Last updated: 17 Sept 2003
The Club
Real Madrid is arguably the best known football club in the World. On December 11th 2000, at its annual gala awards ceremony, FIFA
presented Real Madrid with the "Club of the Century" award. The decision, voted by readers of FIFA Magazine, was overwhelmingly in favour of a club
founded in 1902, leaving behind such historic greats as Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
Real Madrid is not the oldest football club in the world, not even in Spain (that privilege goes to Recreativo de Huelva) and it hasn't got the largest stadium, or the biggest number of season ticket holders. But throughout the world, when the name Real Madrid is mentioned, no person who has ever heard of football can fail to have heard of
them. Whether it's because of the likes of Di Stéfano and Puskas, who played in Real's all-conquering team in the 1950s, or Butragueño, Míchel and Hugo Sánchez in the 1980s, or even some of today's stars, such as Raúl, Figo, Zidane or Roberto Carlos, there is no doubting its unique and enduring impression on the world of football.
But it is not just players, both past and present that make Real Madrid the great institution it is.  Unmatched success at home and abroad, and with it, an impressive trophy cabinet are the hallmark of the club. Real Madrid has won more editions of Europe's premier club competition, the European Cup, than any other team. And in the league, nobody comes even close. Almost all of this success can be traced back to the vision of one man.
In 1943, Santiago Bernabéu became the tenth president of Real Madrid and retained that post
until 1975. In that time, the club won 6 European Cups, 1 Intercontinental Cup, 16 league titles and 6 Spanish Cups. It was his drive to make Real Madrid the
best team in the world, that led him to pursue the best players and coaches to share his vision. He also wanted a stadium worthy of such a team, and it celebrated the 50th anniversary of its inauguration on December 14th 1997.
The Club Crest
1902
|
1908
|
1920
|
1931
|
1941
|
2001
|
The 2002/03 Squad
Miñambres, Raúl Bravo, Casillas, César, Carlos Sánchez, Pavón, Solari
McManaman, Guti, Hierro, Zidane, Ronaldo, Morientes, Helguera, Tote
Martínez, Miñano, Grande, Del Bosque, Florentino Pérez, Valdano, Amieiro, Jiménez, Muro
Solano, Makélélé, Portillo, Flavio, Roberto Carlos, Raúl, Figo, Cambiasso, Celades, Salgado, ????
The Star Galaxy
Several changes had been made to last year's champion line-up after the acqusition of England captain, Beckham and the departure of former captain, Hierro and Frenchman Makelele. Beckham is now playing at his prefered position at the center which was denied during his time at Manchester and this saw the shift of playmaker Zidane to the left. It is hard to predict how any team on earth would be able to defeat Real Madrid when they are at their full fitness. Many teams have a strong right flank which has to face the attacking talents on Real's left side of the field. With Raul up front, Zidane on the left wing and Roberto Carlos providing cover, many will find it difficult to exploit the left wing of Real. On the right side, Real is equally versatile; killer Ronaldo on the attack, Figo along the line and Salgado in defence. Real's only weakness lies in its commitment of too many men forward, leaving the goal area vulnerable for teams capable of a counter-attack. When the emphasis is so firmly placed on attack, and all the club's money lavished on the world's premier entertainers, then you pay your money and you take your chances. Helguera is set to fill Makelele's boots in the defensive fort while young Raul Bravo and Pavon, who are getting regular spots in the starting XI, are yet to make an impact in the defence. The transfer of Beckham and chase for Ronaldinho may be a surplus for Real's top class offensive side. Any coach in Spain will tell you that Real needs strengthening in other areas. It is easy to say that Real Madrid had put together this team of star players. Other teams had done the same, but some had achieved nothing. Club president, Florentino Perez said it best, "A team is gauged by its performance on the pitch, not by team photographs." What's more important is a champion team, not a team of champions.
The Trophy Cabinet
Campeonato Nacional de Liga (National League Competition) (29 titles)
| 1932, 1933, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003
|
Copa de Europa (Europeon Champions Cup) (9 titles)
| 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002 |
Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup aka King's Cup) (17 titles)
| 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1917, 1934, 1936, 1946, 1947, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1982, 1989, 1993
|
Supercopa de Europa (UEFA Supercup) (1 title)
| 2002 |
Copa de la UEFA (UEFA Cup) (2 titles)
| 1985, 1986 |
Copa de la Liga (League Cup) (1 title)
| 1985 |
Supercopa Española (Spanish Supercup) (6 titles)
| 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2001
|
Copa Intercontinental (Intercontinental Cup) (3 titles)
| 1969, 1998, 2002 |
Copa Latina (Latin Cup) (2 titles)
| 1955, 1957 |
Little Cup (2 titles)
1952, 1956
Regional Champion (18 titles)
1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1913, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1920, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931
Community Trophy (5 titles)
1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936
Bernabéu - Theatre Of Dreams
| Name: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Inaugurated on: 14 December 1947
Capacity: 74,309 spectators
Dimensions: 106 x 70 metres
Address: Concha Espina 1, 28036 Madrid
Club Number: +34 (91) 398 4300
Fax Number: +34 (91) 344 0695
Madrid Metro stop: Santiago Bernabéu - Line 10
Buses: Routes 14, 27, 40, 43, 120, 147 & 150
|
A 3-D schematic of the stadium (1994)
A ticket for the Real Madrid - Atlético Madrid game in the 1996-1997 season
Read more...
|
