Ciudad Real Madrid

Real Madrid F.C.'s training facilities, known as Ciudad Real Madrid (Real Madrid City), was opened in 2005 and covers 1.2 million square meters. It is also known as Valdebebas, the name of the district in which the complex is located. So far construction cost the club around $101 million and only about 1/3 has been completed.

It contains 13 1/3 soccer fields, including, Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano, where the reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla, play it's home matches. The youth squads are designated 3 synthetic turf fields (115 x 75 yards), 2 natural grass fields (approximately the same size), and 2 small sided synthetic turf fields for the youngest age groups (70 x 45 yards). The first team is allocated 2 natural grass fields, 1 synthetic turf field, a small sided natural grass field (60 x 35 yards), a small sided synthetic turf field (55 x 30 yards), and a "final third" partial field (35 x 70 yards) used for finishing exercises and practicing set pieces. The quality of the fields are such that the natural and synthetic environments are easily confused with one another.

These surround a large building, shaped like a letter "T", that serves as the spine of the complex and in some regards, the club itself. The vertical portion of the building serves the purposes of the youth teams, while the long hall at the end is reserved for the first team. As a youth player develops, each year he is invited back to the academy his team room will be closer to the first team wing. Within this building you will find team rooms, equipment rooms, weight rooms and rehab centers. There are audio-visual rooms, used as tactical classrooms, complete with projection video systems, microphone and speaker systems, and large dry erase boards designed like soccer fields. Several flat screen LCD monitors are positioned in various places throughout the room. The state of the art medical facilities consist of examination rooms, treatment rooms, and a hydrotherapy center that includes hot and cool pools, a cold plunge, and a resistance wave pool. Everything in Valdebebas is the best money can buy.

The security at the sports facility is also extremely impressive. A private security company monitors and patrols Ciudad Real Madrid. From the outside it may resemble a minimum security prison as it is completely fenced in, with a road circling the complex used mainly for security vehicles, 2 manned security towers at each end, and gated entrances where you must provide proper identification. The complex is impressively designed so that fans and parents are kept at a distance from the academy, reserve, and first team members. The training fields can only be accessed through the main building, past another security checkpoint which even parents of youth team members are not allowed to pass through. Spectator stands can only be accessed from the outer perimeter of the complex. For every Real Madrid team room there is a visitors team room, but they are only accessable from the outside.

Every detail has been very well though out in it's design. For example, the sand pits (20 x 35 yards) were built in to accommadate South American members who enjoy playing Brazilian volleyball (a game in which you can't use your hands), the rehab facility has a wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling window looking out over training grounds to motivate players to work hard when returning from injury, there is an indoor synthetic turf area adjacent to the rehab facility where players can work with a ball or footwork exercises under medical supervision. Other things to note are the cantina inside the building which serves food and drinks and the first team player lounge, which is equiped with comfortable couches and chairs, includes a bar, and overlooks their training pitches.

This soccer city is a modern marvel of the blent between sports and business. It has everything you could ever want when developing soccer talent. And the detail and specificity of the grounds is astounding.