Google Maps hackers target Barcelona and Real Madrid stadiums in brutal name change

Internet pranksters have been tampering with the names of Spain's most famous football stadiums on Google Maps following a hack. La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid , Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have all had their stadium names altered after a string of cyberattacks.

This meant anyone searching for Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Spotify Camp Nou or Riyadh Air Metropolitano were greeted with the hackers' handiwork. In Madrid's instance, examples included 'Mbappe Dictator' and 'Tchouameni's Knockout.'

The latter appeared to reference the training ground incident involving Los Blancos midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and his teammate Fede Valverde. According to La Razon , the alterations weren't instantly visible but supporters would first see the proper name of the ground before - upon zooming in - seeing the 'new' names.

Hackers also dubbed the Bernabeu 'Barcelona Training Ground' after the club from the capital came up short against their fierce rivals this term. When Barca secured victory in the second league Clasico of the campaign earlier in May, the win ensured they would finish the season as La Liga champions.

FOLLOW OUR REAL MADRID FB PAGE! Latest news and more on our dedicated page

Barcelona's venue was labelled 'Negreira' by the hackers, alluding to former Spanish refereeing chief Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira . Atleti's, meanwhile, was christened 'Antarctica' in relation to the club's reputation for lacking intensity under Diego Simeone and their perceived bottling in major finals.

It is believed hackers exploited security vulnerabilities or editing tools to carry out the alterations. No group immediately claimed responsibility, though fans wasted little time highlighting the mischief by sharing screenshots on social media.

The reports of unrest on the training ground, referenced in the 'Tchouameni's Knockout' name, come amid a troubled campaign for Real Madrid. The club axed manager Xabi Alonso just months into his tenure, and interim boss Alvaro Arbeloa has so far been unable to spark a revival.

Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

"It's not great that they're fighting amongst each other," Premier Sports commentator Terry Gibson told the Daily Star ahead of the recent Clasico. "I have seen that on a number of occasions, I was involved in it with teammates over the years, but it was normally resolved within minutes.

"This was over two days, so that's unusual - to have a disagreement one day and then it's continuing, even more violently, the day is highly unusual.

"So it is the times we live in with Real Madrid. If you don't win trophies, everything is magnified. And as I say, it's multiplied because Barcelona - everything's just going smoothly for Barcelona!"

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.