Real Madrid (Spa)

Location: Madrid, Spain
Year Founded: 1902
Nickname: los Merengues
Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu
Capacity: 85000
La Liga Champions:
Winners (30): 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:
Winners (17): 1904/05, 1905/06, 1906/07, 1907/08, 1916/17, 1933/34, 1935/36, 1945/46, 1946/47, 1961/62, 1969/70, 1973/74, 1974/75, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1988/89, 1992/93.
Spanish Super Cup:
Winners (7): 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2003.
Copa de la Liga:
Winners(1): 1984/85
UEFA Champions League:
Winners (9): 1955/56, 1956/57, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1965/66, 1997/98, 1999/00, 2001/02.
UEFA Cup:
Winners (2): 1984/85, 1985/86.
Intercontinental Cup:
Winners (3): 1960, 1998, 2002.
European Super Cup:
Winners (1): 2002.



Squad information:

Staff:
Emilio Butragueno
Benito Floro
Predrag Mijatovic
Mariano Garcia Remon
Bernd Schuster

Goalkeepers:
Iker Casillas
Jerzy Dudek
Carlos Sanchez Garcia

Defenders:
Michel Salgado
Oscar Minambres
Royston Drenthe
Marcelo
Gabriel Heinze
Sergio Ramos
Fabio Cannavaro
Pepe
Christoph Metzelder
Christopher Schorch

Midfielders:
Mahamadou Diarra
Robinho
Fernando Gago
Javi Garcia
Esteban Granero
Francisco Salvador Ela
Wesley Sneijder
Julio Baptista
Guti
Arjen Robben

Forwards:
Antonio Cassano
Sousa
Ruben de la Red
Gonzalo Higuain
Raul
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Javier Saviola
Roberto Soldado

     
                                            Team  History

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. In 1920 the club's name was changed into Real Madrid after the King grants the title of Real (Royal) to the club.
                     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.
                    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 Mijatović. Real Madrid would go on to win again in 2000 and 2002 under manager Vicente Del Bosque, with sides including players such as 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.
                 On August 25th, Real Madrid kicked off the season in a derby against city rivals Athletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. It was a highly entertaining display from both sides but Real managed to win 2-1, with goals from Raul and Wesley Sneijder for Real while Kun Aguero scored for Atletico. It was a great start for Real as they showed skill and that they were adapting to the new style of play Bernd Schuster had brought in.