Atlético de Madrid
Encyclopedia
Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D., commonly known as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish
football club based in Madrid
who play in La Liga
. Atlético have won both La Liga
and the Copa del Rey
on nine occasions, including a double in 1996; in Europe, they won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1962, were European Cup
runners-up in 1974
, won the Intercontinental Cup
in 1975, and won the Europa League in 2010, where Los Colchoneros ended their 48-year wait for continental honors, defeating Fulham
2–1 in the final, which was held at the Hamburg Arena in Hamburg
.
Los Colchoneros play their home games at the Vicente Calderón
, which currently holds up to 54,960 spectators. In 2012, Atletico are due to move to their new home of Estadio La Peineta
, which will have a capacity of 73,000.
Atleti's home kit is red and white vertical striped shirts, with blue shorts, accompanied by blue and red socks, this combination has been used since 1911. Nike
are the kit manufacturers, the only sponsor is Kyocera
.
During their history, the club have been known by a number of nicknames, including Los Colchoneros (The Mattress Makers in English), due to their first team stripes being the same colors as old-fashioned mattresses. During the 1970s, they became known as Los Indios, allegedly due to the club signing several South America
n players after the restrictions on signing foreign players was lifted. However, there are a number of counter theories which claim they were so named because their stadium is "camped" on the river bank, or because Los Indios were the traditional enemy of Los Blancos (The Whites), which is the nickname of the club's city rivals Real Madrid
.
students living in Madrid
. These founders saw the new club as a youth branch of their childhood team, Athletic Bilbao
. In 1904, they were joined by dissident members of Real Madrid. They began playing in blue and white, similarly to Athletic Bilbao, but by 1911, Athletic were playing in their current colours of red and white stripes. Many believe the change was influenced because red and white striped tops were the cheapest stripes to make, because the same combination was used to make bed mattresses, and the unused cloth was easily converted into football shirts. This discovery of a cheaper option probably persuaded them to change and influenced the Madrid club being come to known as Los Colchoneros nickname. Other more plausible account of the reason to change colours is that both Athletic Bilbao
and Athletic Madrid used to buy Blackburn Rovers
blue and white kits in England. Once in 1911, Juanito Elorduy, former player and member of the board of Athletic Madrid, went to England to buy kits for both teams. He did not find Blackburn Rovers kits and bought Southampton
red and white ones instead. Athletic Bilbao adopted the full Southampton kit with the red and white striped shirt and black shorts [this is incorrect, Southampton played in blue shorts until 1950.]. Whereas, Athletic Madrid adopted the red and white shirt but kept Blackburn Rovers blue shorts, leading to them also being known as Los Rojiblancos.
Atletico's first ground, the Ronda de Vallecas
, was situated in the eponymous working class
area on the south side of the city. In 1919, the Compañía Urbanizadora Metropolitana—the company that ran the underground communication system in Madrid—acquired some land, near the Ciudad Universitaria
. And in 1921, Athletic Madrid became independent of parent-club Athletic Bilbao. As part of that project the company built a sports stadium, named Estadio Metropolitano de Madrid
and Athletic had a new a 35,800 seat home. The Metropolitano was used until 1966, when they moved to the new Estadio Vicente Calderón
. After the move, the Metropolitano was demolished and was replaced with university buildings.
During the 1920s, Athletic won the Campeonato del Centro three times and they were Copa del Rey
runners-up in 1921, ironically this final saw them face parent club Athletic Bilbao, and 1926. Based on this record, they were invited to join the Primera División of the inaugural La Liga
in 1928. During their debut La Liga season, the club were managed by Fred Pentland
, but after two seasons in the Primera División they were relegated to Segunda División
. They briefly returned to La Liga in 1934. But were relegated again in 1936, after Josep Samitier
took over in mid-season from Pentland. Fortunately for Los Colchoneros the Spanish Civil War
gave the club a reprieve, because Real Oviedo
was unable to play due to the destruction of their stadium during the bombings. Thus both La Liga and Athletic's relegation were postponed, the latter by winning a playoff against CA Osasuna
, champion of the Segunda División tournament.
to become Athletic Aviación de Madrid. Aviación Nacional had been founded in 1939 by members of the Spanish Air Force
. They had been promised a place in the Primera División for the 1939–40 season, only to be denied by the RFEF. As a compromise this club merged with Athletic, whose squad had lost eight players in the Spanish Civil War. The team were awarded a place in the 1939–40 La Liga campaign only as a replacement for Real Oviedo. With the legendary Ricardo Zamora
as manager, the club subsequently won their first La Liga title that season and then retained the title in 1941. The most influential and charismatic player of these years was the captain German Gomez
, who was signed from Racing Santander in 1939. He played eight consecutive seasons for 'the rojiblancos', until the 1947–48 campaign. From his centre-midfield position he formed a legendary midfield alongside Machín and Ramón Gabilondo
.
In 1941, a decree issued by Franco banned teams from using foreign names and the club became Atlético Aviacion de Madrid. In 1947, the club decided to drop the military association from its name and settled on its current name of Club Atlético de Madrid. The same year saw Atlético beat Real Madrid
5–0 at the Metropolitano; their biggest win over their cross-town rivals to date.
and with the help of Larbi Benbarek
, Atlético won La Liga again in 1950 and 1951. With the departure of Herrera in 1953, the club began to slip behind Real Madrid and Barcelona
and for the remainder of the 1950s they were left to battle it out with Athletic Bilbao for the title of third team in Spain
.
However during the 1960s and 1970s, Atlético Madrid seriously challenged Barcelona for the position of second team. The 1957–58 season saw Fernando Daucik
take charge of Atlético and he led them to second place in La Liga. This resulted in Atlético qualifying for the 1958–59 season of the European Cup since the winners, Real Madrid, were the reigning European champions. Inspired by Brazil
ian centre-forward Vavá
and Enrique Collar
, Atlético reached the semi-finals after beating Drumcondra, CSKA Sofia
and Schalke
. In the semi-finals, they met Real Madrid. 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 in Zaragoza
.
Atlético, however, gained their revenge when, led by former Real coach José Villalonga
, they defeated Real in two successive Copa del Rey
finals in 1960 and 1961. In 1962 they won the European Cup Winners Cup
beating Fiorentina
3–0 after a replay. The following year the club reached the 1963 final, but was thrashed by English
side Tottenham Hotspur
5–1. Enrique Collar
, who continued to be an influential player during this era, was now joined by the likes of midfielder Miguel Jones
and midfield playmaker Adelardo.
Unfortunately for Atlético fans, their best years coincided with dominant Real Madrid teams. Between 1961 and 1980, Real Madrid dominated La Liga with the club winning the competition 14 times. During this era only Atlético offered Real any serious challenge, winning La Liga titles in 1966, 1970, 1973 and 1977. They were also runners-up in 1961, 1963 and 1965. The club had further success winning the Copa del Rey on three occasions in 1965, 1972 and 1976. 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.
, Javier Irureta
and José Eulogio Gárate
. The latter won the Pichichi
three times in 1969, 1970 and 1971. In the 1970s Atlético also recruited several Argentine
employees, signing Rubén Ayala
, Panadero Díaz and Ramón "Cacho" Heredia as well as coach Juan Carlos Lorenzo. Lorenzo believed in discipline, caution and disrupting the opponents’ game. Although controversial, his methods proved successful and after winning La Liga in 1973, the club reached the European Cup final in 1974
. On the way to the final Atlético knocked out Galatasaray
, Dinamo Bucureşti, Red Star Belgrade
and Celtic. In the away leg of the semi-final against Celtic, Atlético had Ayala, Díaz, and substitute Quique
all sent off during a hard fought encounter in what was reported as one of the worst cases of cynical fouling the tournament has seen. Because of this cynicism they managed a 0–0 draw, which was followed by a 2–0 victory in the return leg with goals from Gárate and Adelardo. However the final at the Heysel Stadium proved to be a heart-breaker for Atlético. Against a Bayern Munich
team that included Franz Beckenbauer
, Sepp Maier, Paul Breitner
, Uli Hoeneß, and Gerd Müller
, Atlético played above themselves. Despite missing Ayala, Díaz, and Quique through suspension, they went ahead in extra-time with only seven minutes left. Aragonés scored with a superb, curling free-kick that looked like the winner. However in the last minute of the game Bayern defender Georg Schwarzenbeck
equalized with a stunning 25 yarder that left the Atlético goalkeeper Miguel Reina
motionless. In a replay, back in the Heysel, two days later Bayern won convincingly 4–0, with two goals each from Hoeneß and Müller.
as coach. Aragonés subsequently served as coach on four separate occasions, from 1974 to 1980, from 1982 to 1987 once again 1991 till 1993 and finally from 2002 to 2003. His first success came quickly as Bayern Munich had refused to participate because of fixture congestion in the Intercontinental Cup
and as runners-up, Atlético were invited instead. Their opponents were Independiente
of Argentina
and, after losing the away leg 1–0, they won the return leg 2–0 with goals from Javier Irureta
and Rubén Ayala
. Aragonés subsequently led the club to further successes in the Copa del Rey in 1976 and La Liga in 1977.
During his second spell in charge, Aragonés led the club to a runners-up finish in La Liga and a winner's medal in the Copa del Rey, both in 1985. He received considerable help from Hugo Sánchez
who scored 19 league goals and won the Pichichi
. Sánchez also scored twice in the cup final as Atlético beat Athletic Bilbao 2–1. However Sánchez only remained at the club for one season before he move across the city to Real Madrid. Despite the loss of Sánchez, Aragonés went on to lead the club to success in the Supercopa de España
in 1985
and then guided them to the European Cup Winners Cup final in 1986. However Atlético lost their third successive European final, this time 3–0 to Dynamo Kyiv
.
became club president.
Atlético had not won La Liga for ten years and were desperate for league success. Right away, Gil spent heavily, bringing in a number of expensive signings, most notably Portuguese winger Paulo Futre
, fresh from winning the European Cup with FC Porto. However, all the spending only brought in two consecutive Copa del Rey
trophies in 1991 and 1992 as the league title proved elusive. The closest Atlético came to La Liga trophy was the 1990–91 season when they finished runners-up by 10 points to Johan Cruyff
's FC Barcelona
. In the process, Gil developed a ruthless reputation due to the manner in which he ran the club. In pursuit of league success, he hired and fired a number of head coaches, including César Luis Menotti
, Ron Atkinson
, Javier Clemente
, Tomislav Ivić
, Francisco Maturana
, Alfio Basile
as well as club legend Luis Aragonés
. Gil also closed down Atlético's youth academy in 1992, a move that would prove significant due to 15-year-old academy member Raúl
who as a result went across town to achieve worldwide fame at rivals Real Madrid
.
In the 1994–95 league campaign, the club barely avoided relegation with a draw on the last matchday of the season. The narrow escape prompted yet another head coaching change along with a wholesale squad clearance during the summer 1995 transfer window that saw many players being shown the door. Somewhat unexpectedly, in the following 1995–96 season, newly arrived head coach Radomir Antić
, with a squad including holdovers Toni
, Roberto Solozábal
, Delfí Geli
, Juan Vizcaíno
, José Luis Caminero
, Diego Simeone, and Kiko, as well as new acquisitions Milinko Pantić
, Luboslav Penev, Santi Denia
, and José Francisco Molina
finally delivered the much sought after league title as Atlético won the La Liga
/Copa del Rey
double.
The next season 1996–97 saw the club take part in the Champions League for the first time. With expectations and ambitions raised, most notable summer transfer singings were striker Juan Esnaider
from Real Madrid
and Radek Bejbl
who was coming off a great showing at Euro 1996. However, playing on two fronts Atletico fell out of the league title contention early while in the Champions League they got eliminated by Ajax in a hard-fought quarterfinal tie that went into extra time. For the 1997–98 season, the heavy spending continued with top signings of Christian Vieri
and Juninho
arriving in the summer of 1997. However, all the success produced little change in the overall Gil strategy, and although Antić survived three consecutive seasons in charge he was replaced during summer 1998 by Arrigo Sacchi
, who himself only remained in the managerial hot seat for less than 6 months. Antić then returned briefly in early 1999 only to be replaced by Claudio Ranieri
at the end of the season. The 1999–00 season proved disastrous for Atlético. In December 1999, Gil and his board got suspended pending investigation into the misuse of club funds and government-appointed administrator José Manuel Rubí began running Atlético's day to day operations. With the removal of club president Jesús Gil and his board, the club floundered and the players put in disastrous performances. Ranieri handed in his resignation with the club in 17th spot out of 20 and heading towards relegation. The return of Antić for the third coaching stint failed to prevent the inevitable. Despite reaching the Copa del Rey
final, Atlético were relegated.
Atlético spent two seasons in the Segunda División
, narrowly missing out on promotion in 2001 before winning the Segunda División
championship in 2002. It was again Luis Aragonés, in his last spell as a manager of Atlético, who brought Atlético to the Primera Division. He also coached the team during the next season, being the one who gave Fernando Torres the opportunity to make his debut in La Liga, at the Camp Nou against F.C. Barcelona in 2–2 draw.
, one of the biggest talents in recent Spanish football history, was joined by Portuguese
internationals Costinha
and Maniche and also by Argentine
striker Sergio Agüero
.
Torres shocked the club in June 2007, when he stated his desire to play for Liverpool
. He left Atlético and joined the English giant on 4 July 2007 for £
26.5 million, £20 million of which was in cash, with the rest consisting of the rights to Luis García
. Around this same time, Atlético also made a splash by signing Uruguay
international and former European Golden Boot
/Pichichi winner Diego Forlán
for roughly €21 million from Villarreal CF
. Several weeks later, the club gave up Bulgarian star Martin Petrov
to Manchester City
for €7 million, but got a replacement shortly after: Portuguese star Simão
, signed from Benfica for roughly €20 million. On 29 July, it was announced that Atlético had signed winger José Antonio Reyes
for €12 million.
In July 2007, the Atlético board reached an agreement with the city of Madrid to sell the land where their stadium is and move the club to the Olympic Stadium
, owned by the city. Atlético will be allowed to play in Vicente Calderón stadium until 2010. The new stadium will be owned by the club in 2016, as the city is applying to host the 2016 Olympic Games.
The 2007–08 season proved to be the most successful season for the club in the past decade. The team reached the round of 32 in the UEFA Cup
, where they were defeated by Bolton Wanderers
. They also reached the Quarter-final round of the Copa del Rey, where they were beaten by eventual champions Valencia CF
. More significantly, the team finished the La Liga season in 4th place, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League
. Sergio Agüero, Diego Forlán, Simão, Maxi Rodríguez and goalkeeper Leo Franco
returned Atlético to top European football for the first time since the 1996–97 season, when Atlético lost in the quarter-final round to Dutch giants AFC Ajax.
The 2008–09 season had proven to be another great stride forward in the resurrection of Club Atlético de Madrid's reputation as a force to be reckoned with in both domestic and European Football, with participation continuing in the UEFA Champions League. However, performances in La Liga
were not as successful as the club would have liked. This forced the club to make some new signings, adding French
goalkeeper Grégory Coupet
, Dutch
central defender John Heitinga
, Czech central defender Tomáš Ujfaluši
, Brazilian central midfielder Paulo Assunção
, Argentine
Midfielder Ever Banega
, on loan from Valencia C.F., and French
forward Florent Sinama-Pongolle
to the lineup. Joining Portuguese
central midfielder Maniche, who continued his loan-spell.
On 3 February 2009, Javier Aguirre
was dismissed from his post as manager after a terrible start to 2009, going without a win in 6 games. He later claimed this was simply not the case, and that he had been released by mutual termination rather than sacked. There was a public outrage after his dismissal, many believing he was not the cause of Atlético's problems, specifically player Diego Forlán. He backed his former manager and said that "Dismissing Javier was the easy way out, but he was not the cause of our problems. The players are to blame because we have not been playing well and we have been committing a lot of errors." This led to the appointment of Abel Resino
as Atlético's new manager.
Atlético's success continued in the latter half of the season when they placed 4th once again in the league table, securing a position in the playoff round of the UEFA Champions League. Striker Diego Forlán
was crowned with the Pichichi Trophy and also won the European Golden Shoe, for scoring 32 goals for Atlético that season. Atlético saw this domestic success as an opportunity to reinforce their squad for the upcoming Champions League season. They departed company with veteran goalkeeper Leo Franco
and brought in David de Gea
from the youth ranks and signed promising youngster Sergio Asenjo
, from Real Valladolid
. Atlético also purchased Real Betis
defender and Spanish international Juanito
on a free transfer. Despite pressure from big clubs to purchase their star players of Agüero and Forlán, Atlético remained committed to keeping their strong attacking base in the hopes for a successful new season.
However, the 2009–10 Atlético season
began poorly with many defeats and goals conceded. On 21 October, Atletico were hammered 4–0 by the English giants Chelsea
in the Champions League group stage. This defeat led to Atletico's management announcement that manager Abel Resino
had to leave. After failing to sign Danish former footballer, Michael Laudrup
, Atletico Madrid made it official that the new manager for the rest of the season was Quique Sánchez Flores
.
in the semi-finals and eventually Fulham
in the final held in HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg
. Diego Forlán
scored twice, the second being an extra-time winner (116 min.), as Atlético Madrid claimed a 2–1 win.
It was the first time since the 1961–62 European Cup Winners' Cup that Atlético had claimed a European title. They also reached the Copa del Rey final on 19 May 2010, where they faced Sevilla and had a good chance at achieving their first double (doblete) since 1996, when they won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey. But Atlético fell short, losing 2–0 to Sevilla
at the Camp Nou
in Barcelona
.
By winning the Europa League, they qualified for the 2010 UEFA Super Cup
against Internazionale
winner of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, which was played in Monaco on 27 August 2010. Atlético won 2–0 with goals from José Antonio Reyes
and Sergio Agüero
, being Atlético's first such title, because in 1962 when Atlético won the European Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA
had not yet established the UEFA Super Cup (Atlético would have eventually faced Benfica, winner of the 1961–62 European Cup).
Atlético had a comparatively disapponting 2010–11 season, finishing only 7th in the League and being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey and the Group Stage of the Europa League. This ultimately led to the departure of manager Quique Sánchez Flores
before the conclusion of the season, who was replaced with ex-Sevilla FC
manager Gregorio Manzano, who secured the final Europa League place for Atlético.
and Atlético Madrid are clubs with contrasting identities and very different fates. Historically, Real Madrid have long been seen as the establishment
club. On the other side, the Rojiblancos o were always characterized by a sentimiento de rebeldía, a sense of rebellion. Although, during the early Francisco Franco
years it was Atlético that was the preferred team of the regime. They were associated with the military airforce, until the regime's preferences moved towards Real Madrid in the 1950s.
Certainly, the dictatorial state sought to make political capital out of Real Madrid's European Cup trophies at a time when Spain
was internationally isolated – "Real Madrid are the best embassy we ever had," said one minister. Such perceptions have had an important impact on the city's footballing identities, tapping into the collective consciousness
. In this vein, Atlético fans were probably the originators, and are the most frequent singers, of the song "Hala Madrid, hala Madrid, el equipo del gobierno, la verguenza del país", "Go Madrid, go Madrid, the government's team, the country's shame."
, club legend as both player and coach, holds the record for most goals scored with 172. While Adrián Escudero
has the record for most goals in La Liga
with 150. Antonio López
is the club's current record appearance holder, with 286.
in southern Madrid
. Before this the club played originally at the Ronda de Vallecas until 1923. After the completion of the Estadio Metropolitano de Madrid
in 1923, the club moved there until the Vicente Calderón was finished in 1966.
The club plan to move in 2012 to the renovated Estadio La Peineta
, which will be expanded from a 20,000 seat capacity to 73,000 after it was used for Madrid's failed bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics
. The Vicente Calderón will be demolished, and replaced by a waterfront park at the banks of the Manzanares River in Madrid. The club's training ground is the Ciudad Deportiva de Majadahonda
, 20 km west of Madrid. The facility maintains grass and artificial patches as well as a gym. Both the senior and youth squads train here.
Atlético also runs a sports academy at the Ciudad Deportiva del Nuevo Cerro del Espino in Majadahonda.
for the past nine years, as the company wants to provide competition against Real Madrid
, who have a deal with Adidas
. The current shirt sponsor is Kia Motors
, while the AXN
cable channel, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment
, has a minor sponsorship on the back of the shorts and Kyocera
has a sponsor's logo on the back of the shirt, Finnish
gambling monopoly PAF
has a sponsorship on the clubs shorts. Previously, the club was sponsored by Columbia Pictures
, who would change the shirt sponsor's logo, and occasionally the shirt itself, as they did with the away shirt when Spider-Man 2
was in cinemas. Because shirts would have to be introduced and removed from shops at a very fast pace to keep up with film releases, Nike decided to not include a sponsor's logo on replica shirts made from 2002 to 2005.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
football club based in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
who play in La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
. Atlético have won both La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
and the Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
on nine occasions, including a double in 1996; in Europe, they won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1962, were European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
runners-up in 1974
1974 European Cup Final
The 1974 European Cup Final was contested between FC Bayern Munich of West Germany and Atlético Madrid of Spain. Two goals in extra time meant the two sides could not be separated, so a replay was played two days later...
, won the Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
in 1975, and won the Europa League in 2010, where Los Colchoneros ended their 48-year wait for continental honors, defeating Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
2–1 in the final, which was held at the Hamburg Arena in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
Los Colchoneros play their home games at the Vicente Calderón
Vicente Calderón Stadium
The Vicente Calderón Stadium is the home stadium of La Liga football club Atlético Madrid and is located in the Arganzuela district of Spanish capital Madrid. The stadium was originally called the Manzanares Stadium, but this was later changed to the Vicente Calderón Stadium, after the famous...
, which currently holds up to 54,960 spectators. In 2012, Atletico are due to move to their new home of Estadio La Peineta
Estadio La Peineta
Estadio La Peineta, also known as Estadio de la Comunidad, is a stadium in Madrid, Spain. It is currently used for athletics events, but it will soon be expanded for the football club Atlético Madrid. Currently the stadium has a capacity of 20,000 spectators, but a reconstruction for Atletico's...
, which will have a capacity of 73,000.
Atleti's home kit is red and white vertical striped shirts, with blue shorts, accompanied by blue and red socks, this combination has been used since 1911. Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
are the kit manufacturers, the only sponsor is Kyocera
Kyocera
is a multinational manufacturer based in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded as in 1959 by Kazuo Inamori and renamed in 1982. The company has diversified its founding technology in ceramic materials through internal development as well as strategic mergers and acquisitions...
.
During their history, the club have been known by a number of nicknames, including Los Colchoneros (The Mattress Makers in English), due to their first team stripes being the same colors as old-fashioned mattresses. During the 1970s, they became known as Los Indios, allegedly due to the club signing several South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n players after the restrictions on signing foreign players was lifted. However, there are a number of counter theories which claim they were so named because their stadium is "camped" on the river bank, or because Los Indios were the traditional enemy of Los Blancos (The Whites), which is the nickname of the club's city rivals Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
.
Foundation (1903–1939)
The club was originally founded on 26 April 1903 as Athletic Club de Madrid by three BasqueBasque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
students living in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. These founders saw the new club as a youth branch of their childhood team, Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
. In 1904, they were joined by dissident members of Real Madrid. They began playing in blue and white, similarly to Athletic Bilbao, but by 1911, Athletic were playing in their current colours of red and white stripes. Many believe the change was influenced because red and white striped tops were the cheapest stripes to make, because the same combination was used to make bed mattresses, and the unused cloth was easily converted into football shirts. This discovery of a cheaper option probably persuaded them to change and influenced the Madrid club being come to known as Los Colchoneros nickname. Other more plausible account of the reason to change colours is that both Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
and Athletic Madrid used to buy Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
blue and white kits in England. Once in 1911, Juanito Elorduy, former player and member of the board of Athletic Madrid, went to England to buy kits for both teams. He did not find Blackburn Rovers kits and bought Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
red and white ones instead. Athletic Bilbao adopted the full Southampton kit with the red and white striped shirt and black shorts [this is incorrect, Southampton played in blue shorts until 1950.]. Whereas, Athletic Madrid adopted the red and white shirt but kept Blackburn Rovers blue shorts, leading to them also being known as Los Rojiblancos.
Atletico's first ground, the Ronda de Vallecas
Vallecas
Vallecas is a neighborhood of Madrid composed of two districts: Puente de Vallecas and Villa de Vallecas...
, was situated in the eponymous working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
area on the south side of the city. In 1919, the Compañía Urbanizadora Metropolitana—the company that ran the underground communication system in Madrid—acquired some land, near the Ciudad Universitaria
Ciudad Universitaria
Ciudad Universitaria , Mexico, is UNAM's main campus, located in Coyoacán borough in the southern part of Mexico City. Designed by architects Mario Pani and Enrique del Moral, it encloses the Olympic Stadium, about 40 faculties and institutes, the Cultural Center, an ecological reserve, the Central...
. And in 1921, Athletic Madrid became independent of parent-club Athletic Bilbao. As part of that project the company built a sports stadium, named Estadio Metropolitano de Madrid
Estadio Metropolitano de Madrid
Estadio Metropolitano de Madrid was a multi-use stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was initially used as the stadium of Atlético de Madrid matches before Vicente Calderón Stadium opened in 1966. The stadium held 35,800 people and was built in 1923....
and Athletic had a new a 35,800 seat home. The Metropolitano was used until 1966, when they moved to the new Estadio Vicente Calderón
Vicente Calderón Stadium
The Vicente Calderón Stadium is the home stadium of La Liga football club Atlético Madrid and is located in the Arganzuela district of Spanish capital Madrid. The stadium was originally called the Manzanares Stadium, but this was later changed to the Vicente Calderón Stadium, after the famous...
. After the move, the Metropolitano was demolished and was replaced with university buildings.
During the 1920s, Athletic won the Campeonato del Centro three times and they were Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
runners-up in 1921, ironically this final saw them face parent club Athletic Bilbao, and 1926. Based on this record, they were invited to join the Primera División of the inaugural La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
in 1928. During their debut La Liga season, the club were managed by Fred Pentland
Fred Pentland
Frederick Beaconsfield Pentland was an English footballer and manager. He played as a forward for, among others, Blackburn Rovers, Queens Park Rangers, Middlesbrough and England. However he is best remembered for his career as a manager in Spain where he coached several clubs including Athletic...
, but after two seasons in the Primera División they were relegated to Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
. They briefly returned to La Liga in 1934. But were relegated again in 1936, after Josep Samitier
Josep Samitier
Josep Samitier Vilalta , also known as José Samitier , was a Spanish footballer, manager and scout who played for FC Barcelona, Madrid CF, OGC Nice, the Catalan XI and Spain...
took over in mid-season from Pentland. Fortunately for Los Colchoneros the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
gave the club a reprieve, because Real Oviedo
Real Oviedo
Real Oviedo is a Spanish football club based in Oviedo, in the autonomous community of Asturias. Founded on 26 March 1926, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 2....
was unable to play due to the destruction of their stadium during the bombings. Thus both La Liga and Athletic's relegation were postponed, the latter by winning a playoff against CA Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
, champion of the Segunda División tournament.
Athletic Aviación de Madrid (1939–1947)
By 1939, when La Liga had resumed, Athletic had merged with Aviación Nacional of ZaragozaZaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
to become Athletic Aviación de Madrid. Aviación Nacional had been founded in 1939 by members of the Spanish Air Force
Spanish Air Force
-The early stages:Hot air balloons had been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Alfredo Kindelán, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo directed the construction of the first Spanish dirigible in the Army Military Aerostatics Service, created in 1896 and located...
. They had been promised a place in the Primera División for the 1939–40 season, only to be denied by the RFEF. As a compromise this club merged with Athletic, whose squad had lost eight players in the Spanish Civil War. The team were awarded a place in the 1939–40 La Liga campaign only as a replacement for Real Oviedo. With the legendary Ricardo Zamora
Ricardo Zamora
Ricard Zamora i Martínez was a Spanish footballer and manager. He played as a goalkeeper for, among others, RCD Espanyol, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. As an international he played for both the Catalan XI and Spain...
as manager, the club subsequently won their first La Liga title that season and then retained the title in 1941. The most influential and charismatic player of these years was the captain German Gomez
Germán Gómez
Germán Gómez was a Spanish professional footballer for Racing Santander and Atlético Madrid.-Playing career:...
, who was signed from Racing Santander in 1939. He played eight consecutive seasons for 'the rojiblancos', until the 1947–48 campaign. From his centre-midfield position he formed a legendary midfield alongside Machín and Ramón Gabilondo
Ramón Gabilondo
Ramón Gabilondo Alberdi was a Spanish international football player who played club football for Real Valladolid and Atlético Madrid....
.
In 1941, a decree issued by Franco banned teams from using foreign names and the club became Atlético Aviacion de Madrid. In 1947, the club decided to drop the military association from its name and settled on its current name of Club Atlético de Madrid. The same year saw Atlético beat Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
5–0 at the Metropolitano; their biggest win over their cross-town rivals to date.
The Golden Age (1947–1965)
Under Helenio HerreraHelenio Herrera
Helenio Herrera Gavilán was a Franco-Argentine football player and manager.Although born in Argentina, Herrera's parents were both Spanish, his father being a well-known Spanish anarchist in exile...
and with the help of Larbi Benbarek
Larbi Benbarek
Larbi Benbarek or Larbi Ben Barek was a Moroccan football player...
, Atlético won La Liga again in 1950 and 1951. With the departure of Herrera in 1953, the club began to slip behind Real Madrid and Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and for the remainder of the 1950s they were left to battle it out with Athletic Bilbao for the title of third team in Spain
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
.
However during the 1960s and 1970s, Atlético Madrid seriously challenged Barcelona for the position of second team. The 1957–58 season saw Fernando Daucik
Fernando Daucik
Ferdinand Daučík is a former Slovak football player and manager. Daucik was the manager of several La Liga clubs, most notably CF Barcelona, Atlético Bilbao, Atlético Madrid and Real Zaragoza...
take charge of Atlético and he led them to second place in La Liga. This resulted in Atlético qualifying for the 1958–59 season of the European Cup since the winners, Real Madrid, were the reigning European champions. Inspired by Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian centre-forward Vavá
Vavá
Vavá, real name Edvaldo Izídio Neto, was an association footballer who is widely considered one of the best strikers of his generation. His nickname was "Peito de Aço"...
and Enrique Collar
Enrique Collar
Enrique Collar Monterrubio is a former Spanish football player. He earned 16 caps and scored 4 goals for the Spain national football team from 1955 to 1963...
, Atlético reached the semi-finals after beating Drumcondra, CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia , commonly known as CSKA or CSKA Sofia is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria. The club was officially founded on May 5, 1948. CSKA's abbreviation stands for Central Sports Club of the Army...
and Schalke
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
. In the semi-finals, they met Real Madrid. Real won the first leg 2–1 at the Bernabéu
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....
while Atlético won 1–0 at the Metropolitano. The tie went to a replay and Real won 2–1 in Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
.
Atlético, however, gained their revenge when, led by former Real coach José Villalonga
José Villalonga Llorente
José Villalonga Llorente , commonly referred to as José Villalonga and also known as Pepe Villalonga, was a Spanish football manager during the 1950s and 1960s...
, they defeated Real in two successive Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
finals in 1960 and 1961. In 1962 they won the European Cup Winners Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
beating Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
3–0 after a replay. The following year the club reached the 1963 final, but was thrashed by English
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
side Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
5–1. Enrique Collar
Enrique Collar
Enrique Collar Monterrubio is a former Spanish football player. He earned 16 caps and scored 4 goals for the Spain national football team from 1955 to 1963...
, who continued to be an influential player during this era, was now joined by the likes of midfielder Miguel Jones
Miguel Jones
Miguel Jones Castillo is a former Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder for SD Indautxu and Atlético Madrid during the 1950s and 1960s. Although born in Spanish Guinea, now known as Equatorial Guinea, Jones grew up in Bilbao...
and midfield playmaker Adelardo.
Unfortunately for Atlético fans, their best years coincided with dominant Real Madrid teams. Between 1961 and 1980, Real Madrid dominated La Liga with the club winning the competition 14 times. During this era only Atlético offered Real any serious challenge, winning La Liga titles in 1966, 1970, 1973 and 1977. They were also runners-up in 1961, 1963 and 1965. The club had further success winning the Copa del Rey on three occasions in 1965, 1972 and 1976. 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.
European Cup Finalists (1965–1974)
Significant players from this era included the now veteran Adelardo and regular goalscorers Luis AragonésLuis Aragonés
José Luis Aragonés Suárez , usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach....
, Javier Irureta
Javier Irureta
Javier Iruretagoyena Amiano , Irureta for short, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a forward, and a current manager....
and José Eulogio Gárate
José Eulogio Gárate
José Eulogio Gárate Ormaechea is a former Argentine-Spanish footballer who played as a forward for SD Eibar, SD Indautxu, Atlético Madrid and Spain.-Club career:...
. The latter won the Pichichi
The Pichichi Trophy
In Spanish football, the Pichichi is the trophy awarded by Spanish sports newspaper Marca to the top goalscorer for each league season. The award is named after the famous Athletic Bilbao player, Rafael Moreno "Pichichi"...
three times in 1969, 1970 and 1971. In the 1970s Atlético also recruited several Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
employees, signing Rubén Ayala
Rubén Ayala
Rubén Hugo Ayala Zanabria is a former Argentine footballer.-Playing career:During his club career he played for Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro in Argentina where he was part of the team that famously went unbeaten for the whole of the 1972 Nacional championship.In 1973 he left for Atlético...
, Panadero Díaz and Ramón "Cacho" Heredia as well as coach Juan Carlos Lorenzo. Lorenzo believed in discipline, caution and disrupting the opponents’ game. Although controversial, his methods proved successful and after winning La Liga in 1973, the club reached the European Cup final in 1974
1974 European Cup Final
The 1974 European Cup Final was contested between FC Bayern Munich of West Germany and Atlético Madrid of Spain. Two goals in extra time meant the two sides could not be separated, so a replay was played two days later...
. On the way to the final Atlético knocked out Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
, Dinamo Bucureşti, Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
and Celtic. In the away leg of the semi-final against Celtic, Atlético had Ayala, Díaz, and substitute Quique
Quique
Quique is the 1993 debut album by British experimental rock/ambient music band Seefeel. The album title refers to the band members having given their instruments French names; "Quique" referring to the kick-drum. Quique was released on CD, cassette, and clear-vinyl double LP...
all sent off during a hard fought encounter in what was reported as one of the worst cases of cynical fouling the tournament has seen. Because of this cynicism they managed a 0–0 draw, which was followed by a 2–0 victory in the return leg with goals from Gárate and Adelardo. However the final at the Heysel Stadium proved to be a heart-breaker for Atlético. Against a Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
team that included Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...
, Sepp Maier, Paul Breitner
Paul Breitner
Paul Breitner is a former German football player. One of Germany's most controversial players, he was capped 48 times for his country.-Playing career:...
, Uli Hoeneß, and Gerd Müller
Gerd Müller
Gerhard "Gerd" Müller is a former German football player and one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time.With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was one of the...
, Atlético played above themselves. Despite missing Ayala, Díaz, and Quique through suspension, they went ahead in extra-time with only seven minutes left. Aragonés scored with a superb, curling free-kick that looked like the winner. However in the last minute of the game Bayern defender Georg Schwarzenbeck
Georg Schwarzenbeck
Hans-Georg "Katsche" Schwarzenbeck is a retired German football player. He played in the Bundesliga from 1966 to 1979, appearing in 416 matches as a defender for Bayern Munich...
equalized with a stunning 25 yarder that left the Atlético goalkeeper Miguel Reina
Miguel Reina
Miguel Reina Santos is a retired Spanish footballer, who played as a goalkeeper.-Club career:During his playing years, he played for Córdoba CF, FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, and earned 5 caps for the Spain national football team...
motionless. In a replay, back in the Heysel, two days later Bayern won convincingly 4–0, with two goals each from Hoeneß and Müller.
The Aragonés years (1974–1987)
Shortly after the defeat in the European Cup, Atlético appointed their veteran player Luis AragonésLuis Aragonés
José Luis Aragonés Suárez , usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach....
as coach. Aragonés subsequently served as coach on four separate occasions, from 1974 to 1980, from 1982 to 1987 once again 1991 till 1993 and finally from 2002 to 2003. His first success came quickly as Bayern Munich had refused to participate because of fixture congestion in the Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
and as runners-up, Atlético were invited instead. Their opponents were Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and, after losing the away leg 1–0, they won the return leg 2–0 with goals from Javier Irureta
Javier Irureta
Javier Iruretagoyena Amiano , Irureta for short, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a forward, and a current manager....
and Rubén Ayala
Rubén Ayala
Rubén Hugo Ayala Zanabria is a former Argentine footballer.-Playing career:During his club career he played for Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro in Argentina where he was part of the team that famously went unbeaten for the whole of the 1972 Nacional championship.In 1973 he left for Atlético...
. Aragonés subsequently led the club to further successes in the Copa del Rey in 1976 and La Liga in 1977.
During his second spell in charge, Aragonés led the club to a runners-up finish in La Liga and a winner's medal in the Copa del Rey, both in 1985. He received considerable help from Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez Márquez , popularly nicknamed Pentapichichi, or Hugol, is a Mexican football coach and former striker. He played for four European clubs, including Real Madrid. Sanchez is considered the first highly talented Mexican player. He was also a member of the Mexico national team, and...
who scored 19 league goals and won the Pichichi
The Pichichi Trophy
In Spanish football, the Pichichi is the trophy awarded by Spanish sports newspaper Marca to the top goalscorer for each league season. The award is named after the famous Athletic Bilbao player, Rafael Moreno "Pichichi"...
. Sánchez also scored twice in the cup final as Atlético beat Athletic Bilbao 2–1. However Sánchez only remained at the club for one season before he move across the city to Real Madrid. Despite the loss of Sánchez, Aragonés went on to lead the club to success in the Supercopa de España
Supercopa de España
The Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
in 1985
1985 Supercopa de España
The 1985 Supercopa de España was a two-legged Spanish football match between FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid ; it was played on 9 October and 30 October 1985, with the latter team winning 3–2 on aggregate.-First leg:...
and then guided them to the European Cup Winners Cup final in 1986. However Atlético lost their third successive European final, this time 3–0 to Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...
.
The Jesús Gil years (1987–2003)
In 1987, controversial politician and businessman Jesús GilJesús Gil
Gregorio Jesús Gil y Gil was a Spanish businessman and politician. He served as Mayor of Marbella, between 1996 and 2002, and was also known for his 16-year stint as president of Spanish football club Atlético Madrid....
became club president.
Atlético had not won La Liga for ten years and were desperate for league success. Right away, Gil spent heavily, bringing in a number of expensive signings, most notably Portuguese winger Paulo Futre
Paulo Futre
Paulo Jorge dos Santos Futre is a retired Portuguese professional footballer who played mostly as a left winger.After exploding at Sporting Clube de Portugal well before his 20th birthday, he soon moved to Futebol Clube do Porto, after which he embarked in an extensive career - until 1998 - having...
, fresh from winning the European Cup with FC Porto. However, all the spending only brought in two consecutive Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
trophies in 1991 and 1992 as the league title proved elusive. The closest Atlético came to La Liga trophy was the 1990–91 season when they finished runners-up by 10 points to Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON , known as Johan Cruyff, is a retired Dutch footballer and is currently the manager of the Catalan national team as well as a member of the AFC Ajax board of directors. He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974, which is a record jointly held with...
's FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. In the process, Gil developed a ruthless reputation due to the manner in which he ran the club. In pursuit of league success, he hired and fired a number of head coaches, including César Luis Menotti
César Luis Menotti
César Luis Menotti, known as El Flaco is an Argentine football coach and former player, who as coach, won the 1978 FIFA World Cup for Argentina.-Playing career:...
, Ron Atkinson
Ron Atkinson
Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
, Javier Clemente
Javier Clemente
Javier Clemente Lázaro, is a Spanish football manager. The veteran La Liga manager has spent most of his career at two clubs: Athletic Bilbao and RCD Espanyol. Between 1992 and 1998, he managed Spain and went 31 games unbeaten. He was also the the first foreign manager of Serbia. His most recent...
, Tomislav Ivić
Tomislav Ivic
Tomislav Ivić was a Croatian football player and manager.Often described as a brilliant strategist, Ivić is credited with helping develop the modern style of the game...
, Francisco Maturana
Francisco Maturana
Francisco Maturana, also known as Pacho is a Colombian ex-football player and later a successful football manager.-Player:...
, Alfio Basile
Alfio Basile
Alfio Basile , known as Coco, is an Argentine football coach and former player.-Playing career:Basile started his playing career at the Bella Vista club in his home city. From 1964 to 1970 he played for Racing Club, and then for Huracán, where he was a mainstay of the 1973 Metropolitano champions...
as well as club legend Luis Aragonés
Luis Aragonés
José Luis Aragonés Suárez , usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach....
. Gil also closed down Atlético's youth academy in 1992, a move that would prove significant due to 15-year-old academy member Raúl
Raúl González
Raúl González Blanco , known simply as Raúl, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a striker. He currently plays for German club Schalke 04....
who as a result went across town to achieve worldwide fame at rivals Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
.
In the 1994–95 league campaign, the club barely avoided relegation with a draw on the last matchday of the season. The narrow escape prompted yet another head coaching change along with a wholesale squad clearance during the summer 1995 transfer window that saw many players being shown the door. Somewhat unexpectedly, in the following 1995–96 season, newly arrived head coach Radomir Antić
Radomir Antic
Radomir Antić is a Serbian former football defender and former football manager for the Serbian national team.Following a 17-year playing career he found his true calling in coaching....
, with a squad including holdovers Toni
Antonio Muñoz Gómez
Antonio Muñoz Gómez , aka Toni, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a left defender....
, Roberto Solozábal
Roberto Solozábal
Roberto Solozábal Villanueva is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a central defender.-Club career:...
, Delfí Geli
Delfí Geli
Delfí Geli i Roura is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a right defender.-Club career:...
, Juan Vizcaíno
Juan Vizcaíno
Juan Vizcaíno Morcillo is a retired Spanish footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder....
, José Luis Caminero
José Luis Caminero
José Luis Pérez Caminero is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder.Arguably one of the best Spanish footballers of the 1990s, Caminero was able to play in any midfield position, in the middle or in the wings...
, Diego Simeone, and Kiko, as well as new acquisitions Milinko Pantić
Milinko Pantic
Milinko Pantić is a former Serbian footballer.Pantić spent the first six seasons of his professional career with FK Partizan between 1985 and 1991....
, Luboslav Penev, Santi Denia
Santiago Denia
Santiago Denia Sánchez , aka Santi, is a retired Spanish footballer, who played as a central defender...
, and José Francisco Molina
José Francisco Molina
José Francisco Molina Jiménez is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.11 years of his extensive professional career were spent at Atlético Madrid and Deportivo de La Coruña, where he won a total of five titles combined...
finally delivered the much sought after league title as Atlético won the La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
/Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
double.
The next season 1996–97 saw the club take part in the Champions League for the first time. With expectations and ambitions raised, most notable summer transfer singings were striker Juan Esnaider
Juan Esnáider
Juan Eduardo Esnáider is a retired Argentine footballer who played as a striker. His surname is a Spanish spelling reform of the German Schneider, which means "tailor"...
from Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and Radek Bejbl
Radek Bejbl
Radek Bejbl is a retired Czech footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.-Club career:Bejbl made his professional debuts with SK Slavia Prague, being a first-team regular since the age of 18...
who was coming off a great showing at Euro 1996. However, playing on two fronts Atletico fell out of the league title contention early while in the Champions League they got eliminated by Ajax in a hard-fought quarterfinal tie that went into extra time. For the 1997–98 season, the heavy spending continued with top signings of Christian Vieri
Christian Vieri
Christian Vieri is a retired Italian footballer who played as a centre forward.Vieri was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations...
and Juninho
Juninho Paulista
Osvaldo Giroldo Júnior , better known as Juninho Paulista or simply Juninho, is a former Brazilian footballer...
arriving in the summer of 1997. However, all the success produced little change in the overall Gil strategy, and although Antić survived three consecutive seasons in charge he was replaced during summer 1998 by Arrigo Sacchi
Arrigo Sacchi
Arrigo Sacchi is an Italian football coach. He is best known for his success coaching Italian teams, particularly with Milan where he won back to back European Cups as coach in the late eighties where he was head coach of the Italy national football team . He was twice manager of A.C...
, who himself only remained in the managerial hot seat for less than 6 months. Antić then returned briefly in early 1999 only to be replaced by Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St...
at the end of the season. The 1999–00 season proved disastrous for Atlético. In December 1999, Gil and his board got suspended pending investigation into the misuse of club funds and government-appointed administrator José Manuel Rubí began running Atlético's day to day operations. With the removal of club president Jesús Gil and his board, the club floundered and the players put in disastrous performances. Ranieri handed in his resignation with the club in 17th spot out of 20 and heading towards relegation. The return of Antić for the third coaching stint failed to prevent the inevitable. Despite reaching the Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
final, Atlético were relegated.
Atlético spent two seasons in the Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
, narrowly missing out on promotion in 2001 before winning the Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
championship in 2002. It was again Luis Aragonés, in his last spell as a manager of Atlético, who brought Atlético to the Primera Division. He also coached the team during the next season, being the one who gave Fernando Torres the opportunity to make his debut in La Liga, at the Camp Nou against F.C. Barcelona in 2–2 draw.
Aguirre era (2006–2009)
In 2006 Fernando TorresFernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
, one of the biggest talents in recent Spanish football history, was joined by Portuguese
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
internationals Costinha
Costinha
Francisco José Rodrigues da Costa, OIH , aka Costinha , is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder....
and Maniche and also by Argentine
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
striker Sergio Agüero
Sergio Agüero
Sergio Leonel "Kun" Agüero del Castillo is an Argentine footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester City in England's Premier League and the Argentine national team....
.
Torres shocked the club in June 2007, when he stated his desire to play for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. He left Atlético and joined the English giant on 4 July 2007 for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
26.5 million, £20 million of which was in cash, with the rest consisting of the rights to Luis García
Luis Javier García Sanz
Luis Javier García Sanz , known as Luis García, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Puebla F.C. in Mexico, mainly as a left winger....
. Around this same time, Atlético also made a splash by signing Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
international and former European Golden Boot
European Golden Boot
The European Golden Shoe, formerly known as the European Golden Boot, is an association football award presented each season to the leading goalscorer in league matches from the top division of every European national league...
/Pichichi winner Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...
for roughly €21 million from Villarreal CF
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
. Several weeks later, the club gave up Bulgarian star Martin Petrov
Martin Petrov
Martin Petyov Petrov is a Bulgarian footballer, currently playing for Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League.-Club career:Petrov began his career for Botev Vratsa...
to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
for €7 million, but got a replacement shortly after: Portuguese star Simão
Simão Sabrosa
Simão Pedro Fonseca Sabrosa, OIH , commonly known as Simão , is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Beşiktaş J.K. in Turkey, mainly as a left winger - he can also play as a forward - with dribbling and set piece skills as primary attributes.Having played in his country for two of the three...
, signed from Benfica for roughly €20 million. On 29 July, it was announced that Atlético had signed winger José Antonio Reyes
José Antonio Reyes
José Antonio Reyes Calderón is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.Mainly a left winger but also a forward, he made his professional debuts for hometown's Sevilla at only 16, signing with England's Arsenal aged 20.After a relatively successful career abroad, Reyes...
for €12 million.
In July 2007, the Atlético board reached an agreement with the city of Madrid to sell the land where their stadium is and move the club to the Olympic Stadium
Estadio La Peineta
Estadio La Peineta, also known as Estadio de la Comunidad, is a stadium in Madrid, Spain. It is currently used for athletics events, but it will soon be expanded for the football club Atlético Madrid. Currently the stadium has a capacity of 20,000 spectators, but a reconstruction for Atletico's...
, owned by the city. Atlético will be allowed to play in Vicente Calderón stadium until 2010. The new stadium will be owned by the club in 2016, as the city is applying to host the 2016 Olympic Games.
The 2007–08 season proved to be the most successful season for the club in the past decade. The team reached the round of 32 in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, where they were defeated by Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
. They also reached the Quarter-final round of the Copa del Rey, where they were beaten by eventual champions Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
. More significantly, the team finished the La Liga season in 4th place, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. Sergio Agüero, Diego Forlán, Simão, Maxi Rodríguez and goalkeeper Leo Franco
Leo Franco
Leonardo "Leo" Neoren Franco is a professional Argentine footballer who plays for Real Zaragoza as a goalkeeper.-Club career:...
returned Atlético to top European football for the first time since the 1996–97 season, when Atlético lost in the quarter-final round to Dutch giants AFC Ajax.
The 2008–09 season had proven to be another great stride forward in the resurrection of Club Atlético de Madrid's reputation as a force to be reckoned with in both domestic and European Football, with participation continuing in the UEFA Champions League. However, performances in La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
were not as successful as the club would have liked. This forced the club to make some new signings, adding French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
goalkeeper Grégory Coupet
Grégory Coupet
Grégory Coupet is a retired French association football goalkeeper who last played for Paris Saint-Germain. He has played for clubs such as Saint-Étienne, Lyon, Atlético Madrid. He has also played for the France national team....
, Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
central defender John Heitinga
John Heitinga
John Gijsbert Alan "Johnny" Heitinga is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defender for English Premier League club Everton and the Dutch national team. A product of Jong Ajax, he previously played for AFC Ajax and Atlético Madrid, before signing for Everton in 2009. Heitinga previously represented...
, Czech central defender Tomáš Ujfaluši
Tomáš Ujfaluši
Tomáš Ujfaluši is a Czech footballer who plays for Galatasaray SK in Turkey.He can operate as either a central or right defender, and has played professionally in the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Spain.-Early years / Hamburg / Fiorentina:...
, Brazilian central midfielder Paulo Assunção
Paulo Assunção
Paulo Assunção da Silva , known as Assunção, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid in La Liga, as a defensive midfielder....
, Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Midfielder Ever Banega
Éver Banega
Éver Maximiliano David Banega is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for Valencia CF in Spain, mainly as a central midfielder.-Boca Juniors:...
, on loan from Valencia C.F., and French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
forward Florent Sinama-Pongolle
Florent Sinama-Pongolle
Florent Stéphane Sinama Pongolle is a French footballer who plays for AS Saint-Étienne on loan from Sporting Clube de Portugal....
to the lineup. Joining Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
central midfielder Maniche, who continued his loan-spell.
On 3 February 2009, Javier Aguirre
Javier Aguirre
Javier Aguirre Onaindía , popularly nicknamed El Vasco , is a Mexican football manager and former midfielder. He was also a member of the Mexico national team and later became manager in two different occasions, but resigned after the 2010 FIFA World Cup...
was dismissed from his post as manager after a terrible start to 2009, going without a win in 6 games. He later claimed this was simply not the case, and that he had been released by mutual termination rather than sacked. There was a public outrage after his dismissal, many believing he was not the cause of Atlético's problems, specifically player Diego Forlán. He backed his former manager and said that "Dismissing Javier was the easy way out, but he was not the cause of our problems. The players are to blame because we have not been playing well and we have been committing a lot of errors." This led to the appointment of Abel Resino
Abel Resino
Abel Resino Gómez , sometimes just Abel, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and a current coach....
as Atlético's new manager.
Atlético's success continued in the latter half of the season when they placed 4th once again in the league table, securing a position in the playoff round of the UEFA Champions League. Striker Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...
was crowned with the Pichichi Trophy and also won the European Golden Shoe, for scoring 32 goals for Atlético that season. Atlético saw this domestic success as an opportunity to reinforce their squad for the upcoming Champions League season. They departed company with veteran goalkeeper Leo Franco
Leo Franco
Leonardo "Leo" Neoren Franco is a professional Argentine footballer who plays for Real Zaragoza as a goalkeeper.-Club career:...
and brought in David de Gea
David de Gea
David de Gea Quintana is a Spanish footballer who plays for Manchester United as a goalkeeper. Born in Madrid, he started his career aged 10 with Atlético Madrid and rose through the academy system at the club before making his senior debut in 2009...
from the youth ranks and signed promising youngster Sergio Asenjo
Sergio Asenjo
Sergio Asenjo Andrés is a Spanish footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid as a goalkeeper.-Club career:Born in Palencia, Castile and León, Asenjo began playing in Real Valladolid junior teams, and soon emerged as one of the most talented players in the club...
, from Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived....
. Atlético also purchased Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
defender and Spanish international Juanito
Juan Gutiérrez Moreno
Juan Gutiérrez Moreno, aka Juanito , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Real Valladolid as a central defender.A player of physical display, he is also noted for his excellent aerial ability...
on a free transfer. Despite pressure from big clubs to purchase their star players of Agüero and Forlán, Atlético remained committed to keeping their strong attacking base in the hopes for a successful new season.
However, the 2009–10 Atlético season
2009–10 La Liga
- Personnel and sponsoring :- Before the start of the season :- During the season :-League table:||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|...
began poorly with many defeats and goals conceded. On 21 October, Atletico were hammered 4–0 by the English giants Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in the Champions League group stage. This defeat led to Atletico's management announcement that manager Abel Resino
Abel Resino
Abel Resino Gómez , sometimes just Abel, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and a current coach....
had to leave. After failing to sign Danish former footballer, Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup is a retired Danish footballer, who works as a manager and last coached La Liga side RCD Mallorca. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of football. His most prominent run of football came with Spanish club Barcelona, with whom he won four straight La...
, Atletico Madrid made it official that the new manager for the rest of the season was Quique Sánchez Flores
Quique Sanchez Flores
Enrique "Quique" Sánchez Flores is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a right defender, and a current manager....
.
Sánchez Flores takes over from Resino (2009–2011)
With the arrival of Quique Sánchez Flores as coach, Atlético saw a huge change of fortunes. Though they continued to lag somewhat in La Liga during the 2009–10 season, finishing 9th. Atlético finished third in the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League group stage entering the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League round of 32. On 12 May 2010, Atlético won the 2009-10 UEFA Europa League, beating English teams LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in the semi-finals and eventually Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in the final held in HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...
scored twice, the second being an extra-time winner (116 min.), as Atlético Madrid claimed a 2–1 win.
It was the first time since the 1961–62 European Cup Winners' Cup that Atlético had claimed a European title. They also reached the Copa del Rey final on 19 May 2010, where they faced Sevilla and had a good chance at achieving their first double (doblete) since 1996, when they won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey. But Atlético fell short, losing 2–0 to Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
at the Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.
By winning the Europa League, they qualified for the 2010 UEFA Super Cup
2010 UEFA Super Cup
The 2010 UEFA Super Cup was the 35th UEFA Super Cup organised by the European football governing body UEFA. It took place at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 27 August 2010. It was contested by Internazionale, who won the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, and Atlético Madrid, who won the 2009–10 UEFA...
against Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
winner of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, which was played in Monaco on 27 August 2010. Atlético won 2–0 with goals from José Antonio Reyes
José Antonio Reyes
José Antonio Reyes Calderón is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.Mainly a left winger but also a forward, he made his professional debuts for hometown's Sevilla at only 16, signing with England's Arsenal aged 20.After a relatively successful career abroad, Reyes...
and Sergio Agüero
Sergio Agüero
Sergio Leonel "Kun" Agüero del Castillo is an Argentine footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester City in England's Premier League and the Argentine national team....
, being Atlético's first such title, because in 1962 when Atlético won the European Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
had not yet established the UEFA Super Cup (Atlético would have eventually faced Benfica, winner of the 1961–62 European Cup).
Atlético had a comparatively disapponting 2010–11 season, finishing only 7th in the League and being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey and the Group Stage of the Europa League. This ultimately led to the departure of manager Quique Sánchez Flores
Quique Sanchez Flores
Enrique "Quique" Sánchez Flores is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a right defender, and a current manager....
before the conclusion of the season, who was replaced with ex-Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
manager Gregorio Manzano, who secured the final Europa League place for Atlético.
El Derbi Madrileño
Real MadridReal Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and Atlético Madrid are clubs with contrasting identities and very different fates. Historically, Real Madrid have long been seen as the establishment
The Establishment
The Establishment is a term used to refer to a visible dominant group or elite that holds power or authority in a nation. The term suggests a closed social group which selects its own members...
club. On the other side, the Rojiblancos o were always characterized by a sentimiento de rebeldía, a sense of rebellion. Although, during the early Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
years it was Atlético that was the preferred team of the regime. They were associated with the military airforce, until the regime's preferences moved towards Real Madrid in the 1950s.
Certainly, the dictatorial state sought to make political capital out of Real Madrid's European Cup trophies at a time when Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
was internationally isolated – "Real Madrid are the best embassy we ever had," said one minister. Such perceptions have had an important impact on the city's footballing identities, tapping into the collective consciousness
Collective consciousness
Collective consciousness was a term coined by the French sociologist Émile Durkheim to refer to the shared beliefs and moral attitudes which operate as a unifying force within society...
. In this vein, Atlético fans were probably the originators, and are the most frequent singers, of the song "Hala Madrid, hala Madrid, el equipo del gobierno, la verguenza del país", "Go Madrid, go Madrid, the government's team, the country's shame."
Current squad
Out on loan
Notable players
Adelardo holds the club's official appearance record, wearing the Madrid shirt in 511 matches from 1959 to 1976. Luis AragonésLuis Aragonés
José Luis Aragonés Suárez , usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach....
, club legend as both player and coach, holds the record for most goals scored with 172. While Adrián Escudero
Adrián Escudero
Adrián Escudero García was a Spanish footballer who played as a striker.He was the all-time leading goalscorer for Atlético Madrid with 170 goals, having appeared for the club in 13 La Liga seasons, and more than 350 official games.-Club career:Escudero arrived at Atlético Madrid in late 1945,...
has the record for most goals in La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
with 150. Antonio López
Antonio López Guerrero
Antonio López Guerrero is a Spanish footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid of the Spanish first division, mainly as a left defender.-Club career:...
is the club's current record appearance holder, with 286.
| Name | Nationality | Appearances | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adelardo |  |
511 |
| 2 | Enrique Collar Enrique Collar Enrique Collar Monterrubio is a former Spanish football player. He earned 16 caps and scored 4 goals for the Spain national football team from 1955 to 1963... |
|
470 |
| 3 | Tomás Reñones Tomás Reñones Pedro Tomás Reñones Grego , simply Tomás, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a right defender.... |
|
463 |
| 4 | Juan Carlos Aguilera | |
454 |
| 5 | Isacio Calleja Isacio Calleja Isacio Calleja García is a retired Spanish footballer.During his career he played for Atlético de Madrid... |
|
425 |
| 6 | Juan Carlos Arteche Juan Carlos Arteche Juan Carlos Arteche Gómez was a Spanish footballer who played as a central defender.A player of imposing physical presence with great aerial ability, he played 11 years of his professional career with Atlético Madrid, appearing in nearly 400 official games for the club.-Club career:Born in... |
|
421 |
| 7 | Luis Aragonés Luis Aragonés José Luis Aragonés Suárez , usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach.... |
|
372 |
| 8 | Alberto Fernández Alberto Fernández Alberto Ángel Fernández is an Argentine politician. He was the Chief of Cabinet of Argentina during Néstor Kirchner presidency, and part of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's. He resigned on July 23, 2008.... |
|
361 |
| 9 | Feliciano Rivilla | |
356 |
| 10 | Adrián Escudero Adrián Escudero Adrián Escudero García was a Spanish footballer who played as a striker.He was the all-time leading goalscorer for Atlético Madrid with 170 goals, having appeared for the club in 13 La Liga seasons, and more than 350 official games.-Club career:Escudero arrived at Atlético Madrid in late 1945,... |
|
330 |
| Name | Nationality | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Aragonés Luis Aragonés José Luis Aragonés Suárez , usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach.... |
|
172 |
| 2 | Adrián Escudero Adrián Escudero Adrián Escudero García was a Spanish footballer who played as a striker.He was the all-time leading goalscorer for Atlético Madrid with 170 goals, having appeared for the club in 13 La Liga seasons, and more than 350 official games.-Club career:Escudero arrived at Atlético Madrid in late 1945,... |
|
170 |
| 3 | Francisco Campos Francisco Campos Francisco Machado Campos *Bats Right, Throws Right*Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.*Born August 12, 1972 in Guaymas, Sonora Mexico-Biographical Information:... |
|
144 |
| 4 | José Eulogio Gárate José Eulogio Gárate José Eulogio Gárate Ormaechea is a former Argentine-Spanish footballer who played as a forward for SD Eibar, SD Indautxu, Atlético Madrid and Spain.-Club career:... |
|
136 |
| 5 | Joaquin Peiro Joaquín Peiró Joaquín Peiró Lucas is a retired Spanish football attacking midfielder and manager.... |
|
129 |
| 6 | Adelardo | |
113 |
| 7 | Enrique Collar Enrique Collar Enrique Collar Monterrubio is a former Spanish football player. He earned 16 caps and scored 4 goals for the Spain national football team from 1955 to 1963... |
|
104 |
| 8 | Sergio Agüero Sergio Agüero Sergio Leonel "Kun" Agüero del Castillo is an Argentine footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester City in England's Premier League and the Argentine national team.... |
 |
102 |
| 9 | Ruben Cano Rubén Cano Rubén Andrés Cano Sáez is a former Argentine-Spanish footballer. He played for Atlético de Madrid between 1976 and 1982, winning the La Liga title in 1977.... |
|
97 |
| 10 | Diego Forlán Diego Forlán Diego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born... |
 |
96 |
Managers
The following managers won at least one trophy when in charge of Atlético Madrid:| Name | Period | Trophies |
|---|---|---|
 Ricardo ZamoraRicardo Zamora Ricard Zamora i Martínez was a Spanish footballer and manager. He played as a goalkeeper for, among others, RCD Espanyol, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. As an international he played for both the Catalan XI and Spain... |
1939–46 | 2 La Liga La Liga The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system... , Supercopa de España Copa Eva Duarte The Copa Eva Duarte was a Spanish football tournament organized by the RFEF and contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Generalísimo. In 1940, it had the name of Copa de Campeones, and was not played again until 1945, when the ambassador of Argentina, due to the good relations with the... |
| Emilio Vidal |
1946–48 | Copa Presidente FEF |
| Helenio Herrera Helenio Herrera Helenio Herrera Gavilán was a Franco-Argentine football player and manager.Although born in Argentina, Herrera's parents were both Spanish, his father being a well-known Spanish anarchist in exile... |
1949–53 | 2 La Liga La Liga The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system... , Supercopa de España Copa Eva Duarte The Copa Eva Duarte was a Spanish football tournament organized by the RFEF and contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Generalísimo. In 1940, it had the name of Copa de Campeones, and was not played again until 1945, when the ambassador of Argentina, due to the good relations with the... |
| José Villalonga José Villalonga Llorente José Villalonga Llorente , commonly referred to as José Villalonga and also known as Pepe Villalonga, was a Spanish football manager during the 1950s and 1960s... |
1960–62 | 2 Copa del Rey Copa del Rey The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol .... , UEFA Cup Winners' Cup UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but... |
| Domènec Balmanya Domènec Balmanya Domènec Balmanya Perera , also referred to as Domingo Balmanya, is a former Spanish footballer and manager who spent most of his playing career at FC Barcelona. As a manager he guided CF Barcelona to the a Copa del Generalísimo win in 1957 and to victory in the first ever Fairs Cup in 1958... |
1965–66 | La Liga La Liga The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system... , Copa del Rey Copa del Rey The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol .... |
 Marcel DomingoMarcel Domingo Marcel Domingo Algara was a former French association football goalkeeper and manager of Spanish origin. He spent part of his career in Spain... |
1969–72, 1979–80 | La Liga La Liga The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system... |
 Max MerkelMax Merkel Maximilian Merkel was an Austrian football player and coach. The former Rapid player featured twice in a national team... |
1971–73 | La Liga La Liga The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system... , Copa del Rey Copa del Rey The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol .... |
| Luis Aragonés Luis Aragonés José Luis Aragonés Suárez , usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach.... |
1974–80, 1982–87, 1991–93, 2001–03 | Intercontinental Cup Intercontinental Cup (football) The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores... , La Liga La Liga The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system... , 3 Copas del Rey Copa del Rey The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol .... , Supercopa de España Supercopa de España The Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey... , Iberian Cup Iberian Cup The Iberian Cup, also called Iberian Supercup, was an international competition between clubs from Portugal and Spain, disputed by two teams that were champions in a major competition, very much alike a Supercup, to find out which was the best team from Iberian Peninsula... , Segunda Division Segunda División The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:... |
 Tomislav IvićTomislav Ivic Tomislav Ivić was a Croatian football player and manager.Often described as a brilliant strategist, Ivić is credited with helping develop the modern style of the game... |
1990–91 | Copa del Rey Copa del Rey The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol .... |
| Santos Ovejero Iselín Santos Ovejero Iselín Santos Ovejero Maya is a former Argentinian footballer.-Career:Ovejero began his career with Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield, where he would win the 1968 Argentine first division. He played for Atlético Madrid between 1969 and 1974, winning the Spanish La Liga in 1970 and 1973, and the Copa... |
1992–93, 1994–95 | Copa del Rey Copa del Rey The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol .... |
| Radomir Antić Radomir Antic Radomir Antić is a Serbian former football defender and former football manager for the Serbian national team.Following a 17-year playing career he found his true calling in coaching.... |
1995–98 | La Liga La Liga The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system... , Copa del Rey Copa del Rey The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol .... |
 Javier AguirreJavier Aguirre Javier Aguirre Onaindía , popularly nicknamed El Vasco , is a Mexican football manager and former midfielder. He was also a member of the Mexico national team and later became manager in two different occasions, but resigned after the 2010 FIFA World Cup... |
2006–09 | UEFA Intertoto Cup UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued... |
| Quique Sánchez Flores Quique Sanchez Flores Enrique "Quique" Sánchez Flores is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a right defender, and a current manager.... |
2009–2011 | UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup |
| Gregorio Manzano |
2011– |
Presidents
|
|
Vicente Calderón Vicente Calderón Pérez-Cavada . He was a Businessman and president of Atlético Madrid for twenty years.-Early life:... (1964–80) Vicente Calderón Vicente Calderón Pérez-Cavada . He was a Businessman and president of Atlético Madrid for twenty years.-Early life:... (1982–87) Jesús Gil Gregorio Jesús Gil y Gil was a Spanish businessman and politician. He served as Mayor of Marbella, between 1996 and 2002, and was also known for his 16-year stint as president of Spanish football club Atlético Madrid.... (1987–03) Enrique Cerezo Enrique Cerezo Torres is a cinematographic producer and the president of Club Atlético de Madrid from 2002.-Cinematographic career:Enrique Cerezo began in cinema in 1971 as a camera assistant in the movie Vente a Alemania, Pepe... (2003–) |
Current Board
- President: Mr. Enrique Cerezo Torres.
- General Manager / Delegate to the Board: Mr. Miguel Ángel Gil Marín
- Secretary to the Board: Mr. Pablo Jiménez de Parga Maseda
- Sports Director: Mr. José Luis Caminero
- PR & Communications Director: Mr. Emilio Gutíerrez
- Financial Director: Mr. Mario Aragón
- Marketing & Sales Director: Mr. Guillermo Moraleda
- Board Members: Mr. Jesús Gil Marín, Mr. Óscar Gil Marín, Ms. Myriam Gil Marín, Mr. Severiano Gil y Gil, Mr. Miguel Pérez Cano, Mr. Lázaro Albarracín Martínez, Mr. Fernando García Abásolo, Mr. Antonio Alonso Sanz, Mr. Manuel Herrero Porta and Mr.Rhydian Davies
Recent history
| Season | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Cup Copa del Rey The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol .... |
Europe | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | 1D | 1st | 42 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 75 | 32 | 87 | Winner | | | First double in Club's history | |
| 1996–97 | 1D | 5 | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 76 | 64 | 71 | Quarter-final | UCL | |Quarter-final | Final Supercopa 1996 Supercopa de España The 1996 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 25 August and 28 August 1996. It contested by FC Barcelona, who were Spanish Cup runners-up in 1995–96, and Atlético Madrid, who won the 1995–96 Spanish League and the 1995–96 Spanish Cup. FC Barcelona won 6–5 on... |
| 1997–98 | 1D | 7 | 38 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 79 | 56 | 60 | Round of 16 | UC | Semi-final | |
| 1998–99 | 1D | 13 | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 54 | 50 | 46 | Final | UC | Semi-final | |
| 1999–00 | 1D | 19 | 38 | 9 | 11 | 18 | 48 | 64 | 38 | Final | UC | |4th round | Relegated |
| 2000–01 | 2D | 4 | 42 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 59 | 39 | 74 | Semi-final | | | ||
| 2001–02 | 2D | 1st | 42 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 68 | 44 | 79 | First round | Promoted | ||
| 2002–03 | 1D | 11 | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 51 | 56 | 47 | Quarter-final | | | ||
| 2003–04 | 1D | 7 | 38 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 51 | 53 | 55 | Quarter-final | | | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 La Liga 2004–05 season was composed of the following clubs:* Albacete Balompié* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Real Betis* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Levante UD* Málaga CF* Real Mallorca* CD Numancia* CA Osasuna... |
1D | 11 | 38 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 40 | 34 | 50 | Semi-Final | style="background:silver;"|Final UEFA Intertoto Cup UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued... |
||
| 2005–06 2005–06 La Liga * Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Betis* Cádiz CF* Celta de Vigo* Deportivo Alaves* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Málaga CF* RCD Mallorca* CA Osasuna* Racing de Santander* Real Madrid* Real Sociedad* Sevilla FC... |
1D | 10 | 38 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 45 | 37 | 52 | Round of 16 | | | ||
| 2006–07 | 1D | 7 | 38 | 17 | 9 | 12 | 46 | 39 | 60 | Round of 16 | | | ||
| 2007–08 | 1D | 4 | 38 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 66 | 47 | 64 | Quarter-final | UC UEFA Cup 2007–08 The 2007–08 UEFA Cup was the 37th edition of the UEFA Cup, UEFA's second tier club football tournament. The final was played at the City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, England on 14 May 2008 between Rangers of Scotland and Zenit St. Petersburg of Russia. Zenit won the match 2–0, with... |
Round of 32 | Win UEFA Intertoto Cup UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued... |
| 2008–09 | 1D | 4 | 38 | 20 | 7 | 11 | 80 | 57 | 67 | Round of 16 | UCL UEFA Champions League 2008–09 The 2008–09 UEFA Champions League was the 54th edition of Europe's premier club football tournament and the 17th edition under the current UEFA Champions League format. The final was played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 27 May 2009. It was the eighth time the European Cup final has been held in... |
|Round of 16 | |
| 2009–10 2009–10 La Liga - Personnel and sponsoring :- Before the start of the season :- During the season :-League table:||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|... |
1D | 9 | 38 | 13 | 8 | 17 | 57 | 61 | 47 | Final | UEL | Winner | UCL UEFA Champions League 2009–10 The 2009–10 UEFA Champions League was the 55th season of Europe's premier club football tournament and the 18th under the current UEFA Champions League format. The final was played on 22 May 2010, at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home ground of Real Madrid, in Madrid, Spain. The final was won by... – Out in Group Round |
| 2010–11 2010–11 La Liga The 2010–11 La Liga season was the 80th since its establishment. The campaign began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011. A total of 20 teams contested the league, 17 of which already contested in the 2009–10 season and three of which were promoted from the Segunda División... |
1D | 7 | 38 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 62 | 53 | 58 | Quarter-final | UEL | Group Round | Win UEFA Super Cup 2010 UEFA Super Cup The 2010 UEFA Super Cup was the 35th UEFA Super Cup organised by the European football governing body UEFA. It took place at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 27 August 2010. It was contested by Internazionale, who won the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, and Atlético Madrid, who won the 2009–10 UEFA... |
| 2011–12 2011–12 La Liga The 2011–12 La Liga season is the 81st since its establishment. Barcelona are the defending champions, having won their 21st La Liga title in the previous season for the third time in a row. The campaign began on 27 August 2011, and will end on 13 May 2012... |
1D | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 7 | TBD | UEL | Group Round | In Progress |
Stadium Information
The club play their home games at the 54,960 seat Vicente Calderón StadiumVicente Calderón Stadium
The Vicente Calderón Stadium is the home stadium of La Liga football club Atlético Madrid and is located in the Arganzuela district of Spanish capital Madrid. The stadium was originally called the Manzanares Stadium, but this was later changed to the Vicente Calderón Stadium, after the famous...
in southern Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. Before this the club played originally at the Ronda de Vallecas until 1923. After the completion of the Estadio Metropolitano de Madrid
Estadio Metropolitano de Madrid
Estadio Metropolitano de Madrid was a multi-use stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was initially used as the stadium of Atlético de Madrid matches before Vicente Calderón Stadium opened in 1966. The stadium held 35,800 people and was built in 1923....
in 1923, the club moved there until the Vicente Calderón was finished in 1966.
The club plan to move in 2012 to the renovated Estadio La Peineta
Estadio La Peineta
Estadio La Peineta, also known as Estadio de la Comunidad, is a stadium in Madrid, Spain. It is currently used for athletics events, but it will soon be expanded for the football club Atlético Madrid. Currently the stadium has a capacity of 20,000 spectators, but a reconstruction for Atletico's...
, which will be expanded from a 20,000 seat capacity to 73,000 after it was used for Madrid's failed bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, are a major international multi-sport event to be celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games, as governed by the International Olympic Committee...
. The Vicente Calderón will be demolished, and replaced by a waterfront park at the banks of the Manzanares River in Madrid. The club's training ground is the Ciudad Deportiva de Majadahonda
Majadahonda
Majadahonda is a municipality in Spain, situated 16 km northwest of Madrid, in the Community of Madrid. In 2009 the population was 66,585 inhabitants .It lies alongside the motorway A6 Madrid-A Coruña....
, 20 km west of Madrid. The facility maintains grass and artificial patches as well as a gym. Both the senior and youth squads train here.
Atlético also runs a sports academy at the Ciudad Deportiva del Nuevo Cerro del Espino in Majadahonda.
Uniform
Atlético began playing in blue and white, similar to Athletic Bilbao, but soon changed to their traditional red and white stripes by 1911. Many believe the change was influenced because red and white striped tops were the cheapest stripes to make, because the same combination was used to make bed mattresses, and the unused cloth was easily converted into football shirts. The kit has been made by NikeNike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
for the past nine years, as the company wants to provide competition against Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, who have a deal with Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
. The current shirt sponsor is Kia Motors
Kia Motors
Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010...
, while the AXN
AXN
AXN is a Pay television, cable and satellite television channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, which was first launched on May 22, 1997. The network is now spread across several regions in the world, including Japan, Europe, other parts of Asia and Latin America...
cable channel, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. is the television and film production/distribution unit of Japanese multinational technology and media conglomerate Sony...
, has a minor sponsorship on the back of the shorts and Kyocera
Kyocera
is a multinational manufacturer based in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded as in 1959 by Kazuo Inamori and renamed in 1982. The company has diversified its founding technology in ceramic materials through internal development as well as strategic mergers and acquisitions...
has a sponsor's logo on the back of the shirt, Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
gambling monopoly PAF
PAF (gambling monopoly)
Ålands Penningautomatförening or PAF is a Finnish company that operates a legal gambling monopoly on the Åland Islands, Finland. PAF also has an Internet-based gambling and gaming operation, in addition to operating and maintaining casino and gaming activities on a large number of cruiseferrys...
has a sponsorship on the clubs shorts. Previously, the club was sponsored by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, who would change the shirt sponsor's logo, and occasionally the shirt itself, as they did with the away shirt when Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Alvin Sargent and developed by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. It is the second film in the Spider-Man film franchise based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
was in cinemas. Because shirts would have to be introduced and removed from shops at a very fast pace to keep up with film releases, Nike decided to not include a sponsor's logo on replica shirts made from 2002 to 2005.
| Years | Manufacturers | Sponsors |
|---|---|---|
| 1985–1989 | Puma PUMA AG Puma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two... |
None |
| 1989–1990 | Mita Kyocera is a multinational manufacturer based in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded as in 1959 by Kazuo Inamori and renamed in 1982. The company has diversified its founding technology in ceramic materials through internal development as well as strategic mergers and acquisitions... |
|
| 1990–1993 | Marbella Marbella Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000.... * |
|
| 1993–1994 | Antena 3 Antena 3 (Spain) Antena 3 is a Spanish terrestrial television channel owned by Antena 3 de Televisión. Some of the more popular programmes broadcast by Antena 3 include Aquí no hay quien viva, El Barco, Los Protegidos, Los Simpson and El Internado.... |
|
| 1994–1996 | Marbella Marbella Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000.... * |
|
| 1996–1997 | Bandai Bandai is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs... /Tamagotchi Tamagotchi The is a handheld digital pet, created in Japan by Akihiro Yokoi of WiZ and Aki Maita of Bandai. It was first sold by Bandai in 1996 in Japan. As of 2010, over 76 million Tamagotchis have been sold world-wide... |
|
| 1997–1998 | Marbella Marbella Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000.... * |
|
| 1998–1999 | Reebok Reebok Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle... |
|
| 1999–2000 | None | |
| 2000–2001 | Idea | |
| 2001–2002 | Nike Nike, Inc. Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area... |
|
| 2002–2003 | Century | |
| 2003–2005 | Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies... ** |
|
| 2005–2011 | KIA Kia Motors Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010... |
|
| 2011– | None |
- (*) – 1990–93, 1994–96, 1997–99 MarbellaMarbellaMarbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
Tourism Board, as Jesús Gil was mayor of Marbella at this time. - (**) – 2003–05 Columbia PicturesColumbia PicturesColumbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
(Movies advertised on the shirt included: Bewitched, Hollywood HomicideHollywood HomicideHollywood Homicide is a 2003 American action comedy film starring Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett.The film also features Lena Olin, Lolita Davidovich, Martin Landau, Bruce Greenwood, Isaiah Washington, Keith David, Dwight Yoakam and Master P in supporting roles, with Eric Idle making a cameo...
, S.W.A.T., Big FishBig FishBig Fish is a 2003 American fantasy adventure film based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Daniel Wallace. The film was directed by Tim Burton and stars Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange and Marion Cotillard. Finney plays Edward Bloom, a former traveling salesman from...
, HellboyHellboy (film)Hellboy is a 2004 supernatural superhero film, starring Ron Perlman, John Hurt and Selma Blair, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film is based on the Dark Horse Comics work Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola. It was produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures...
, SpanglishSpanglish (film)Spanglish is a 2004 American comedy-drama film written and directed by James L. Brooks, and starring Adam Sandler, Paz Vega, and Téa Leoni. It was released in the United States on December 17, 2004 by Columbia Pictures and by Gracie Films, and in other countries over the first several months of...
, Resident Evil 2: Apocalypse, Hitch, xXxXXXXXX may refer to:* The number 30 in Roman numerals* The year 30 AD* Games of the XXX Olympiad, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England* Super Bowl XXX, held on January 28, 1996* A mark indicating "extra strong"* Alcoholic beverages...
, and the aforementioned Spider-Man 2)
Regional
- Campeonato Regional Centro
- Winners (4): 1920–21, 1924–25, 1927–28, 1939–40
Domestic Competitions
- La LigaLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
- Winners (9): 1939–40, 1940–41, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1995–96
- Runners-up (8): 1943–44, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1964–65, 1973–74, 1984–85, 1990–91
- Copa del ReyCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
- Winners (9): 1959–60, 1960–61, 1964–65, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1984–85, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1995–96
- Runners-up (9): 1921, 1926, 1955–56, 1963–64, 1974–75, 1986–87, 1998–99, 1999-00, 2009–102009–10 Copa del ReyThe 2009–10 Copa del Rey was the 106th staging of the Copa del Rey. The competition began on August 22, 2009 and concluded on May 19, 2010 with the final held at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, in which Sevilla FC lifted the trophy for the fifth time in their history with a 2–0 victory over...
- Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
- Winners (1): 19851985 Supercopa de EspañaThe 1985 Supercopa de España was a two-legged Spanish football match between FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid ; it was played on 9 October and 30 October 1985, with the latter team winning 3–2 on aggregate.-First leg:...
- Runners-up (3): 19911991 Supercopa de EspañaThe 1991 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 28 October and 11 November 1991. It contested by Atlético Madrid, who were Spanish Cup winners in 1990–91, and FC Barcelona, who won the 1990–91 Spanish League. FC Barcelona won 2–1 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second...
, 19921992 Supercopa de EspañaThe 1992 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 28 October and 11 November 1992. It contested by Atlético Madrid, who were Spanish Cup winners in 1991–92, and FC Barcelona, who won the 1991–92 Spanish League. FC Barcelona won 5–2 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second...
, 19961996 Supercopa de EspañaThe 1996 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 25 August and 28 August 1996. It contested by FC Barcelona, who were Spanish Cup runners-up in 1995–96, and Atlético Madrid, who won the 1995–96 Spanish League and the 1995–96 Spanish Cup. FC Barcelona won 6–5 on...
- Winners (1): 1985
- Copa de Campeones de España (Predecessor to the Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
)- Winners (1): 1940
- Copa Eva DuarteCopa Eva DuarteThe Copa Eva Duarte was a Spanish football tournament organized by the RFEF and contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Generalísimo. In 1940, it had the name of Copa de Campeones, and was not played again until 1945, when the ambassador of Argentina, due to the good relations with the...
(Predecessor to the Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
)- Winners (1): 1951
- Runners-up (1): 1950
- Copa Presidente FEF
- Winners (1): 1947
- Segunda DivisionSegunda DivisiónThe Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
- Winners (1): 2001–02
- Runners-up (2): 1932–33, 1933–34
European
- European Cup/UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
- Round of 16 (1): 2008–09UEFA Champions League 2008–09The 2008–09 UEFA Champions League was the 54th edition of Europe's premier club football tournament and the 17th edition under the current UEFA Champions League format. The final was played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 27 May 2009. It was the eighth time the European Cup final has been held in...
- Quarter-Finalist (2): 1977–78, 1996–97,
- Semi-Finalist (2): 1958–59, 1970–71,
- Runners-up (1): 1973–74
- Round of 16 (1): 2008–09
- UEFA Europa League
- Winners (1): 2009–10
- UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
- Winners (1): 1961–62
- Runners-up (2): 1962–63UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1962-63The 1962–63 season of the European Cup Winners' Cup football club tournament was won by Tottenham Hotspur in a crushing final victory over holders Atlético Madrid. It was the first time a European cup went to an English club...
, 1985–86UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1985-86The European Cup Winners' Cup was won in season 1985-86 by FC Dynamo Kyiv in the final against Atlético Madrid. It was their second title in the competition, having already won it in 1975...
, - Semi Final (2): 1976–77UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1976-77The season 1976-77 of the European Cup Winners' Cup was won by Hamburger SV in the final against defending champions Anderlecht. Anderlecht went on to win the final the next year.-Qualifying match:-First round:-First leg:-Second leg:...
, 1992–93UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1992-93The season 1992–93 of the European Cup Winners' Cup was won by Parma in the final against Royal Antwerp. Both were first time finalists in the competition, and Antwerp were the last Belgian side to reach a European final up to the present day...
, - Quarter Final (2): 1965–66UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1965-66The season 1965-66 of the European Cup Winners' Cup football club tournament was won by Borussia Dortmund in an extra-time final victory at Hampden Park against Liverpool.-First round:-First leg:------Second leg:...
, 1991-92,
- UEFA Super Cup
- Winners (1): 20102010 UEFA Super CupThe 2010 UEFA Super Cup was the 35th UEFA Super Cup organised by the European football governing body UEFA. It took place at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 27 August 2010. It was contested by Internazionale, who won the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, and Atlético Madrid, who won the 2009–10 UEFA...
- Winners (1): 2010
- UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
- Winners (1): 2007
- Runners-up (1): 2004
- Iberian CupIberian CupThe Iberian Cup, also called Iberian Supercup, was an international competition between clubs from Portugal and Spain, disputed by two teams that were champions in a major competition, very much alike a Supercup, to find out which was the best team from Iberian Peninsula...
- winners (1): 1991
World
- Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
- Winners (1): 19741974 Intercontinental CupThe 1974 Intercontinental Cup was a football tie held over two legs in March and April 1975 between Independiente, winners of the 1974 Copa Libertadores, and the runners up of the 1973-74 European Cup, Atlético Madrid .The first leg was held on 12 March 1975 at the Estadio Libertadores de América,...
- Winners (1): 1974
See also
- Atlético Madrid BAtlético Madrid BAtlético Madrid B is a Spanish football team based in Madrid, in the namesake community. Founded in 1963, it is the reserve team of Atlético Madrid, and currently plays in Segunda División B, holding home games at Nuevo Cerro del Espino.-History:...
- Atlético Madrid CAtlético Madrid CAtletico Madrid C is a Spanish football club that currently plays in the Tercera División. They are the second reserve team of Atlético Madrid. They play their home games at the Nuevo Cerro del Espino.-Club Names:- Season to season:-Current Squad:...
- Trofeo Villa de MadridVilla de Madrid trophyThe Villa de Madrid trophy was an annual pre-season tournament hosted by Atlético Madrid at the Vicente Calderón Stadium and played since 1973, exception made of the years 1999 and 2001. In 2004 the tournament changed its name to "Trophy Hellboy", but was discontinued in the subsequent seasons.The...