RCD Espanyol (AKA Espanyol, Periquitos [Parakeets], Blanquiblaus [White and Blues], or officially Reial Club Esportiu Espanyol de Barcelona [Spanish Royal Sports Club of Barcelona]) is a Spanish sports club. RCD Espanyol professional football team is its best known part and is playing in the top Spanish league, La Liga. This successful club is a bit overshadowed by Barcelona’s best known club, FC Barcelona. Espanyol is the sixth most successful club is Spain. Among its records RCD Espanyol won 4 Spanish Cups (Copa del Rey) of which the last was won on the 2006-7 season. On the same year the club was also the runner-up for the UEFA Cup, and lost to another La Liga club – Sevilla FC. Espanyol were runners up to the UEFA Cup another time, on 1988, which was lost to West German club Bayer Leverkusen, in 3–2 penalty shootouts. Espanyol’s new stadium is the Estadi Cornell?-El Prat that holds a little over 40,000 seats. The stadium was inaugurated on August 2009 with a match against Liverpool FC, won by Espanyol, with a goal by Luis Garc?a and another two by Ben Sahar.
Espanyol was founded in 1901 as the Sociedad Espa?ola de Football. One year later, the club changed its name to Club Espa?ol de F?tbol. In 1910, the name was changed again to Club Deportivo Espa?ol. The club was successful from the very beginning, winning the Campionat de Catalunya (Catalonia Championship) in 1903 and subsequently played in the Copa del Rey. The club continued to develop (and change names) and in 1912 received from the Spanish Crown the right to add the word Royal to their name and the crown symbol to the badge. In 1928, RCD Espanyol became a founding member of La Liga, and in 1929, the team won their first Copa del Rey. RCD Espanyol played most of its history in the top Spanish League. Espanyol’s all-time top scorer is striker Ra?l Tamudo with 131 goals. He also holds the record for most appearances for the club. |
