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FOOTBALL

Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu given green light for upgrade

Real Madrid's plan to upgrade the Santiago Bernabeu by 2022 at a cost of €525 million ($618 million) was given the green light on Sunday.

Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu given green light for upgrade
Photo: REAL MADRID

The financing of the plan was approved at the club's annual assembly, with work due to begin on the stadium at the start of next year.    

The proposed changes do not include an expansion to the stadium's capacity of just over 81,000. 

Madrid have announced record revenue of €750.9 million for 2017-18 and president Florentino Perez believes the completed project will bring in an extra €150 million per year. 

Perez said the loan would amount to up to €575 million, over a maximum period of 35 years, without “any impact on sporting activity”.    

“It will be more modern, more secure,” Perez said. “There are two objectives: to improve the comfort and accessibility for our fans and secondly, to obtain more income.” 

Perez said Madrid want “to be the first club in the world to exceed the one billion euro revenue mark”, an aim shared by his Barcelona counterpart Josep Maria Bartomeu, who has also embarked on a redesign of the Camp Nou.    

“There is a window of opportunity,” Perez added. “I think we should take advantage of it.” 

READ ALSO: Real Madrid suffer stadium revamp setback

RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

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