Dolphins and Commanders preparing for Madrid game on rival soccer grounds

MADRID (AP) — Madrid’s soccer rivalry is on ahead of the NFL’s final international game of the season.

Fierce rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are on opposite sides again as preparations for Sunday’s game between the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders are underway in the Spanish capital.

The Dolphins are the designated home team for the game at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium. But Mike McDaniel’s team is practicing at Atletico’s Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium during the week.

The Commanders are practicing at Real Madrid’s training center, about 15 minutes away from the Metropolitano.

“Are you trying to throw me square in the middle of a rivalry?” McDaniel said when asked about the Madrid teams.

“I’ve yet to be to the stadium that we are playing the game at, but so far here, very impressed,” McDaniel said. ”You can tell it’s first class, for sure. We feel very fortunate to be able to have access to a facility like this.”

Commanders coach Dan Quinn added to the mix the Madrid Bravos, the city’s American football franchise that was established in 2023 to play in the European League of Football.

“A quick shoutout to the Madrid Bravos, from the ELF,” he said before Wednesday’s news conference, which he attended wearing a No. 12 Bravos jersey.

The Commanders also worked out briefly at the Bravos’ facilities before their full practice at Real Madrid’s training center.

“A big thanks to everybody here at Real Madrid,” Quinn said. “What an awesome spot these guys have here to allow us to come and practice. It’s a great set up.”

Real Madrid also reportedly was interested in having the Dolphins train at its facilities, but Miami ultimately picked Atletico’s stadium. The clubs have some of the same owners, though the Dolphins said politics didn’t really play a role in the decision.

Team partnerships

The Dolphins have hailed their own partnerships with Real Madrid as the stadium host for the first NFL game in Spain, and with the Bravos as well, as both worked together on activities to promote the game.

The Dolphins are one of three teams with marketing rights for Spain through the NFL’s Global Markets Program, along with the Chicago Bears and the Kansas City Chiefs.

“Our team is very demanding, and a couple of trips were made to Spain to visit the facilities,” said Felipe Formiga, Dolphins vice president of international development. “The Metropolitano is incredible and it has everything we need. We are super happy to be able to practice through Saturday at the Metropolitano, and then to play at the Bernabeu on Sunday. We are experiencing two super iconic venues in Madrid and that’s really nice.”

Sunday’s game will be the seventh — and final — international game this season, the most ever for the NFL as it continues its push to expand globally.

Real Madrid is a record 15-time European champion, one of the top clubs in Spain along with Barcelona. Atletico is considered the third team but often challenges the powerhouses. Atletico lost two Champions League finals to Real Madrid, in 2014 and 2016.

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