The best person to write this article would be my husband because he is the football-loving half of us, but I can’t convince him to put his words on paper, so this task fell to me.
Being a Real Madrid fan, my husband has wanted to go to a match at the Santiago Bernabéu for many, many years, and this wish came true in November 2017 when we went to see the match between Real Madrid and Malaga.
The experience was unique, and to my surprise, I actually liked the atmosphere at the stadium. If on the first day I went to the match, on the second I went back to the stadium to tour the museum.
In the last two years, I have visited five very large and well-known stadiums, and I can say that I liked Santiago Bernabéu the most. As for the museum, I tend to say that I liked the one of the FC Bayern team at the Allianz Arena a little more. I leave you here the article I wrote about the Allianz Arena.
About Real Madrid
The team was founded in 1902 under the name Madrid Club de Futbol. 18 years later, King Alfonso XII added the word “real” (royal) to the front of the name due to the team’s international success. This is also the reason why a crown appears on the team’s emblem.
During the Spanish Civil War, both the crown and the word “real” disappeared, and the team played under the name Madrid CF.
Real Madrid is one of three Spanish teams to remain in the first division. The other two are Atletico Bilbao and FC Barcelona.
The highest attendance at the Santiago Bernabéu was recorded in 2006 for a Copa del Rey match (83,329).
Real Madrid is the only team to have won La Liga 5 times in a row, in two different periods. The first period was between 1961-1965, and the second between 1965-1990.
FIFA voted Real Madrid as the most successful football club of the 20th century.
As for the stadium, it was opened in December 1947 with the match between Real Madrid and the Portuguese Os Beleneses.
Initially, the stadium was called Nuevo Chamartin, but at the beginning of 1955 the general meeting voted to change the name to Santiago Bernabéu, in honor of the club's president.
The stadium hosted the 1964 European Cup final between Spain and the Soviet Union, with a 2-1 victory for Spain. The stadium has also hosted 4 FIFA WORLD CUP matches, including the final between Italy and West Germany.
I didn't tell you, but the stadium has a capacity of 81,044 seats, making it the 7th largest in Europe.
As I was saying, we spent about 2-3 hours visiting the stadium, the museum, the changing rooms and the official team shop. It is true that we waited in line for about an hour to get our entrance tickets, most likely because there was also a match the day before.
How do you get to the stadium?
The stadium is located relatively centrally. The most convenient option is the metro which stops right in front of the stadium. The blue metro line (no. 10) in the direction of Fuencarral will take you to Santiago Bernabeu. A metro ride costs around 1.50 euros.
How much does the entrance ticket cost?
The entrance ticket for the stadium tour and everything else costs 25 euros per person. We got a really nice offer, and for the sum of 35 euros per person we became supporters with proper documents, we received a scarf and a card that gives us a lot of discounts.
The atmosphere at the stadium was great, and this is what someone who doesn't really care about football says. Everyone was at the stadium! From the youngest to the oldest, grandparents with their grandchildren or fathers with their sons, everyone was happy and full of energy.
I remember that in front of us there was a little kid who had a magazine with players that he held up high, like a banner, and he was singing. That little kid was so cute!
Also next to me, there was an old man, 100% Spanish, passionate about football. That's how much that man shouted, sometimes with joy and sometimes with nerves. I didn't really understand what he was saying, but he definitely cared about "los blancos":))
In front of the stadium… crazy! From stalls with food and drinks, to others with scarves and t-shirts, endless lines at the entrance… as I said… crazy!