Club Atlético de Madrid is a Spanish
football team from Madrid. Founded on April 26, 1903, they
currently play in the Primera División.
They play in red and white striped shirts and dark blue shorts.
They are sometimes nicknamed Los Colchoneros, (Spanish for "mattress
makers") because mattresses were wrapped in a cloth with red and
white stripes. The home stadium is the Vicente Calderón, which
seats 57,000 spectators.
Originally formed as an affiliate club of Athletic Bilbao in
1903, and playing in blue and white. By 1911 the team was
playing in its current colours in the Spanish league. In 1921
they became independent of Bilbao and, by 1923, the club built
its first stadium, the Metropolitano. By the 1939-40 season, the
team had changed its name to Atlético Aviación and had won their
first league title after spending some years playing in the
Segunda División.
The Vicente Calderón stadium was inaugurated in 1966, named
after the then-president of the club. This was an era of great
success, just after winning its first European trophy, and with
the great pichichi (top scorer) Gárate signing. The sixties and
seventies were probably the two best decades in the club's
history.
In the 1999-00 season the club was relegated again to the
Segunda División where it play for two seasons until the team
was promoted back to the Primera División.
Club Atlético de Madrid is the third team in Spain, behind
archrivals and neighbours Real Madrid Club de Fútbol and Fútbol
Club Barcelona, for the number of league titles won, the number
of season-ticket holders, and the amount of income generated
from Pay Per View. Although, the only three teams that have
played always in the 'Primera División' are the two mentioned
above and Athletic Club de Bilbao. |
