Atlético Madrid guide - history, emblem, nicknames, titles
| Atlético Madrid |
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Full Name: Club Atlético de Madrid Official Website: clubatleticomadrid.com Description:Atlético Madrid were formed by Basque students living in Madrid on April 26, 1903 as an affiliate of Athletic Bilbao. The club became independent of Athletic in 1921. Mattresses in Spain were traditionally wrapped in cloth with red and white stripes, similar to the club uniform, which explains the colchoneros nickname. Rojiblanca means "the red and white". Athletic Madrid merged with Atletico Aviacion of Zaragoza in 1939, when Aviacion were denied membership in the first division and Atletico had lost many players during the Spanish Civil War. They were known at the time as Athletic Aviación for two years and then forced to change their name from Athletic to Atletico in 1941 by a Francoist decree which banned non-Spanish names. In 1947 Aviación was dropped and the current Atlético Madrid came into use. They are widely regarded as the third-biggest club in Spain and tend to draw support from the south of the city. Matches with arch-rival Real Madrid are referred to as the Derbi madrileño - the Madrid Derby.
The club's emblem features: the red and white stripes found on the team's shirts, blue with seven stars to represent the constellation Ursa major, and the coat of arms of the city of Madrid. This coat of arms features a bear and Madrone tree, both once being quite common in the region around Madrid. Estadio Vicente Calderón:Previous stadiums - El Retiro Parco (1903-13), Calle O'Donnell (1913-23), Metropolitano (1923-66). The Estadio Vicente Calderón is named for a former president of the club and was previously known as the Manzanares, a river near which the stadium is located. The club has plans to sell its current stadium and move to a new, larger stadium on the edge of town.
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| Last Updated on Saturday, 13 February 2010 11:25 |
