There is no doubt that Madrid is a powerhouse when it comes to sports in Spain and Europe, especially in football and basketball. With 2 teams in the top league in Spain in both sports, a lot of athletic talent accumulates in the city. And this year’s season has proven this yet again:
Real Madrid Baloncesto was the only Spanish team this season to make it to the Final Four in the Euroleague. And the football club of Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey and was the runner up in La Liga.
Although the basketball and the football season are over tourists and football fans who rent apartments in Madrid during the summer months have the opportunity to visit the stadium to see where the “magic” happens. Over the years not just in Madrid but in general sport venues have turned into popular tourist attractions and often they also have somewhat of a museum that documents the history of the team. In fact, the stadium Real Madrid plays at, the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium or El Bernabeu is among the world’s most famous and prestigious football venues. It has a capacity of over 80,000.
The hometown rival Atletico Madrid plays in a different stadium by the name of Vicente Calderon Stadium. The seats in the stadium are arranged in stripes of red and white, the colors of the club and the stadium holds almost 55,000 people.
The two big basketball teams in Madrid are Real Madrid Baloncesto and CB Estudiantes. Although in recent years Regal Barcelona has been more successful, Real Madrid Baloncesto is the most successful Spanish team in the country and in Europe. Since 2010 the Caja Magica (“The Magic Box”) is the homecourt of this team which has a capacity of 12,000.
Although their hometown rival CB Estudiantes has fewer trophies to show, their homecourt has a capacity of 16,000 and is the more relevant venue, the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid.
If you are a football fan there is no doubt that you have to see the stadiums when you are staying in Madrid apartments. If you are not a sports fan, don’t worry because both the Caja Magica and the Palacio de Deportes host many other events such as concerts and festivals.
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