The Madrid High Court of Justice (TSJM) has "provisionally halted the modification of Madrid's general urban plan which allowed an expansion of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium," according to MARCA. The High Court stated that its administrative litigation division agreed to apply this "temporary measure following a claim lodged by Ecologistas en Acción AEDENAT, an association of Spanish environmental organisations." The decision was taken after judges were informed by the European Commission of the "initiation of proceedings in relation to potential state aid to Real Madrid as part of the project to rebuild the Bernabéu." The resolution adopted by the Madrid High Court "can be appealed against to the same court or to the Tribunal Supremo (one of Spain's supreme courts) within ten days." Real Madrid's proposed renovation project includes the construction of a hotel and 12,250 square meter "shopping and leisure complex in the esplanade next to the side of the stadium overlooking the Paseo de la Castellana" (MARCA, 8/1). The EFE reported Madrid's City Council will "appeal the suspension" by the TSJM. Sources said that "the agreement between the Madrid City Council and Real Madrid, which is supposedly the cause of the proceedings, has nothing to do with the planned modifications." A source said, "It does not make sense to halt the modification of the plan based on something that has no relation to the agreement" (EFE, 8/1).
NEW TURF INSTALLED: In Barcelona, Manel Bruña reported the Bernabéu's "new playing surface" has been installed. The project was completed on Sunday, "as scheduled." Real Madrid's first home game of the season on the new surface will be the first leg of the Supercopa de España on Aug. 19. It had been four years since the field "had been replaced" (MUNDO DEPORTIVO, 8/3).
