [This is the "new" home of Benfica. Pictures of revamped Caixa Futebol Campus]. Observador (in Portuguese). Retrieved 25 September 2019.
^ ^a ^b "13.º Aniversário do Benfica Futebol Campus" [13th anniversary of Benfica Futebol Campus]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). 22 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
^ "Benfica Campus". S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
^ "Quartel-general no Seixal muda de nome em setembro" [Headquarters in Seixal changes its name in September]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 28 July 2019. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
^ Benfica Campus celebra 14.º aniversário
^ New Caixa Futebol Campus stand adds 1,188 seats Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine (in Portuguese) 6 December 2013
^ "Second League: Benfica B 3–1 Porto B". S.L. Benfica. 6 December 2013. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
^ "Estádio do Bravo e ampliação do Caixa Futebol Campus" [Estádio do Bravo and expansion of Caixa Futebol Campus]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). 13 September 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2019.