GAA Stadia
The GAA have every right to be proud of their playing facilities throughout the thirty-two counties. For an indigenous, amateur organization whose brand of sports are largely confined to Ireland, the GAA have an enviable collection of stadia.
From the towering and beautiful edifice that is Croke Park down to the humble junior club grounds, the GAA is self-sufficient in providing proper facilities for its players and members. Of course, these members make it all possible by their devotion and fund-raising.
Croke Park ranks as the fifth largest stadium in Europe and one of the best in terms of cutting-edge design. It holds 82,200 people, all seated bar Hill 16.
Semple Stadium, Thurles, is ranked 36th with a capacity of 55,000. The Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, comes in at the 46th largest stadium in Europe, holding 52,000. (See listings below for all European venues)
Apart from these large capacity stadia, there are a host of county grounds with a capacity in excess of 20,000. (See all GAA venues list below)
It is a tribute to all levels of GAA administration that they provide such a range of venues when compared to their so-called professional counterparts in Irish soccer who are in constant crisis and don’t even have home of their own.
At the moment, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) uses the facilities of Croke Park to play their home internationals whilst the Landsdowne Road rugby stadium they rent from the IRFU is being re-built. It took a contentious change of rule by the GAA annual congress to allow soccer and rugby to be played in Croke Park for a temporary period until Landsdowne Road is completed.
Semple Stadium, Thurles is considered the home of hurling and all Munster finals are generally played there. Pairc Ui Chaoimh in Cork and the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick are also regulars on the hurling circuit. Such locations are convenient as hurling is predominantly played at the highest level in Southern counties.
Casement Park in Belfast and St. Tiernach’s Park, Clones, are the top two Ulster venues each with a capacity in excess of 30,000.
List of GAA Stadia in Ireland
|
1 |
82,500 |
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2 |
55,000 |
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|
3 |
50,000 |
|
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|
4 |
43,500 |
|
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|
5 |
43,000 |
|
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|
6 |
36,000 |
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|
7 |
35,000 |
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8 |
34,000 |
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9 |
32,500 |
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|
10 |
30,000 |
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|
30,000 |
|
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|
12 |
27,000 |
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13 |
25,000 |
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|
14 |
24,000 |
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15 |
22,000 |
|
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16 |
21,000 |
|
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|
17 |
20,000 |
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|||
|
20,000 |
|
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|
20,000 |
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|
20,000 |
|
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|
21 |
18,000 |
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|||
|
18,000 |
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|
23 |
17,500 |
|
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|
24 |
17,000 |
|
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|
17,000 |
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|
26 |
16,000 |
|
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29 |
15,000 |
|
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|
15,000 |
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|
15,000 |
|
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|
15,000 |
|
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|
31 |
13,500 |
|
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|
32 |
13,000 |
|
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|
33 |
12,000 |
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|
34 |
11,000 |
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|
11,000 |
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36 |
10,000 |
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|
10,000 |
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|
10,000 |
|
Kildare GAA (hurling) |
List of International Stadia
|
1 |
98,772 |
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|
2 |
90,000 |
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|
3 |
83,450 |
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|
4 |
82,955 |
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|
5 |
82,500 |
Gaelic Athletic Association (until 2009 or 2010, Ireland national football team and Ireland national rugby union team) |
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|
6 |
82,000 |
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|
= |
82,000 |
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|
8 |
81,283 |
some Turkey national football team matches, Galatasaray’s UEFA Champions League matches |
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|
9 |
81,264 |
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|
10 |
80,354 |
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|
11 |
80,000 |
France (football), France (rugby), some Stade Français matches |
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|
12 |
78,360 |
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|
13 |
78,210 |
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|
14 |
76,212 |
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|
15 |
74,500 |
Wales national football team, Wales national rugby union team |
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|
16 |
74,228 |
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|
17 |
71,030 |
AEK Athens, Panathinaikos, Greece national football team matches |
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|
18 |
69,901 |
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|
19 |
69,250 |
hosts track and field events |
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|
20 |
69,000 |
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|
21 |
68,976 |
most matches of Hungary national football team |
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|
22 |
67,800 |
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|
23 |
67,229 |
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|
24 |
65,647 |
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|
25 |
61,482 |
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|
26 |
60,832 |
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|
27 |
60,355 |
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|
28 |
60,031 |
Olympique de Marseille and France national rugby union team matches |
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|
29 |
58,248 |
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|
30 |
58,008 |
Göztepe A.Ş., Altay S.K., some Turkey national football team matches |
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|
31 |
57,619 |
some Spain national football team matches |
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|
32 |
57,274 |
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|
33 |
55,926 |
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|
34 |
55,896 |
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|
35 |
55,005 |
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|
36 |
55,000 |
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|
= |
55,000 |
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|
38 |
54,067 |
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|
39 |
54,000 |
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|
40 |
52,469 |
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|
41 |
52,387 |
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|
42 |
52,300 |
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|
43 |
52,132 |
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|
44 |
52,063 |
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|
45 |
52,002 |
F.C.Porto | |||
|
46 |
52,000 |
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|
47 |
51,628 |
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|
48 |
51,500 |
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|
49 |
51,137 |
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|
50 |
51,082 |
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|
51 |
50,509 |
Fenerbahçe, some Turkey national football team matches |
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|
52 |
50,466 |
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|
53 |
50,374 |
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|
54 |
50,024 |
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|
55 |
50,000 |
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|
56 |
49,951 |
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|
57 |
49,844 |
Austria national football team, some Rapid Vienna and Austria Vienna matches |
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|
58 |
49,000 |
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|
59 |
48,500 |
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|
60 |
47,726 |
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|
61 |
47,559 |
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|
62 |
47,282 |
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|
63 |
47,246 |
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|
64 |
46,480 |
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|
65 |
45,522 |
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|
66 |
45,500 |
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|
67 |
44,345 |
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|
68 |
43,632 |
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|
69 |
43,051 |
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|
70 |
43,000 |
IFK Göteborg, GAIS, and some Örgryte IS and BK Häcken matches |
|||
|
71 |
42,573 |
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|
72 |
42,358 |
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|
73 |
42,000 |
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|
74 |
41,841 |
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|
75 |
41,652 |
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|
76 |
41,583 |
||||
|
77 |
41,383 |
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|
78 |
41,233 |
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|
79 |
41,040 |
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|
80 |
40,394 |
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|
81 |
40,242 |
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|
82 |
40,200 |
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|
83 |
40,000 |
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|
84 |
39,814 |
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|
85 |
39,750 |
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|
86 |
39,444 |
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|
87 |
39,211 |
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|
88 |
39,120 |
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|
89 |
38,750 |
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|
90 |
38,512 |
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|
91 |
38,285 |
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|
92 |
37,619 |
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|
93 |
37,593 |
hosts annual Cup of Portugal final |
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|
94 |
37,245 |
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|
95 |
37,168 |
Dinamo Zagreb, some Croatia national football team matches |
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|
96 |
36,608 |
AIK Fotboll, some Sweden national football team matches |
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|
97 |
36,540 |
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|
98 |
36,536 |
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|
99 |
36,285 |
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|
100 |
36,240 |
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|
101 |
36,000 |
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|
= |
36,000 |
||||
|
103 |
35,647 |
||||
|
104 |
35,630 |
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|
105 |
35,616 |
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|
106 |
35,530 |
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|
107 |
35,500 |
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|
108 |
35,472 |
Toulouse FC, some Stade Toulousain matches |
|||
|
109 |
35,303 |
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|
110 |
35,100 |
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|
111 |
35,000 |
||||
|
112 |
34,600 |
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|
113 |
34,596 |
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|
114 |
34,500 |
||||
|
113 |
34,362 |
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|
114 |
34,327 |
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|
115 |
34,098 |
||||
|
116 |
34,000 |
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|
= |
34,000 |
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|
118 |
33,597 |
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|
119 |
33,334 |
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|
120 |
33,220 |
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|
121 |
33,045 |
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|
122 |
32,710 |
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|
123 |
32,689 |
||||
|
124 |
32,609 |
||||
|
125 |
32,500 |
||||
|
= |
32,500 |
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|
= |
32,500 |
||||
|
128 |
32,464 |
||||
|
129 |
32,454 |
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|
130 |
32,354 |
||||
|
131 |
32,336 |
||||
|
132 |
32,200 |
||||
|
133 |
32,145 |
Beşiktaş J.K., some Turkey national football team matches |
|||
|
134 |
32,120 |
||||
|
135 |
32,019 |
||||
|
136 |
32,000 |
||||
|
= |
32,000 |
||||
|
= |
32,000 |
||||
|
= |
32,000 |
||||
|
= |
32,000 |
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), Middlesex County Cricket Club and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) |
|||
|
141 |
31,743 |
||||
|
142 |
31,718 |
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|
143 |
31,500 |
||||
|
144 |
31,367 |
||||
|
145 |
31,328 |
||||
|
146 |
31,250 |
||||
|
147 |
31,127 |
||||
|
148 |
30,970 |
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|
149 |
30,576 |
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|
150 |
30,500 |
||||
|
151 |
30,311 |
||||
|
152 |
30,210 |
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|
153 |
30,154 |
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|
154 |
30,146 |
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|
155 |
30,133 |
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|
156 |
30,133 |
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|
157 |
30,122 |
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|
158 |
30,085 |
||||
|
159 |
30,084 |
||||
|
160 |
30,075 |
||||
|
161 |
30,023 |
||||
|
162 |
30,009 |
||||
|
163 |
30,002 |
S.C. Farense, Louletano DC |
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|
164 |
30,000 |
||||
|
= |
30,000 |
||||
|
= |
30,000 |
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|
= |
30,000 |
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|
= |
30,000 |
