European regions where it is possible to see 3 top-flight matches during a weekend are far less common that one would think: London, Madrid & Istanbul. With a bit of travelling also Basque Country and the Ruhr-area in Germany.
Last January we chose Madrid as our football destination, and here I tell, why you should probably also
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In Madrid there are currently 4 teams playing in the Spanish Primera Division: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Leganes and Getafe. In addition Rayo Vallecano, a team famous for the amazing atmosphere at their home games, is a regular sight in La Liga, although currently stuck in the Segunda Division.
Friday
The weekend started with a friday-night encounter at the suburb of Getafe, where the local team took over the Basques, Athletic Bilbao.
The Coliseum Alfonso Perez (yes, really named after the Real Madrid president) was far from fancy. However on a chilly night the whole neighbourhood seemed to gather to the stadium to support their local pride and the atmosphere was comfortable and cozy. The tickets cost around 20€ and could be bought at the door.
Despite the modest surroundings, the game was one of the most entertaining I've seen. The numbers on the scoreboard read 2 - 2 and three penalties were awarded in the match. Also one Aymeric Laporte played his last game in the central defence of Athletic Bilbao, before being sold to Manchester City for 65 million euros.
Saturday
On saturday we headed to the town before taking the metro to the brand new Wanda Metropolitano, the home of Atletico Madrid. The massive, almost brutalistic design of the stadium in the western outskirts of the city was impressing to say the least, and seemed to highlight the rise of Atletico to the top of European football.
The inside of the stadium was boiling when the passionate Atletico fans gathered to the stand to see their team take on Girona. Unfortunately they left the stadium disappointed as Girona held on to a 1-1 draw at the Wanda.
Obviously being a major European team now, the tickets to this encounter reflected the success. We paid 70€/ticke for excellent seats close to the field in the main stand. Not exactly cheap, but still cheaper than any major English team.
Sunday
What would be a more plausible ending to a great football weekend than the mighty Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu. We left early towards the Bernabeu, because we wanted to feel the atmosphere before the game.
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The domestic season of Real Madrid had been disappointing, which could be sensed before the game. All around the stadium the bars and cafes filled ups with supporters dressed in the royal white, but from their tone of speaking, we could hear that the match was waited in rather mixed feelings.
From the inside, the stadium was even more enormous than from the outside. However, the 80 000 Madridistas fell silent, when Deportivo La Coruna stroke the first goal of the match. During the second half however Real Madrid got their engine running and hammered Deportivo down with a 7-1 victory.
However the crowd stayed critical and Cristiano Ronaldo was booed off the stadium despite hitting 2 goals, before getting kicked in the face. The incident also made world wide sports news, because the portuguese star seemed to be more interested in the cut on his face than in the victory of his team.
Verdict
After seeing football in London, Liverpool, Rome and Lisbon, I can easily recommend Madrid as the best value-for-money destination for a football fan. Even though not the size of London, the city is filled with interesting shops, restaurants and museums in addition to football. All the stadiums are also accessible by the underground network. Both the city (accommodation, restaurants, public transport, food, beer) and the football tickets are also considerably cheaper than in London. In January, the weather was also a lot nicer than in the chilly, rainy England.
All in all, if you want to see as much football, as conveniently as possible during a weekend, head to Madrid!!
