Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

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Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
El Bernabéu

Location Avenida de Concha Espina 1, E28036 - Madrid
Opened December 14, 1947
Owner Real Madrid
Operator Real Madrid
Surface Grass
Architect Manuel Muñoz Monasterio
Luis Alemany Soler
Antonio Lamela (Expansion)
Former names
Chamartín (1947-1955)
Tenants
Real Madrid
Capacity
80,354

The Santiago Bernabéu is a football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It is the home of Real Madrid. Work on the grounds started on October 27, 1944. Originally called Estadio Chamartín after Madrid's previous stadium, it was inaugurated in December 1947. Real Madrid officially adopted the present name, Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, on January 4, 1955 in honor of the club president Santiago Bernabéu.

The capacity has changed frequently, peaking at 120,000 after a 1953 expansion. Since then there have been a number of reductions due to modernisations (the last standing places went away in 1998/99 in response to UEFA regulations which forbids standing at matches in the UEFA competition), countered to some extent by expansions. The last change was an increase of about five thousand to a capacity of 80,354, effected in 2003. A plan to add a retractable roof has been announced.

The Bernabéu is one of the world's most famous football venues, along with a handful of others, such as the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Old Trafford in Manchester, Anfield in Liverpool, Wembley in London, Azteca in Mexico, San Siro in Milan, Centenario Stadium in Montevideo or the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. Alongside London's Wembley, the Munich Olympic Stadium and the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, it has the proud record of having hosted the European Cup final (in 1957, 1969 and 1980), the 1964 European Championship final (1964), and the FIFA World Cup final (1982).

The stadium has its own Madrid Metro station along the 10 line called Santiago Bernabéu. Its location, in the heart of Madrid's business district, is quite unusual for a football stadium. It is also used on occasion to stage concerts, though because of its size this does not happen often.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Parc des Princes
Paris
European Cup
Final Venue

1957
Succeeded by
Heysel Stadium
Brussels
Preceded by
Wembley Stadium
London
European Cup
Final Venue

1969
Succeeded by
San Siro
Milan
Preceded by
Olympiastadion
Munich
European Cup
Final Venue

1980
Succeeded by
Parc des Princes
Paris
Preceded by
Monumental de Nuñez
Buenos Aires
FIFA World Cup
Final Venue

1982
Succeeded by
Estadio Azteca
México City
UEFA 5-star rated football stadia
v  d  e
Austria Ernst Happel Stadion
England
Old Trafford
Wembley Stadium
France Stade de France
Germany AOL Arena
Olympiastadion, Berlin
Olympiastadion, München
Signal Iduna Park
Veltins-Arena
Greece Olympic Stadium, Athens
Italy San Siro
Stadio Olimpico
Netherlands Amsterdam ArenA
Feijenoord Stadion
Portugal Estádio da Luz
Estádio do Dragão
Estádio José Alvalade
Russia Luzhniki Stadium
Scotland
Hampden Park
Ibrox Stadium
Spain Camp Nou
Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
Estadio La Cartuja
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
Estadio Vicente Calderón
Turkey Atatürk Olympic Stadium
Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium
Wales Millennium Stadium

Coordinates: 40°27′10.66″N, 3°41′18.00″W