CLUB ATLÉTICO DE MADRID

Country: Spain | Founded: 1903

Club Atlético de Madrid, commonly known as Atlético de Madrid, or Atlético, is a Spanish football club based in Madrid that plays in La Liga. Atlético have won La Liga on nine occasions, including a league and cup double in 1996; the Copa del Rey on ten occasions; 1 Supercopa de España and 3 Copa Eva Duarte; in Europe, they won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1962, were European Cup runners-up in 1974, won the Europa League in 2010 and in 2012, and won the UEFA Super Cup in 2010 and 2012, as well as the 1974 Intercontinental Cup.

The club play their home games at the Vicente Calderón, which currently holds up to 54,960 spectators. In 2016, Atlético are due to move to their new home of Estadio La Peineta, which will have a capacity of 70,000. Atletico's home kit is red and white vertical striped shirts, with blue shorts, accompanied by blue and red socks. This combination has been used since 1911. Nike are the kit manufacturers, the main sponsor is Azerbaijan. The club is the third most supported in Spain, behind Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. It is also one of the biggest clubs in the world in terms of number of associates, with more than 65,000 season ticket holders. During their history, the club has been known by a number of nicknames, including Los Colchoneros, due to their first team stripes being the same colours as old-fashioned mattresses. During the 1970s, they became known as Los Indios, allegedly due to the club signing several South American players after the restrictions on signing foreign players was lifted. However, there are a number of counter theories which claim they were named so because their stadium is "camped" on the river bank, or because Los Indios (The Indians) were the traditional enemy of Los Blancos (The Whites), which is the nickname of the club's city rivals, Real Madrid.

Profile of a Champion

Club Atlético de Madrid were founded by a group of Madrid-based Basque students. The new side donned the same blue-and-white kit as their hometown Athletic Club Bilbao did, but were forbidden from playing in it so in 1911 they adopted red-and-white stripes. In 1923 they moved into the Estadio Metropolitano.

Los Rojiblancos were invited to join the inaugural Liga in 1928, finishing sixth. The post-Spanish Civil War economic downturn prompted an amalgamation with Zaragoza's Aviación Nacional, hence the 1939 inception of Athletic Aviación Club. Successive league titles arrived in 1940 and 1941 before the name Club Atlético de Madrid was assumed in 1947, before back-to-back Liga crowns in 1950 and 1951.

Defeated by Real Madrid CF in the European Champion Clubs' Cup semi-finals, Los Colchoneros took revenge with consecutive Copa del Rey final victories over their city rivals in 1960 and 1961. The latter booked Atlético a place in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, which they won by beating ACF Fiorentina in the final before missing out to Tottenham Hotspur FC in the following year's showpiece.

They returned to the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1973, reaching the final only to lose the replay 4-0 to FC Bayern Münich after Luis Aragonés's extra-time opener had been cancelled out in the last minute two days earlier. With Bayern opting out of the following season's European/South American Cup, Atlético stepped in and defeated CA Independiente to become champions.

Further Copa del Rey triumphs followed (1976, 1985, 1991, 1992), as well as a 1986 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final loss to FC Dynamo Kyiv, but 1995/96 eclipsed it all as Radomir Antić's side completed a league and cup double. Just four years later, they were relegated. Aragonés guided them back to the top flight in 2002 and in 2010 their 48-year wait for contintal silverware was over as two Diego Forlán goals earned an extra-time victory against Fulham FC in the inaugural UEFA Europa League.

The arrival of Diego Simeone in December 2011 began a new era of success, with the Argentinian – a former Liga and cup double-winning midfielder with Atlético – guiding Los Colchoneros to UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and Copa del Rey glory, as well as UEFA Champions League qualification in little over a year.