Santiago Bernabeu. Many will think of Real Madrid's stadium when they hear this name. Yes, there is indeed a historic stadium of Real Madrid by this name, but the stadium itself is named after Santiago Bernabeu de Yeste. He was a successful president, coach, and footballer of the club.

I'm talking about Santiago Bernabeu de Yeste here. This article revolves around him.

Santiago Bernabeu de Yeste served as the president of Los Blancos for a remarkable 35 years. During his tenure, Real Madrid won 70 trophies, uniting big and small victories. However, his contribution cannot be solely measured by the number of trophies. He became the central figure in the narrative of today's Real Madrid, the one and only protagonist, Don Santiago Bernabeu.

Santiago Bernabeu was born in 1895 in Alba sete, but his family settled in the capital, Real Madrid, during his childhood. At the age of just 14, he got the opportunity to try out for Real Madrid.

Bernabeu's desire was to play as a goalkeeper, but his brother Marcelo Bernabeu wanted to play as a forward. Eventually, his brother's wish was fulfilled.

At the age of 17, Santiago Bernabeu secured a place in the first team. At one point, he became the captain of Real Madrid. In 1927, after 15 years, he retired from playing. Even after retirement, Bernabeu was often seen in the stands at Real Madrid matches and even served as the club's coach in 1928.

In 1940, Real Madrid was in a delicate situation. At that time, Santiago Bernabeu was the president of the club.

Real Madrid's stadium is one of the most famous stadiums in the world. At one point, this stadium could only accommodate 16,000 spectators. However, Santiago Bernabeu expanded this stadium significantly. Much of the stadium's reconstruction costs came from supporters. He provided strong institutional support to the club's fan clubs. Alongside the stadium's reconstruction, he also improved training facilities.

Santiago divided Real Madrid into various sections and employed separate individuals for each section. Under his presidency, the first professional coaching staff was formed at Los Blancos.

It was Bernabeu's management that led to the improvement of the club's financial situation. Due to such success, he began to recruit world-famous players to compete for the club's presidency. In this continuity, players like Paco Gento, Alfredo Di Stefano, and Puskas joined Real Madrid.

Even behind the start of the European Cup, Bernabeu's contribution was immense. Real Madrid then won a total of 5 European Cups, a record that remains unbroken in European football history.

In 1952, Santiago's initiative led to the creation of the club anthem "Hala Madrid" at Real Madrid. Besides football, he also paid attention to Real Madrid's basketball, handball, and volleyball teams.

Santiago Bernabeu took Real Madrid to heights that few European clubs have achieved. He dedicated his life to the club. As a player, coach, manager, and president, he gave his all to the institution.

Real Madrid is now one of the best clubs in the world. The club's management council hasn't forgotten his contribution. That's why the stadium was named after Santiago Bernabeu in honor of his contribution.

At the age of 82, Santiago Bernabeu passed away on June 2, 1978.