Sener, the engineering firm behind the Bernabéu Hypogeum, has filed a new patent and will be able to circumvent Real Madrid's exclusivity.

The Sener Group has done it again. After more than a year of work, the company that designed the Hypogeum, the retractable turf structure installed at the Santiago Bernabéu, has devised a revolutionary new system to protect the playing field and allow sports stadiums to host large-scale events. The new design is less expensive and technologically distinct from the one implemented at Real Madrid 's stadium, where, to accommodate the railway tunnel that runs under the stadium, Sener had to devise a more sophisticated solution.

It's so different that the Basque company has registered it as a new patent: Epigea. This move is key because, according to financial sources, it could allow the engineering group to circumvent the exclusivity clause it signed with Real Madrid, which prevented the company from marketing its invention in any European country for the next 30 years.

The new mechanism goes far beyond the second version of its predecessor. It includes substantial structural and technological modifications. Proof of this is the fact that the Patent Office has approved the registration of Epigea as a completely independent invention.

In the Hypogeum, the grass changes position and hides in an underground chamber, 25 meters underground, on one side of the stadium. The field is divided into trays, giant pots that, when hidden, lie one on top of the other, with enough space between them for the gardeners to do their work. Irrigation, temperature, and lighting systems maintain the grass like a greenhouse.

Epigea, on the other hand, keeps the turf in the same place. It protects it thanks to a mobile cover made of large panels that unfold over the pitch in just a few hours. During matches, this structure remains hidden underground or behind the stands.

More efficient and profitable

The new mechanism is simpler, technically speaking, and cheaper. Since the turf isn't subjected to shifting, the grass also suffers less damage. Furthermore, by covering the playing field, all areas are protected, from the benches to the locker rooms, which streamlines technical work to transition from sports mode to event mode.

Epigea allows for doubling the sales of on-field tickets, the most sought-after, and only obscuring part of the field. This is an advantage for teams with less financial muscle to gradually recoup their investment with smaller events. It won't be necessary to sign Taylor Swift , capable of selling 72,400 tickets, to generate revenue. This is precisely why clubs are interested in Sener's solution. It aims to multiply the profitability of stadiums that, historically, were barred from any non-match activity. Turf maintenance, which requires such a high level of sport, precluded any other use. Sener has solved the equation at a time when clubs around the world are beginning to perceive their stadiums as real estate assets, as much as, or more than, sporting temples.

The truth is that the Epigea system wasn't a viable solution for a stadium like the Santiago Bernabéu. The tunnel that connects Chamartín station with Atocha runs right beneath the pitch. This forced the engineering firm and the club to opt for a more creative and complex, ad hoc solution. Real Madrid was not only a client but also a partner of Sener in the development of the Hypogeum. Without Real Madrid's support, the company controlled by the Sendagorta family would have had a difficult time bringing its idea to life. This partnership, which dates back to 2019, has helped Sener catapult its design in the United States.

The development of Epigea has taken more than a year, including engineering work and the patent application process. So far, Sener has focused its launch on the other side of the Atlantic, in Mexico, where it has already generated significant interest. The next destination could be the Persian Gulf. But, as with the Hypogeum, everything indicates that the design will attract major European and Spanish clubs.

Legal sources believe Sener has the green light to market Epigea in Europe, as it is a "completely different system and protected by a different patent." However, the same sources also assume that Real Madrid could have something to say about it.

At the time, both partners signed a contract that prevented the Basque company from installing the Hypogeum in sports stadiums or any other leisure venue in Europe for 30 years, as reported by EL MUNDO . For the first 15 years, the veto is absolute. After that, Sener could only accept European contracts approved by the club chaired by Florentino Pérez . So far, Epigea has received no expressions of interest within the continent. When this happens, the legal teams of Sener and Real Madrid will surely have much to discuss.