Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forced to temporarily close training ground stadium due to fungus problem
Real Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabeu stadium is inseparable from the club’s identity, with the stadium proving to be the breeding ground for countless iconic memories.
However, the club’s secondary venue, the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium, has also played a crucial role since its establishment, even if it does not always acquire the same spotlight.
The stadium has become a home for Real Madrid’s women’s team and youth squads, showcasing the club’s commitment to success at all levels, far beyond just the first team.
Real Madrid also played their home matches at the venue in the recent past when renovation works were taking place at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Hitting a roadblock
Fatefully, though Mundo Deportivo have come out to report that Real Madrid have had to temporarily stop using the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano as the grass on the pitch has been affected by a fungus.
The Merengues have already started treatment to fix the issue, but during this process, the pitch is unusable.

Consequently, various teams are impacted by this closure. Instead of playing at the Di Stefano versus Betis Deportivo, Real Madrid Castilla will now play on September 15 on Field 7 of the Ciudad Real Madrid training complex.
The Juvenil A team, who were set to play their UEFA Youth League debut on September 17 against Stuttgart, will now also use a different field at the same complex.
As for Real Madrid’s women’s team, it is still uncertain whether they can play their scheduled match against Athletic Bilbao at the Di Stefano on September 22, depending on how well the pitch recovers.
Due to the smaller capacity of the new venue, fans must reserve free tickets by calling the club’s helpline. Members can request one additional ticket for a fellow member. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, with no sales at the Di Stefano stadium.
In any case, the club would be looking to resolve the issue as soon as possible and resume normalcy.
Real Madrid News
Confirmed: Real Madrid starting lineup against Elche – Guler in for Bellingham
Real Madrid will be looking to pick up their fifth win of the 2026/27 La Liga season when they take on Elche CF at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight.
With 12 points from five games, Los Blancos are currently second in the league table, three points below leaders FC Barcelona.
As such, the Spanish capital club will be eager to get the win and close the gap to the top.
Guler starts, Bellingham rested
Ahead of kickoff, Real Madrid have announced the starting lineup that will take the field against Elche, with Jose Mourinho making some important changes.
For starters, Arda Guler is back in the lineup after appearing as a substitute in the win over Rayo Vallecano.
Interestingly, however, he starts in the attacking midfield role, with Mourinho opting to rest Jude Bellingham, who has started all of Real Madrid’s games so far.
That also means that Yan Diomande retains his place in the team, starting for a second time in a row on the right wing. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. continue in their respective positions in attack.
Another notable change sees Aurelien Tchouameni make his first start of the season after recovering from injury and making two appearances off the bench.
He replaces Bernardo Silva as Federico Valverde’s partner in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella come in as full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen slot in at centre-back in front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 15, 2026
🆚 @ElcheCF
👉 @UnicajaBanco pic.twitter.com/rHzZI1CQM7

