Vicente Calderón
Encyclopedia
Vicente Calderón Pérez-Cavada (May 27, 1913 – March 24, 1987). He was a Businessman and president of Atlético Madrid for twenty years.
, Cantabria
in 1913. Orphaned at the age of twenty, Calderón lived a tough early life passing through various jobs before finally establishing himself as a successful businessman. He built much of his business success in Madrid but also had important business connections with the Valencian town of Gandia
, a town which he held many ties to and where he eventually was buried.
Calderón died of a heart attack on March 24, 1987, in Madrid
.
Calderón was instrumental in saving Atlético from the economic crisis, as well as successfully completing construction of their new stadium that was located on the banks of the Manzanares river. The stadium’s construction had been delayed for some time, with work having begun in 1961, but Calderón was able to ensure that Atlético would move out of their old home, the Estadio Metropolitano and into their new home. As a tribute to his efforts, the new stadium was named after him.
Under Vicente Calderón’s presidency, the club was able to stabilize their economic woes and achieve great successes throughout the 60s and 70s.
On June 16, 1980, Calderón resigned as president. However, his departure would bring about a difficult phase in the club’s history. Atlético suffered at the hands of several interim presidents and in particular the controversial presidency of Alfonso Cabeza. This led to Atlético re-electing Calderón in 1982.
Though Calderón’s second term at Atlético was not as successful as his first, he was able to add another Copa del Rey to the club’s collection. Calderón would die of a heart attack on March 24, 1987 in the middle of his presidency.
Other titles: (two "Teresa Herrera", two "Columbian", five "Ramón de Carranza", four "Villa de Madrid," "Mohamed V", a "City of Sao Paulo", a "Trofeo Ibérico" a "City Line" and "City of Ceuta."
Early life
Vicente Calderón was born in TorrelavegaTorrelavega
Torrelavega is a municipality and important industrial and commercial hub in the single province Autonomous Community of Cantabria in northern Spain....
, Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
in 1913. Orphaned at the age of twenty, Calderón lived a tough early life passing through various jobs before finally establishing himself as a successful businessman. He built much of his business success in Madrid but also had important business connections with the Valencian town of Gandia
Gandia
Gandia is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Eastern Spain on the Mediterranean. Gandia is located on the Costa del Azahar, 65 km south of Valencia and 96 km north of Alicante....
, a town which he held many ties to and where he eventually was buried.
Calderón died of a heart attack on March 24, 1987, 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...
.
President of Atlético Madrid
On January 21, 1964, Javier Barroso resigned as President of Atlético Madrid in the midst of an economic crisis. Calderón began his career at Atlético by stepping in as President temporarily but he would eventually be elected to the post on March 17 of that year.Calderón was instrumental in saving Atlético from the economic crisis, as well as successfully completing construction of their new stadium that was located on the banks of the Manzanares river. The stadium’s construction had been delayed for some time, with work having begun in 1961, but Calderón was able to ensure that Atlético would move out of their old home, the Estadio Metropolitano and into their new home. As a tribute to his efforts, the new stadium was named after him.
Under Vicente Calderón’s presidency, the club was able to stabilize their economic woes and achieve great successes throughout the 60s and 70s.
On June 16, 1980, Calderón resigned as president. However, his departure would bring about a difficult phase in the club’s history. Atlético suffered at the hands of several interim presidents and in particular the controversial presidency of Alfonso Cabeza. This led to Atlético re-electing Calderón in 1982.
Though Calderón’s second term at Atlético was not as successful as his first, he was able to add another Copa del Rey to the club’s collection. Calderón would die of a heart attack on March 24, 1987 in the middle of his presidency.
Titles
- Intercontinental Cup (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,...
. - 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...
(4): 1965–66, 1969–70, 1972–73, 1976–77. - 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 ....
(4): 1965, 1972, 1976, 1985. - European CupUEFA 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...
: 19741974 European Cup FinalThe 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...
(runner-up).
Other titles: (two "Teresa Herrera", two "Columbian", five "Ramón de Carranza", four "Villa de Madrid," "Mohamed V", a "City of Sao Paulo", a "Trofeo Ibérico" a "City Line" and "City of Ceuta."