The Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys (also known as the Estadi Olimpic de Montjuïc) is a stadium in Barcelona. Originally built for the 1929 Expo in the city, it was rebuilt in 1989 to be the main stadium for the 1992 Summer Olympics.

The stadium is named for Catalan politician Lluís Companys i Jover, and is located on Montjuïc, a large hill to the southwest of the city which overlooks the harbour. Companys was executed at the nearby Montjuïc Castle in 1940.

When the Spanish Grand Prix and other races were held at the Montjuïc Formula One racing circuit until 1975, the stadium was used as a paddock for the teams. Due to safety concerns, the 1975 F1 race was nearly boycotted by drivers, but with the cars and equipment trapped within the stadium and in danger of being seized by the Francisco Franco regime, the teams had no option but race.

The stadium has a capacity of 56,000, and has served as the home of RCD Espanyol since 1998. It also served as the home of the Barcelona Dragons American Football team until 2003. From the start of the 2005/06 season, Espanyol will move to a new stadium built in Cornellà, a city in the Barcelona metropolitan area.

(Source: Wikipedia)

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