Real Madrid General Director Jose Angel Sanchez appeared in court on Tuesday morning to answer questions as the sole administrator of Real Madrid Estadio. The company stands accused of noise pollution and crimes against the environment, with a union of neighbours standing against Sanchez.
They say that RME are responsible for the concerts that have taken place, 18 to date, and the resulting noise pollution which has increased the noise level by 2,500 times. Relevo report that Sanchez’s defence was based on two factors. The first is that the Chamartin neighbourhood is noisy as it is, and the stadium noise does not have that much of an impact.
The second that it is in fact the event organisers and promoters that should be charged, not RME that should face sanctions. The promoters have been fined €800k so far by the Madrid Council for the noise pollution, with numerous formal complaints from residents being submitted.
Sanchez will certainly be hoping that his defence holds up, as he could face up to two years in prison in case of being found guilty. Equally, there is a second problem for Real Madrid. If they do not find a way of reducing the noise, event promoters will not want to face legal battles and fines when hosting concerts there. Hosting large events and concerts does form a key part of the new business model in the Spanish capital though, and was part of their budgets when renovating the Bernabeu.
