Few football grounds boast a more prestigious
address than the Bernabeu, lies as it does on the 1. ______
Castellana, the three-lining highway that runs through 2. ______
the heart of Madrid.
As Real date back to 1902, when the Sociedad 3. ______
Madrid Football Club was formed, it was not until
1920 when the club was granted permission to use the 4. ______
Real (royal) prefix. Work began on the current
stadium in October 1944. The land had been purchased
on three million pesetas; construction costs totally a 5. ______
further 38 million, a staggered sum for the time. The 6. ______
cost of the new stadium led to claims, never proving, 7. ______
that Real had received financial aid from General
Franco’s government. Under Bernabeu’s patronage,
Real Madrid became the greatest club side ever, won 8.______
the European Champions Cup a record five times in a
row between 1956 and 1960, a remarkable feat that
is unlikely to be challenged.
Madrid lies, quite literally, at the heart of
Spain. This is no small coincidence that the capital’s 9. ______
leading football club is seen like a symbol of all 10.______
things Spanish, just as FC Barcelona is a beacon for
the independent Catalan spirit.