Brazil faces Spain in a stadium that has been under construction for 5 years, at a cost of R$4.9 billion – 03/24/2024 – Sports

The Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid’s stadium, under renovation since 2019, will be the stage for the friendly between the teams of Brazil and Spain at 5:30 pm (Brasília time) this Tuesday (26).

One of the largest arenas in Europe, the Bernabéu was closed for a few months for renovations, but for most of those five years, the works took place without interruption to games.

This is the seventh time that the stadium has undergone renovations since it was opened in 1947. When it is ready, perhaps in June this year, it will have 84,000 seats, 3,000 more than the previous configuration.

The total cost started at €575 million (R$2.8 billion), when the project was presented, but has already exceeded €900 million (R$4.9 billion). Much of this is being financed over 30 years, which will start to be paid in 2023.

The new field has a retractable roof 55 meters high, which closes completely, and an open terrace around the entire stadium, at its highest level.

To host shows and other events, the grass, divided into six large boards from goal to goal, is stored underground at the field, 35 meters deep. It is taken and brought in using cranes. That part alone cost €225 million,

The delivery of the new Santiago Bernabéu is seen in Spain as a soap opera, as the date has been missed several times. One of the intentions was to reopen in 2022, to coincide with the 75th anniversary of construction.

Numerous reasons were given for the delays, from difficulty working during the Covid-19 pandemic to the Ukrainian War, due to lack of materials and inflation.

Now, the last published date is for the beginning of this summer of 2024, that is, in June. The largest stadium in Madrid, it is located in the north of the city, in the neighborhood of Chamartín, a neighborhood dominated by the train station that connects the capital with the north of the country.

Not all renovations at the Bernabéu were expansions. In the 1940s, the stadium had around 75,000 seats, of which almost two-thirds were standing. In 1950, its capacity reached 125 thousand spectators, after the construction of new stands.

This number was reduced to 91 thousand for the 1982 World Cup, held in Spain. In the 1990s, it was expanded to 106 thousand and then returned to 74 thousand. FIFA requirements and new security standards explain this back and forth.

On the other side of the country, Real Madrid’s archrival’s space is also under construction. Called Spotify Camp Nou, “new field” in Catalan, and now with a sponsor’s name on the front, Barcelona’s stadium is bigger than the Bernabéu and the biggest in Europe.

With a previous capacity of 99,000 spectators, the renovation will increase seats to 105,000. Like the Bernabéu, the Camp Nou has varied in size since its opening in 1957.

Its peak was in the 1982 World Cup, when the third grandstand gallery was built and the first expanded. Seats reached 120 thousand, but, 12 years later, FIFA demanded that all seats be seated, and it was reduced to 99 thousand.

That third ring has now been torn down and a new one is being built. The total cost of the project, according to Sheet Espai Barça’s director of operations, Joan Sentelles, is two-thirds larger than the rival’s stadium.

€1.48 billion, or R$8 billion, was financed, an amount that also includes a new gymnasium and the redevelopment of the surrounding streets. “There are a lot of incredible advances in technology,” Sentelles said.

“The stadium will be an example to follow also in terms of sustainability, because, in addition to almost 20 thousand square meters of photovoltaic panels, there is an entire water use system. The benefits are many, since here in Catalonia, and I believe that Around the world, water will begin to become scarce.”

The arena, which is also being prepared to host concerts and other events, will now be completely symmetrical. “It was higher on one side than the other, and it will be completely covered. We will also add many more services, such as bathrooms, restaurants, lounges, VIP areas, boxes, accessibility, a larger press room”, said the director.

Spotify Camp Nou has been closed to games since last year. The reopening date is set for the end of 2024, but works will continue until 2026. During these two years, spectator capacity will increase as much as possible, starting with 65,000 seats in the first two grandstand galleries.

“According to the plans, there are approximately 104,900 seats, but we all know that once the actual seats are installed, if we gain half an inch on each side, we can add another 500 or 600 spectators,” he said.