Estadio Monumental Virgen de Chapi

Template:Short description Template:Infobox stadium Estadio de la UNSA (official name) is a multi-purpose stadium located in Arequipa, Peru. The stadium was built by the University of San Agustín in the early 1990s and named after the Virgin Chapi. Due to its size, the term Monumental is added to its name. The stadium was largely financed by a lottery fund-raiser held by the university itself. It is the biggest stadium in Arequipa and the fourth one in Peru. It is the home stadium of football clubs Melgar of the Peruvian Primera División and IDUNSA of the Copa Perú. The stadium has hosted large events such as the Bolivarian Games and the Copa América in addition to a Copa Sudamericana final in 2003 involving Cienciano and River Plate. The stadium's allowed spectator capacity is currently 40,370.

History

File:Tribuna Occidente Estadio Virgen de Chapi.JPG

Occidente of Estadio de la UNSA

On 2 February 1985, Pope John Paul II visited the city of Arequipa in which the coronation of the Virgin of Chapi took place on a field. The field would eventually become the site of the monumental stadium the University of San Agustín would build. Early efforts to gather funds were largely organized by the university, which organized several fund-raisers by giving volunteering students lottery tickets to sell throughout the city. The prizes consisted of apartments near the new stadium. The rector of university Juan Manuel Guillén said that 70% of the stadium was financed through this lottery fund-raiser. Former president Alberto Fujimori promised to donate $2.5 million for the construction of the stadium; however the project only received S./ 2.5 million from the former president which he received severe criticism for.

The stadium was first opened on 11 November 1993. The first game to be played was an inter-schools championship final between Ingeniería Geofísica and Mecánica Eléctrica; Ingeniería Geofísica won 1–0. On 30 July 1995, the first professional football match was played in which local FBC Melgar faced Alianza Lima; the match ended in a 1–1 draw. In 1997, the stadium hosted the XIII Bolivarian Games. Nevertheless, the most important match ever to be hosted by the Virgen de Chapi stadium was the second leg of the 2003 Copa Sudamericana Finals between local Cienciano of Cusco and Argentinian River Plate. Cienciano's home ground in Cusco did not meet the stadium requirements for CONMEBOL competition finals and thus played in Arequipa's 40,000-seater stadium. The turnout for the match was unprecedented and Cienciano defeated River Plate 1–0 (after a 3–3 draw in Buenos Aires) to lift Peru's first international club trophy. In addition to the Sudamericana final, Cienciano continued to play in Arequipa for international matches until their own Estadio Garcilaso de la Vega was renovated.

The stadium was selected to be a venue for the 2004 Copa América. Arequipa hosted the first four group matches of Group C involving the national football teams of Costa Rica, Brazil, Paraguay, and Chile.

The stadium was going to be one of the five venues for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

2004 Copa America

Date	Time	Team #1	Score	Team #2	Round
8 July 2004	17:30	Costa Rica	0-1	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Paraguay	flag alias = Flag of Paraguay.svg	flag alias-1812 = Flag of Paraguay (1812-1826).svg	flag alias-1826 = Flag of Paraguay (1826-1842).svg	flag alias-1842 = Flag of Paraguay (1842-1954).svg	flag alias-1954 = Flag of Paraguay (1954-1988).svg	flag alias-1988 = Flag of Paraguay (1988-1990).svg	flag alias-1990 = Flag of Paraguay (1990–2013).svg	link alias-naval = Paraguayan Navy	link alias-air force = Paraguayan Air Force	link alias-army = Paraguayan Army	link alias-navy = Paraguayan Navy	size =	name =	variant =	altlink = national football team }}	Group C
	19:45	Brazil	1-0	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Chile	flag alias = Flag of Chile.svg	flag alias-mapuche = Ancient mapuche flag.svg	flag alias-lautaro = Lautaro flag.svg	flag alias-spain = Flag of Cross of Burgundy.svg	flag alias-spain1 = Flag of Spain (1785–1873, 1875–1931).svg	flag alias-1812 = Flag of Chile (1812-1814).svg	flag alias-1812a = Flag of Chile (1812-1814, alternative).svg	flag alias-andes = Bandera de la Provincia de Mendoza.svg	flag alias-1817 = Flag of Chile of the transition (1817).svg	flag alias-1817_proposal = Flag of Chile (1817-1818, 2nd).svg	flag alias-1818 = Flag of Chile (1818).svg	flag alias-1818a = Flag of Chile (1818-1854).svg	flag alias-1819 = State Ensign of Chile (1819-1834).svg	flag alias-expedition = Flag of the Liberating Expedition of Peru.svg	flag alias-1826 = Flag of Chile (Civil Use, 1826-1854).svg		flag alias-ap = Flag of the Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia.svg	flag alias-easter1 = Easter Island flag 1876 to 1888.svg	flag alias-easter = Flag of Rapa Nui, Chile.svg	flag alias-president = Bandera del presidente de Chile.svg	flag alias-naval = Naval Jack of Chile.svg	link alias-naval = Chilean Navy	flag alias-air force = Flag of the Chilean Air Force.svg	link alias-air force =Chilean Air Force	flag alias-army = Flag of the Chilean Army.svg	link alias-army = Chilean Army	flag alias-navy = Flag of Chile.svg	link alias-navy = Chilean Navy	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }}
11 July 2004	15:00	Brazil	4-1	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Costa Rica	flag alias = Flag of Costa Rica.svg	flag alias-1839 = Flag of Costa Rica (1839-1848).svg	flag alias-1848 = Flag of Costa Rica (1848-1906).svg	flag alias-state = Flag of Costa Rica (state).svg	flag alias-naval = Flag of Costa Rica (state).svg	flag alias-navy = Flag of Costa Rica (state).svg	Costa Rican Coast Guard	Costa Rican Coast Guard	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }}
	17:15	Paraguay	1-1	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Chile	flag alias = Flag of Chile.svg	flag alias-mapuche = Ancient mapuche flag.svg	flag alias-lautaro = Lautaro flag.svg	flag alias-spain = Flag of Cross of Burgundy.svg	flag alias-spain1 = Flag of Spain (1785–1873, 1875–1931).svg	flag alias-1812 = Flag of Chile (1812-1814).svg	flag alias-1812a = Flag of Chile (1812-1814, alternative).svg	flag alias-andes = Bandera de la Provincia de Mendoza.svg	flag alias-1817 = Flag of Chile of the transition (1817).svg	flag alias-1817_proposal = Flag of Chile (1817-1818, 2nd).svg	flag alias-1818 = Flag of Chile (1818).svg	flag alias-1818a = Flag of Chile (1818-1854).svg	flag alias-1819 = State Ensign of Chile (1819-1834).svg	flag alias-expedition = Flag of the Liberating Expedition of Peru.svg	flag alias-1826 = Flag of Chile (Civil Use, 1826-1854).svg		flag alias-ap = Flag of the Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia.svg	flag alias-easter1 = Easter Island flag 1876 to 1888.svg	flag alias-easter = Flag of Rapa Nui, Chile.svg	flag alias-president = Bandera del presidente de Chile.svg	flag alias-naval = Naval Jack of Chile.svg	link alias-naval = Chilean Navy	flag alias-air force = Flag of the Chilean Air Force.svg	link alias-air force =Chilean Air Force	flag alias-army = Flag of the Chilean Army.svg	link alias-army = Chilean Army	flag alias-navy = Flag of Chile.svg	link alias-navy = Chilean Navy	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }}
14 July 2004	19:45	Brazil	1-2	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Paraguay	flag alias = Flag of Paraguay.svg	flag alias-1812 = Flag of Paraguay (1812-1826).svg	flag alias-1826 = Flag of Paraguay (1826-1842).svg	flag alias-1842 = Flag of Paraguay (1842-1954).svg	flag alias-1954 = Flag of Paraguay (1954-1988).svg	flag alias-1988 = Flag of Paraguay (1988-1990).svg	flag alias-1990 = Flag of Paraguay (1990–2013).svg	link alias-naval = Paraguayan Navy	link alias-air force = Paraguayan Air Force	link alias-army = Paraguayan Army	link alias-navy = Paraguayan Navy	size =	name =	variant =	altlink = national football team }}

See also

• Peru national football team
• List of Peruvian Stadiums
• Lists of stadiums

External links

• Peruvian Soccer Federation (in Spanish)