Estadio de Anoeta
The 40,000-capacity Estadio de Anoeta (Anoeta Stadium) in San Sebastián is the home ground of LaLiga side Real Sociedad. It was previously the Reale Arena for sponsorship purposes until 2025. The stadium opened in 1993 and is a potential venue for the 2030 World Cup. Redevelopment work which began in 2017 removed the running track and saw the construction of a new south end stand.
Capacity & Design
The stadium has a modern, bowl-shaped design that was significantly transformed during its major renovation between 2016 and 2019. Originally built with an athletics track surrounding the pitch, the stadium was redesigned to create a more intimate football atmosphere by removing the track and bringing the stands much closer to the action.
The redevelopment added new seating tiers, improved concourses and hospitality facilities, and created a distinctive modern exterior with a lightweight façade and sweeping roof structure. The steep stands provide excellent views of the pitch, while the covered seating areas offer greater protection from the weather, giving the stadium a more contemporary and compact appearance while retaining elements of its original structure.
History
The venue officially opened in 1993, replacing the club's former Atotxa Stadium (Atocha). The original venue was designed as a multi-purpose stadium with an athletics track surrounding the pitch and had a capacity of around 32,000 spectators. Its construction cost was approximately €47 million. Between 2016 and 2019, the stadium underwent a major redevelopment costing another €47 million, which transformed it into a modern football venue by removing the athletics track, bringing the stands closer to the pitch and increasing its capacity to around 40,000.
Stadium Tours
Visitors to the ground can enjoy a behind-the-scenes stadium tour lasting approximately 60 to 75 minutes. The tour includes access to areas such as the players' tunnel, modern changing rooms, press room, auditorium and presidential box, as well as a pitch-side photo opportunity and a 360-degree virtual and immersive experience. Tours are generally held on selected non-match days, usually during the week, and are not normally available on matchdays or the day before a game.
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad was founded in 1909. The club's nickname is "Txuri-Urdin" (The White-and-Blues) reflecting the team's colors of blue and white stripes.
Real Sociedad has won the La Liga title twice, in 1980-81 and 1981-82, and has finished runners-up on three occasions, in 1979-80, 1987-88 and 2002-03.
The club has also lifted the Copa del Rey four times, in 1909, 1987, 2020 and 2026, and won the Spanish Super Cup in 1982. Real Sociedad was one of the founding members of La Liga in 1929 and has enjoyed a long-standing rivalry with Athletic Bilbao in the Basque derby.
The club has also competed in the European Cup and UEFA Champions League on five occasions, including its most recent appearance in the 2023-24 competition.
Players
Traditionally, Real Sociedad followed a policy of signing only Basque players, but this changed in 1989 with the arrival of Irish striker John Aldridge. The club has nevertheless maintained a strong Basque identity and continues to produce talented players through its renowned Zubieta academy, which has developed internationally recognised footballers including Xabi Alonso, Antoine Griezmann, Mikel Oyarzabal and Martin Zubimendi.
Real Sociedad has been home to many outstanding players, from the club's golden generation of the early 1980s to a new generation of internationally recognised stars.
Xabi Alonso began his career at the club and played a key role in the team that finished runners-up in La Liga in 2002-03, before going on to win major honours at Anfield with Liverpool and later with Real Madrid.
Defender Alberto Górriz holds the club record for appearances with 599, while striker Jesús María Satrústegui remains Real Sociedad's all-time leading goalscorer, with 162 goals.
Legendary goalkeeper Luis Arconada spent his entire professional career with the club and was a key figure in both of its La Liga title-winning campaigns. In more recent years, the club's renowned Zubieta academy has produced players such as Antoine Griezmann, while captain Mikel Oyarzabal has become one of its modern icons. Other notable stars to have represented Real Sociedad include Swedish striker Alexander Isak before his move to Newcastle and Danish midfielder Martin Ødegaard now with Arsenal, both of whom impressed during their time in San Sebastián.
Foreign Talent
The club has attracted a number of outstanding foreign players over the years, helping to broaden the club's international appeal while retaining its strong Basque identity. Irish striker John Aldridge arrived in 1989, scoring 40 goals in two seasons and quickly becoming a fan favourite.
French forward Antoine Griezmann was developed through the club's youth academy before establishing himself as a star with the first team and later moving to Atlético Madrid and Barcelona. Griezmann nows plays in MLS with Orlando City.
Mexican attacker Carlos Vela enjoyed several excellent seasons in San Sebastián and became one of La Liga's most exciting forwards, while Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo made more than 200 appearances for the club before joining Barcelona. In recent years, Japanese winger Takefusa Kubo has emerged as an important attacking player known for his creativity and pace, while Norwegian striker Alexander Sørloth was a prolific presence in the team during his time at the club.
Managers
Real Sociedad has been managed by several highly regarded coaches, with Alberto Ormaetxea regarded as the most successful in the club’s history after guiding the team to consecutive La Liga titles in 1980-81 and 1981-82, as well as the Spanish Super Cup.
Welshman John Toshack also enjoyed three spells in charge, winning the Copa del Rey in 1987, while French coach Raynald Denoueix led the club to an impressive second-place finish in La Liga during the 2002-03 season.
More recently, Imanol Alguacil became a modern club legend, managing more matches than any other coach and guiding Real Sociedad to Copa del Rey glory while establishing the team as regular contenders near the top of La Liga. Other notable managers include former Manchester United and Everton boss David Moyes, who managed the club from 2014 to 2015, and Javier Clemente, the experienced Spanish coach who also had a spell in charge of the Basque club. Another Welsh coach, Chris Coleman had a brief stint in the Basque country in 2007-08. Coleman resigned citing a 'divergence in vision for the club' with newly elected President Iñaki Badiola.
Accessibility
The venue features excellent wheelchair accessibility, thanks to a massive stadium-wide renovation completed in 2019. The upgrades transformed the ground into a highly modern, obstacle-free venue for fans with limited mobility.
Wheelchair-accessible spaces are integrated throughout the stadium rather than being confined to a single area, with dedicated locations available in both the side stands and behind the goals.
Each wheelchair space also includes a companion seat positioned alongside it. Following the removal of the former athletics track during the stadium's renovation, the stands were brought closer to the pitch, creating a steep and modern seating bowl that provides excellent, largely unobstructed views of the action.
Access - Getting There
The stadium can easily be reached by local train or city bus. The most convenient rail option is Euskotren, with Lines E2 and E5 stopping at Anoeta Station, located directly beside the stadium. The journey from Amara-Donostia, one of the main stations in the city, takes around three minutes. Several Dbus services also provide direct connections to the venue, including the frequent Line 28 from the city center, which takes approximately 12 to 15 minutes, as well as Lines 17, 21, 24 and 26 from the city centre, Old Town and other parts of San Sebastián.
Address: Paseo de Anoeta 1, 20014 Donostia / San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Nearby Hotels
San Sebastián has a range of hotels, guest houses and pensions to suit all budgets. Find hotel accommodation in San Sebastián.
The Intelier Villa Katalina is a 3-star property near attractions such as Calle Mayor and Victoria Eugenia Theater.
The four-star Catalonia Donosti features a restaurant, seasonal outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center and bar.
Other places include the excellent, 4-star Zenit Convento San Martin offering a rooftop swimming pool, fitness centre, sun terrace, and free WiFi.
Stadiums in Spain
Estadio Nuevo Ramón de Carranza Cadiz
Estadio Nuevo Colombino Huelva
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