Real Madrid finished the 2020-21 campaign without a trophy. Second in LaLiga and the Champions League semifinals are not good enough in the Spanish capital, especially when city rival Atlético Madrid won the league. As if Madridistas needed any further sign their club was struggling, the famed Estadio Santiago Bernabéu caught fire on Wednesday during ongoing renovations.
Plumes of smoke could be seen billowing out of the historic stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Marca reported firefighters reacted quickly to quell the blaze.
Incendio en las obras del Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.
Los bomberos ya están trabajando en la instalación.A las 12 @elchiringuitotv en MEGA. pic.twitter.com/u2lv9d60Mb
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) May 26, 2021
The Santiago Bernabéu is undergoing massive renovations as part of a $650 million project, which will include the addition of a retractable roof. Renderings of the finished product have some thinking it’ll look like a George Foreman Grill from the air.
Real Madrid played its matches at the Estadio Alfredo di Stéfano, the club’s training ground, this past season while the Bernabéu has been under construction. The renovations came at a fortuitous time for Real, as fans weren’t allowed at stadiums anyway this past season because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. However, renovations are not expected to be completed until June 2022 — that is unless this fire caused any major setbacks.