SANTIAGO BERNABÉU STADIUM

Description

Essentials about the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in brief

Alongside FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou, the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home to Real Madrid, is Spain’s second legendary soccer temple. Located in the north of Madrid in the Chamartín district, the stadium holds around 81,000 spectators, making it one of the largest stadiums in Europe. If you can’t manage to get a ticket for a Real home game, you can also take a guided tour of the Bernabéu Stadium and walk on the royals’ hallowed turf and marvel at the countless trophies of the world’s most successful soccer club.

The history of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

The stadium is named after Santiago Bernabéu, the former trian and long-time president (from 1943 to 1978) of Real Madrid. He dreamed of making Real the best club in the world. At the time of Bernabéu presidency, ticket sales represented by far the largest source of income for soccer clubs. To raise the money needed to build the strongest team in the world, Bernabéu had the idea of building the biggest stadium in the world.

In 1944, through the donations of Real supporters, enough money had been collected to start the construction of the stadium. On December 14, 1947, the 75,000-seat Nuevo Estadio Chamartín was officially opened. In 1955, it was finally renamed Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in honor of the club’s president. Since then, the Bernabéu Stadium has been expanded, rebuilt and revonified several times. In the coming years, it is to receive a facade equipped with LED technology and a roof that can be closed.

Visiting the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

If you can, you should definitely try to get a ticket for one of Real Madrid’s home games. If you’re not lucky or Real isn’t playing at home, you can also take a tour of the legendary Bernabéu Stadium. This gives visitors the chance to enter otherwise forbidden places such as the presidential box, the coach’s/players’ bench, the pitch and the dressing rooms.

After the stadium tour, visitors can visit the Real Museum to learn about the long and successful history of the royal club through trophies, balls, jerseys, photos and videos. Visitors can also enjoy food and drink at one of the stadium’s four restaurants (La Esquina, Puerta 57, Real Café Bernabéu and Zen Market).