Founded in 1906 asClub Deportivo de la Sala Calvet by Federico Fernández-Amor Calvet, Deportivo have won theLa Liga title once, in the1999–2000 season, and finished as runner-up on five occasions.[5] The club have also won theSpanish Cup twice (1994–95 and2001–02), threeSpanish Super Cups (1995, 2000 and 2002), and the now defunctConcurso España (1912). TheBlue and Whites were a regular fixture in the top positions of La Liga for the best part of 20 years, from 1992 to 2010, finishing in the top half of the table in 16 out of 19 seasons, and are ranked 12th in the all-time La Liga table.[6] As a result, the club was a regular participant in European competitions, playing in theUEFA Champions League for five consecutive seasons between 2000–01 and 2004–05, reaching the quarter-finals twice and reaching the semi-finals in the2003–04 season.
Deportivo have played their home games at the 32,490-capacityRiazor since 1944,[7] when the stadium was built. Their traditional home kit consists of blue and white striped shirts with blue shorts and socks. The club has a long-standing rivalry withCelta Vigo, and matches between the two sides are known as theGalician derby.
Deportivo Sala Calvet in 1908Real Club Deportivo's first team in the 1912Concurso EspañaReal Club Deportivo de La Coruña in 1927
Unlike what happened in most of theIberian Peninsula, football did not reach the city ofA Coruña through the English, instead, it was introduced by José María Ábalo, a youngster who had returned to his hometown after studying in England. The game gained rapid popularity and several teams were formed on an informal basis.
In December 1906, members of Sala Calvet gymnasium formed Deportivo de La Coruña, naming Luis Cornide as the first president.[5] In May 1907,Alfonso XIII of Spain granted the club the"Real" ("royal") denomination. Dépor started playing at Corral de la Gaiteira ("Piper's Yard"), but soon moved toOld Riazor, a new ground near the Riazor beach.
The team playedfriendly matches regularly and competed in local leagues, but failed to achieve success in theCopa del Rey in its early years. However, in 1912 Deportivo won their first official title, the short-livedConcurso España.[8][9][10]
In 1920, theSpanish national team made its debut at theSummer Olympics inAntwerp. A good run for Spain increased the popularity of football, and as a result, many teams gained professional status, and a league competition was established and scheduled for the1928–29 season.
In 1928, Dépor failed to qualify for the first everPrimera División, instead competing in theSegunda División, where it finished eighth out of ten. The team kept battling over the next few years in a division that was soon to undergo many structural and geographical changes. In 1932, in the Cup, Dépor defeatedReal Madrid, which had gone unbeaten through the entire season in the league.
In 1936, theSpanish Civil War broke out, forcing the abandonment of all official competitions until the1939–40 season. That year,The Herculeans qualified for the promotion stage. The final game was against archrivalsCelta de Vigo, who were fighting to avoid relegation. Celta won 1–0 and remained in the top flight as Depor's hopes of promotion were denied. The following season, however, the club reached the promotion play-offs again, this time beatingMurcia 2–1 to earn promotion to La Liga for the first time in the team's history.
Thefirst season in the top flight saw the club finish fourth. However, the club declined in the next few seasons, finishing ninth, 12th and, in1944–45, 14th, resulting in relegation. Instant promotion was achieved the following year, but Dépor were relegated again at the end of the1946–47 season. Nonetheless, the team gained instant promotion in1947–48.
This decade saw Depor's entrance to the top flight, so the club decided to build a new ground,Riazor, which remains their home today. It was opened on 28 October 1944 with a league game againstValencia. In this era, the key player of the team wasJuan Acuña, the club's goalkeeper. "Xanetas", as he was known by locals, earned fourZamora Trophies between 1942 and 1951, making him the second-most decorated keeper in the Spanish league.
The club ended the1948–49 season in tenth place. The next season would see their first major achievement in the league; Dépor finished as runners-up, just one point behindAtlético Madrid under the management of ArgentinianAlejandro Scopelli, who brought to the club a group of South American players such as Julio Corcuera, Oswaldo García, Rafael Franco andDagoberto Moll, a group that made the team more competitive and able to remain top flight status for nine consecutive seasons until1957. During that period, managers likeHelenio Herrera and renowned players likePahiño andLuis Suárez played at the Riazor.
Amancio Amaro played for Deportivo between 1958 and 1962.
After nine seasons of first-tier football in Spain, the team was relegated to the Segunda División in 1957 and stayed there for five seasons until 1962, when they were promoted into the top flight. This started a yo-yo era that led the club to be known as the "elevator team"; promotions were achieved in 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968 and 1971, yet subsequent relegations occurred during 1963, 1965, 1967, 1970 and 1973.
Dépor had one of the best youth systems at the time in Spain, as youngsters includingAmancio Amaro,Severino Reija,José Luis Veloso andJaime Blanco began their careers at the Riazor, in the future to become regular fixtures on the Spanish national team. Still more, including Luis Suárez, went on to play for larger clubs in Spain and Europe. However, the difficult financial situation of the club led to the forced sales of these players, and the team could not consolidate themselves in the top flight. This "yo-yo era" ended with relegation from the Primera División in1973.
After being relegated in 1973, the team struggled in the Second Division, failing to avoid another relegation and falling to the third tier (Tercera División) for the first time in their history. However, Dépor gained instant promotion and established themselves in the second tier for the rest of the decade. In1980, Dépor were again relegated to the newly createdSegunda División B, the third tier, again for the second time in their history. Again, however, the drop was short-lived as the team gained promotion the following season. Notably, Dépor were relegated and promoted along with arch-rivals Celta de Vigo, who played during the 1980–81 season the most attended games ever in Spain's third tier.
The club continued to play in the Second Division, showing little chance of being promoted back to the top flight. In the1987–88 season, Dépor struggled and only avoided relegation after Vicente Celeiro scored a goal during added time againstRacing Santander in the last game of the season. This is often regarded as the end of the club's dark times and the beginning of a new era.
During this period, the club was heavily affected by financial difficulties and internal troubles with managers being sacked almost every year. In the summer of 1988, an open and popular club assembly chose a new board of directors headed by Augusto César Lendoiro. Deportivo had a debt estimated at 600 millionpesetas, had been out of the top flight for 15 years and lacked established structures at economic and sporting level.
Arsenio Iglesias, a former Deportivo player and manager, was again appointed as manager in the 1988–89 season. Dépor had a lengthy run in theCopa del Rey, though ultimately falling in the semi-finals toReal Valladolid. The next year, the team competed well in the league and qualified for the promotion play-offs, but expectations were denied again, this time byTenerife. The1990–91 season saw Dépor finishing as runners-up, finally achieving promotion to La Liga after an 18-year absence. Additionally, the club's finances began to improve and social support increased, especially amongst youth groups.
The1991–92 season, the team's first back in the top flight, saw Dépor struggle, and they were forced to take part in the relegation play-off, beatingReal Betis in a two-legged round. In 1992, Arsenio Iglesias began his fourth spell as Dépor manager; experienced players were also added to the team during that period, includingLópez Rekarte,Paco Liaño,Claudio Barragán,José Luis Ribera,Adolfo Aldana andDonato, along with promising youngsters such as local playerFran and BraziliansBebeto andMauro Silva.
The1992–93 Deportivo squad experienced a resurgent season, placing in top positions all season and ultimately finishing third after championsBarcelona and runners-up Real Madrid, respectively, thus qualifying for European competition for the first time in their history. That year, the club also provided La Liga'sPichichi Trophy winner, Bebeto, and its Zamora Trophy winner, Paco Liaño. Additionally, Dépor made a historic comeback against Real Madrid at Riazor, trailing 2–0 at half-time but winning the game 3–2 and starting a run of 18 seasons toLos Blancos without a win at A Coruña.
In1993–94, Dépor had another fantastic season, leading the table for the majority of the year and coming to the last matchday in first to face mid-table Valencia, knowing a win would ensure the first league title in club history. The game was very close, but near its end, Valencia's Serer conceded a penalty onNando. Regular penalty-taker Donato had been substituted, so Serbian defenderMiroslav Đukić took it, but Valencia keeper González caught the ball; Deportivo saw their possible league title denied. After the frustration passed, the fans nonetheless recognised the impressive season the club had: Paco Liaño earned his second Zamora Trophy after conceding just 18 goals in 38 games, and Dépor made its debut in European competitions with theUEFA Cup, beatingAalborg andAston Villa but losing toEintracht Frankfurt in the round of 16.
The1994–95 season began with manager Arsenio Iglesias stating he would leave the club after the end of the year, though Dépor made another great campaign finishing again as runners-up, this time to Real Madrid. In that season'sUEFA Cup, Deportivo were beaten again in the round of 16 by a German club, this time byBorussia Dortmund 3–2 on aggregate. Depor had won the first leg at home 1–0, and Dortmund equalized in the second leg to send the match into extra time. Now in extra time, Depor scored a second goal to put the match at 2–1, but with five minutes remaining, Dortmund scored two goals in two minutes to win the series. Despite this tough defeat, the season still hid a great surprise for the club, as Dépor made a fantastic run inCopa del Rey and reachedthe final for the first time in club history, against Valencia. On 24 June 1995, at theSantiago Bernabéu, the final was levelled at 1–1 when referee García-Aranda suspended the game in the 80th minute due to heavy rain and a hailstorm. It was decided that the game would resume three days later. Two minutes after the match resumed,Alfredo Santaelena scored a header, which proved to be the winning goal that handed Depor their first major title (notwithstanding the 1912Concurso España).
The1995–96 season was an average one for Depor; they finished ninth in the league table, but reached the semi-finals of theCup Winners' Cup, losing to eventual championsPSG. The1997–98 season was very disappointing; the team only finished twelfth in theleague table, failed to qualify for European competitions, were eliminated in the first round of theUEFA Cup by French clubAuxerre, and were eliminated by second-tier side Deportivo Alaves in theCopa del Rey.José Manuel Corral was replaced in the offseason byJavier Irureta. Under Irureta, the1998–99 season was better and Deportivo finished sixth in the league, qualifying for the following season's UEFA Cup first round.
1999–2006: La Liga title, "El Centenariazo", and European Glory days
In1999–2000, Deportivo, managed by Irureta and with players likeNoureddine Naybet,Djalminha,Fran,Roy Makaay andMauro Silva, finally won their first La Liga title, five points ahead of Barcelona and Valencia.[11][12] With this title, La Coruña became the second-smallest Spanish city with a population of approximately 250,000, behindSan Sebastián (home ofReal Sociedad), to have ever won La Liga.[citation needed] In the UEFA Cup, the club reached the quarter-finals, being eliminated by eventual finalistsArsenal.
As league champions, Deportivo qualified for theUEFA Champions League for the first time in its history. Their first match was a 1–1 draw againstPanathinaikos inAthens. They went on to top their group unbeaten with two wins and four draws. In the second group stage, they also topped their group, and Deportivo were now looking to be one of the strongest teams in the competition. However, in the quarter finals, they lost the first leg 3–0 to Leeds United, and although Depor won the second leg at Riazor 2–0, it was not enough and they were eliminated. Thefollowing campaign, they were unbeaten in the first group stage again, including two wins againstManchester United. They progressed out of the second group stage into the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by the team they beat twice in the group stage, Manchester United. On 8 September 2001, Deportivo played its 1,000th game in La Liga.[citation needed]
Chart of Deportivo league performance 1929–2023
In the2001–02 season, Depor finished league runner-up to Valencia and won theCopa del Rey for a second time with a 2–1 win against Real Madrid on 6 March 2002. This match is commonly known in Spain as theCentenariazo.[13] Deportivo's opponents were expected to win the final comfortably as they were nicknamed theGalácticos and were among the strongest teams in Europe at the time. Additionally, the final was being played at their home ground, the Santiago Bernabéu. Everything was prepared so that after the expected victory, Real Madrid could celebrate their 100th anniversary by lifting the trophy in front of their own fans.[13] However, Deportivo spoiled the party with a 2–1 win with goals fromSergio andDiego Tristán.[14]
Depor's best Champions League campaign was in the2003–04 season, where they lost to eventual winnersPorto by a narrow 1–0 aggregate scoreline in the semi-finals.[15] Although this was their best Champions League campaign, the club also had its biggest defeat in European competitions, losing 8–3 toMonaco in the group stage.[16] However, this campaign is also remembered for their stunning comeback againstMilan in the quarter-finals. Milan won the first leg 4–1 atSan Siro, but in the second leg at Riazor, Deportivo won 4–0 and eliminated the defending champions 5–4 on aggregate.[17][18]
Deportivo had a mediocre2004–05 season. The team finished eighth inLa Liga, only good enough to qualify for theIntertoto Cup. In the Champions League, the club had their worst campaign ever, finishing bottom of their group without winning a single match, and without scoring a single goal. This season ended the club's spell of five consecutive years playing Champions League football.
Deportivo played in UEFA Cup in the 2008–09 season.
In the2006–07 season, Deportivo finished 13th in the league, their worst finish since 1992, and Caparros resigned at the end of the season.[20] The2007–08 season was a slight improvement, with the club finishing in 9th under new managerMiguel Ángel Lotina, but were eliminated in the Copa del Rey by Espanyol at the first hurdle. Deportivo's2008–09 season was better, with the club beatingBnei Sakhnin in the2008 Intertoto Cup to progress to the UEFA Cup, where the club was eliminated 6–1 by Danish clubAaB in the round of 32. Deportivo's period in the top flight came to an end as they were relegated after finishing 18th in2010–11. In July 2015, however, it was suspected that in the final round of matches for that season,Levante andReal Zaragoza were involved in a match-fixing scandal which ensured that the latter won 2–1 at theEstadi Ciutat de València and remained in the division at the expense of Deportivo, who lost 2–0 at home to Valencia.[21] The case was in Courts until December 2020, when the match fixing was discarded by theProvincial Court.[21]
In the2011–12 season, Deportivo made an immediate return to the top flight, winning the title with a Segunda Division record of 91 points.Lassad Nouioui was the top scorer with 14 goals,Andrés Guardado the top assistant andÁlex Bergantiños the only player to participate in all league matches.
In the2012–13 season, Deportivo finished 19th after a turbulent campaign under three managers, and once again were relegated to the Segunda División. Deportivo, however, finished second in the2013–14 season, guaranteeing promotion to the top-flight for the second time in three years. A2014–15 campaign back in the top division with a disjointed squad featured some poor performances on the pitch under new managerVíctor Fernández, including an 8–2 defeat at home to Real Madrid.[22] This was especially disappointing considering the 18-match unbeaten home run between 1992–93 and 2010–11 at the Riazor against Real Madrid, a feat which no other team has managed to achieve in the history of Spanish football.[citation needed] Deportivo ultimately finished the season in 16th place and avoided relegation after appointing former playerVíctor Sánchez as manager on 9 April 2015, for the remaining eight matches of the season.
2015–present: "New Dépor" and relegation to third division
With Víctor Sánchez as their new manager, Deportivo made changes for thenew season. With the addition of new playersAlejandro Arribas,Fernando Navarro,Pedro Mosquera andFayçal Fajr, Deportivo began the season with a 0–0 draw against Real Sociedad. On 28 November 2015, with a 2–0 victory againstLas Palmas, Deportivo were in fifth place after an impressive start. However, after a disastrous second half of the season, which was precipitated by a 3–0 home defeat toMirandés in theCopa del Rey, Deportivo won only two matches out of the next 22, including an 8–0 humiliation at the hands of Barcelona, and only secured their safety in La Liga in the penultimate game of the season with a victory overVillarreal. Victor Sánchez was sacked on 29 May 2016 after several incidents of player unrest within the squad.[citation needed]
The team continued in a negative spiral in the following seasons. At the end of the2017–18 season, Deportivo was relegated following a 4–2 home defeat to Barcelona, which also secured Barcelona theLa Liga title.[23] The following season, the club played in Segunda División and finished sixth.[24] In the promotion play-offs, Deportivo lost toMallorca 3–2 on aggregate and remained in Segunda División.[25] In the following campaign Deportivo was relegated once again, falling down intoSegunda División B for the first time in 39 years.[26] In 2020–21, the league system in Spain was reorganized and Deportivo was almost relegated to the newly formed fourth division,Segunda Federación, escaping relegation by just one point.[27] Thus, they remained in the third division, in the newly formedPrimera División RFEF, for the 2021–22 season.
After spending four seasons in the third tier, Deportivo finally won promotion back to the second division and thus professional football by finishing in first place in Group 1 of the2023–24 Primera Federación. The deciding match againstBarcelona Atlètic in the 36th round was attended by 31,833 spectators, a new Primera Federación attendance record, as Deportivo won 1–0 thanks to a goal fromLucas Pérez.[28][29]
A sky blue diagonal strip on Deportivo crest is based on theGalician flag.
Deportivo's crest contains cues to predecessor Sala Calvet's crest, with a gentlemen's belt encircling the purple and white banner of the gymnasium. The banner itself features a sky blue diagonal strip which represents the maritime flag of A Coruña and theGalician flag. In addition, it features a crown which represents its royal patronage (granted in 1909 byAlfonso XIII). During theSpanish Republic, the honorificreal (royal) and the crown were removed from the club crest; this was to return under Francoist Spain.
Deportivo have always played in their famous blue and white stripes, but it was not until 1912 that the club made these colours official for matches. Deportivo continues to wear blue and white striped shirts with blue shorts and socks, yet their second and third kits change annually according to commercial interests. Their current shirt sponsors are local breweryHijos de Rivera, withKappa manufacturing the kits. In 2015, Deportivo andEstrella Galicia extended their sponsorship deal throughout the 2015–16 La Liga season with an option of a further year.[30]
Deportivo's supporters are known asdeportivistas. According to a 2007 survey by theCentro de Investigaciones Sociológicas, Deportivo was the ninth team in Spain in terms of number of fans, with a total of 2.2%.[31] Fans organise themselves into around 200 fan groups known aspeñas, with the most well-known being the "Riazor Blues". The interests of the supporters are represented by the Federación de Peñas RC Deportivo.
In the 2022–23 season, despite playing in the third tier, the club had 25,001 season ticket holders.[32] In March 2023, a match againstReal Madrid Castilla attracted a total of 26,745 fans, the fifth largest attendance of any football match played in Spain that weekend, bettered by only four teams from the top flight.[33] However, in the promotion play-offs, Deportivo fans broke the record again, reaching a total of 28,828 for the match againstCastellón.[34] That match was the fourth most attended match in Spain that weekend.[35]
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.
^Deportivo finished 4th in Group 1 (subgroup A) in the first phase, and then 2nd in the Primera División RFEF promotion Group 1 (subgroup D) in the second phase, determining which teams would go toPrimera División RFEF and which toSegunda División RFEF.
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña Femenino is the women's football section of Deportivo which plays inPrimera Federación, the second tier of Spanish women's football.
Real Club Deportivo Fabril is the reserve team of Deportivo de La Coruña. Founded in 1914 as Fabril Sociedad Deportiva, it plays inSegunda Federación, the fourth tier of Spanish football. Its stadium is called Cidade Deportiva de Abegondo, with a capacity of 1,000 seats.
In 1993, the team was officially renamed Deportivo B, although most locals still called it "Fabril". In 2017, it was renamed back to Real Club Deportivo Fabril.
^Jean Michel De Waelle, Suzan Gibril, Ekaterina Gloriozova, Ramon Spaaij (2018).The Palgrave International Handbook of Football and Politics. Cham, Switzerland:Palgrave Macmillan. p. 135.ISBN978-3-319-78777-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Real Federación Española de Fútbol."ACUERDOS ADOPTADOS, POR UNANIMIDAD, EN REUNIÓN DE LA JUNTA DIRECTIVA DE LA RFEF CELEBRADA EL DÍA 25 DE MARZO DE 2023" [AGREEMENTS ADOPTED, UNANIMOUSLY, AT A MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE RFEF HELD ON MARCH 25, 2023](PDF) (in Spanish).Archived(PDF) from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved18 May 2024.3.- Reconocer la oficialidad de la competición Concurso España y conceder la distinción de Campeón del año 1912 al Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña. [3.- Recognize the official status of the Concurso España and grant the distinction of Champion of the year 1912 to the Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña.]
^"Luis Rubiales entregará este viernes la Copa de la República de 1937 al Levante" [Luis Rubiales will present the 1937 Republic Cup to Levante this Friday].RFEF.es (in Spanish). 29 March 2023.Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved18 May 2024.La junta directiva de la RFEF, en la misma cita del pasado sábado, también reconoció la oficialidad de la competición Concurso España y le concedió al Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña el título de campeón del año de 1912. [The board of directors of the RFEF, at the same meeting last Saturday, also recognized the official status of the Concurso España and awarded the Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña the title of champion of the year of 1912.]
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