Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, commonly referred to as Real Madrid or simply Madrid, is one of the most iconic and successful football clubs in the world. Founded in 1902, the club is based in Madrid, Spain, and plays its home matches at the famous Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, which has a seating capacity of over 81,000.
Real Madrid has a rich history, boasting 34 La Liga titles, 19 Copa del Rey, 13 UEFA Champions League titles, and numerous other domestic and international trophies. The club enjoyed its most successful era under legendary manager Miguel Muñoz, who led Madrid to 9 La Liga titles and two Champions League victories between 1960 and 1974.
Known for its attacking style of play, the club has nurtured some of football’s greatest talents, including Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Zinedine Zidane, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite recent challenges and inconsistent performances, Real Madrid remains one of the world’s most valuable football clubs, with a global fan base and a rich tradition that continues to influence Spanish and world football.
Real Madrid CF is one of the most globally recognized football clubs, boasting one of the highest average home attendances in Europe. The club acknowledges its worldwide fan base, which includes more than 200 officially recognized branches of the Real Madrid Supporters Club, spread across at least 24 countries. Real Madrid takes advantage of this extensive support through its worldwide summer tours. According to the accountancy firm and sports industry consultants Deloitte, Real Madrid has around 100 million fans worldwide. The club has the second highest social media following in the world among sports teams (after Barcelona), with over 110 million Facebook followers as of July 2023. A 2014 study showed that Real Madrid had some of the most passionate fans in La Liga.
Real Madrid was formed in 1902, initially known as the 'Madrid Football Club'. The team started by playing matches against local clubs and rapidly gained popularity. They donned a white kit from the beginning, which led to their nickname 'Los Blancos'. Their first significant success came in 1905 when they won the Copa del Rey.
In 1945, Santiago Bernabeu took over as the president of Real Madrid, a position he held for 35 years. Under his presidency, Real Madrid started to establish itself as a major force in both Spanish and European football. The club won numerous La Liga and Copa del Rey titles during this period. The club's dominance was most evident in the European Cup, where they won the inaugural competition in 1956 and went on to win it five times in a row.
In July 2000, Florentino Perez was elected president of Real Madrid. Perez promised to erase the club's debt and modernize the club's facilities. However, his most famous promise was his vow to sign the world's best players, who were labelled 'Galacticos'. This policy resulted in the signings of players like Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, and David Beckham. Despite initial success, including a ninth European Cup win in 2002, the Galacticos policy led to a period of instability on and off the field. However, the club regained its footing and has continued to enjoy success, including multiple Champions League titles in recent years.
Originally, Real Madrid CF was founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club and was granted the royal decree by King Alfonso XIII in 1920 to become Real Madrid. Being a registered civil association, the members, called 'socios', of the club own and operate Real Madrid. As of 2017, the club has 92,000 'socios'.
Real Madrid's financial operations have evolved over time. During the tenure of presidency of Santiago Bernabéu Yeste from 1943 to 1978, Real Madrid saw a significant transformation in its financial operations. Bernabéu Yeste was instrumental in signing major players and embarked on an ambitious strategy of internationalization, which significantly improved the club's finances. After his death in 1978, Luis de Carlos took over the presidency, before Ramón Mendoza took over in 1985. Mendoza's presidency saw a period of financial instability.
In 2000, Florentino Pérez became the president of Real Madrid and initiated the so-called 'Galácticos' policy, which involved signing world-class players. This policy had a significant impact on the club's finances, leading to increased revenues from merchandising and ticket sales. Pérez's presidency also saw a period of commercial expansion, with the club entering into numerous sponsorship and marketing deals. However, Pérez resigned in 2006 due to the club's poor performances and mounting debts.
Ramón Calderón took over the presidency in 2006, but his tenure was marred by controversy and he resigned in 2009, leading to the return of Florentino Pérez. Since then, Pérez has continued the 'Galácticos' policy, with the signings of major players contributing to the club's financial growth.
In recent years, Real Madrid has consistently ranked among the highest earning football clubs in the world, with significant revenues generated from TV rights, ticket sales, merchandising, and sponsorship deals. The club's financial operations are overseen by a board of directors, with Florentino Pérez currently serving as the president.
Real Madrid CF is one of the most successful clubs in Europe in terms of trophies won. The club's first trophy was the Regional Championship, which they won as Madrid FC in 1905. In 1931–32, the club won their first league title and won the Copa del Rey for the first time the following year. Since then, they have gone on to win a record 34 La Liga titles and 19 Copa del Rey titles. Those titles have meant the club has appeared a record number of times in the Supercopa de España; of those appearances, Real Madrid have won a record 11 times.
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Real Madrid CF: Information about the history, achievements, and global recognition of Real Madrid CF. https://www.realmadrid.com/en/about-real-madrid/history/football
Real Madrid CF: Comprehensive data about Real Madrid CF's domestic, continental, and worldwide successes. https://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/teams/club=52280/profile/history/index.html
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