On December 14, 1947, in Madrid, there was a debut. Not of a player or a coach, but of an entire stadium. Because there is the first match played at the Real Madrid stadium, the “Nuevo Estadio Chamartin”, which takes its name from the neighborhood where it is located. Three years earlier the first stone had been laid, only to then build a facility for 75,145 spectators, of which only 27,465 were seated. Who knows what UEFA would think of it now.
In any case, the identified opponent is Belenenses, a Portuguese club. The first goal scored was a diving header from the movie library. It was signed by Sabino Barinaga, for a 3-1 final. The match, a friendly, probably doesn’t matter to anyone. Especially thinking about the history that exudes and that has been written, from the Champions League of the first years to those of the last.
It was Santiago Bernabeu, one of the most successful presidents in history, with 30 years of reign, who wanted that stadium so badly, futuristic and ahead of its time. The same stadium was dedicated to him a few years later, in January 1955. Over the years it has undergone redevelopments and renovations which have led it to be the most expensive facility ever, but also the most cutting-edge.