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Real Madrid have shown off their stunning retractable pitch after Jude Bellingham christened the new-look stadium with a last gasp winner.
Los Blancos finally unveiled the new and improved Santiago Bernabeu after four years of renovation work on Saturday. The Spanish giants had been forced to play their home games at the 6,000 capacity Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano at their training centre since 2021.
They spent almost £1billion on transforming their iconic stadium into a multi-purpose arena. And Madrid’s long-awaited return did not disappoint, with Bellingham scoring his fifth goal in four games to seal a 2-1 victory against Getafe.
Now a new clip posted on the club’s social media has offered a glimpse into the marvellous mechanics of the state of the art complex, which only has some finishing touches left.
READ MORE: Jude Bellingham tells opponent 'get f***ed' as fans say 'that's the Birmingham in him'
The video gives a view of the large pit located inside the 152,000 square metre stadium which will hold the new pitch’s removal and storage system.
It shows the mind-bending modern technology used to shift the grass across and change the nature of the turf to fit various sporting events, including baseball, tennis and basketball.
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The pitch is divided up into vertical sections and moved down to one of the stadium’s six underground levels, which reach a depth of over 25 metres. It includes an underground irrigation system as well as ultraviolet lighting to maintain the grass.
The renovation, designed by Spanish architecture studios L35 and Ribas & Ribas together with German studio GMP Architecten, will fit 85,000 fans, though there were just 66,000 in attendance for Saturday’s opener.
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Yet it was enough to leave the club’s latest Galactico in awe as he celebrated in front of the adoring Los Blancos faithful in the 95th minute.
Speaking to Real Madrid TV, Bellingham said: "It's the loudest moment I've heard in a stadium. Happy it was for my goal. When they were singing 'Hey Jude' at the end, I got goosebumps.
"I just wanted to stand still and listen to them. My legs were shaking. I know I was brought in for these kind of moments, they're the kind of moments I know I can deliver for this team."
- Real Madrid FC
- La Liga
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