Florentino Perez wanted to move Real Madrid to theme park with roller-coasters named after Zidane as details of £2.1billion project emerge: Reports
It has been revealed that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez had intentions of creating a theme park called RealMadridLand for the Madridistas. According to The Sun, the legendary Galacticos president had the idea back in 2004, but only started to put the plans into motion half a decade ago.
Perez was pressured by the emergence of massive footballing conglomerates like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. He was reportedly intent on reinventing the club's presence at the peak of world football, and a rollercoaster theme park was the route Perez decided on.
The Sun reports that the Real Madrid president consulted with Disney executives, as the colossal media giant has long been popular for their theme park, DisneyLand. Sketches were reportedly drawn, with a focus on rollercoasters based on some of the club's most famous goals. Zinedine Zidane's iconic 2002 Champions League winner against Bayer Leverkusen was reported to be one such goal that would've been turned into a rollercoaster.
Florentino Pérez: “I only speak when Real Madrid win [a trophy].” https://t.co/QWSIAnMm4e
Speaking with the Disney chiefs, Perez reportedly said:
“In our world, we are as big as Disney. Real Madrid must do things like this because we are the number-one club, and the only way we will remain there is by always being the first big innovator.”
The massive theme park is said to have been planned with a new stadium in mind, with the players and training complexes set to move to the park. This would have notably included spaces to accommodate the club's younger squads, hotels, and conference centers. However, Perez could not find the massive plot of land that would've been required to make the theme park a reality.
📸 Florentino Pérez met the players before the training today. 🤝🏼 https://t.co/xMMH5O9Pnn
Aside from this, the Real Madrid chief was unable to secure the £2.1 billion required to make the theme park a reality. He could only raise £1.2 billion, and this was amidst other concerns, including the visibility of the training ground to rivals.
The idea for the theme park was eventually scrapped, as Disney executives had concerns that it could not be fixed easily.
Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard linked to Premier League club
Real Madrid might have let go of their plans to create a theme park, and they might be letting go of some players too. Eden Hazard has been linked with a potential move away from the Spanish capital. According to DefensaCentral (via CaughtOffside), Aston Villa are interested in a deal for the former Chelsea winger.
Hazard has failed to deliver at Real Madrid since his move from the English capital. The former Blues man has contributed only seven goals and 11 assists in 72 appearances since moving to the Bernabeu for over £100 million.
Villa have recently given a new lease of life to another La Liga flop Philippe Coutinho and look set to get another Premier League favorite back to England. It remains to be seen if the Villans will be willing to match Hazard’s mammoth wages at Madrid, and a salary reduction might be on the cards.
A move is expected to potentially materialize in the winter transfer window, with Villa hoping to reinforce their squad after the World Cup. Hazard will hope that he can perform well in Qatar and help the side make a decision. Madrid will hope the interest reported in Hazard results in a transfer offer, with the Belgian currently a bench-warmer at the Bernabeu.