Santiago Bernabéu, The Temple of Madrid

Last update 16 April, 2025 by Alberto Llopis

Few stages can enjoy in the world of having lived and having seen as many things as the Santiago Bernabéu. Real Madrid's stadium and on many occasions the Spanish team is one of the most spectacular and iconic venues around the world football. Playing at the Bernabeu is always a tough opponent slab for lifting equipment.

The origins of Santiago Bernabéu

Chamartín change

The premiere of the field owes its honor to one's own President Santiago Bernabéu, what in 1944 He decided to build a field that replace the old stadium Chamartin. Longtime president of the white entity (35 years in office) and he commissioned a project that would see the light 14 from December to 1947, with the dispute of a friendly Real Madrid- The Belenenses. Sabino Barinaga had the honor of scoring the first goal in the new White House.

There have been many players who have been treading the Bernabeu. Alfredo Di Stefano, Butragueño, Santillana, Juanita, Schuster, Laudrup, The Ronaldo, Zidane, Raúl, Gento or Puskas are some of the many figures who played dressed in white in the “new Chamartin”, as initially it was called.

Obviously with such names, I could not be less than the enclosure had not been home to many major competitions. Between them, a Global (year 82), a Euro Cup (64), 4 European Cup final and 35 the Copa del Rey or formerly known as the Generalissimo. Precisely, The European Cup of 1957 It would be the first major event of the new White House. The second European Cup Real Madrid would have no better stage than his own fiefdom. Gento and Di Stefano would be the figures of that legendary encounter against Fiorentina.

seven years later, luck again would be favorable. Spain became its first European Championship by winning the USSR 2-1 thanks to a header from Marcelino who stood at more than 79.000 spectators who gathered.

Bernabéu nights

LCopa del Rey has also lived mythical nights at the Bernabeu. The bottle final won by Barcelona, or Centenariazo against Deportivo are among the many stories not to sleep that has lived the enclosure. Not to mention the many derbies against Atlético and especially the Barcelona, with whom he has had strong rivalries, sometimes settled in favor (5-0 of the year 95) and others against ( he 0-3 with the fans applauding Ronaldinho and recalling the famous Supercopa of Spain with Maradona almost 25 years later).

But maybe, the most famous Bernabeu, has come in the famous European nights of the year 80. The real Madrid, a historic club and always paid at comebacks, He had in his stage performances that earned him stellar epic victories. And is that as said one of the idols of the fans, Juanita: “Ninety minuti at the Bernabeu are molto longo”.

For it, even a manual comebacks where the first shot and the first offense necessarily had to be invented white. In that sense, he 7 blanco of the years 80 It was a true legend for the fans who always seems to remember him for all parties. his claw, madridista courage and heart endures white fans.

another idol, Raúl González Blanco was also acclaimed with some frequency. In a stadium where it is very common to remember the players who have taken a glory to Chamartín. His spectacular trajectory in Real Madrid of the famous galactics left an indelible memory.

His professionalism and his many goals along almost 15 years with the white shirt they made him a myth like the Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo (he top scorer in the history of Real Madrid), Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and many more.

Headquarters of the World Cup final in Spain 1982

With the World Cup in Spain in 1982 being a reality for the Spaniards and with Luis de Carlos in the Presidency, Another great reform of Santiago Bernabéu was carried out. Improvements of the facilities that expanded the roof of a large number of locations helping to protect themselves from future weather weather.

This was done thanks to a new cover that occupied part of several stands. The lighting was improved once again and the most advanced videomarkers of the time were installed. Pure technology that at the beginning of the 80, It was a real innovation. During that World Cup, The classification phase of one of the groups and the Grand Final was played in the Santiago Bernabéu, in which Rossi's Italy, Zoff and company, It imposed on Germany 3-1.

The new Santiago Bernabéu after the reform

Currently, the Santiago Bernabéu one of The most modern stages in the world. With a retractable roof that makes it one of the best covered stadiums in the world and a technology to retract the outdoor lawn. It is undoubtedly one of The most technologically advanced stages in the world. A pharaonic work culminated in 2024 Under the second mandate of Florentino Pérez.