In 2016, the new home stadium of Real Madrid will be renovated. Apart from the planned additional income sources such as a five-star hotel and casino, Florentino will also increase the club's revenue by leasing/selling the naming rights of star players. Previously, Emirates Airlines, the jersey sponsor, was considered as a candidate for naming the new stadium. According to the latest report by El Confidencial, Microsoft, owned by Bill Gates, is also very interested in naming the "New Bernabeu". Therefore, if Real Madrid's new home ground is called "Microsoft Stadium" in 2016, it would not be surprising.
Currently, within Europe, it is common for clubs to seek naming sponsors when building new stadiums. Arsenal leased the naming rights of Highbury Stadium for 10 years to Emirates Airlines for 150 million euros in sponsorship. Manchester City's Etihad Stadium sponsorship brought in 170 million euros. Bayern Munich was one of the early adopters with their Allianz Arena sponsorship securing 88 million euros over the next 15 years.
These successful examples have given Florentino confidence. According to reports by El Confidencial, Florentino has already had dealings with Bill Gates through his own ACS Group. As the president of Real Madrid, Florentino has signed multiple cooperation agreements with Microsoft, including the full software system for the Bernabeu, and the construction of football schools in Latin America, among others, where Microsoft is a partner of Real Madrid. Therefore, when Bill Gates expressed interest in naming the new Real Madrid home ground, Florentino welcomed it warmly.
El Confidencial points out that Microsoft has already had preliminary contact with Real Madrid regarding the comprehensive naming of the stadium. However, finalizing all contract details will take at least until 2014. Moreover, replacing the name Santiago Bernabeu still requires much work for Florentino. He will not make any rash decisions until the stadium renovation plan is fully implemented in 2016.