Estadio Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo

The stadium was born from the initiative of club president Isidro Romero Carbo. He wanted Barcelona, at the time playing their home games at the Estadio Modelo Alberto Spencer Herrera, to have their own stadium.

The stadium was inaugurated on December 27, 1987. The first game was played against Barcelona FC of Spain, which Barcelona SC won 1-0. Barcelona invited many South American football celebrities, such as Pelé, to the inauguration. Pelé was so astonished, he compared the stadium to the famous Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro.

Se o Maracanã é o maior estádio do mundo, o Monumental é um dos mais belos.
(If Maracanã is the largest stadium in the world, Monumental is one of the most beautiful in the world).

Pelé and his phrase have a golden plaque inside the stadium.

There are health care facilities, apparel-and-souvenir shops, and restaurants, on a total area of about 5,100 m². The football field is 105 metres long and 70 metres wide. The training field near the stadium is called Alternate Field Sigifredo Agapito Chuchuca in honor of one of the greatest midfielders in team history.

The stadium hosted 5 matches of the 1993 Copa América, including the final.

On January 2, 2008, president of Barcelona Eduardo Maruri signed a 4-year contract with Ecuadorian bank Banco Pichincha to have the stadium named after the bank. The contract was renewed but came to an end in 2015.[2]

Front view of the exterior in 2005

• 19 Years of Monumental
• FEF article on name change