Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium is one of the most famous grounds in European football. Los Blancos have called it home since 1947 and they've found an awful lot of success in the Spanish capital. The near-81,000 seater venue has stood for over 70 years and is one of the most iconic in the world, but it will soon be getting quite the face-lift. Madrid have long been planning an ambitious stadium revamp that would see the Bernabeu completely transformed into a modern football arena. The club plans to build a new metallic shell, a retractable roof and other amenities such as a hotel on the site.
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The project is still in its opening stages, but this week has seen a significant development that means Los Blancos can soon move forward.
On Wednesday, Real were given the green light to begin remodelling their stadium after they received final planning permission from the Madrid City Council.
According to AS, the club plan to start their €575 million project as early as May, shortly before the season concludes. Check out some images of the planned stadium below.
The report also suggests that the Bernabeu revamp is officially due for completion in October 2022. However, it's more likely to take four to five years to finish.
As well as radically changing the appearance of ground, Real are making the smallest of changes to the capacity too.
The Bernabeu currently has 80,243 seats and that will be reduced by just one when the project is finished - just why they're removing that single seat is unclear though.
Real's home isn't the only famous European ground set for a modern face-lift in the near future.
The decisions taken by Madrid and the two Milan clubs will no doubt be followed by many more in years to come, as Europe's top teams look to bring their stadiums into the 21st century.