When Barcelona announced plans to revamp the Camp Nou at a cost of €600 million, the sporting advantages were obvious. The capacity is being upped from 99,354 to 105,000, and, more importantly, a roof is being added to cover the seats around the entirety of the stadium, ensuring that opponents encounter a wall of noise regardless of the significance of the match.
[PHOTOS] Have you seen the photos of the #NouCampNou? See all the details at https://t.co/pET0RkFaeQ pic.twitter.com/7TH3qJ5CAe
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 9, 2016
Over in Madrid, similar plans to renovate the 81,044 seat Santiago Bernabeu had been held up for over two years. The green light has finally been given to Real, and there can be no doubt that Barcelona’s own advances sped up the process.
The ‘new Bernabeu’ will be completed at a cost of €400 million, and its new roof will be retractable — have that, Barca!
Pics: The new Santiago Bernabeu. #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/u58AJ0Pt5h
— RMadridHome (@RMadridHome_) October 11, 2016
Apart from the roof which will cover the entire arena and swell crowd noise, Real Madrid’s plans also call for a revamp of the stadium’s facade. A light display will now cover the outside of the structure.
Real president Florentino Perez has also revealed that the stadium’s naming rights will need to be sold to recoup the cost: “The stadium will still be the Bernabeu, but it could have a surname, as all stadiums now have, to help to pay for the structure.”
Barcelona also admitted that naming rights for the redeveloped Camp Nou would be sold for around €200 million.
The stadium arms race is well and truly on in Spain, but, let’s be honest, both pale in comparison to Russia’s stunning new Krasnodar stadium — a beautiful nod to the Roman Colosseum.
(H/T: FourFourTwo)
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