Never shy making headlines, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez returned to the spotlight on Wednesday. This time, no Galactico was alongside him to be unveiled to the media. Per Spanish outlet AS, the 67-year-old was caught by "el Chiringuito de Neox" cameras revealing the possible new name of the club's stadium to Lucia Figar, a Minister of Education and Sports of the Community of Madrid.
Perez's comments were made after the presentation of the agreement between Real Madrid on Microsoft on Tuesday.
"We will put IPIC Bernabéu or whatever they want...or Cepsa Bernabéu."
The "they" portion of his comment is connected to International Petroleum Investment Company, a government-owned organization headquartered in Abu Dhabi. IPIC was established in pursuant to an Emiri Decree in 1984 with a mandate to invest globally in energy and energy related industries. Having signed a five-year agreement with the club, it is said they will be crucial for the construction of the new Bernabeu.
According to AS, Madrid will receive €3 million a year until the green light for the new Bernabeu is received, at which point an increase to €20 million will be in effect.
The news comes as a blow to football traditionalists.
Initially constructed as the Nuevo Estadio Chamartin 1947, the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu was aptly named in the honor of former club president Santiago Bernabeu in 1955. The iconic footballer donned the white kit of Madrid for 80 official matches from 1913-1930, ending his club career with 70 goals.
As club president, Bernabeu's legacy is tied to Madrid's success in European competition. The club won the European Cup five times consecutively between 1956 and 1960. It's a legacy that still lives on today, seeing Madrid lift it's 10th European title in 2014, more than any other club.
But given the trend of money's influence in modern football, even Bernabeu's legacy isn't profound enough to be timeless.
© 2023 Sportsworldnews.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
