Florentino Perez Lets Slip Planned New Name for Real Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was caught on camera revealing a possible name-change for the Bernabeu Stadium at a presentation on Tuesday, as reported by AS.
Speaking to Lucia Figar, the Minister of Education and Sports of the Community of Madrid, cameras from El Chiringuito de Neox overheard Perez saying: โWe will put IPIC Bernabeu or whatever they wantโฆor Cepsa Bernabeu."
IPIC, or International Petroleum Investment Company, is a company from Abu Dhabi which entered an agreement with Los Blancos in October.
The agreement is seen as pivotal as the club attempts to revamp the stadium, with the company financing part of the new-look ground and receiving the naming rights upon completion.
Real have been planning a massive redevelopment of their current stadium for years, with the timetable to start the new project set for 2016, as reported by CNN's Piers Edwards.
The Spanish courts are yet to sign off on the plans, however, with the club still being investigated for possible state aid, per Edwards' report.
Perez's comments to Figar appear to indicate Santiago Bernabeu will remain a part of the stadium's name, a gesture the fans will surely appreciate. The iconic venue has carried the name for almost 60 years, in honour of the team president who transformed the club into the global superpower it is today.
