Santiago Bernabéu

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Bernabéu was born in San Sebastián street, Almansa in the province of Albacete, Spain. His family moved to Madrid when he was very young, and he joined the Real Madrid junior ranks in 1909 at age 14. He wore the captain's armband for years. In 1920, he withdrew from Real Madrid and joined 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 with the club until 1935, first as manager, then as a director, and later as assistant manager. During the Spanish Civil War, he fought on the side of Francisco Franco's Nationalists. After the war, he spent months finding and contacting former players, directors, and club members, restructuring the club. In 1943, he was elected president of Real Madrid, a position he held until his death. He built the stadium that today bears his name, at the time the largest in Europe, and also constructed the Ciudad Deportiva. He signed world-class players including Alfredo Di Stéfano. In 1955, he helped create what became the Champions League. He also helped Manchester United rebuild after the Munich air disaster in 1958.

In Their Own Story

The stadium was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 with a match between Real Madrid and Portuguese side Os Belenenses. At 15:30, referee Pedro Escartín started the match. Real Madrid striker Sabino Barinaga scored the first goal in the 15th minute with a header. After the match, Barinaga received a recognition pennant, and players and managers celebrated with a dinner. The first official match took place on 28 December 1947, matchday 12 of La Liga against Athletic Club, which had been postponed. The stadium has hosted the final of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League on four occasions: in 1957, 1969, 1980 and 2010. It also hosted the second leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores Finals, making it the only stadium to host finals of both competitions. The final matches for the 1964 European Nations' Cup and the 1982 FIFA World Cup were also held at the Bernabéu, making it the first stadium in Europe to host both a UEFA Euro final and a FIFA World Cup final.

Reader's Guide

Under Bernabéu's presidency, Real Madrid won 6 European Cups, 2 Latin Cups, 1 Intercontinental Cup, 16 league titles, 6 Spanish Cups, and 1 Copa Eva Duarte. The club's current stadium is named in his honour. He died in 1978 while the World Cup was being played in Argentina; FIFA decreed three days of mourning. In 2002, he was posthumously awarded the FIFA Order of Merit.

Did You Know?

• Bernabéu played for both Real Madrid and its city rival Atlético Madrid, but only played one game for Atlético.
• He served as Real Madrid's president for 34 years and 264 days, from 11 September 1943 until his death.
• He helped create the tournament that later became the UEFA Champions League.
• The stadium named after him was the largest in Europe at the time of its construction.