The Bernabéu Stadium

Host Stadium of the 2010 Champions League Final

The home stadium of La Liga giants, Real Madrid, will host the final of the 2009/2010 UEFA Champions League. The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, popularly known as the Bernabéu, has an elite UEFA 5 Star rating, and will be hosting the final of the Champions League tournament for the fourth time in its history.

Located in the heart of Madrid’s central business district, the Paseo de la Castellana, the Bernabéu stadium is one of the largest and most modern football venues in continental Europe. The stadium can accommodate over 80,000 seated spectators, and is serviced by a dedicated railway station.

History of the Bernabéu
The story of the Bernabéu Stadium began in 1944 after architects Santiago Bernabeu and Rafael Salgado secured funding to begin the construction of stadium to replace the aging Chamartín Stadium. Ground was broken in October of 1944, and construction would continue until 1947.

The result was a stadium that was well ahead of its time. The 75,000 capacity stadium was opened in 1947 with a match between Real Madrid and Portugal’s Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses. The stadium was originally known as the Nuevo Estadio Chamartín, before the name was changed in the 1950s to honour the role Santiago Bernabeu played in its construction.

In subsequent decades the tournament owners embarked on an ambitious program of expansion that peaked with a stadium accommodating over 120,000 fans. Stadium capacity was reduced to present levels for the 1982 Football World Cup.

As one of the largest, and most advanced stadiums in Europe, the Bernabéu has been an attractive destination for major European football events. The stadium hosted the European Cup finals 1957, 1969 and 1980 as well as the final of the European Nations’ Cup in 1964.

Bernabéu Stadium Travel
The Bernabéu Stadium is a major landmark in the city of Madrid and is relatively easy for travelers to access once they have arrived in the city.

Travel to the Bernabéu Stadium is easiest using a taxi cab, however, Bernabéu Stadium travelers prepared to take on the Madrid metro system can get to the stadium on Line 10, stopping at the station Santiago Bernabeu.

The Bernabéu Stadium is also serviced by a bus route, and football fans can use lines 14, 27, 40, 43, 120, 147 and 150 to get to the venue. Football fans arriving from abroad can book flights to the Madrid Barajas Airport 11 km outside of Madrid.