Real Madrid set to rename Santiago Bernabeu

The Santiago Bernabeu stadium will be renamed, according to the Spanish sports newspaper AS.

This is not yet confirmed officially by Real Madrid but president Florentino Pérez was caught on camera admitting to a member of the regional government that the stadium will be called whatever the Abu Dhabi investment group IPIC want it to be called.

It is believed IPIC proposed the Abu Dhabi Santiago Bernabeu but that was dismissed by the club. Another alternative was the IPIC Bernabeu which was again rejected and it is understaood the two parties finally settled on Cepsa – an energy company owned by IPIC.

This has been a recent trend in football with clubs like Arsenal and Bayren Munich also naming their staduims after their sponsors.

The venue, the home of the European champions for the past 68 years, is due to undergo major expansion work – the project is currently being held up by legal proceedings – with a sponsor’s name attached upon completion.

The revamp will increase the capacity to 90,000.

Whatever the final name will be, it seems the stadium’s days of being called Santiago Bernabeu are numbered.