Racing Santander

Racing de Santander plays at Campos de Sport de El Sardinero, a historic stadium located on the El Sardinero seafront district of Santander, the capital of Cantabria on Spain's northern Atlantic coast. With a capacity of approximately 22,222 spectators, El Sardinero has been Racing's home since 1913, though the current structure is the result of multiple rebuilds and expansions. The stadium's coastal location — with the Cantabrian Sea and the fashionable El Sardinero beach district just steps away — gives it one of Spanish football's most dramatically scenic settings. The ground's main stand, dating back to the 1940s, features architecture that speaks to the era of its construction.

Racing Santander enjoyed a remarkable period in the early 2000s when the club, under president Dimitri Piterman and later under the management of Marcelino García Toral, competed in La Liga and produced performances that included UEFA Cup qualification. The El Sardinero atmosphere during those La Liga years, with full houses backing a club representing the proud regional identity of Cantabria, was exceptional. Racing's famous rojo-y-blanco (red and white) shirts became a familiar sight in Spanish top-flight football during this period, and the stadium witnessed some memorable victories against Spain's biggest clubs.

After severe financial difficulties that led to the club dropping to the lower reaches of Spanish professional football, Racing Santander have rebuilt their way back through the divisions and returned to La Liga 2. El Sardinero's renovation and maintenance have been priorities as the club has re-established its professional standing. Santander's beautiful setting on Spain's northern Green Coast — so called for its lush, Atlantic-washed landscape that contrasts with the Mediterranean south — gives the stadium a distinctive appeal, and the regional pride of Cantabria is strongly expressed through the community's engagement with Racing's return to the upper tiers of Spanish football.