I will be in Madrid....

[MadridForLife]

I will be visiting Madrid in June of 2003 and wanted to know if there is a club museum at the Bernabeu, and if there is how late it would be open until during that time. Also I was interested in purchasing a Zidane jersey and/or other madrid things and wanted to know if their was a good store other than the stadium shop to buy these things. Also if you could tell me where it was located in relation to the plaza mayor that would be great.

[MadridForever]

The museum is in the stadium near the gate 1. I don't know the schedule, i only know that is closed the mondays.

There are three official Real Madrid stores in Madrid:

1- It's next to the museum.

2- it's in the "Esquina del Bernabeu". A shopping center that is in one of the south stadium's corners.

3- A Mega-Store placed near of "La puerta del Sol" - a square in the center of the city near "Plaza Mayor". It's near the "El Corte Ingles" store.

You can buy a Zidane jersey in all of the these stores. To buy all type of things related with the Real Madrid the best is the Store near "La puerta del Sol".


There are other two threads in this forums where you can find more information for your visit to Madrid:

Going to madrid ...

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=17537


will visit Madrid in middle of Dec, are there any matches around Dec 14 in Madrid?

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=10361


I hope that you have a good time in Madrid. If we are lucky, the Real Madrid will probably be fighting to win la liga and the CL in June.

[Lawmill]

"I will be visiting Madrid in June of 2003 and wanted to know if there is a club museum at the Bernabeu, and if there is how late it would be open until during that time. "

I am not the absolute authority, but there is not really a museum per se. For a few Euross, you can see all of the basketball and soccer trophies, watch videos of various matches, and sit in a section of the seats.

If you are expecting Di Stefano´s boots or a jersey signed by this year´s team, get ready for disappointment.

I believe the museum closes around 8:30. It, like many attractions in Madrid, is closed on Mondays.

"Also I was interested in purchasing a Zidane jersey and/or other madrid things and wanted to know if their was a good store other than the stadium shop to buy these things. "

All three team stores, called Area:Real Madrid, are pretty big. El Corte Ingles also sells quite a few Real Madrid things. For things like team magnets, hats, and other little things, I recommend a store called Rosa Negra.

You should be able to find jerseys for considerably less if you look around. Team jerseys with names were $72 at the team store and El Corte Ingles, but only $60 at private stores nearby and exactly the same.

Madrid is a great city: very friendly, inexpensive, safe, totally rocking until about 3am, and with a fantastic metro system. If I had more time, I would go back again.

[dmar]

I was just recalling... isn't there an exposition on Real Madrid's Centenary in el Parque de Atracciones? The one that is announced everywhere at the metro.

[MadridForLife]

Thanks a lot for all the info on Madrid, it will help. Hopefully when I am there Madrid will have brought another CL trophy back to the Bernabeu.

[2ManyHeaders]

Hey guys,

I'll be Spain and Madrid in early to mid november, I'm not sure of the dates yet, but I'm flexible. Are there games going on at that time? Is it realistic to get tickets? WIll they be sold out? Any comments are helpful.

Thanks

[MadridForever]

Originally posted by 2ManyHeaders
Hey guys,

I'll be Spain and Madrid in early to mid november, I'm not sure of the dates yet, but I'm flexible. Are there games going on at that time? Is it realistic to get tickets? WIll they be sold out? Any comments are helpful.

Thanks


Real madrid home games around November:

27/10/2002
Real Madrid -- Villarreal

30/10/2002
Real Madrid - Roma

17/11/2002
Real Madrid -- R. Sociedad

01/12/2002
Real Madrid -- Sevilla

26/27 November 2002 - First game of the champions league second round. The draw of the second round is the november 15th. Until that day we won't know the rivals and whether the game is in home.

My choice would be:

1 - First game Champions league second round. if the game is in home and against a big team - Milan, Manchester, Inter, Juventus.

2- Real Madrid - R. Sociedad. Real Sociedad is playing very well this year - it's the first in la liga and play offensive soccer. Historically, it's a match with many goals.

3 - Real Madrid - Roma. This game will be my first choice if the team was fighting to classify for the second round, but seems that for that game the team already will be classified.


All the games will be almost surely sold-out. To make sure to get tickets you must buy them in the stadium two or three days before the match. In last instance you can buy the tickets to the scalpers - Lawmill have experience about that ;).

[anirbanblah]

I was in Madrid last november specifically for the Madrid-Barca game and I couldn't get a ticket at the gate (they were only being sold to socios) or even from a scalper... I was very lucky to have a friend who knew someone who worked at the ticket office, and even then we managed only a lateral ticket on the 3rd or 4th tier. But the people are really helpful and friendly, and if they see that you are really really passionate and knowledgeable about the club despite being a foreigner, they will always help you.

The museum is not as elaborate as the one at the Nou Camp, but I think it is definitely worth visiting. It's great to walk along and see all the trophies, including the first few European Cups, along with video clips of the goals. Then there is a room with the 2 newest European Championship trophies (I guess it would be 3 now :)), and the video clips and sound there is very nice, because they not only show the goals but also the celebration that happens after that, on the pitch, with the players arriving at the airport, Hierro and Michael lifting the cup, and the huuuuuge crowds at the Plaza de Cibiles.

... and after you have seen the trophies and soaked in the club's history, walk out to the stands (you will not be allowed to the pitch) and just sit in one of the seats. Soak in the atmosphere at the stadium, the seats, the turf, the scoreboard, the players dugout, the Real Madrid signs, and how the walls are so steep that even the topmost seats are almost on top of the pitch unlike Camp Nou where the slope is almost 45 degrees ... if it's the first time you are stepping into the Bernabeau, it's a wonderful introduction, and its wonderful to compare it to the noise and magic of a packed stadium when you watch a game a few days later.

The other thing you must try to do is watch a training session, these don't happen at the Bernabeau but at the training facilities that are a little further (to the North if I remember correctly). That gives you the chance to see the players close-up.


With regards to merchandise, I bought my stuff at the Real Madrid store at the shopping centre outside the stadium. There were actually 2 stores selling only Real Madrid goods, and I thought the choice was amazing, except for the watches. I thought of buying a Zidane jersey too, but I bought a Raul one instead, because even if he is not as great a player as Zidane, to me Raul is a greater Real Madrid footballer, and a symbol of the club.

And Madrid is a simply awesome city, there's so much fun and passion and stuff to see or do. It's got a lot of tourists but somehow doesn't feel as touristy as other great cities like Prague and Barcelona. The key, i think, is to make friends or have friends in Madrid, and to live how they live. When you're out partying at night, try not to have a plan, go to a few bars, have a few canjas and a few tapas, and when the mood is right go to a club. And be prepared for a magical time in one of the nicest cities in the world.

Damn... writing this post makes me want to go back to Madrid... I sometimes wish I was an EU citizen only so that I could get a work permit to go live and work in Madrid for a year or two... that's what my dream life would be like... live in Madrid, become a socio, attend all home games, travel out of town on alternate weekends (the away game weekends) to all the amazing little towns in spain, and have a wonderful summer vacation somewhere on the southern coast. That, in the words of my old Irish flatmate would be "living the dream"!

[paulocesar]

Getting a ticket was a lot easier than i thought it would be (saw 4 games while i was there ...2 UCL and 2 Liga games).

The only game that i know that is almost impossible to get is against Barca...but for others, you have a good chance)

Buying a Real kit...more expensive in the stadium shop...a little cheaper near Plaza Mayor...most expensive at Corte Ingles!!!!!