Real Madrid News
Real Madrid likely to bring back the Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu from next year
Real Madrid have invariably prided themselves on being a club rich in culture and tradition.
And one such tradition in the club’s history has been the annual Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu tournament.
It is an annual friendly event that Real Madrid host at the start of the season in homage to the memory of Real Madrid’s legendary president, Santiago Bernabeu.
In honour of the club’s iconic president, who had passed away the year before, the event was first held in 1979.
Real Madrid are expected to bring back the tradition
Now, according to AS (h/t Madrid Zone), Real Madrid are expected to bring back the Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu in 2024 next year.
Due to the renovations that had to be carried out at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the competition has been canceled for the past few years, since 2018.
With safety concerns no longer an issue and Madrid’s reformed stadium, the iconic tournament that allowed Los Blancos to adhere to their age-old traditions will be brought back.
It was played between four teams from 1979 to 1982, 1984, and 1986, featuring a semi-final, a third-place match, and a championship game. Only one game was played between Real Madrid and an invited team in 1983 and 1985, and that trend has continued since 1987.
As an exception though, there were four teams in the 2002 competition to celebrate Real Madrid’s centenary.
Similar to how Barcelona plays a Joan Gamper Trophy game ahead of the commencement of the season, it enables the club to utilize the stage as a memorial for iconic figures of the club.
Moreover, Real Madrid are bound to benefit from the return of the Trofeo Santiago Bernabéu as the opportunity to provide youngsters with playtime and test out an array of formations in a friendly setting will exist.
Aurelien Tchouameni has had an exciting start to his career at Real Madrid. Since joining the club for almost €80 million last summer, the young Frenchman has now become a pivotal figure in Real Madrid’s midfield unit.
However, prior to his move to Santiago Bernabeu, the midfielder was closely linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
In a recent interview, Tchouameni opened up on his links to PSG but revealed his decision to join Real Madrid.
Aurelien Tchouameni on PSG links
Talking about speculations linking him to PSG, Tchouameni said (h/t Madrid Zone), “PSG? Frankly, I thought about it. It’s a very big European club, we want the French clubs to succeed.”
“But honestly, when Real Madrid calls you, it’s very complicated to say no,” Tchouameni added.
The midfielder was linked with a move to PSG during his time at AS Monaco. Les Parisiens wanted to sign the youngster as part of their plans to reinforce the midfield unit.
Tchouameni, though, ended up opting for a move to Real Madrid, which turned out to be a prudent decision from the midfielder’s end.
Tchouameni’s career at Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni made a total of 50 competitive appearances during his maiden season at Real Madrid.
Although the Frenchman was not entirely a first-team regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s setup, his stature in the team is expected to grow in the coming years.
Especially as Toni Kroos and Luka Modric move on at the end of the season, there is scope for Tchouameni to become a first-team regular in the Real Madrid midfield in the years to come.
The former AS Monaco starlet has already played a crucial role in the starting eleven so far this season and it is only going to continue as the season progresses.
