Alex Wicks, director of sponsorship, retail, and licensing at Spanish soccer giants Real Madrid, has taken on a new role as chief executive of the club’s iconic Santiago Bernabéu stadium.

He replaces Santiago Lopez-Vilas, who will take on a new role at the LaLiga side.

Wicks has been at Real Madrid since 2019, joining from English Premier League outfit Arsenal.

Lopez-Vilas served as chief executive of the Bernabéu for just over two and a half years while the stadium was being renovated.

The chief executive role was formed following the creation of a new entity aimed at enhancing the non-soccer activities of the stadium.

Wicks has been director of sponsorship, retail, and licensing at Real Madrid since June 2023. 

Before that, he was director of global partnerships between 2019 and 2021, and global head of partnerships between 2021 and 2023.

At Arsenal, meanwhile, Wicks held multiple roles during a six-year stint, predominantly as head of partnership development.

He also worked at international sports marketing agency Fast Track and the Sports Recruitment Company (now Elevate Talent).

In his new role with the reigning LaLiga and European champions, Wicks will work closely with investment firm Sixth Street and US sports marketing agency Legends after they partnered with Real Madrid in 2022 to provide support for future activities and operations at the Bernabeu as part of a €360 million deal.

The Bernabeu redevelopment was officially completed earlier this year and has cost the club between €800 million and €900 million.

Real are hoping to recoup the huge outlay by staging regular events at the stadium outside of soccer matches with plans for the venue to be open for use 300 days a year.

It was already announced in February that American football’s NFL will host a regular season game at the Bernabeu in its 2025 season.

The stadium features a retractable roof to stage indoor events, as well as a retractable turf which means the playing surface for the club’s matches will not be affected.

The redevelopment has also expanded the stadium’s capacity to around 100,000 for music concerts and other events with standing areas.

With these enhancements, Real are projected to bring in €250 million more on an annual basis compared to the figures they were bringing in from the Bernabeu pre-pandemic.

President Florentino Perez hopes the club can generate revenue of €1 billion from sporting and non-sporting operations.