Earlier on this year, I was lucky enough to go on full stadium tours of both Atletico and Real Madrid. As many of you know, I am an avid visitor of stadia and really love stadium tours. Last year I reviewed Liverpool, City and United's stadium tour offerings and this year I wanted to kick things off with a bit of a Hispanic tilt.
The first stadium I visited was the Wanda Metropolitano. What struck me first was that the actual ground is in the middle of NOWHERE. You have to get a taxi there and upon arriving, you're literally surrounded by barren terrain that randomly has a brand new stadium in the middle of it.
Now my expectations for the Wanda were certainly in line with the fortunes of Atletico on the pitch; whilst they are a big club, they are no doubt nothing on the likes of Barca and their neighbours Real so I expected a decent, but unspectacular, tour. I was wrong. Very, VERY wrong!!
Upon entering the tour reception, you are immediately aware of how modern and fresh the stadium still is. State of the art is the only word I could use to describe it and you start the tour in their museum, which initially looks like a decent size but not huge. From there, you go through a side door directly onto a walkway overlooking the players entrance, again the modern-ness of the stadium totally encapsulates you and it almost has a movie set feel.
What impressed me the most about the Atletico tour is the innovative features that they have implemented onto their experience. Never before have a club incorporated virtual reality into their tour that I am aware of, but Atletico pull it off superbly. Just before you enter the main player's area, there's a VR booth that throws you right into the dressing room before a UCL match against Liverpool, with Simeone preparing the players. There's also clips from behind the goal, clips in the crowd and even on the touchline. Incredibly immersive and well done.
One of the best elements of the Atleti tour, due to it not being Barca or Real, is the fact that you feel like you are left alone and can get a lot more intimate with the stadium and tour areas; you never feel rushed to move onto the next area. There are obviously other visitors there, but it doesn't feel overwhelming like the United, Barca tours etc. For the price of admission, I would say it certainly is the best value tour.
After having access and a look around the stadium, press room, changing rooms, pitch and some corporate areas (with some pretty iconic busts of Cholo Simeone's head) you then find yourself back on the walkway and enter the museum. Now at first the size of the museum, as I alluded to earlier, really doesn't seem that big. But it is!
Highlights from the museum are the amounts of memorabilia they have collected over the years, a Fernando Torres interactive movie (again harnessing technology), another VR feature that showcases their last game at the Calderon and then the trophy room. At first, I wasn't sure they'd have any of their trophies on display because I couldn't see any but they have a trophy room at the very far end of the musuem which was incredible.
Culer's verdict: The Atletico Madrid tour is the best stadium tour out there. It gets bigger, better and very much is the gift that keeps on giving. Incredibly innovative too with the technology they use on it.
9.5/10
Pics:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CsDi2RqN0G3/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CsDoZIVN-h0/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CsDjA0OtXFv/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CsDjM4CtJSb/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CsDjVNCteYH/
Atletico Madrid: Stadium Tour Review
posted on 10/5/23
comment by TopForm (U15726)
posted 5 minutes ago
Good to see whodunnit has finally gotten over his irrational anger at Culer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He’s actually a decent poster Tbf. Hopefully we can all move on and get along
posted on 10/5/23
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 8 hours, 6 minutes ago
comment by Culér (U9489)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 1 minute ago
culer, ready to take me up on the bet yet? I'm waiting for you to draft something up so we can settle the bet.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Please focus on article content, this isn't BET365.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
bottled itclassic
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What's the bet...?
posted on 10/5/23
comment by Culér (U9489)
posted 4 hours, 20 minutes ago
Interesting info.
You’re not a bad guy WhoDunnit
----------------------------------------------------------------------
despite what you heard eh...
posted on 10/5/23
Ironic that the new Ahtleti stadium is in the middle of nowhere....so is Madrid really
posted on 10/5/23
Been to Nou Camp & the old Bernabau...both excellent
posted on 10/5/23
comment by Sheriff JW Pepper (U1007)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 8 hours, 6 minutes ago
comment by Culér (U9489)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 1 minute ago
culer, ready to take me up on the bet yet? I'm waiting for you to draft something up so we can settle the bet.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Please focus on article content, this isn't BET365.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
bottled itclassic
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What's the bet...?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
As revealed earlier
culer said he'd bet me a year of his wages if I could prove I have a ST and went to games.
I said I could offer any proof he wanted, just draft it up and we could go through admin.
I was looking forward to being a whole lot richer tbh irish.
Not only are there posters on here that i've been to games with and used my ST, i Could also get him pic of my ST, me at games, anything he needed really.
But he then filtered me...
posted on 10/5/23
comment by Irishred (U2539)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Sheriff JW Pepper (U1007)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 8 hours, 6 minutes ago
comment by Culér (U9489)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 1 minute ago
culer, ready to take me up on the bet yet? I'm waiting for you to draft something up so we can settle the bet.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Please focus on article content, this isn't BET365.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
bottled itclassic
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What's the bet...?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
As revealed earlier
culer said he'd bet me a year of his wages if I could prove I have a ST and went to games.
I said I could offer any proof he wanted, just draft it up and we could go through admin.
I was looking forward to being a whole lot richer tbh irish.
Not only are there posters on here that i've been to games with and used my ST, i Could also get him pic of my ST, me at games, anything he needed really.
But he then filtered me...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He's such a fackin wet weekend
posted on 10/5/23
I begged him to filter me a while ago...he told me he liked & respected me
what can you do
posted on 10/5/23
Sheriff, no one can hold a candle to you.
posted on 10/5/23
comment by Culér (U9489)
posted 22 minutes ago
Sheriff, no one can hold a candle to you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ðŸ¤