Chelsea's little-known Stamford Bridge 'ban' that forced Real Madrid to break 80-year tradition For over 80 years, Real Madrid's iconic all-white kit has been a symbol of footballing supremacy.
In the early 1940s, legendary club president Santiago Bernabeu - after whom Real's iconic stadium is named - decreed that the team would always wear an all-white strip.
He firmly believed that an all-white kit showcased Real Madrid's values of elegance, purity and excellence, and reflected both their rich history and ambitions for glory, for greatness, and for footballing immortality.
But when Los Blancos faced Chelsea in west London for the very first time in 2021, they were confronted by an unexpected twist that forced a rare break in tradition.
White shirts had been donned since the club's inception in 1902 - hence their nickname which translates to The Whites - but the colours of both their shorts and socks had occasionally been altered.
