'Let's fill the Bernabeu with solidarity' Real Madrid stars back coronavirus donations

Reuters Videos
Updated

SHOWS:

UNIDENTIFIED LOCATIONS (MARCH 27, 2020) (REAL MADRID - ACCESS ALL)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING:

"Let's fill the Bernabeu with solidarity."

2. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID BASKETBALL COACH, PABLO LASO, SAYING:

"Let's fill the Bernabeu with solidarity."

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID FORWARD, EDEN HAZARD, SAYING:

"Let's fill the Bernabeu with solidarity."

4. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID BASKETBALL CAPTAIN, FELIPE REYES, SAYING:

"Let's fill the Bernabeu with solidarity."

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID DEFENDER, DANI CARVAJAL, SAYING:

"Let's fill the Bernabeu with solidarity."

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID BASKETBALL PLAYER, RUDY FERNANDEZ, SAYING:

"Let's fill the Bernabeu with solidarity."

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID MIDFIELDER, LUKA MODRIC, SAYING:

"Let's fill the Bernabeu with solidarity."

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID BASKETBALL PLAYER, FACUNDO COMPAZZO, SAYING:

"Let's fill the Bernabeu with solidarity."

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID FORWARD, LUCAS VAZQUEZ, SAYING:

"Let's fill the Bernabeu with solidarity."

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID BASKETBALL PLAYER, USMAN GARUBA, SAYING:

"Let's fill the Bernabeu with solidarity."

11. AERIAL OF BERNABEU / MESSAGE ON SCREEN ON HOW PEOPLE CAN CONTRIBUTE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

MADRID, SPAIN (MARCH 27, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

12. EXTERIOR OF THE SANTIAGO BERNABEU STADIUM

13. VARIOUS OF SIGN ON EXTERIOR OF BUILDING, READING (Spanish): "SANTIAGO BERNABEU STADIUM"

14. EXTERIOR OF STADIUM

15. CLUB BADGE ON EXTERIOR OF STADIUM

16. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF STADIUM

17. CLUB BADGE AND NAME ON WALL

18. EXTERIOR OF STADIUM

19. CLUB BADGE AND NAME ON WALL

20. EXTERIOR OF STADIUM

STORY: Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium will be used as a makeshift storage facility as Spain faces an uphill battle against the coronavirus, the club announced on Thursday (March 26) in conjunction with the country's Superior Sports Council.

On Friday (March 27), the club posted a video on its social media channels featuring people from both the soccer and basketball teams including Zinedine Zidane and Luka Modric. Everyone in the video says the same message: "Let's fill the Bernabeu with solidarity".

Spain is second only to Italy in numbers of deaths due to the virus, with the toll passing 4000 on Thursday. Over 56,000 people have so far tested positive for the coronavirus in the country.

The lockdown in Spain is expected to be extended once the initial 15-day measure is completed this weekend.

"Thanks to the close collaboration between the two institutions, the Santiago Bernabeu stadium will be turned into an adapted space used to store donations of medical supplies in the fight against the pandemic," Real said in a statement.

"All of this material will be given to the Spanish health authorities, who are under the authority of the government, in order that the resources be used optimally and efficiently, which is necessary given the current emergency."

The club will also allow entities and businesses, especially those linked to sport, the possibility to make donations, either economic or in the form of materials required by the Ministry of Health.

(Production: Michael Gore, Elena Rodriguez, Tim Hart)