Real Madrid are now officially the richest club in the World and the Santiago Bernabeu is undoubtedly one of the greatest stadiums. It follows quite naturally that I had to go there, a visit undertaken back in March.
An Easyjet flight from Luton to Madrid’s Barajas airport and a short Metro trip took us into the centre of the Spanish capital. Having sorted tickets for the big game (having to buy off a tout in the end) and checked in at our reasonably cheap hostel, we board the metro again and head back out in the direction of the airport. The metro is extremely efficient, easy to understand with it’s colour-coded lines and covers an expansive area. If making several journeys in a 24-hour period, the day tickets provide very good value.
Alight at ‘Campo de las Naciones’ from where it’s a 20-minute walk past a large exhibition centre to the brand new, state of the art, training complex ‘Ciudad de Real Madrid’. The site has about 10 pitches, a couple of which are grass, the rest astroturf. All have floodlights and raised terracing / seating for at least 600 spectators on one side. The two main pitches have proper stands and are going to host the home games of Real’s ‘B’ and ‘C’ teams. A large central building houses indoor training facilities, gymnasium, club offices and an upstairs restaurant / bar which with it’s ceiling high windows provides a fine view of the action on several of the outer pitches. We watch Real’s youth team play a Spanish Juveniles Liga match against Las Rozas on Pitch 6. Real win 2-1 and there are some fine skills on show.
Back to the Santiago Bernabeu for the main event, ‘Le Derbi’ between Real and Atletico. The ground is just north of the City Centre and has it’s own metro stop. Built in 1947, it has staged a World Cup final, European Championship final and three European Cup finals..It has a current capacity of just over 80,000 consisting of four or five tiers of steeply raked seats all round. Access is gained via large circular towers in each corner of the ground with escalators making the journey upwards less tiring. Heaters mounted on the underside of the roof provide relief from the cold winter evenings. A cracking atmosphere and a fine game sees Real victorious by 2-1. A newspaper style programme is available free of charge.
On the Sunday a noon kick-off for the Division II B match between Rayo Vallecano and Ourense was the first port of call. Metro line 1 to Portazgo south-east of the city centre and on exiting the station the ground is literally about a yard away. The Campo Teresa Rivero is a compact three-sided stadium capable of holding 15,500. There are covered stands on the sides and open seating at one end. Admission costs 15 euros and although there is no programme a large format club magazine is procured from the ticket office. Vallecano had many years stuck in the lift between the top two divisions but are now languishing at the third level. The game is pretty poor. The home team have more of the play but create few chances and the visitors from near Vigo in North-west Spain comfortably hang on for a 0-0 draw watched by about 3,500 spectators.
Our final match of the weekend is a 5 pm kick-off for the Primera Liga clash between Getafe and Real Betis. Getafe is a town on the southern fringe of Madrid near the ring road. Get a local train from Atocha Renfe to Las Margaritas which is actually the stop before Getafe itself. The 18,000 capacity Coliseum Alfonso Perez is a 15-minute walk away. Only opened in 1998 it’s a stylish ground with sunken pitch surrounded by a continuous lower tier of seats. Orange segment shaped second tiers have been added on each side. Only the main side is covered, with an arched roof, and snazzy floodlights lean in at each corner. It is only Getafe’s second season in the top flight and earlier in the campaign they were towards the top. Now settled in mid-table they deservedly defeat Betis 1-0. The only goal is a near post header from a corner but there are plenty of other chances. Entrance costs 30 euros and a free programme is to be had.
The delights of rioja and tapas are sampled on the Sunday night and a flight home on the Monday evening follows a day of sightseeing in the capital. Madrid is a fine city and a hotbed of football with Atletico Madrid and several other lesser clubs also within easy reach of the centre. I am sure I will return.