Real Madrid have confirmed that a €400m renovation of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium will commence in 2017 after an agreement with Madrid city council.
The Council -led by Mayor Manuela Carmena – had approved the club’s provisional plans but has rejected Real Madrid president Florentino Perez’s idea of integrating a hotel and shopping centre into the facility, in order to increase the club’s revenues.
The capacity of the stadium will remain unchanged, a retractable roof will be put in place while the area is to become more fan-friendly, with a car park removed for public space.
"The cost is approx €400 million. We will start [on rebuilding Bernabeu] as soon as we can, when we have all the paperwork done, but during 2017,” Perez confirmed in a press conference on Tuesday.
“We have looked at idea of hotel, we will keep doing that, we will do what is best for Real Madrid, working with the town hall.
"The Real Madrid offices will move from Bernabeu to Valdebebas, so this we will free up space as will removing the shopping centre.
"The stadium will still be the Bernabeu, but could have a surname, as all stadiums now have, to help to play for the structure."
