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About Real Madrid
Real Madrid football club (aka Real Madrid, El Madrid, or officially Real Madrid Club de Fútbol) is a top La Liga Spanish football club and one of the best known football clubs in the world. Real Madrid’s history is rich with victories and titles: over 30 La Liga titles, 17 Spanish cups, and more than 10 European titles. Real Madrid was one of the founding members of FIFA, and a leader among the most successful clubs of the world. The word “Real” in the club’s name Real Madrid means “Royal” in English, and represents the Spanish crown. The crown is also on the Real Madrid emblem. Real Madrid is typically supported by the Spanish middle and upper classes. The other local team, Atletico de Madrid, is identified with the working class. There is a bitter rivalry between the two clubs that meet twice a year at the “El Derbi madrileño”, the Madrid Derby.
A better known rivals of Real Madrid is FC Barcelona. The Catalonian club has been struggling with Real Madrid for the title “best Spanish club” for many years. The meeting beween the two Spanish giants, twice a year, is called “El Clásico” or the Super Classico, the most popular football match in the world. This encounter, once a year hosted in Barcelona at Camp Nou by FC Barcelona and once a year by Real Madrid in Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, easily fills both stadiums and about 170,000 spectators attend. Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is used by Real Madrid since 1947 and is names ofter Real Madrid’ president from 1945. The stadium is located in down town Madrid. The stadium had to be to be rebuilt after the Spanish Civil War. It now holds more than 80k seats.
Real Madrid's members (socios) have owned and operated the club since its inception in 1902. The club is the world's richest football club (€401m) in terms of revenue and the second most valuable and was worth over €950m in 2008. The club belonged to the top flight of Spanish football.
Real Madrid’ best known players are Alfredo di Stéfano, after whom the club’s training grounds are named, La Quinta del Buitre ("Vulture's Cohort"), a group of young players that grew up in Real Madrid and helped bringing it back to top performance in the 80’s: Emilio Butragueño, Manuel Sanchís, Martín Vázquez, Míchel and Miguel Pardeza. More recently players are Raúl, Captain, Striker and holder of the club’s record of appearances, and Striker Cristiano Ronaldo that was purchased from Manchester United for a record sum of money. Real Madrid News
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