Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Real Betis Balompié, Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña, Real Club Deportivo Español, Real Zaragoza, Real Club Celta de Vigo – these are just some of the many sport clubs in Spain called ‘Real’.
But have you ever wondered what does it mean and why so many clubs have it as part of their name? Well, whether you are a sports guy or not, all loyal I’m A Useless Info Junkie readers should know the answer to this kind of useless informations.
So, here’s how it goes. (the article continues after the ad)
The term ‘Real’ means ‘Royal’ in Spanish and it’s an honorary title given to the clubs that received a royal patronage by appointing a reigning Spanish King as their “honorary President”. If a club wished to be approved by the monarch, they informed him about their decision and if he accepted, he allowed the club to add the term ‘Real’ in their names and also have the crown on top of their logo. That’s the reason why all these teams have a crown on their badge:
The biggest and most successful ‘Real’ club is of course, Real Madrid. The Madrid club was given this right in 1920 with this note from the Royal Palace:
When the club received the right, the name was changed from “Madrid Foot Ball Club” to “Real Madrid Foot Ball Club” and a crown was added to the badge:
The crown was removed during the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1939) as all monarchy symbols were banned throughout Spain. A new, purple band was added to the badge which symbolized Castle, the central region of Spain:
The crown was reinstated in 1941 but the club chose to keep the band. Here’s a timeline of Real Madrid’s badge:
And now you know!
If you like what you read, then you will definitely love this one: Why Was Cristiano Dos Santos Aveiro Named “Ronaldo”?
Photo: Wikimedia
Photoshop: I’m A Useless Info Junkie
Sources: EL TELEGRAMA QUE CONCEDIÓ AL MADRID EL TÍTULO DE REAL | What are the Spanish sports clubs that have “Real” as a part of their names?
