Real Madrid shelves concerts over noise concerns

Published at : 14 September 2024, 08:19 pm
Real Madrid shelves concerts over noise concerns
Photo: Collected

Spanish football club Real Madrid is rescheduling or cancelling all upcoming shows at its Santiago Bernabeu stadium to comply with the city's noise regulations, the club said late on Friday.

The venue began hosting concerts and other events again earlier this year -- with artists including Taylor Swift and Karol G performing -- after a major revamp which includes a roof and retractable pitch to allow it to be used as a year-round entertainment hub.

But local residents have complained that noise levels violate Madrid city rules.

They argue the stadium is not properly soundproofed and its new, powerful loudspeakers do not comply with noise regulations.

"Real Madrid has decided to provisionally reschedule the programme of events and concerts at the Santiago Bernabeu," the club said in a statement.

"This decision is part of a series of measures the club has been taking to ensure strict compliance with current municipal regulations during concerts," it added.

The club said event organisers had faced a "challenge" to comply with the regulations, despite soundproofing and other noise-abatement measures the venue had put in place.

Spanish artists Dellafuente and Aitana had been due to perform there in November and December, while Lola Indigo was due there in March 2025.

The club said new dates for these events would be announced soon.

A concert scheduled for October 12 featuring several of the biggest names in K-pop, including BOYNEXTDOOR and ENHYPEN, has been "cancelled outright".

Spanish public television TVE said some 240,000 people had bought tickets for the concerts in question.

The Real Madrid statement did not give any details about potential ticket refunds.


MSH

Mushfiqur to play for Fortune Barishal in BPL 2024

Published at : 24 September 2023, 03:42 pm
Mushfiqur to play for Fortune Barishal in BPL 2024

Bangladeshi wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim is set to feature for Fortune Barishal in the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

 

Mushfiqur had played for Sylhet Strikers in the last edition. His price was fixed at 80 lakhs in the players' draft according to the category. Which means he was in 'A' category.

The top category player will play along with other star players like Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Khaled Ahmed in Fortune Barishal.

Neymar quits PSG to sign for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:06 pm
Neymar quits PSG to sign for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal

Neymar said he was relishing “new challenges and opportunities in new places” after he joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal Tuesday, becoming the latest big name lured to the oil-rich Gulf state.

The Brazil forward, 31, ends a six-year stay in the French capital and follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane in swapping Europe for the Middle East.

“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said in a statement from the Saudi Pro League.

“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment,” he added.

Neymar ‘in negotiations’ over Saudi move as Mbappe returns to PSG good books

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:05 pm
Neymar ‘in negotiations’ over Saudi move as Mbappe returns to PSG good books

Neymar was “in negotiations” on Sunday to become the latest football superstar to decamp for Saudi Arabia, leaving Paris Saint-Germain just as Kylian Mbappe was brought back in from the cold by the French champions.

A source close to PSG told AFP that 31-year-old Neymar “no longer figures in the club or manager’s plans” with the Brazilian immediately linked to Al-Hilal in the Gulf kingdom.

Another source in Saudi Arabia said that “direct negotiations” between Neymar’s agents and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) were ongoing.

PSG get better of Dortmund in Champions League opener

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:03 pm
PSG get better of Dortmund in Champions League opener

Paris Saint-Germain got their Champions League campaign off to a winning start on Tuesday as a Kylian Mbappe penalty set them up for a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund at the Parc des Princes.

The French champions had dominated the first half without overly troubling the Dortmund defence, but they went ahead four minutes after the break when Mbappe scored a spot-kick awarded for a Niklas Suele handball.

Achraf Hakimi added a memorable second, and PSG could have won the Group F encounter by a far more handsome margin in the end.

The result immediately puts them in control of the group, after AC Milan and Newcastle United drew 0-0 earlier, and coach Luis Enrique will hope they can build on this performance when they visit the English side next in a fortnight.

"It was an almost perfect evening," said Luis Enrique.