Santiago Bernabéu Yeste

Santiago Bernabéu de Yeste was born on 8 June 1895 and came up through Real Madrid as a forward before moving to the sidelines as coach. On 11 September 1943 he became club president, a post he held for 34 years and 264 days until his death on 2 June 1978. Under his tenure Real Madrid grew into a dominant force in Spain and across Europe, its reach extending well past the pitch. The stadium that bears his name stands as the most visible monument to that transformation.