Real Club Celta de Vigo, or simply Celta Vigo, is a Spanish professional football club based
in Vigo, Galicia, currently playing in the Primera División. It was founded on 23 August
1923 following the merger of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna Foot-ball Club. Nicknamed
Os Celestes, they play in sky blue shirts and white shorts. The club's home stadium
is Balaídos, which seats 31,800 spectators. Celta Vigo have played many seasons in La
Liga, but have never won a league title or the Copa del Rey. One of their best seasons
was 1970–71, when they finished unbeaten at home and were known as the "giant-killers."
Celta came sixth that season and qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time. More
recently, the club finished in their best-ever position of fourth in 2002–03, qualifying
for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, where they were eliminated by Arsenal.
History Foundation
R.C. Celta de Vigo was formed as a result of the ambition of Vigo's teams to achieve
more at national level, where the Basque sides had been their bête noire in the Spanish
Championship. The idea was to merge both teams to create a more powerful team at national
level. The standard-bearer of this movement was Manuel de Castro "Handicap", a sports
writer for the Faro de Vigo who, from 1915, started to write in his articles about the
need for a unitarian movement. The slogan of his movement was "Todo por y para Vigo",
which eventually found support among the managers of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Club Fortuna
de Vigo. It was backed unanimously when De Castro himself presented the motion at the
assembly of the Royal Spanish Football Federation in Madrid, on 22 June 1923.
On 12 July 1923, at the AGMs of Vigo and Fortuna held at the Odeon Theatre and in the Hotel
Moderno, respectively, the merger was approved. Thus the "Team of Galicia" was born, as it
was dubbed. In the last AGM of Fortuna and Vigo to approve the formation of a new club
held on 10 August 1923, the members decided upon the team's name. Various names were suggested:
Real Unión de Vigo Club Galicia
Real Atlántic Breogán
Real Club Olimpico The last name was popular but they eventually
decided on Real Club Celta, an ethnic race linked to Galicia. The first president of
Celta was Manuel Bárcena de Andrés, the Count of Torre Cedeira. At this AGM, the squad
was also decided, which numbered 64 players in total, that included some notable players
from both Fortuna and Vigo: Goalkeepers: Isidro, Lilo and Rubido
Defenders: Otero, Pasarín, Juanito Clemente, Daniel y Kaíto
Midfielders: Jacobo Torres, Balbino, Queralt, Hermida, Pombo, Cruces, Córdoba, Máximo
y Bienvenido Forwards: Reigosa, Chiarroni, Posada, Polo,
Correa, Gerardito, Ramón González, Caride, Pinilla, Salvador, Chicha, Miguelito y Casal,
Park. Manager: Francis Cuggy
EuroCelta The late 1990s saw the best results in Celta's
history, in which they managed to consolidate themselves as a top-six league side, culminating
in 2001–02, when they did not fall below sixth the whole season. They were dubbed EuroCelta
by the Spanish press. In February 2001 the IFFHS declared Celta the best team of the
world during that period, as a consequence of the fantastic results. The most important
players during that period were Alexander Mostovoi, Valery Karpin and Haim Revivo. The
squad counted also with other international players such as the goalkeeper Pablo Cavallero,
the midfielders Claude Makélélé and Mazinho, the winger Gustavo López or the strikers
Catanha, Luboslav Penev and Benny McCarthy, among others.
Decline
Celta had a dramatic reversal of fortune in 2003–04. In the previous season, they finished
fourth in the league, putting them in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.
Celta entered the group phase after eliminating Slavia Praha, and eventually reached the last
16 before being knocked out by Arsenal. However, their domestic form was disastrous, and they
finished second to the last in La Liga, so they were relegated to the second level. Although
their squad was heavily dismantled, they earned a return to the top flight at the first attempt,
after finishing second in 2004–05's Segunda. In the 2005–06 season, they finished sixth
earning a return once more to the UEFA Cup. They made it to the last 16 in that competition
as well, before losing to Werder Bremen. In the 2006–07 season season, Celta finished
in 18th position and were relegated to the Segunda División. At the end of June 2007,
Celta avoided going into administration. However, if an agreement was not put in place between
the club and its creditors within three months, then courts would declare the liquidation
of the club's assets. Due to the huge debt, the club was forced
to sell many players and make tremendous cuts in the club's finances. Since then, they have
been relying mainly in the reserves team, combined with some inexpensive signings. During
the first three seasons in Segunda División the club struggled hard to avoid relegation,
amid fears of the club's disappearance. This was a period of high instability, with constant
changes of managers and players. In the 2010–11 season, the signings of the striker David
Rodríguez, the winger Enrique de Lucas and the manager Paco Herrera turned the situation
and the club finished sixth, performing a fantastic season and qualifying for the promotion.
Nevertheless, they were eliminated in the first knockout by Granada CF on the penalty
shootout, after an aggregate of 1–1 . Return to La Liga
On 3 June 2012, Celta Vigo returned to La Liga after 5 years in Segunda División.
Club identity Kit
Celta Vigo's original team strip consisted of a red shirt, black shorts and blue socks.
This was later changed at an unknown date to the traditional sky blue and white strip
– representative of the Galician flag. Celta Vigo have the longest-running sponsorship
deal in Spanish football; Going back to the 1985–86 season, Citroën, the biggest employer
in Vigo, and in Galicia, has been their official shirt sponsor. Their business deal with kit
supplier, Umbro, was also one of the longest-running ones – Umbro's regional headquarters are
based in nearby Redondela. Crest
Like many other Galician clubs, such as Compostela and Racing Ferrol, the club badge is based
on the red cross of Saint James. On top of the cross sits a sky blue shield with two
letter Cs. In 1923, Celta became one of several Spanish football clubs that were granted patronage
by the Spanish crown and thus entitled to use Real in their names and the royal crown
on their badge. This right was granted to Celta by Alfonso XIII and the club subsequently
became known as Real Club Celta de Vigo. During the Spanish Second Republic the title Real
was removed from the club's name and the royal crown was taken off the club crest, however
it was to return under the Spanish State. Seasons
49 seasons in La Liga 32 seasons in Segunda División
1 season in Segunda División B 1 season in Tercera División
European history UEFA Champions League:
UEFA Europa League: UEFA Intertoto Cup:
Current squad As of 19 August 2014
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may
hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may
hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Club records
Most league goals – 107, Hermidita Most Primera División league goals –
Most goals in a season – 69, Most league appearances – 235, Mostovoi
Current player with most league appearances –
Biggest win and biggest home win – 10–1 Biggest away win – 0–5
Biggest defeat and biggest away defeat – 10–0 Most Home points in a season –
Most Away points in a season – 18 Record transfer fee paid – €13.5 million,
Catanha from Málaga CF Record transfer fee received – €14 million,
Claude Makélélé to Real Madrid CF Top goalscorers
Hermidita 105 Mauro 69
Gudelj 68 Pahiño 61
Mostovoi 56 Roig 50
Atienza 49 Del Pino 48
Iago Aspas 46 Olmedo 46
Torres 39 Internationals playing at Celta
Club Officials Former managers
Presidents Celta Vigo B
Celta de Vigo B is Celta's youth team. It was founded in 1996 and plays in the Segunda
División B. Honours
National titles Segunda División
Winners: 1935–36, 1981–82, 1991–92 Runners-up: 1968–69, 1975–76, 2004–05,
2011–12 Copa del Rey
Runners-up: 1947–48, 1993–94, 2000–01 European titles
UEFA Intertoto Cup Winners: 2000
Regional titles Galician Championship
Winners: 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26, 1929–30, 1931–32, 1933–34
Asturian-Galician Championship Winners: 1934–35
Galician Cup Winners: 2007, 2008
Youth titles Champions' Cup
Runners-up: 2008–09, 2012–13 Friendly
Trofeo Ciudad de Vigo Winners: 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1984,
1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008,
2009, 2012 Runners-up: 1971, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1981,
1982, 1987, 1989, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007
Trofeo Memorial Quinocho Winners: 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Runners-up: 1997, 2010 Teresa Herrera Trophy
Winners: 1999 Trofeo Xacobeo
Winners: 1999 Trofeo Federación Gallega
Winners: 2014 Individual
Pichichi 1947–48 – Pahiño
Zamora 1992–93 – Santiago Cañizares
2002–03 – Pablo Cavallero 2005–06 – José Manuel Pinto
Notes 1.^ Carlos Mouriño is the plurality shareholder,
with 35%, and as such is the club president. References
Further reading González Villar, Celso. Albores do fútbol
Vigues. Cros, Jaime. El Celta y la Liga. Murcia: APANDA
de Artes Gráficas, S.A. ISBN 84-605-5851-7.
Cros, Jaime. Celta 74. Álvarez, Eugenio. A historia do Celta. Vigo.
p. 272. Ball, Phil. "Raining Champions". Morbo: The
Story of Spanish Football. Kings Lynn, England: WSC Books. pp. 165–181. ISBN 0-9540134-6-8.
External links
Official website Real Club Celta's channel on YouTube
Celta at La Liga Futbolme team profile
BDFutbol team profile Estadios de Espana
Soccerway team profile