Developments to Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium are under threat after investigations were launched into whether the club received illegal state aid.

The Supreme Court of Madrid has blocked proposed changes to local planning laws that were essential to the club’s plans for the Bernabeu being approved, because Real are among several Spanish clubs under investigation by the European Commission (EC) for receiving state aid.

The investigation concerns a land deal the club made with the Madrid town hall dating back to 1996.

In January of this year, Real president Florentino Perez unveiled plans to redevelop the Bernabeu, which include installing a retractable roof and building a hotel, shopping complex and leisure centre next to the stadium, at an estimated cost of £330 million.

However, the club have faced opposition from a local environmental group, Ecologists in Action, which has brought a complaint against Real to the Supreme Court, citing the fact the Spanish giants are under investigation from the EC.

The Court’s acceptance of the complaint means it has blocked changes to planning laws first approved in 2011, preventing Madrid from going ahead with their plans for the stadium. The club has 10 days to appeal the Supreme Court’s decision.

A source from Madrid’s town hall informed Spanish news agency EFE that an appeal would be lodged against the Supreme Court’s decision.

“The agreement between the town hall of Madrid and Real Madrid, which is the cause of the European Commission’s investigation, has nothing to do with the changes to the planning laws,” said the source.

“Therefore, it makes no sense to paralyse the changes to the planning laws because of something that has no relation to it such as the property deal.”

Racing driver Simona De Silvestro has signed today a global partnership with marketing and technology agency DigitasLBi.

The collaboration with De Silvestro, an affiliate driver with Sauber F1, will revolve around the use of BrandLIVE. This brand new proposition combines real time social content strategies and raw creativity with the agility of a newsroom.

Imran Safiulla, Managing Director of Racing 78 GmbH and Manager of Simona De Silvestro, considers this new partnership an important piece of his company’s marketing strategy.

“We live in an environment where markets are continuously evolving and having a very clear and precise digital marketing strategy is key for any corporation,” Safiulla said.

“The delivery of product and service advertising is under extreme pressure to be authentic and to resonate instantly with the targeted consumer. We look to be innovative in this new partnership and will jointly create a differentiator in the digital content and marketing space. The story, as it evolves around Simona’s #RoadToF1, is a newsworthy and authentic story on racing and qualifying at the highest possible level and the life that comes with that. Brands wanting to connect to this adventure will now have the means, both in the real world as well as in the digital ecosystem.” 

“Brands want to be relevant in the daily lives of consumers and time plays a huge part in this. Half of the audience that a Facebook post will reach is created within 3.2 hours. Relevance has a deadline,” says Dirk van den Bosch, Managing Director of DigitasLBi Netherlands. 

The FIA World Touring Car Championship will race at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 2015, abortion it has been announced today. 

The event will mark the beginning of a three-year deal between WTCC promoter  Eurosport Events and 24h-race organiser ADAC Nordrhein, cialis and also the return of an FIA World Championship event to the terrific Grüne Holle, find thirty-two years after the 1983 ADAC 1000Km, third round of the World Sportscar Championship.

Thanks to this deal, Eurosport Events will bring WTCC back to Germany in style, after a three-year break. The WTCC Race of Germany was previously hosted by Motorsport Arena Oschersleben from 2005 to 2011.

The WTCC usual event format – made of two 60km races – will be revised for the special occasion of running on the 25.378-kilometre combination of the Nürburgring’s GP circuit and the legendary Nordschleife.

“The race at the Nordschleife will definitely be a highlight of the season,” said François Ribeiro, Eurosport Events COO. “To tackle this monument of car racing history, we asked FIA to revise the sporting regulations for that event. The idea is to held one single 120km race, with one pit stop. The details of this particular format will be worked out between FIA, Eurosport Events and teams before the next FIA Touring Car Commission. Then a proposal will be submitted for approval to the FIA World Motor Sport Council. WTCC drivers are all excited about this idea: the new TC1 cars on the Nordschleife crowded with 250,000 spectators, combined with a first class TV production on which Eurosport Events will mix all its expertise from WTCC and ERC live filming. It will be the event all drivers want to win, and a good show on TV.”

Walter Hornung, Sports Director of ADAC Nordrhein and Race Director of the 24h race, was just as delighted: “WTCC is a series providing enthralling motor racing and attracting massive attention all over the world. The weekend of the 24 Hours could not have a more attractive  opening. With this deal, ADAC Nordrhein also demonstrates that we are keeping on developing the 24h race for the future to make it even more attractive for the fans, media and partners.”

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has revealed he will privately fund the renovations to Sun Life Stadium.

The original renovation plan in Miami called for the public to pay for the stadium renovations, denture but the state legislature ended its session in May without approving the proposal. The proposed deal would have raised up to $289 million for renovations by raising the Miami-Dade hotel tax from 6 to 7 percent.

The Dolphins would have also had a shot at up to $90 million in state sales tax rebates, which could have meant a total of $379 million in public funds.

In a statement Ross said: “I have made clear I want the stadium modernized because it’s right for our fans and it’s right for Miami-Dade and South Florida. I have decided the best way to get this done is to pay for the project with private funds. All we ask in return is that we are treated the same as all franchises in the state of Florida. A world-class city needs a world-class stadium.

“We haven’t won a Super Bowl bid in Miami-Dade in far too long, and we know that with the stadium as an issue, we never will unless it is modernized. The Super Bowl Committee will have to decide if they want to compete for the next two Super Bowls so time is of the essence. It is time to move forward.

“This privately funded project will create more than 4,000 local jobs. We can bring back the Super Bowl, the College Football Playoff Championship and world-class soccer matches — and all the revenue those big events generate for the local community. I am going to make the commitment and provide the resources because Miami deserves the economic benefits of a modernized stadium.

“But for me, this is about something more. I grew up here in Miami-Dade and have been part of this area for most of my life. I want to do this for the community that has done so much for me, and for this storied franchise that means so much to the people of South Florida. With this project, we can secure the future of the Dolphins in Miami-Dade for another 20 years.  That is more important to me than anything else.”