Liga BBVA: Madrid High Court of Justice blocks start of Bernabeu renovations

The TSJM (Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Madrid, Madrid High Court of Justice) suspended the land use plan that is necessary for the start of renovations to Santiago Bernabeu stadium (capacity 85,000), belonging to Real Madrid (Liga BBVA), on 01/08/2014.

The decision sides with Ecologistas en Accion, an environmental organisation, which opposes the stadium renovation and asked the TSJM to suspend the land use permit granted to Real on 10/06/2012.

The Madrid court ordered the suspension as "a precautionary measure" concerning the agreement between the city of Madrid and the club, noting that there was "sufficient evidence of a direct link" between the complaint and an ongoing investigation by the European Commission, which was launched in December 2013 to determine whether Real Madrid received illegal state aid from the city of Madrid. The TSJM wants to block the start of construction for as long as a decision has not been rendered by the European Commission.

The club signed an agreement with the city on 29/11/1996 to cede a parcel to the Ciudad Deportiva (Real's sports complex in…