Spanish LaLiga football club Real Madrid has recommenced work on the redevelopment of its Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, marking the occasion with the release of a new video showcasing the project.
Throughout the 2019-20 season, work has been taking place to adapt or demolish existing parts of the stadium, but this was suspended at the end of March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, the Bernabéu has been utilised as a hub for the supply and distribution of strategic medical supplies as part of the effort to combat COVID-19 in the capital.
The redevelopment work to date has focused on the Bernabéu’s four columns, the commercial and shopping area, roof and private boxes. With work resuming yesterday (Tuesday), Spanish newspaper Marca said attention will soon turn to a part of the stadium that has become famous during the era of president Florentino Pérez. The T4 area of the Bernabéu has been the scene for the presentation of Real’s star signings in recent years, including the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez and Eden Hazard, but is now set to be bulldozed.
🏟️✨ Por muchos momentos más inolvidables en casa…
🚀 El Santiago Bernabéu del futuro.#RMFansEnCasa | #YoMeQuedoEnCasa pic.twitter.com/ETgLVRpznD— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 13, 2020
In May 2019, Real awarded Spanish building and infrastructure company FCC Construcción the contract to handle the redevelopment of Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. At the time, Real said the timeframe needed to renovate the Bernabéu was 39 months, meaning it would be finished by August 2022, plus an additional four months needed to develop the stadium’s exterior.
The redevelopment work is taking place alongside the normal sporting calendar and the stadium’s other activities, but with work having started last summer, the delivery date is reported to have slipped to October 2022.
The FCC deal came after Real approved a financing package for the redevelopment of the Bernabéu, with US financial services giants J.P Morgan and Bank of America Merrill Lynch to lead the €575m (£502.4m/$628.8m) loan.
Pérez provided an update on the plans earlier in April 2019. Through extensive renovations, Real is planning to modernise the 81,000-seat stadium, which has been its home since 1947.
Image: Real Madrid
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