Whether you are new to the sport of football, or you have been a fan for years, odds are you have heard some mention of the team Real Madrid. Now known as one of the most successful professional football clubs they, like other teams of its time, started from humble beginnings.
Things were rough when they started out in the first decade of the 20th century. While much effort went into finding a permanent plot of land for the team to play on, success was made with the rental of a plot of land on Bullring Avenue. Not long after that, Real Madrid was formed. Once considered part of Espanol de Madrid, Real Madrid was officially founded back in 1902, with club regulations being approved not long after the team’s creation date.
While the team had some success, its first official title was not achieved until 1905 with the first international event taking place later that same year. Real Madrid began to make their name known with the accomplishment of winning the Cup of Spain for three consecutive years, from 1905 to 1907 to be exact. When 1909 rolled around, it proved to be quite a successful year for Real Madrid. After a meeting with delegates from other Spanish football clubs, the Spanish FA was created with Real Madrid’s president being named as the secretary of the organization.
As time passed and the team’s popularity grew, Madrid obtained their first league title in the 1931 to 32 season. This proved to be the start of the team’s power with this title being the start of the 29 League titles that they would accomplish over the years. Due to the start of the war in 1936 Real Madrid’s popularity started to decrease. Attempts were made by Pablo Hernandez to keep the team in the public eye, but multiple attempts failed miserably. While all hope appeared to be lost, 1939 brought the first full house at Chamartin Stadium for Real Madrid. While it was perceived that interest in football decreased with the war, support held and grew as the war rolled on with its popularity becoming well known when the war was over.
1943 brought their first historical win. In a semi-final game against the Catalans, Madrid defeated them with a score of 11-1. As the years passed, the team proved itself to be a power to be reckoned with. The 1950’s brought the team’s third league title after 23 years.
When it comes to league titles, Real Madrid is one of the only teams in the league to win five consecutive times in the 76 year history of the competition. They accomplished this feat in the 1960-61, 1964-65, 1985-86 and 1989-90 seasons. No other team in the history of the competition has been able to meet or even break the record that has been created by the successful Real Madrid team.
The present and the future show great promise for the team. With the team having just celebrated their 106 birthday in March of 2008, the team continues to achieve success. With a mixed history, their past has proven them to be a force to be reckoned with and they may just be one of the most powerful teams for years to come.