Accomplishing dreams requires sacrifices and Real Madrid knows this. Because of hosting an NFL match at the new Santiago Bernabeu, it must adapt the facility to the rules of American football and the needs of the players. To make that happen, the lower rows of the newly completed stands will be demolished, as well as… the changing rooms.

The pitch is too short, the changing rooms too small

It's a great honour, [...] a huge source of pride for all of us, madridistas, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez commented on the selection of Estadio Santiago Bernabéu for Spain's first NFL game. As it turns out, Pérez's dream could prove problematic - according to Miguel Díaz of COPE radio the club will have to demolish several rows of the lower level of the stands which, after all, it has gradually rebuilt in the last years.

The reason, of course, is the difference in pitch dimensions. In association football (soccer) the playing area is 105x68, while in American football it is 110x49 metres. So while there will a lot of space on the sides - the fans seating there will be considerably further away from the pitch than usual - the sectors behind the goals will have to be partially demolished to accommodate the turf.

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The Miami Dolphins will most likely land in Madrid during the national team break on 16 November, so there is plenty of time to carry out the work. After the match, however, the removed rows will not return as before, as they will be replaced by retractable structures. This will allow such matches to be repeated in the future, and even basketball courts to be installed in their place.

According to Diaz, most likely one more demolition will be needed - of the changing rooms. NFL teams have as many as 53 players on the roster, around twice as many as football clubs. The current changing rooms at the Bernabéu are therefore too small, in terms of space or number of showers, so the club will have to demolish them and build new ones, and after the game, most likely return to the old configuration.

Millions for soundproofing and more chairs

However, this is not the end of the changes that will take place at Los Blancos’ temple. In addition to the ongoing finishing work on the interior of the stadium, the COPE journalist indicated that Real Madrid want to invest €10M in soundproofing the Bernabéu, focusing on the Skywalk and the entrances, through whose open spaces the noise escapes. The aim would be to save at least ⅓ of the 30 concerts originally planned for each year.

The second, which could be key to Madrid's battle for the 2030 World Cup final, is the contemplated addition of two rows of seats at the so-called first amphitheatre, the third level of the auditorium after Gradas Alta y Baja and Tribuna. This could be particularly important as Real is 1,700 chairs short of the 80,000-seat limit required for the final.

© Real Madrid | Soundproofing the Bernabeu is extremely difficult due to sound escaping through the open space of the Skywalk (visible on the photo), the openings between the façade panels and the entrance.