Santiago Bernabéu

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Bernabéu was born in San Sebastián street, Almansa in the province of Albacete, Spain; where his family lived. His family moved to Madrid when he was very young, and Bernabéu himself joined the Real Madrid junior ranks in 1909 at age 14, after being a regular spectator at their matches for years. Bernabéu wore the captain's armband for years. In 1920, Santiago Bernabéu withdrew from Real Madrid and joined their city rival Atlético Madrid, with whom he would only play one game. In 1921, he returned to Real Madrid, playing as a striker before retiring from playing in 1927. He continued to be associated with the club until 1935, first as manager of the first team, then as a director and later becoming assistant manager. With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, professional football ceased to be played in Spain. During the war, Bernabéu fought on the side of Francisco Franco's Nationalists under the general Agustín Muñoz Grandes. After the war, Bernabéu proceeded to spend the next several months finding and contacting former players, directors, and club members, eventually restructuring the club. In 1943, Bernabéu was elected president of Real Madrid – a position he would occupy until his death on 2 June 1978. He restructured the club at all levels, giving every section and level of the club independent technical teams and recruiting people such as Raimundo Saporta. He then went on to build what would become the stadium that today bears his name, at the time the largest stadium in all of Europe. The Ciudad Deportiva was also constructed during these years. He embarked upon a strategy of signing world-class players, the most prominent being Alfredo Di Stéfano. During Bernabéu's presidency many of Real Madrid's most legendary names played for the club, including Molowny, Muñoz, Di Stéfano, Gento, Rial, Santamaría, Kopa, Puskás, Amancio, Pirri, Netzer, Breitner, Santillana, Stielike, Juanito, Jensen, Camacho, and many others. In 1955, acting upon the idea proposed by the L'Équipe journalist Gabriel Hanot and building upon the Latin Cup, Bernabéu met in the Ambassador Hotel in Paris with Ernest Bedrignan and Gustav Sebes and created what was at first a loosely constructed tournament played among invited teams, but which over time developed into what is today the Champions League. Bernabéu helped Manchester United rebuild its team following the Munich air

In Their Own Story

In 1955, acting on an idea from L'Équipe journalist Gabriel Hanot and building upon the Latin Cup, Bernabéu met in the Ambassador Hotel in Paris with Ernest Bedrignan and Gustav Sebes. They created what was at first a loosely constructed tournament among invited teams, which over time developed into what is today the Champions League. Bernabéu also helped Manchester United rebuild its team following the Munich air disaster in 1958. At the time of his death, Bernabéu had been president for nearly 35 years. His club had won 6 European Cups, 2 Latin Cups, 1 Intercontinental Cup, 16 league titles, 6 Spanish Cups, and 1 Copa Eva Duarte. He died in 1978 while the World Cup was being played in Argentina. In his honour, FIFA decreed three days of mourning during the tournament. In 2002, he was posthumously awarded the FIFA Order of Merit.

Reader's Guide

Santiago Bernabéu is a legendary figure in Spanish football history, best known as the long-serving president of Real Madrid. He played for Real Madrid as a forward, captained the team, and later managed the club before becoming president. His presidency saw the construction of the stadium that now bears his name, which was the largest in Europe at the time. He was instrumental in creating the European Cup, the precursor to the UEFA Champions League. He also helped Manchester United rebuild after the Munich air disaster. Under his leadership, Real Madrid won numerous domestic and international titles, including five consecutive European Cups.

Did You Know?

• Bernabéu played one game for Atlético Madrid in 1920 after leaving Real Madrid, before returning to Real Madrid in 1921.
• During the Spanish Civil War, Bernabéu fought on the side of Francisco Franco's Nationalists under General Agustín Muñoz Grandes.
• The stadium named after him was the largest in all of Europe when it was built.
• Bernabéu helped Manchester United rebuild its team following the Munich air disaster in 1958.