Real Madrid Seeking Stadium Sponsor To Fund $541M Bernabéu Renovations

Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu "could suffer an unplanned change: its name," according to EL CONFIDENCIAL. The stadium will be renovated in the next few years, "with the intention of adapting it to modern times and reinforcing its image as an icon in the Spanish capital." Real Madrid will assign the project to "one of the world's four largest architecture firms and the club plans to cover the costs through sponsorship." Whatever business "that finances the project will have the opportunity to add its name to the stadium, which would mean a new 'last name' for the stadium, something that has never been done." This strategy "is common in the U.K. and U.S., and has already been seen at other La Liga stadiums." The Santiago Bernabéu stadium name will not be eliminated, "but the name of the new sponsor would be added." Real Madrid will decide which architecture firm it will hire in October, with the cost of the renovations expected to exceed €400M ($541M) (EL CONFIDENCIAL, 9/25).