Real Madrid CF: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 20:44, 23 July 2007
| File:Real Madrid.png | |||
| Full name | Real Madrid Club de Fútbol | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Los Blancos Los Merengues Los Galácticos | ||
| Founded | 6 March 1902 (as Sociedad Madrid Foot-ball Club) | ||
| Ground | Santiago Bernabéu Madrid, Spain | ||
| Capacity | 80,400 | ||
| Chairman |  Ramón Calderón | ||
| Head Coach |  Bernd Schuster | ||
| League | La Liga | ||
| 2006-07 | La Liga, 1st | ||
|
| |||
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol is a Spanish sports club most widely known for its professional football team based in Madrid. It is one of the most successful clubs of the 20th century and also holds several records. The club also has a similarly successful basketball section. The original uniform colors are white t-shirt and shorts, and blue socks. The purple band in the badge represents the kingdom of Castile.
The club was one of the founding members of FIFA.[1] They play their home games at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid. Real Madrid have been European Champions a record 9 times and have also won 30 La Liga titles. The club also operates a reserve football team, Real Madrid Castilla, and a successful basketball team, Real Madrid Baloncesto and are trying to sponsor a rugby team, CRC Madrid Noroeste and a Formula One team. Real Madrid is unique in that, unlike most football clubs, it has been owned and operated only by its members (socios) since 1902. On December 23, 2000, FIFA awarded Real Madrid as the Best Club of the twentieth Century. On 17th June 2007, Real Madrid won its 30th La Liga title by beating Mallorca at home 3-1. They finished level on points with fierce rivals Barcelona, but were declared winners on better head-to-head record.
Throughout its history, the club has acquired a lot of nicknames. The first ones were los merengues, because of the white dessert meringue, and los blancos. Both simply referred to the club's legendary all-white strip and remain the most common to this day. In the 1970s, the nickname los vikingos became popular, due to the signings of several northern European players. Most recently, the media called the club los galácticos, referring to club's tendency to sign the most famous players in the world.
Real Madrid is currently the richest club in the world with an estimated revenue of €292.2 million.
History
Early years
Football was introduced to Madrid by the professors and students of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza. They included several Oxbridge graduates. In 1895 they founded the club Football Sky, playing on Sunday mornings at Moncloa. In 1900 this club split into two different clubs New Foot-Ball de Madrid and Club Español de Madrid. The president of the latter club was Julián Palacios. In 1902 the latter club split again, resulting in the formation of Sociedad Madrid FC on March 6, 1902. The first president was Juan Padrós Rubió; the first secretary was Manuel Mendía; and the first treasurer was José de Gorostizaga. Juan Padrós Rubió would be later succeeded by his brother, Carlos Padrós from Spain. In 1905, only three years after its foundation, Madrid FC already won its first major title in the Estadio Chamartín stadium. The team won the first of four consecutive Copa del Rey - titles (at that time the only statewide competition). In 1912 they moved to their first ground called Campo de O'Donnell' after moving between some minor grounds.[2] In 1920 the club's name was changed into Real Madrid after the King grants the title of Real (Royal) to the club.
Santiago Bernabéu Yeste
Before becoming President in 1945, Santiago Bernabéu Yeste had already carried out the functions of player, first-team captain, club maintenance, first-team manager and director, in an association with the club that lasted nearly 70 years. He was responsible for rebuilding the club after the Spanish Civil War, and under his presidency, the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and the Ciudad Deportiva. Real Madrid has a newly named stadium which is the 'Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium'.
He also reorganized the club at all levels, in what would become the normal operating hierarchy of professional clubs in the future, giving every section and level of the club independent technical teams and recruiting staff such as Raimundo Saporta.
Finally, beginning in 1953 he embarked upon a strategy of signing world-class players from abroad, the most prominent of them being the signing of Alfredo Di Stéfano and built the world's first truly multinational side. During Bernabéu's presidency many of Real Madrid's most legendary names played for the club, including the aforementioned Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Francisco Gento, Héctor Rial, Raymond Kopa, José Santamaría, Miguel Muñoz, Amancio, Santillana, Juanito, José Antonio Camacho and others.
In 1955, acting upon the idea proposed by the journalist Gabriel Hanot and building upon the Copa Latina (a tournament involving clubs from France, Spain, Portugal and Italy), Bernabéu met in the Ambassador Hotel in Paris with Bedrignan and Gustav Sebes and created what today is known as the UEFA Champions League. Under the administration of UEFA, it is the world's premier club tournament.
It was under Bernabéu's guidance, that Real Madrid became established as a major force in both Spanish and European football. Before passing away in 1978, Bernabéu had been the club's president for 33 years, during which he won 1 Intercontinental Cup, 6 European Cups, 16 La Liga titles, and 6 Spanish Cups.
Domestic success
The signings in the early 1950s formed the nucleus of the Real Madrid team, which would dominate the latter half of the decade and beyond. They won La Liga for first time in over 20 years as Real Madrid in 1954 and retained it in 1955. They were winners again in 1957 and 1958, with only Athletic Bilbao interrupting their sequence. CF Barcelona won La Liga in 1959 and 1960 but between 1961 and 1980 Real Madrid dominated La Liga with the club winning the competition 14 times. This included a five-in-a-row sequence (1961-1965) and two three-in-a-row sequences (1967-69 and 1978-1980). It was during this era that legendary players such as Jose Antonio Camacho, Uli Stielike, Santillana and Juanito came into the side.
In the early 1980s Real Madrid lost its grip on La Liga but by 1986 they had resumed normal service with another five-in-a-row sequence (1986-90). This team included Hugo Sánchez and the famous 'Quinta del Buitre' - Emilio Butragueño, Manolo Sanchís, Martín Vazquéz, Míchel and Miguel Pardeza.
Real Madrid has also won the Copa del Rey on 17 occasions, and are 7-time winners of the Supercopa de España.
International success
In addition to their domestic success, Real Madrid's reputation as a major club was established by their outstanding record in the European Cup. To date they have been crowned champions of Europe a record nine times. Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás and other famous players helped the club win the European Cup five times in a row between 1956 and 1960, which included the memorable 7-3 Hampden Park final against Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960. The club won for a sixth time in 1966 with the team known as the Ye-Ye , defeating Partizan Belgrade 2-1 in the final with a team composed entirely of nationally-born players, a first in the competition. They were also runners-up in 1962, 1964 and 1981. Winning the competition five consecutive times saw Real permanently awarded the original cup and earning the right to wear the UEFA badge of honour. They have also won the UEFA Cup twice and were twice runners-up in the European Cup Winners Cup.
In 1996 President Lorenzo Sanz appointed Fabio Capello as coach. Although his tenure lasted only one season, Real Madrid were proclaimed league champions and several important players arrived at the club (Roberto Carlos, Predrag Mijatović, Davor Šuker and Clarence Seedorf) to strengthen a squad that already boasted the likes of Raúl, Fernando Hierro and Fernando Redondo. As a result, Real Madrid (with the addition of Fernando Morientes in 1997) finally ended its 32-year wait for the seventh European Cup in 1998 under manager Jupp Heynckes, defeating Juventus 1-0 in the final, thanks to a goal from Predrag Mijatovic. Real Madrid would go on to win again in 2000 and 2002 under manager Vicente Del Bosque, with sides including players such as Steve McManaman, Luís Figo and Zinedine Zidane.
Real Madrid is also three-time winners of the Intercontinental Cup, defeating Peñarol, Vasco da Gama, and Olimpia Asunción in 1960, 1998, and 2002 respectively.
Quinta del Buitre years
Quinta del Buitre was the name given to the generation of club grown Real Madrid players that dominated Spanish football in the 1980s. The name ("Vulture's Cohort") was derived from the nickname given to its most charismatic member Emilio Butragueño. The other four members were Manolo Sanchís, Martín Vázquez, Míchel and Miguel Pardeza.
Sanchís and Martín Vázquez were the first to play for the first team of Real Madrid, making their debut at Murcia on December 4 1983. Coach Alfredo Di Stéfano brought the youngsters in from the start. Both played surprisingly well and Sanchís even scored the winning goal. A few months later, February 5 1984, saw the debut of Emilio Butragueño in an away game at Cádiz. El Buitre was an instant sensation and scored twice. Pardeza was added to the first team that same season and Míchel followed at the start of the next.
With La Quinta del Buitre (reduced to four members when Pardeza left the club for Zaragoza in 1986) Real Madrid had one of the best teams in Spain and Europe during the second half of the 1980s, winning amongst others two UEFA Cups and 5 Spanish championships in a row. Their record was only blemished by their failure to win the European Cup, and their continued abject defeats against the far superior AC Milan side of the time.
Martín Vázquez went to play for Torino in 1990. He made a return to Real Madrid in 1992, leaving the club again for good in 1995 (to Deportivo La Coruña). Butragueño left the club in 1995 and Michél in 1996. Both went to play for Atlético Celaya in Mexico.
Sanchís was the only member of La Quinta to never play for a club other than Real Madrid. By winning the Champions League twice (in 1998 and 2000), he also managed to accomplish what La Quinta had failed to achieve in its glory days. He retired in 2001 as last active member of the famous cohort at the age of 37.
Florentino Pérez years
2000/01 Campiagn
In July 2000 Florentino Pérez was elected club president vowing to erase the club's debt and modernise the club's facilities, however the primary electoral promise that propelled Pérez to victory was the signing of then-FC Barcelona star Luís Figo. During the campaign, Pérez claimed he had an agreement with the Portuguese winger that would see Figo move to the Bernabeu should Pérez be elected. On July 16, Pérez won the election. Eight days later, Luís Figo was presented with the number 10 shirt of Real Madrid. Days later, surrounded by controversy, Real Madrid idol Fernando Redondo, who had openly supported Pérez's opponent Lorenzo Sanz, was sold to Italian giants AC Milan. During the summer of 2000, Real Madrid signed Claude Makélélé, Albert Celades, Flávio Conceição, César Sánchez, Pedro Munitis, and Santiago Solari although aside from Makélélé and Conceição the rest had been signed prior to the election of Florentino Pérez. Expectations were high as Real Madrid began the 2000-01 season with the possibility of winning 5 trophies but stumbled at the first test losing the European Super Cup by a score of 1-2 to Galatasaray. An injury to Fernando Morientes left Real Madrid without a centre forward, but manager Vicente Del Bosque improvised by using youth team graduate Guti, in that role and Real Madrid made a good start to both domestic and European campaigns. But Real Madrid were defeated 2-0 at the Camp Nou against Barcelona and were later eliminated from the Copa del Rey by Toledo as well as losing the Intercontinental Cup final to a Boca Juniors side led by Martin Palermo and Riquelme. But Real Madrid recovered form and went top of the Spanish first division in mid-January, a position they would not relinquish on their way to winning the title. Real Madrid advanced from the second group stage of the Champions League to face Galatasaray in the quarterfinals. Real Madrid lost the first leg in Istanbul 3-2 but recovered to win the tie after a 3-0 victory in the Bernabeu. This would produce a replay of the 1999-2000 Champions League semifinal against Bayern Munich. Real Madrid would not reach the final however, losing 2-3 on aggregate to the eventual champions. Real Madrid would not be denied the league title however, and on 26 May, the merengues would crown themselves champions of the Spanish first division with an emphatic 5-0 win over Alaves at the Bernabeu. Goals by Raúl (2), Guti, Hierro, and Iván Helguera would ensure victory and Real Madrid's 28th league title with two matches left to play.
| The 4-1-3-2 lineup. Real Madrid's Starting Lineup in The 01/02 Champions League Final. |
After reaching an agreement to re-zone and sell the Ciudad Deportiva, Pérez went on to sign Zinédine Zidane (2001), Ronaldo (2002) and David Beckham (2003). The media began referring to the team as Los Galácticos. Initially the strategy, eventually dubbed Zidanes y Pavones and meant to combine world stars and youth team graduates, was successful and Real Madrid won La Liga in 2001 and 2003 and the UEFA Champions League in 2002, their centenary year. They also won the Intercontinental Cup, the European Super Cup and the Supercopa de España in both 2001 and 2003.
Off the field the Zidanes y Pavones policy resulted in increased financial success based on the exploitation of the club's high marketing potential around the world, especially in Asia[3][4]
In the summer of 2003, just after capturing another La Liga title, Florentino Pérez and the board of directors refused to renew the contract of coach Vicente Del Bosque and after an internal dispute forced captain Fernando Hierro to leave the club. They also ignored Claude Makélélé's request of a new contract with a better salary, in return, Makélélé asked for a transfer request, and was transferred to Chelsea.
2003/2004 Campaign: Wind of change
The few days after the capturing of the league title were surrounded with controversy. The first controversial decision came when Perez sacked winning coach Vicente del Bosque, after Real's sporting director claimed that del Bosque was not the right man for the job; they wanted someone young to shake up the team. The bad atmosphere continued when the Real legend and captain Fernando Hierro left the club after a disagreement with the management, as did Steve McManaman. However, the club toured Asia in preseason and introduced newly signed galactico David Beckham. Perez and his directors refused to renew Claude Makélélé's contract with a better salary, upsetting Makelele who asked for a transfer, eventually moving to Chelsea FC. In the final days of the transfer window, Fernando Morientes left the club on loan to Monaco. Real Madrid, with newly appointed coach Carlos Queiroz, started their domestic league slowly after a hard win over Real Betis. But everyone was convinced when Madrid won 7-2 at home over Real Valladolid. The second part of the season gave chances to youngsters and academy graduates like Borja Fernandez, Alvaro Mejia, Antonio Nunez, and Juanfran to shine, as Queiroz rotated his squad, although the team missed Portillo whose previous poor performances inspired the club to loan him in the winter to the Italian side ACF Fiorentina. Real Madrid also topped their group in the Champions League and advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Bayern Munich in the Last-16 2-1 on aggregate. But Madrid's on-loan striker Morientes punished his team with his goals, as Madrid saw Monaco go on to the semis. However Real kept their morale high after leading La Liga, 8 points clear of Valencia CF in February. But some surprises were waiting them, as they were beaten for the first time at the Bernabeu that season at the hands of RCD Mallorca 3-0. They recovered their points lead after a win at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, but more disappointments were to come as they lost their final 5 games in the league, most notably at home to CA Osasuna, Arch rivals FC Barcelona, and Real Sociedad. They saw teams like Valencia, Barcelona, and Deportivo pass them to make up the top three, as Real ended the season in a disappointing 4th place. Their poor performances continued as they lost the final of the Copa Del Rey to Real Zaragoza. Shortly after the end of the season, Carlos Queiroz was sacked and replaced by ex-Real Madrid player, José Antonio Camacho.
2004/05 Campaign
Perez appointed club legend Jose Antonio Camacho as head coach after Queiroz was sacked. Camacho highlighted the team's bad defensive performances and persuaded Perez to spend a total of €45 millions on Argentine defender Walter Samuel and English centre back Jonathan Woodgate but missed out on signing Arsenal's midfield general, Patrick Vieira due to the Vieira's boldness of asking a 'Galactico' paycheck (like Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham and unlike Claude Makélélé, who left for exactly that reason - €6 million Euros per year). The summer of 2004 also saw the sale of Cameroon Samuel Eto'o, who had been loaned out to Real Mallorca, to arch rivals F.C. Barcelona. English striker Michael Owen was bought from Liverpool F.C. but never settled at Real Madrid while Eto'o went on to great success with Barcelona. Camacho resigned as head coach because of the bad performances and was replaced by Mariano García Remón. García Remón's last game was a loss at the hand of Sevilla FC, where the eventual champions F.C. Barcelona were 6 points clear from their nearest rivals, and Madrid sat in 5th position. Remon was replaced by Luxemburgo after the winter break, and then he signed Thomas Gravesen from Everton to fill the hole in midfield. Madrid failed to pass to the Quarterfinals of the champions league as in the copa del rey, but under Luxemburgo Madrid fought hard to earn second place with 80 points, 4 points behind Barcelona. The summer of 2004 also saw the sale of Cameroon Samuel Eto'o, who had been loaned out to Real Mallorca, to archrivals F.C. Barcelona. English striker Michael Owen was bought from Liverpool F.C. but never managed to consistently gain a first team spot at Real Madrid while Eto'o went on to great success with Barcelona. Camacho only lasted two months before resigning after a disappointing start into the season. He was replaced by interim coach Mariano García Remón and in December 2005 Brazilian manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo became the permanent replacement. Although Real Madrid did finish a distant second in the Spanish league, Luxemburgo was unable to lead Real Madrid in to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
End of an era: 2005/06 season
The 2005-06 season began with the promise of several new signings (Julio Baptista (€20 Million), Robinho (€30 Million) and Sergio Ramos (€30 Million - Release Clause) but the Brazilian coach was not able to find the right formula on the pitch as Real Madrid's poor form continued, with the team hitting rock bottom after a humiliating 0-3 loss at the hands of F.C. Barcelona in the Santiago Bernabeu. Luxemburgo would eventually resign and his replacement was Juan Ramón López Caro, formally the manager of Real Madrid Castilla. A brief return to form came to an abrupt halt after losing the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinal, 6-1 to Real Zaragoza. Shortly after, Real Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League for a third successive year, this time at the hands of Arsenal. On February 27, 2006, Florentino Pérez resigned. Real Madrid eventually managed to finish second in the league but did not pose a serious threat to defending champions, F.C. Barcelona.
Post Pérez-Galácticos Era
Ramón Calderón period
On July 2, 2006 Ramón Calderón was elected as club president and subsequently appointed Fabio Capello as the new coach and Predrag Mijatovic as the new sporting director. As new manager of Real Madrid, Capello signed the World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro and Emerson, both from embattled Juventus, for a total sum of €23 m; Ruud van Nistelrooy from Manchester United for €15 m; Mahamadou Diarra from Lyon for €26 m and on a last minute trade loan - José Antonio Reyes. Ramon failed, however, to sign A.C. Milan star Kaká, Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas and Chelsea star Arjen Robben as was promised by the new president. During the January transfer window, he has managed to sign Fluminense left back Marcelo (€6.5 m), River Plate forward Gonzalo Higuaín (€13 m) and Boca Juniors midfielder Fernando Gago (€18 m).
2006-07 Season
On January 16, 2007, Calderón made some very unfortunate comments about the behavior of some players in the squad and the Santiago Bernabéu fans, which has put the club in a delicate situation.[5] One of the players that Calderón criticised was David Beckham, who, in January 2007, agreed to a deal to play for LA Galaxy at the end of that season. Among others to criticise Beckham was manager Fabio Capello, who, at the time, vowed never to select Beckham for the team again, although he later withdrew his words. At the end of January Ronaldo left the club for 7.5 million euros for AC Milan. On February 9, 2007, Capello allowed Beckham back onto Real's starting 11 in an away match against Real Sociedad, Beckham played well and scored the equalizing goal in the match (Real Madrid won the match 2-1). On February 24, 2007, the Madrid derby between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid at the Vicente Calderón Stadium was a 1-1 draw. The scorers were Fernando Torres for Atlético, and Gonzalo Higuain for Real. The Madrid derby is seen as one of the most fiercely contested matches in the Spanish football calendar.
On March 7, 2007 Real Madrid failed to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League due to Bayern Munich's strong home performance. Despite winning the home leg 3-2, they lost 2-1 in Germany and were eliminated on an away goals tiebreaker.
On March 10, 2007 Real Madrid contested the Clasico against Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Real Madrid took the lead 3 times after 2 goals from Ruud van Nistelrooy and one from Sergio Ramos but were pegged back by a hat-trick from Lionel Messi. Despite the sending off of Oleguer, the Clasico ended 3-3.
Real Madrid managed to put their European disappointments behind them and treated their last 12 league games as "finals" [citation needed]. Real Madrid managed to find their form consistently for the first time all season as they managed to win seven out their first eight "finals", including a 2-1 home win over Valencia on April 21, 2007 and another 3-2 home win over Sevilla on May 6, 2007. Calderón then went on to say that if the team keep up their great play, he was confident Real Madrid will win the league title and end their four year wait for a major trophy on June 17.
On May 12, 2007, despite not having Robinho and Beckham on the pitch (due to separate yellow cards given in the previous match against Sevilla) Real Madrid took over first place in the La Liga for the first time all season by defeating Espanyol 4-3, coming back from 1-3 first half deficit. Los Blancos were able to avoid a 3-3 draw thanks to a 89th minute goal by Gonzalo Higuaín.
The Sunday after Real won their epic battle with Espanyol, Barça dropped points with a 1-1 draw to struggling Betis. By virtue of their superior head to head record, Real Madrid sat at the top of La Liga, with four crucial "finals" left to play.
The following Sunday, Real managed to beat Recreativo 2-3 at the Nuevo Colombino. With the score tied at 2-2, Real Madrid looked set return the lead back to rivals Barcelona until Roberto Carlos scored at the end of the match from a Fernando Gago assist and the squad left Huelva with just three "finals" left to play. The remaining three were Deportivo, Zaragoza and Mallorca.
On May 26, 2007, Real Madrid did another excellent match to defeat Deportivo 3-1 at the Bernabéu. This victory made it six wins in a row for Real Madrid. Goals from Sergio Ramos, Raúl and Ruud van Nistelrooy secured the win. That victory left Real with only two "finals" left to play and with hopes and morale reaching a high point in Real's dressing room, Capello and Calderón began to believe that Real was going to win the league title.
On June 9, 2007, Real played against Zaragoza at La Romareda. The match got off to a bad start when Real Madrid were forced to change their lineup some minutes before the start of the match when young defender Miguel Torres got injured in the warm up, tearing his hamstring. Zaragoza led Real 2-1 near the end of the match while Barcelona were also winning against Espanyol 2-1. Real's title challenge looked to be over. However, a late Ruud Van Nistelrooy equalizer followed by a last minute Raúl Tamudo goal sprang Real Madrid's title hopes back into their favor. Sevilla were also held 0-0 away against Mallorca, which meant that a win at home against Mallorca would effectively secure Los Merengues their 30th Spanish league title.
The title was won on June 17, Real faced Mallorca at the Bernabéu, while Barcelona and Sevilla, the other title challengers, faced Gimnàstic de Tarragona and Villarreal respectively. At half time Real were 0-1 down, while Barcelona had surged ahead into a 0-3 lead in Tarragona; however, three goals in the last half-an-hour secured Real Madrid a 3-1 win and their first league title since 2003. The first goal came from Reyes who scored after a good work from Higuaín. An own goal followed by another delightful goal from Reyes allowed Real to begin celebrating the title. Thousands of Real Madrid fans began going to Plaza de Cibeles to celebrate the title.
Real Madrid recently signed a three-year deal with betting company Bwin.com in June, announcing a shirt deal at the same time that saw BenQ Siemens replaced by Bwin.com on the front. The 2007-08 shirts made their first appearance during their title celebration on June 17, 2007.
Pre 2007-08 Season
Just a few days after Real Madrid secured their first league title in four years, Calderon admitted that Real will sign a few more players besides the recent addition of German defender Metzelder. Calderon, however, refused to comment on coach Fabio Capello's future at the Bernabeu, insisting that for the time being, everyone will want to celebrate winning the title and will only talk in a few weeks time.
On June 28th, 2007, it was confirmed that Real Madrid has sacked its title winning coach Fabio Capello. Among the reasons for this action were poor football displays and the departure of Ronaldo and Beckham. Getafe's German coach Bernd Schuster is tipped to succeed Capello.
On July 4th, 2007, reports were verified that AS Roma has accepted Real Madrid's bid for defender Cristian Chivu. Contract negotiations are still underway because the player's agent (Ioan Becali) wanted more money for himself and the player. Real Madrid is looking at other options, the main one being Royston Drenthe from Feyenoord Rotterdam. The club is also showing interest for José Antonio Reyes, Cesc Fàbregas, Javier Saviola, Arjen Robben and Florent Malouda. While the club is busy preparing for the new season, some of Real Madrid's stars are shining in Copa America. Baptista was Man of the Match in Brazil - Ecuador and Robinho has scored all the goals of Brazil in the first three matches of the competition. The 4th match will be against Chile on July 7th. Gago has shown great skills for Argentina, who are currently the favorites to winning Copa America. Robinho is the top scorer of the tournament, with 4 goals in 3 matches. Many fans have regretted not seeing Marcelo, Cicinho and Higuaín called up to play for their national squads.
On July 5th, 2007, Miguel Ángel Portugal was named the new Technical Secretary of Real Madrid.
On July 7th, 2007, rumors are that Real Madrid are very close to signing Royston Drenthe, only 2 million euros being the difference between what Mijatović offers and Feyenoord demands. Chelsea and Barcelona are also interested in the player. Baptista has scored Brazil's second goal against Chile in Copa America. Robinho has scored the third and the forth, getting to a total of 6 goals in 4 matches. Real Madrid's saga continues even between seasons. Real have released a Galactico shortlist of players wanted for next seasons campaign, including Arjen Robben, Kaka, Cesc Fabregas, Royston Drenthe, Carlos Tevez, Alex, Javier Saviola, Cristian Chivu, Gabriel Heinze, and Dani Alves, all of which have been linked with the club. On July 8th, 2007, AS reported that Real Madrid has tabled a 9 million euros per season contract to Kaka. On July 9th, 2007, Marca has reported that Cesc Fàbregas has asked Wenger to listen to any Real Madrid bid. AS Roma's offer for Cicinho has been rejected. Bernd Schuster has been presented as the new coach of Real Madrid in front of the media at the Santiago Bernabéu.
On July 10th, 2007, Real Madrid C.F. and F.C. Porto reached an agreement for the transfer of centre-back Képler Laveran Lima Ferreira "Pepe" to Real Madrid C. F. The player has signed a five-year contract. Also, that very day [1]Marca reported that Bernd Schuster had officially announced that Javier Saviola had been signed on a free transfer.
On July 11th, 2007, Baptista has scored his second goal in Copa America against Uruguay and Robinho has scored too in the penalty shoot-out. Roberto Soldado has renewed his contract with Real Madrid and Sergio Ramos has signed which will keep him at the club till 2013.
On July 12th, 2007, Jerzy Dudek has completed his move to Real Madrid on a free transfer as back-up to Iker Casillas. Javier Saviola has also landed in the Spanish capital and his signing has been made official. Miguel Torres has renewed his contract for five seasons. Raúl Bravo has transferred to Olympiacos.
On July 14th, 2007, Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger confirmed in a post-match conference that Jose Antonio Reyes would not be returning from loan and would hence stay with Real Madrid.
On July 15th, 2007, Baptista scored against Argentina in Copa America. This was his third goal in three matches, revealing an impressing form. Robinho finished as the top scored of the tournament, with six goals (two of them from penalties).
On July 17th, 2007, Esteban Granero re-signed a contract through 2011 and the 20 years old ex-youth player will be a First Team squad member.
On July 18th, 2007, BBC reported that Arjen Robben agreed terms with Real Madrid but the clubs are yet to agree for a fee. The fans are still waiting anxiously for the signing of Jose Antonio Reyes.
On July 20th, 2007, Real Madrid officially announced Iván Helguera has been transferred to Valencia CF. Jordi Codina, Adrián González, Rubén de la Red and Javier Balboa signed a new contract until 2011 with the First Team squad. Jerzy Dudek signed his contract today for two years.
Stadia
- Main articles: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
The Santiago Bernabéu is a football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It is the home of Real Madrid. Work on the grounds started on October 27 1944. Originally called Estadio Chamartín after Madrid's previous stadium, it was inaugurated in December 1947. Real Madrid officially adopted the present name, Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, on January 4, 1955 in honor of the club president Santiago Bernabéu.
The capacity has changed frequently, peaking at 120,000 after a 1953 expansion. Since then there have been a number of reductions due to modernisations (the last standing places went away in 1998/99 in response to UEFA regulations which forbids standing at matches in the UEFA competition), countered to some extent by expansions. The last change was an increase of about five thousand to a capacity of 80,400, effected in 2003. A plan to add a retractable roof has been announced.
The Bernabéu is one of the world's most famous football venues, along with a handful of others, such as Old Trafford in Manchester, Anfield in Liverpool, Wembley in London, Celtic Park and Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Azteca in Mexico, San Siro in Milan, Monumental in Buenos Aires, Athens Olympic Stadium in Athens, Centenario Stadium in Montevideo, Camp Nou in Barcelona or the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. Alongside London's Wembley, the Munich Olympic Stadium, Toronto's BMO Field, Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium and the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, it has the proud record of having hosted the European Cup final (in 1957, 1969 and 1980), the 1964 European Championship final (1964), and the FIFA World Cup final (1982).
The stadium has its own Madrid Metro station along the 10 line called Santiago Bernabéu. Its location, in the heart of Madrid's business district, is quite unusual for a football stadium.
- Other Stadium:
- Main articles: Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium, Estadio Chamartín
Crest
The first crest of Real Madrid had a very simple design. It consisted of a decorative interlacing of the three initials of the club, "MCF" for Madrid Club de Futbol, in dark blue on a white shirt.
The first change in the crest occurred in 1908, when the letters adopted a more streamlined form and appeared inside a circle. The next change in the configuration of the crest did not occur until 1920, when King Alfonso XIII granted the club his royal patronage, which came in the form of the title "Real," roughly "Royal." Thus, Alfonso's crown was added to the crest and the club styled itself Real Madrid Club de Futbol.
With the disposition of the monarchy in 1931 all the symbols of the Royalty were eliminated, and so that the crown on the crest and the title of Real that years before the club had obtained were removed. In its place, the dark mulberry band of the Region of Castile was added.
In 1941, two years after the end of the Civil War, the crest's "Real Corona," or "Royal Crown," was restored and the mulberry stripe of Castile was retained as well. In addition, the colors were modified, in that the crest was made full color, with gold being the most prominent, and the club was again called Real Madrid Club de Futbol. It was with this crest that the club would become the most famous and successful in all of world football, a position that it kept for the rest of the twentieth century.
The most recent modification to the crest occurred in 2001, when the club wanted to better position itself for the twenty-first century and further standardize its crest. One of the changes made was the mulberry stripe was changed to a more bluish shade.
Hymn
The original Real Madrid hymn was sung by José de Aguilar. A second hymn was written in 2002, the year of the Centenary of Real Madrid by José María Blanco and sung by Plácido Domingo. This new hymn did not replace the original one; the two now coexist as the hymns of Real Madrid.
Statistics
Recent seasons
Season Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P Cup Europe Notes Manager 1994/1995 1D 1 38 23 9 7 91 42 55 last 16 UC last 16 Valdano 1995/1996 1D 6 42 20 10 12 75 51 70 last 16 ECL quarter-final Valdano & Iglesias 1996/1997 1D 1 42 27 11 4 85 36 92 last 16 Fabio Capello 1997/1998 1D 4 38 17 12 9 63 45 63 last 16 ECL winner Heynckes 1998/1999 1D 2 38 21 5 12 77 62 68 semi-final ECL quarter-final Camacho & Hiddink 1999/2000 1D 5 38 16 14 8 58 48 62 quarter-final ECL winner Toshack & Del Bosque 2000/2001 1D 1 38 24 8 6 81 40 80 last 64 ECL semi-final Del Bosque 2001/2002 1D 3 38 19 9 10 69 44 66 final ECL winner Del Bosque 2002/2003 1D 1 38 22 12 4 86 42 78 quarter-final ECL semi-final Del Bosque 2003/2004 1D 4 38 21 7 10 72 54 70 final ECL quarter-final Queiroz 2004/2005 1D 2 38 25 5 8 71 32 80 last 16 ECL last 16 Camacho, García Remón & Luxemburgo 2005/2006 1D 2 38 20 10 8 70 40 70 semi-final ECL last 16 Luxemburgo & López Caro 2006/2007 1D 1 38 23 7 8 66 40 76 last 16 ECL last 16 Fabio Capello 2007/2008 1D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ECL Bernd Schuster
Statistics in La Liga
- Seasons in La Liga: 76 (all)
- Best position in La Liga: First (30 times)
- Worst position in La Liga: Eleventh (1947-48)
- Most goals scored in a season: 107 (1989-90)
- Most goals scored in a match: RM 11 - Elche 2 (1959-60)
- Most goals conceded in a match: Espanyol 8 - RM 1 (1929-30)
Statistics in European Cup
- Most goals scored in a match: RM 12 - Boldklubben 1909 0 (1961-62)
- Most goals conceded in a match: AC Milan 5 - RM 0 (1988-89)
General statistics
- All-time top scorer: Alfredo Di Stéfano with 307 goals
- Most Appearances: Manuel Sanchís Hontiyuelo with 524 matches
- Player who has won most titles: Francisco Gento with 21 titles
Supporters
During most home matches the majority of the seats in the stadium are occupied by season ticket holders, of which there are approximately 65,000. In order to become a season ticket holder one must first be a socio, or club member. Not all members are able to get a season ticket. In addition to members, the club has over 1,800 peñas (official, club-affiliated supporters' groups) in Spain and around the world.
Rivalries
FC Barcelona
The rivalry between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona is legendary.
An important landmark in the rivalry between the two club was the controversial dispute over the signing of Alfredo Di Stéfano in the 1950s.
As the two biggest and most successful clubs in Spain, nowadays the rivalry is renewed on an annual basis with both teams often challenging each other for the league championship. The flashpoint of this rivalry is the twice-a-season El Clasico which draws vast audiences from around the world.
Atlético Madrid
As well as their rivalry with FC Barcelona, Real also enjoy a local rivalry with Atlético Madrid. Although Atlético was originally founded by three Basque students in 1903, they were joined in 1904 by dissident members of Madrid FC. Further tensions came because initially Atlético supporters came from the working class while the Real supporters were drawn from the middle class. Today these distinctions are largely blurred. The rivalry first gained international attention in 1959 during the European Cup when the two clubs met in the semi-final. Real won the first leg 2-1 at the Bernabéu while Atlético won 1-0 at the Metropolitano. The tie went to a replay and Real won 2-1. Atlético, however, gained some revenge when, led by former Real coach José Villalonga, they defeated Real in two successive Copa del Generalísimo finals in 1960 and 1961.
Between 1961 and 1980 when Real dominated La Liga, only Atlético offered Real any serious challenge, winning La Liga titles in 1966, 1970, 1973 and 1977. In 1965, when they finished as La Liga runners-up to Real after an intense battle for the title, Atlético became the first team to beat Real at the Bernabéu in eight years. Real Madrid's record against Atlético in more recent times is very favourable. A high point coming in the 2002/03 season, when Real clinched the La Liga title after beating Atlético 4-0 at the Vicente Calderón stadium.
Major trophies
National titles
- La Liga Titles: 30 (record)
- 1931/32, 1932/33, 1953/54, 1954/55, 1956/57, 1957/58,1958/59, 1960/61, 1961/62, 1962/63, 1963/64, 1964/65, 1966/67, 1967/68, 1968/69, 1971/72, 1974/75, 1975/76, 1977/78, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1994/95, 1996/97, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2006/07.
- Copa del Rey: 17
- 1904/05 1-0 vs. Athletic Bilbao
- 1905/06 4-1 vs. Athletic Bilbao
- 1906/07 1-0 vs. Athletic Bilbao
- 1907/08 2-1 vs. Real Vigo Sporting
- 1916/17 2-1 vs. Arenas de Getxo
- 1933/34 2-1 vs. Valencia
- 1935/36 2-1 vs. Barcelona
- 1945/46 3-1 vs. Valencia
- 1946/47 2-0 vs. Espanyol
- 1961/62 2-1 vs. Sevilla
- 1969/70 3-1 vs. Valencia
- 1973/74 4-0 vs. Barcelona
- 1974/75 1-0 vs. Atlético Madrid
- 1979/80 6-1 vs. Castilla
- 1981/82 2-1 vs. Sporting de Gijón
- 1988/89 1-0 vs. Valladolid
- 1992/93 2-0 vs. Zaragoza
- 1984/85 4-3 vs. Atlético Madrid
International titles
- UEFA Champions League: 9 (record)
- 1955/56 4-3 vs. Stade de Reims
- 1956/57 2-0 vs. Fiorentina
- 1957/58 3-2 vs. Milan
- 1958/59 2-0 vs. Stade de Reims
- 1959/60 7-3 vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
- 1965/66 2-1 vs. Partizan
- 1997/98 1-0 vs. Juventus
- 1999/00 3-0 vs. Valencia
- 2001/02 2-1 vs. Bayer Leverkusen
- 1960 5-1 vs. Peñarol
- 1998 2-1 vs. Vasco da Gama
- 2002 2-0 vs. Olimpia Asunción
- Ibero-American Cup: 1 (record)
- 1994 4-3 vs. Boca Juniors
- UEFA Cup: 2
- 2002 3-1 vs. Feyenoord
- Latin Cup: 2
- 1955 2-0 vs. Stade de Reims
- 1957 1-0 vs. Benfica
Current squad 2007/08
For more details see: Real Madrid 2007/08 squad.
The numbers are established according to the official websites of Real Madrid, the Spanish league and UEFA. Spanish teams are limited to three players without EU citizenship. The squad list includes only the principal nationality of each player; several non-European players on the squad have dual citizenship with an EU country.
As of 17 July 2007
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Selected reserve team players
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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2007/2008 transfers
For more details see: Real Madrid 2007/08 players transfer.
In
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Sponsorship
- Official shirt sponsors - bwin
- Official shirt manufacturer - Adidas
- Official sponsors - Benq
- Automobile partner - Audi
- Technological partner - Telefónica
- Real Madrid Official Beer - Mahou
- Official Medical Supplier - Sanitas
- Official sponsors - Rexona for Men
- Official water - Solán de Cabras
- Official sponsors - Kellogg
- Official sponsors - Mini Babybel
Club officials
Board of Directors
- President: Ramón Calderón
- Vice-President: Vicente Boluda
- Vice-President: José Ignacio Rivero
- Football Board Directors (Junta directiva): Amador Suárez, Francisco Moreno, Luís Bárcena, Luís Guerrero, Melchor Miralles, Pascual Cervera, Pedro Trapote, Antonio Medina, Enrique Riquelme, Antonio Serrano & José Manuel Serrano (Secretary)
- Honorary Life President: Alfredo Di Stéfano
- Director of football: Predrag Mijatović
- Mijatović's Right Hand Man: Carlos Bucero
- Technical Secretary: Miguel Ángel Portugal[7][8][9]
Senior club staff
- Director of Communications: -
- Director of Commercial Enterprises: -
- Director of Marketing: José Ángel Sánchez
- Director of Financial Services: -
- Director of Finance: -
- Director of Facilities: Javier Lozano
Coaching Staff
- Manager: Bernd Schuster
- Club Delegader: Miguel 'Chendo'
- Assistant Manager: Manuel Ruiz Perez
- First Team Coach: José Antonio Grande
- Goalkeeping Coach: Juan Carlos Arivalo Aguilar
- Fitness Coach: Valter di Salvo
- Strength & Conditioning Coach: Oscar Antonio Garcia Hermo
- Reserve Team Coach: Míchel González
- Chief Scout & European Scout: Julen Lopetegui
- Director of Youth Football: Míchel González
Medical staff
- Club Doctor: Dr. Alfoso Del Corral
- Assistant Club Doctor: Dr. Juan Carlos Hernández
- First Team Physiotherapist: Daniel Martínez, Alvaro Solano & Juan Muro
Foreign players 2007/2008
Only three non-EU nationals can be on the pitch at anytime. Those with European ancestry can claim a passport from the nation their ancestors came from. e.g Gago can claim an Italian passport as he has Italian ancestry. If a Latin American player cannot prove European ancestry he can claim a Spanish passport by playing in Spain for 5 years.
Gonzalo Higuaín-
Fernando Gago -
Javier Saviola 
Cicinho- Emerson
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Pepe - Júlio Baptista
- Robinho
- Marcelo
Mahamadou Diarra-
Fabio Cannavaro - Antonio Cassano
Christoph Metzelder
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Jerzy Dudek
Notable former players
World Cup Winners
- Didi (Sweden 1958) and (Chile 1962)
- Paul Breitner (West Germany 1974)
- Günter Netzer (West Germany 1974)**
- Jorge Valdano (Mexico 1986)**
- Oscar Ruggeri (Mexico 1986)
- Bodo Illgner (Italy 1990)
- Ricardo Rocha (USA 1994)
- Christian Karembeu (France 1998)**
- Zinedine Zidane (France 1998)
- Roberto Carlos (Korea-Japan 2002)**
- Ronaldo (USA 1994) and (Korea-Japan 2002)
- Fabio Cannavaro (Germany 2006)
**Won the World Cup while playing for Real Madrid.
Selected former managers
see also Category:Real Madrid managers and List of Real Madrid managers
Presidents
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see also Category:Real Madrid presidents
Other sport sections
Real Madrid Castilla
Real Madrid de Baloncesto
See also
Notes and references
- ^ "www.fifa.com/en/history/history/0,1283,4,00.html". Retrieved 2007-05-13.
- ^ http://www.stadiumguide.com/realmadridstory.htm
- ^ http://www.hinduonnet.com/tss/tss2814/stories/20050402001607400.htm
- ^ http://www.davidbruceallen.com/strategyoped/2006/03/real_madrid_a_c.html
- ^ "sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-spainrealcalderondc&prov=reuters&type=lgns". Retrieved 2007-05-13.
- ^ Sponsorship
- ^ http://www.realmadrid.com/articulo/rma40859.htm
- ^ http://www.realmadrid.com/articulo/rma40869.htm
- ^ http://www.as.com/articulo/futbol/entrenad...sdaiftb_44/Tes/
- ^ Club officials
External links
| Culture and lore |
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Template:Champions League 2007-08
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