Bernabeu sees its first La Liga opening match in seven years

[Saba Sports News] According to Spanish media reports, Real Madrid will host Alaves in the first match of the La Liga season, marking the first time in seven years that the new Bernabeu stadium will host the league’s opening match. The renovation work, which started in the summer of 2019, is still ongoing, but fans are already enjoying the new stadium experience. The match against Alaves will mark a new milestone – it will be the first time in seven years that the Bernabeu will welcome the opening match of the new season. In addition, the testing of the external lighting system at the stadium is continuing and may bring a surprise after the match. The renovation project began in the summer of 2019, and the impact on the stadium’s operations was initially limited. On August 24, 2019, Real Madrid played their second league match at home against Valladolid (1-1). Then came the pandemic, and the opening matches of the next three seasons were affected by the renovation. In 2021, 2022, and 2023, Real Madrid applied to start the season with three away games to avoid interfering with the construction. Each match required a few days of construction stoppage to prepare the pitch. Through this method, the club was able to extend a month of uninterrupted construction time. Since then, Real Madrid has always started the season away from home.