Real Madrid dey plan to change dia iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium from football fortress to tennis arena for di upcoming Madrid Open tournament. Di clay-court event wey be ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 competition go begin on April 22, and di Bernabéu go serve as practice venue for players. According to reports from The New York Times, dis decision dey make sense because di stadium dey close to di players’ hotel, and Real Madrid sef go dey away for matches during dat period.
Di transformation dey possible because of di stadium state-of-the-art retractable pitch wey dem complete during di $1 billion renovation for 2023. Di system allow dem to divide di playing surface into six sections and store am underground. While di grass dey preserved below, dem fit convert di top surface to clay practice courts for Madrid Open participants. Real Madrid schedule dey favor dis arrangement well-well, as di club go play away matches against Real Betis, Espanyol, and FC Barcelona between late April and early May. Even if dem reach UEFA Champions League semifinal for April 28 or 29, e go still be away match.
Marca newspaper report say di conversion work go start immediately after Real Madrid La Liga match against Deportivo Alavés on April 21. Dis no be di first time Bernabéu go host non-football events. For 2024, di stadium don stage NFL game and Taylor Swift concert. Club president Florentino Pérez don even dream of hosting exhibition tennis match between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer before, but injury and scheduling issues make am no happen.
For women football side, Barcelona women dem show serious power for UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid. Dem hammer Real Madrid 6-2 for Estadio Alfredo di Stéfano, with Irene Paredes scoring di third goal. Paredes talk to CBS Sports after di match say dem no expect to get four-goal lead, but dem happy with di result. Di 34-year-old defender admit say Real Madrid be good team and Linda Caicedo play well, but Barcelona still get areas wey dem fit improve.
Alexia Putellas, wey UEFA Technical Observer Group name as Player of di Match, insist say Barcelona “always strive for excellence” despite di big win. Di 32-year-old midfielder talk to 3Cat say di tie still get 90 minutes remaining and dem no go become complacent. Putellas reveal say dem need to work on controlling Real Madrid transitions better. Barcelona go host di second leg for Spotify Camp Nou next Thursday, and club sources don confirm say over 35,000 tickets don already sell.
For transfer news, Manchester United dey consider move for Tottenham captain Cristian Romero according to reports from Spain. Di Argentina international get special clause for im contract wey allow am join Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, or Barcelona if any of dem pay €60 million. Atlético Madrid don try sign Romero before but refuse pay Tottenham €55 million asking price. Real Madrid dey also look for new central defender, but Manchester United interest dey create “major problem” for Atlético plans.
Diego Simeone, Atlético Madrid manager, don express admiration for Romero before, calling am player with strong personality, character, and defensive ability. Romero imself talk say e dey focused on finishing di season well with Tottenham before making any decision about im future. Di summer transfer window go determine wey club go secure di services of di 27-year-old defender.
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