Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈkluβaˈtletikoðemaˈðɾið]; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), commonly referred to asAtlético Madrid or simplyAtlético and colloquially asAtleti, is a Spanish professionalfootball club based inMadrid that plays inLa Liga. The club play their home games at theRiyadh Air Metropolitano, which has a capacity of 70,692.[3]
Founded on 26 April 1903 as Athletic Club Sucursal de Madrid (a branch of Bilbao-basedAthletic Club), the entity merged withClub Aviación Nacional in 1939, becoming Atlético de Madrid in 1946. After 1987,Jesús Gil oversaw the transformation from sports club tosociedad anónima deportiva (S.A.D.), underpinning his family's control over the shareholding structure through misappropriation. The club's traditional kits consist of red and white vertical striped shirts and blue shorts. Followers are nicknamed ascolchoneros ('mattress makers'),indios ('Indians') androjiblancos ('redwhites'). Prince Felipe, laterKing Felipe VI, has been the honorary president of the club since 2003.
Enrique Allende, first President of the club after its establishment in 1903An Athletic Madrid lineup of 1910 in their new red and white kit
The club was founded on 26 April 1903[8] asAthletic Club Sucursal de Madrid by threeBasque students living inMadrid. These founders saw the new club as a youth branch of their childhood team,Athletic Bilbao[8] who they had just seen win the1903 Copa del Rey Final in the city. In 1904, they were joined by dissident members ofReal Madrid.[9] They began playing in blue and white halved shirts, the then colours of Athletic Bilbao, but by 1910, both the Bilbao and Madrid teams were playing in their current colours of red and white stripes. Some believe the change came about because red and white striped tops were the cheapest to make, as the same combination was used to maketicking formattresses, and the unused cloth was easily converted into football shirts. This contributed to the club's nickname,Los Colchoneros.
However, another explanation is that both Athletic Bilbao and Athletic Madrid used to buyBlackburn Rovers' blue and white kits[10] in England.[11] In late 1909,Juan Elorduy, a former player and member of the board of Athletic Madrid, went to England to buy kits for both teams but failed to find Blackburn kits to purchase; he instead bought the red and white shirts ofSouthampton (the club from theport city which was his embarkation point back to Spain).[12] An investigation in 2023 proposed an alternative kit origin location asSunderland, whose team also wore those colours.[13][14] Athletic Madrid adopted the red and white shirt, leading to them being known asLos Rojiblancos,[15][16] but opted to keep their existing blue shorts whereas the Bilbao team switched to new black shorts.[17] Athletic Bilbao won the1911 Copa del Rey Final using several 'borrowed' players from Athletic Madrid, includingManolón [es] who scored one of their goals.[18]
Athletic's first ground, the Ronda deVallecas, was in the eponymous working-class area on the south side of the city. In 1919, the Compañía Urbanizadora Metropolitana—the company that ran the underground communication system in Madrid—acquired some land, near theCiudad Universitaria. In 1921, Athletic Madrid became independent of parent-club Athletic Bilbao and moved into a 35,800-seater stadium built by the company, theEstadio Metropolitano de Madrid.[19]
During the 1920s, Athletic won theCampeonato del Centro three times and wereCopa del Rey runners-up in 1921, where they faced parent club Athletic Bilbao, as they would again in 1926. Based on these successes, in 1928 they were invited to join the Primera División of the inauguralLa Liga played the following year. During their debut La Liga campaign, the club was managed byFred Pentland, but after two seasons they were relegated toSegunda División. They briefly returned to La Liga in 1934 but were relegated again in 1936 afterJosep Samitier took over in mid-season from Pentland. TheSpanish Civil War gaveLos Colchoneros a reprieve, asReal Oviedo was unable to play due to the destruction of their stadium during the bombings. Thus, both La Liga and Athletic's relegation were postponed, the latter by winning a playoff againstOsasuna, champion of the Segunda División tournament.
By 1939, when La Liga had resumed, Athletic had merged withAviación Nacional ofZaragoza to becomeAthletic Aviación de Madrid. Aviación Nacional had been founded in 1937 by three aviation officers of theSpanish Air Force.[20] They had been promised a place in the Primera División for the 1939–40 season, only to be denied by theRFEF, and since they did not want to go through the whole divisional climb up, this club merged with Athletic, whose squad had lost eight players during the Civil War, including the team's star,Monchín Triana, who was shot dead. At that time,Real Oviedo also had its field destroyed by the war, so it was decided to give up its place to another team, and that finals spot was contested by Aviación andOsasuna, in a match inValencia on 26 November 1939, which Aviación won 3–1.[20] With the legendaryRicardo Zamora as manager, the club subsequently won their first La Liga title that season and retained the titles in1941. The most influential and charismatic player of these years was the captainGermán Gómez, who was signed fromRacing Santander in 1939. He played eight consecutive seasons for theRojiblancos until the1947–48 campaign. From his central midfield position, he formed a legendary midfield alongside Machín andRamón Gabilondo.
In mid-1940,a decree issued by Francisco Franco[21] banned teams from using foreign names and the club becameAtlético Aviación de Madrid.[22] In September 1940, Atlético Aviación won the firstSuper cup in Spanish football after beating RCD Español, the1940 Copa del Generalísimo winners, in a two-legged game that ended in a 10–4 aggregate victory, including a 7–1 trashing in the second leg atCampo de Fútbol de Vallecas.[23] On 14 December 1946, the club decided to drop the military association from its name, and shortly after, on 6 January, it settled on its current name ofClub Atlético de Madrid. Also in 1947, Atlético beatReal Madrid 5–0 at theMetropolitano, their biggest win over their cross-town rivals to date.[24]
UnderHelenio Herrera and with the help ofLarbi Benbarek, Atlético won La Liga again in1950 and1951. With the departure of Herrera in 1953, the club began to slip behind Real Madrid andBarcelona and for the remainder of the 1950s were left to battle it out with Athletic Bilbao for the title of third team in Spain.
However, during the 1960s and 1970s, Atlético Madrid seriously challenged Barcelona for the position of second team. The1957–58 season sawFerdinand Daučík take charge of Atlético, where he led them to second place in La Liga. This resulted in Atlético qualifying for the1958–59 European Cup since the winners, Real Madrid, were the reigning European champions. Inspired by Brazilian centre-forwardVavá andEnrique Collar, Atlético reached the semi-finals after beatingDrumcondra,CSKA Sofia andSchalke 04.[25] In the semi-finals, they met Real Madrid, who won the first leg 2–1 at theSantiago Bernabéu while Atlético won 1–0 at theMetropolitano.[26] The tie went to a replay and Real won 2–1 in Zaragoza.[27]
Atlético, however, gained their revenge when, led by former Real coachJosé Villalonga, they defeated Real in two successive Copa del Rey finals in1960 and1961. In 1962, they won theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup, beatingFiorentina 3–0 after a replay.[28] This achievement was significant for the club, as the Cup Winners' Cup was the only major European trophy that Real Madrid never won. The following year, the club reached the1963 finals, but lost toEnglish sideTottenham Hotspur 5–1.[29] Enrique Collar, who continued to be an influential player during this era, was now joined by the likes of midfielderMiguel Jones and midfield playmakerAdelardo.[30]
Atlético's best years coincided with dominant Real Madrid teams. Between 1961 and 1980, Real Madrid dominated La Liga, winning the competition 14 times. During this era, only Atlético offered Real any serious challenge, winning La Liga titles in1966,1970,1973 and1977 and finishing runners-up in1961,1963 and1965. The club had further success winning the Copa del Rey on three occasions in1965,1972 and1976. In 1965, when they finished asLa Liga runners-up to Real after an intense battle for the titles, Atlético became the first team to beat Real at the Bernabéu in eight years.
In 1966, Atlético left theEstadio Metropolitano de Madrid (which was demolished and was replaced with university buildings and an office block belonging to the company ENUSA) and moved to a new home in theManzanares river waterfront, theVicente Calderón Stadium, which was inaugurated on 2 October 1966 with a fixture against Valencia.[31]Significant players from this era included the now-veteran Adelardo and regular goalscorersLuis Aragonés,Javier Irureta andJosé Eulogio Gárate, the latter winning thePichichi three times in 1969, 1970 and 1971. In the 1970s, Atlético also recruited severalArgentine players, signingRubén Ayala,Panadero Díaz andRamón "Cacho" Heredia as well as coachJuan Carlos Lorenzo. Lorenzo believed in discipline, caution and disrupting the opponents' game, and although controversial, his methods proved successful—after winning La Liga in1973, the club reached the1974 European Cup Final.[32] On the way to the Final, Atlético knocked outGalatasaray,Dinamo București,Red Star Belgrade andCeltic.[33] In the away leg of the semi-finals against Celtic, Atlético had Ayala, Díaz and substitute Quique all sent off during a hard-fought encounter in what was reported as one of the worst cases of cynical fouling the tournament has seen. Because of this approach, they managed a 0–0 draw, followed by a 2–0 victory in the return leg with goals from Gárate and Adelardo.[34] The finals atHeysel Stadium, however, was a loss for Atlético. Against aBayern Munich team that includedFranz Beckenbauer,Sepp Maier,Paul Breitner,Uli Hoeneß andGerd Müller, Atlético played above themselves. Despite missing Ayala, Díaz and Quique through suspension, they went ahead in extra-time with only seven minutes left. Aragonés scored with a superb, curling free-kick that looked like the winner, but in the last minute of the game, Bayern defenderGeorg Schwarzenbeck equalized with a stunning 25-yarder that left Atlético goalkeeperMiguel Reina motionless.[35] In a replay back at Heysel two days later, Bayern won convincingly 4–0, with two goals each from Hoeneß and Müller.[35]
Shortly after the defeat in the1974 European Cup Final, Atlético appointed their veteran player Luis Aragonés as coach. Aragonés subsequently was coach on four separate occasions, from 1974 to 1980, from 1982 to 1987, once again from 1991 until 1993 and finally from 2002 to 2003. His first success came quickly as Bayern Munich had refused to participate in theIntercontinental Cup because of fixture congestion,[36] and as European Cup runners-up, Atlético were invited instead. Their opponents wereIndependiente[36] of Argentina and, after losing the away leg 1–0, they won the return leg 2–0 with goals fromJavier Irureta andRubén Ayala.[37] Aragonés subsequently led the club to further successes in the Copa del Rey in1976 and La Liga in1977.
During his second spell in charge, Aragonés led the club to a runners-up finish inLa Liga and a winner's medal in theCopa del Rey, both in 1985. He received considerable help fromHugo Sánchez, who scored 19 league goals and won thePichichi. Sánchez also scored twice in the cup finals as Atlético beat Athletic Bilbao 2–1. Sánchez, however, only remained at the club for one season before his move across the city to Real Madrid. Despite the loss of Sánchez, Aragonés went on to lead the club to success in theSupercopa de España in1985 and then guided them to theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup final in1986. Atlético, however, lost their third successive European finals, this time 3–0 toDynamo Kyiv.[38][39]
Donato played in Atlético between 1988 and 1993.Radomir Antić managed Atlético in three stints during the ownership ofJesús Gil, winning a league and cup double in 1996.
In 1987, controversial politician and businessmanJesús Gil became club president, running the club (and committing a fraud of misappropriation by seizing 95% of the shares while failing to effectively pay a singlePeseta during the Atlético's forced conversion from fan-owned club toSociedad Anónima Deportiva in 1992)[40] until his resignation in May 2003.[41]
Atlético had not won La Liga for ten years and were desperate for league success. Right away, Gil spent heavily, bringing in a number of expensive signings, most notably Portuguese wingerPaulo Futre, who had just won theEuropean Cup withPorto.[42] All the spending, however, only brought in two consecutive Copa del Rey trophies in1991 and1992 as the league titles proved elusive. The closest Atlético came to the La Liga trophy was the1990–91 season when they finished runners-up by 10 points toJohan Cruyff'sBarcelona. In the process, Gil developed a ruthless reputation due to the manner in which he ran the club. In pursuit of league success, he hired and fired a number of high-profile head coaches, includingCésar Luis Menotti,Ron Atkinson,Javier Clemente,Tomislav Ivić,Francisco Maturana andAlfio Basile, as well as club legend Luis Aragonés. Gil also closed down Atlético's youth academy in 1992,[43] a move that would prove significant due to 15-year-old academy memberRaúl who, as a result, went across town to later achieve worldwide fame with rivals Real Madrid.[44] The move came as part of the overall Gil-initiated business restructuring of the club; Atlético became a Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, a corporate structure benefiting from a then-recently introduced special legal status under Spanish corporate law, allowing individuals to purchase and trade club shares.
In the1994–95 league campaign, Atlético only avoided relegation via a draw on the last day of the season. This prompted another managerial change along with a wholesale squad clearance during the summer 1995 transfer window. Somewhat unexpectedly, in the following 1995–96 season, newly arrived head coachRadomir Antić, with a squad including holdoversToni,Roberto Solozábal,Delfí Geli,Juan Vizcaíno,José Luis Caminero,Diego Simeone andKiko, as well as new acquisitionsMilinko Pantić,Lyuboslav Penev,Santi Denia andJosé Francisco Molina finally delivered the much sought-after league titles as Atlético won theLa Liga/Copa del Rey double.[8] The next season, 1996–97, saw the club take part in theUEFA Champions League for the first time. With expectations and ambitions raised, the most notable summer transfer signings were strikerJuan Esnáider from Real Madrid andRadek Bejbl, who was coming off a great showing forCzech Republic atEuro 1996. Playing on two fronts, Atlético fell out of the league title contention early while, in the Champions League, they were eliminated byAjax in extra-time in the quarter-finals. Before the 1997–98 season, the heavy spending continued with the signings ofChristian Vieri andJuninho. All of the success, however, produced little change in the overall Gil strategy, and although Antić survived three consecutive seasons in charge, he was replaced during the summer of 1998 withArrigo Sacchi, who himself only remained in the managerial hot seat for less than six months. Antić then returned briefly in early 1999 only to be replaced withClaudio Ranieri at the end of the season.
The1999–2000 season proved disastrous for Atlético. In December 1999, Gil and his board were suspended pending an investigation into the misuse of club funds, with government-appointed administrator José Manuel Rubí running Atlético's day-to-day operations. With the removal of club President Jesús Gil and his board, the players performed poorly and the club floundered. Ranieri handed in his resignation with the club sitting 17th out of 20 in the league table and heading towards relegation. Antić, returning for his third coaching stint, was unable to prevent the inevitable. Despite reaching theCopa del Rey final in 2000, Atlético were relegated for the second time in 66 years.[45] The club spent two seasons in the Segunda División, narrowly missing out on promotion in2000–01 season before winning the Segunda División championship in 2002. It was again Aragonés, in his fourth and last spell as manager of Atlético, who brought them back to the Primera División.[46]
Aragonés also coached the team during the next season, and gaveFernando Torres his La Liga debut.[47] Torres came through the academy of the club and was a hot prospect in Spain; in his first season in the league,2002–03, he scored 13 goals in 29 appearances.[48][49] In July 2003, soon after his takeover of the club,Chelsea ownerRoman Abramovich offered £28 million for Torres, which was rejected by Atlético.[50] In the2003–04 season, Torres continued his success as he scored 19 league goals in 35 appearances,[49] making him the joint third-highest scorer in the league.[51] Torres had been at Atlético since the age of 11 and his precocious talent led to him becoming the club's youngest ever captain at the age of just 19.[52][53]
Torres sale and eventual European success (2006–2011)
In July 2007, the Atlético board reached an agreement with theCity of Madrid to sell the land where their stadium was located and move the club to the City-ownedOlympic Stadium. The stadium changed hands in 2016 and was bought by the club for €30.4 million.[59] Madrid had applied to host the2016 Olympic Games, losing out toRio de Janeiro.[60] The2007–08 season proved to be the most successful season for the club in the past decade. The team reached the round of 32 in theUEFA Cup, where they were defeated byBolton Wanderers.[61] They also reached the quarter-finals round of theCopa del Rey, where they were beaten by eventual championsValencia. More significantly, the team finished theleague season in fourth place, qualifying for theUEFA Champions League for the first time since the1996–97 season.[62]
On 3 February 2009,Javier Aguirre was dismissed from his post as manager after a poor start to the season, going without a win in six games. He later claimed that this was not accurate, and that he had left by mutual termination rather than through sacking.[63] There was public outrage after his dismissal, many believing he was not the cause of Atlético's problems, namely player Diego Forlán. He backed his former manager and said that, "Dismissing Javier was the easy way out, but he was not the cause of our problems. The players are to blame because we have not been playing well and we have been committing a lot of errors." This led to the appointment ofAbel Resino as Atlético's new manager.[64] Atlético's success continued in the latter half of the season when they placed fourth once again in the league table, securing a position in the playoff round of the UEFA Champions League. Striker Diego Forlán was crowned with thePichichi and also won the European Golden Shoe after scoring 32 goals for Atlético that season.[65] Atlético saw this domestic success as an opportunity to reinforce their squad for the upcomingChampions League season. They replaced veteran goalkeeperLeo Franco withDavid de Gea from the youth ranks and signed promising youngsterSergio Asenjo fromReal Valladolid. Atlético also acquiredReal Betis defender and Spanish internationalJuanito on a free transfer.[66] Despite pressure from big clubs to sell star players Agüero and Forlán, Atlético remained committed to keeping their strong attacking base in the hopes for a successful new season.
The2009–10 season, however, began poorly with many defeats and goals conceded. On 21 October, Atletico were hammered 4–0 byEnglish clubChelsea in the Champions League group stage.[67] This defeat led Atletico's management to announce that manager Abel Resino had to leave.[68] After failing to sign Danish former footballerMichael Laudrup, Atlético Madrid announced that the new manager for the rest of the season would beQuique Sánchez Flores.[69][70] With the arrival of Sánchez Flores as coach in October 2009, Atlético improved in many of their competition. Atlético continued to lag somewhat in La Liga during the 2009–10 season, finishing in ninth position, but managed to finish third in their2009–10 UEFA Champions League group stage and subsequently entered theEuropa League in the round of 32. Atlético went on to win the Europa League, beating English teams Liverpool[71] in the semi-finals and eventuallyFulham[72] in thefinals held atHSH Nordbank Arena inHamburg on 12 May 2010.[73][74] Diego Forlán scored twice, the second being an extra-time winner in the 116th minute, as Atlético won 2–1.[75] It was the first time since the1961–62 European Cup Winners' Cup that Atlético had claimed a European titles. They also reached theCopa del Rey finals on 19 May 2010, where they facedSevilla, but lost 2–0 at theCamp Nou inBarcelona.[76] By winning the Europa League, they qualified for the2010 UEFA Super Cup againstInter Milan, winner of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. The match was played at theStade Louis II,Monaco on 27 August 2010. Atlético won 2–0 with goals from José Antonio Reyes and Agüero, making it the club's first win in theUEFA Super Cup.[77]
Atlético had a comparatively disappointing 2010–11 season, finishing only seventh in the League and being eliminated in the quarter-finals of theCopa del Rey and the group stage of theEuropa League. This ultimately led to the departure of manager Sánchez Flores before the conclusion of the season,[78] who was replaced with ex-Sevilla managerGregorio Manzano.[79]
Simeone revolution and revival of Atlético success (2011–present)
On 23 December 2011, Atlético appointed their former Argentine player,Diego Simeone, as manager in place of Manzano.[80][81][82][83] The club were in a period of uncertainty, having appointed five managers in less than three years and allowing young talents, namely Agüero and de Gea, to leave for thePremier League.[81] The team was sitting 10th in La Liga at the time of Simeone's appointment, after losing four of their last five games.[81] The appointment of Simeone was seen as a risk, who was relatively inexperienced and previously only had European managerial experience with Italian underdogsCatania.[81] However, he swiftly transformed Atlético into a formidable force. As a player, Simeone was known as a fierce, all-action midfielder; he brought the same relentless, win-at-all-costs mentality to Atlético as manager.[81] His focus was on building a strong defence, anchored by teenageChelsea loanee goalkeeperThibaut Courtois and Uruguayan centre-backDiego Godín. The results were immediate, as Simeone's first six games in charge featured six clean sheets. According to Spanish football writer Andy West, Atlético fans came to quickly to embrace Simeone, especially in light of his role as a pivotal player in their 1995-96 league and cup double.[81]
Simeone led Atlético to their secondEuropa League win in the three years since its creation; Atlético beatAthletic Bilbao 3–0 in the final on 9 May 2012 atNational Arena inBucharest with two goals fromRadamel Falcao and one fromDiego.[84][85] By winning the Europa League again, Atlético qualified for the2012 UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea, winners of theprevious season's Champions League. The game was played at the Stade Louis II, Monaco on 31 August 2012; Atlético won 4–1, including ahat-trick by Falcao in the first half. On 17 May 2013, Atlético beat Real Madrid 2–1 in theCopa del Rey final in a tense match where both teams finished with ten men. This ended a 14-year and 25-match winless streak in theMadrid derby. The2012–13 season saw the club finish with three trophies in a little over a year.[86][87] On 17 May 2014, a 1–1 draw at theCamp Nou againstBarcelona secured the La Liga title for Atlético, their first since 1996, and the first titles since2003–04 not won by Barcelona or Real Madrid.[88] One week later, Atlético faced city rivals Real Madrid in their firstChampions League final since 1974, and the first played between two sides from the same city. They took a first-half lead through Godín and led until the third minute of injury time, whenSergio Ramos headed in an equaliser from a corner; the match went to extra time, and Real ultimately won 4–1.[89]
Antoine Griezmann, who had a standout season in La Liga and featured at the2014 FIFA World Cup, joined Atlético fromReal Sociedad on 28 July 2014.[90][91] During his first stint with the club, Griezmann was Atlético's top scorer for five consecutive seasons.[91] He established himself as a world-class player at Atlético, also shining on the international stage as he finished as the top scorer atUEFA Euro 2016 and earned the tournament's best player award.[91] Thatsame year, he placed third in theBallon d'Or rankings, behindLionel Messi andCristiano Ronaldo.[91] Atlético reached a second Champions League final in three seasons in2015–16, again facing Real Madrid, and lost on penalties after a 1–1 draw.[92] The club played their last home game at theVicente Calderón Stadium on 21 May 2017,[93] thereby moving to a new home, the refurbishedWanda Metropolitano in eastern Madrid.[94] In 2018, they won their thirdEuropa League title in nine years by beatingMarseille 3–0 in thefinals at theStade de Lyon inLyon, courtesy of a brace from Griezmann and a goal from club captainGabi in what would be his last match for the club.[95] Atlético also won anotherUEFA Super Cup after beating Real Madrid 4–2 at the outset of the following season at theLilleküla Arena inTallinn.[96]
On 25 September 2020, Atlético signedLuis Suárez from Barcelona.[97][98] One of the world's best strikers, Suárez made a dramatic impact at the club, as he played a pivotal role in their unexpected La Liga title triumph, seven years after the 2013–14 win.[99] He scored 17 goals in his first 19 La Liga matches, helping Atlético establish a 10-point lead by January. Although the team wavered later in the season, Suárez's relentless competitive drive proved decisive, as he netted crucial goals in the final two games to secure the title.[98] The final game of the title-winning season was on 22 May 2021, a 2–1 win at theJosé Zorrilla Stadium againstValladolid.[99] On April 16, 2024, the team qualified to the2025 FIFA Club World Cup for first time in club's history, despite being eliminated in the2023–24 Champions League, as Barcelona were also eliminated, and Atlético were the higher ranked Spanish club in the UEFA four-year ranking.
Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid are clubs with contrasting identities and different fates. While Real Madrid'sSantiago Bernabéu proudly rises on thePaseo de la Castellana in thewealthyChamartín neighbourhood of northern Madrid, Atlético's former stadium, the less glamorousVicente Calderón, stood in the central-south of Madrid 1.8 km from the city center in theworking class barrio ofArganzuela. Historically, Real Madrid have long been seen as theestablishment club. On the other side, Atlético Madrid were always characterized by asentimiento de rebeldía, a sense of rebellion. They were associated with the military airforce (renamed Atlético Aviación), until the regime's preferences moved towards Real Madrid in the 1950s.[101]
Certainly, the dictatorial state sought to make political capital out of Real Madrid's European Cup trophies at a time when Spain was internationally isolated; "Real Madrid are the best embassy we ever had", said Franco's foreign minister Fernando Maria de Castiella.[102] Such perceptions have had an important impact on the city's footballing identities, tapping into thecollective consciousness. In this vein, Atlético fans were probably the originators, and are the most frequent singers, of the song, sung to the tune of the Real Madrid anthem,"Hala Madrid, hala Madrid, el equipo del gobierno, la vergüenza del país", "Go Madrid, go Madrid, the government's team, the country's shame."
Until recently, Atlético Madrid had struggled significantly in the derby, carrying a 14-year winless streak into the2012–13 season. This spell ended, however, on 17 May 2013 after Atlético beat their city rivals 2–1 at the Santiago Bernabéu in the2013 Copa del Rey finals, and continued on 29 September 2013 when they won a 1–0 victory, again at the Bernabéu.
Although less famous than the Derbi Madrileño, a historic rivalry exists between Atlético Madrid andBarcelona, which is also considered one of the "Classics" of Spanish football. Once lopsided in favor of the Catalan club, this rivalry has become competitive since the early 2010s, marked by events such as the 2016 Champions League knockout phase where Atletico Madrid upset Barcelona, the controversial departure ofFrench strikerAntoine Griezmann from the Madrid club to the Catalan club in 2019 (and his subsequent return in 2021 amid Barcelona's financial struggles), and the surprise move ofLuis Suárez to Atlético in 2020, a move which saw the Uruguyan star play a crucial role in the team's championship run. However, by tradition and current affairs, the greatest rivalry is that which exists with its "merengues" neighbors.[103][104]
Spanish teams are limited to three players without EU citizenship. The squad list includes only the principal nationality of each player; several non-European players on the squad have dual citizenship with an EU country. Also, players from theACP countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific that are signatories to theCotonou Agreement are not counted against non-EU quotas due to theKolpak ruling.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
In 1992, Spain’s new Sports Law forced all First and Second Division football clubs to convert intosports limited companies. Atlético Madrid, led by presidentJesús Gil since 1987, was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. On the final day to comply, the club scraped together enough capital to meet the requirements. Days later, Gil and then–vice presidentEnrique Cerezo quietly seized control of the club without paying a singlepeseta. The maneuver was fraudulent, but it would take seven years for the so‑calledCaso Atlético to reach court.[121][122]
In 1999, Gil, Cerezo, and then‑director general Miguel Ángel Gil were charged with fraud and embezzlement. The courts confirmed the crimes — but the statute of limitations had already expired. As a result, the shares remained in their hands, and the club’s ownership structure, born of a legal sleight of hand, was never undone.[123][124]
Since 2003, Cerezo has served as the club’s president,[125] whileMiguel Ángel Gil Marín — son of former president Jesús Gil — has held the role of chief executive officer.[126]
In 2015, the Chinese conglomerateWanda Group purchased a 17% stake in Atlético Madrid. In 2017, Quantum Pacific Group, owned by Israeli billionaireIdan Ofer, acquired a 15% stake in the club. The following year, Wanda Group sold its entire holding to Quantum Pacific Group, raising the latter's ownership to 32%.[127][5][6][7]
In November 2025, it was announced thatApollo Sports Capital, a United States-based investment firm, would acquire a controlling stake in the club, with the transaction expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2026. The agreement valued the club at approximately €2.2 billion.[129] Additionally, it was confirmed that CEO Miguel Ángel Gil and president Enrique Cerezo would retain their respective roles following the acquisition.[130]
In October 2018, Atletico De Madrid announced their first academy inPakistan which was based inLahore, which was the first European football academy in Pakistan. In April 2019, they launched "Football School Program" in Lahore. In October 2019, Atletico De Madrid conducted talents in Lahore.[133] In February 2020, Pakistan Football Federation announced the 2020–21 Football Federation League in which Atletico Madrid Lahore was included in Group C and was made a professional Pakistani football club. It made its debut against Hazara Coal and won by 2–0.[citation needed]
In the 2016–17 season, Atlético Madrid generated revenue of €272.5 million, making it the third-highest-grossing football club in Spain. The club ranked 13th worldwide in this category.[134] In the 2023–24 season, it ranked 12th in Europe with €409.5 million.[135]
Atlético's home kit is red and white vertical striped shirts, blue shorts, and blue and red socks. This combination has been used since 1910.
The club's badge which was firstly introduced in 1917 featuring theCoat of arms of Madrid, then incorporated into the club's jersey from 1947, was remodeled in 2016, yet a vote on 30 June 2023 revealed that 88.68% of club members wanted to reinstate the historical badge, which would be represented on 1 July 2024.[136][137]
Throughout their history the club has been known by a number of nicknames, includingLos Colchoneros ("The Mattress Makers"), due to their first team stripes being the same colours as traditionalmattresses. During the 1970s, they became known asLos Indios, which some attribute to the club's signing several South American players after the restrictions on signing foreign players were lifted. However, there are a number of alternative theories which claim they were named so because their stadium was "camped" on the river bank, or becauseLos Indios (The Indians) were the traditional enemy ofLos Blancos (The Whites), which is the nickname of the club'scity rivals, Real Madrid.[138]Felipe VI, the king of Spain, has been the honorary president of the club since 2003.[139]
The club plays home fixtures in theRiyadh Air Metropolitano, which was expanded from a 20,000 seat capacity (when it was known as La Peineta) to 68,000 after it was used forMadrid's failed bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympic. Following the renovation of the stadium, the refurbished venue hosted its first competitive match pitting Atlético againstMálaga, in whichAntoine Griezmann scored the club's first goal at the stadium.[140]
The club's training ground is theCiudad Deportiva Atlético de Madrid inMajadahonda, around 20 km west of Madrid. The facility maintains grass and artificial pitches as well as a gym. Both the senior and youth squads train at the club-owned facilities.[141]
Atlético began playing in blue and white, mirroring then-parent clubAthletic Bilbao, but both changed to red-and-white stripes by 1911 which became their traditional colours. The change took hold because red and white striped tops were the cheap to make, as the same combination was used to make bed mattresses, and the unused cloth was easily converted into football shirts. The kit has been made byNike since 2001, as the company wants to provide competition with rival brandAdidas, who have a long-term deal withReal Madrid.
The club's main shirt sponsorship by the government ofAzerbaijan between 2012 and 2014, featuring the slogan 'Land of Fire', was condemned byReporters Without Borders, who satirized it in a campaign visual in which the shirt's vertical stripes become prison bars with the logo "Azerbaijan, Land of Repression".[143] Atlético Madrid admitted its sponsorship deal had a political dimension, saying the intention was to "promote the image of Azerbaijan".[144] In August 2014, theHelsinki Foundation for Human Rights wrote to Atlético, calling on it to end the sponsorship by and promotion of Azerbaijan because of the country's human rights record, calling it "one of the most repressive countries in the world".[145]
In its 2003–04 season, the club was sponsored byColumbia Pictures, who would change the shirt sponsor's logo, and occasionally the shirt itself, as they did with the away shirt whenSpider-Man 2 was in cinemas.[146] This kit sponsorship deal featured 16 separate film titles – an unprecedented number, which has not since been replicated as of 2022.[147] Films included Columbia Picture's 2004 filmWhite Chicks, which received mixed commentary. Because shirts would have to be introduced and removed from shops at a very fast pace to keep up with film releases, Nike decided to not include a sponsor's logo on replica shirts made from 2003 to 2005.
Frente Atlético is an ultra group of Club Atlético de Madrid founded with that name in 1982. They had around 2,500 members in 2014, one of the largest ultra groups in Spanish football. That same year, Atlético Madrid expelled Frente Atlético and prohibited the display of its symbols in the stadium.[citation needed]
FA are friends with Ruch Chorzow, Roma, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Catanzaro and Sporting Gijón.[citation needed]
They also have a great rivalry with the ultras of Real Madrid, Sevilla, Espanyol, Valencia, Rayo Vallecano, Deportivo, Celta, Real Sociedad, Athletic, Osasuna, Alavés, Zaragoza, Malaga, Valladolid, Oviedo, Porto, Sporting Lisbon, Benfica, Lazio and Marseille. They also have bad relations and constant incidents with a former section of the group called Suburbios Firm.[citation needed]
Atlético Madrid became one of the most popular sports clubs in the world with a large international fanbase. As of 1 January 2025, Atlético ranked 16th place in the top 20 most popular sports clubs onInstagram in the world:[155]
Koke has worn the Atlético shirt in more than 700 matches since 2009, whileAntoine Griezmann has the club's record for most goals with 203.João Félix is the club's most expensive signing at €126 million, and at €120 million Antoine Griezmann is the club's biggest sale.
^Agiriano, Jon (6 January 2010)."Los Colores del Siglo" [The colours of the century].El Correo (in Spanish).Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved15 October 2018.
^"Athletic de Madrid 1910-11".Equipos de Fútbol (Football Teams) (in Spanish). 13 July 2016.Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved10 October 2018.
^"Manuel Garnica, the "Saint" who scored a goal with Athletic" [Manuel Garnica, el "Santo" que metió un gol con el Athletic].Memorias del Fútbol Vasco (Memories of Basque Football) (in Spanish). 30 March 2014.Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved10 October 2018.
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