Atlético Madrid

Club Atlético de Madrid, widely known as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded on April 26, 1903 by three Basque students as a youth branch of Athletic Club de Bilbao, the club originally bore the name Athletic Club de Madrid. It became fully independent in 1921. After the Spanish Civil War, the club merged with Aviación Nacional to avoid bankruptcy, becoming Atlético Aviación de Madrid in 1939, and adopted its current name in 1947. The club's traditional kit features red-and-white vertical striped shirts and blue shorts. The red-and-white stripes were adopted in 1911, inspired by Southampton, while the blue shorts honor the original blue-and-white kit influenced by Blackburn Rovers. Fans are known as colchoneros, a reference to the red-and-white striped mattresses common in Spain. The nickname Indios reflects the perception that Atlético fans were seen as rebellious and non-conformist compared to Real Madrid's establishment supporters.

Atletico plays its home matches at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, a modern stadium opened in 2017 with a capacity of 70,692. The previous home was the Estadio Vicente Calderón (1966–2017), and earlier grounds include the Campo de O'Donnell (1913–1923) and the original Metropolitano Stadium (1923–1966). The Metropolitano hosted the 2019 UEFA Champions League final and is scheduled to host the 2027 final, as well as potential matches for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The club competes in La Liga and is one of Spain's most successful clubs, having won 11 La Liga titles, 10 Copa del Rey trophies, and multiple European honors including three UEFA Europa League titles and three UEFA Super Cups.

Since December 2011, the head coach has been Diego Simeone, the club's longest-serving and most successful modern manager. Under his leadership, Atlético has won two La Liga titles, two Europa Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, and a Copa del Rey. Simeone, a former Atlético player, is known for his tactical discipline and fiery personality. The club's intense rivalry with Real Madrid, known as the Madrid derby, is rooted in social and financial contrasts, with Atlético traditionally representing the working class and underdog spirit. Fan culture is defined by fierce loyalty and an embrace of the club's underdog narrative. King Felipe VI has been honorary president since 2003. [edit]

Atletico Madrid was founded on April 26, 1903 by three Basque students living in Madrid as a youth branch of Athletic Club de Bilbao, initially named Athletic Club de Madrid. The club broke away from its parent club in 1921 and became fully independent. In 1939, after the Spanish Civil War, the club merged with Aviación Nacional to avoid bankruptcy, becoming Atlético Aviación de Madrid, and adopted the current name Club Atlético de Madrid in 1947. The club's traditional red-and-white striped kit was adopted in 1911, influenced by Southampton, while the blue shorts preserve the heritage of the original blue-and-white kit inspired by Blackburn Rovers. The first foreign player, Larbi Ben Barek from Morocco, was signed in 1948.

Atletico has won 11 La Liga titles: 1939–40, 1940–41, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1995–96 (a league and cup double), 2013–14, and 2020–21. The 2020–21 title was decided on goal difference over Real Madrid. Domestically, the club has also won 10 Copa del Rey titles (most recently 2012–13), two Supercopas de España, one Copa Presidente FEF, and one Copa Eva Duarte. In Europe, Atletico has won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1961–62), the UEFA Europa League three times (2009–10, 2011–12, 2017–18), and the UEFA Super Cup three times (2010, 2012, 2018). They also won the Intercontinental Cup in 1974. In the UEFA Champions League, the club reached the final in 1974, 2014, and 2016, losing each time. Following relegation in 2000, Atlético bounced back by winning the 2001–02 Segunda División title, their only second-tier championship, securing promotion with five matches remaining.

The club's most intense rivalry is with Real Madrid, known as the Madrid derby. The rivalry is deeply rooted in social and financial contrasts: Atletico traditionally represents the working class and underdog spirit, while Real Madrid is seen as the establishment club. Their first league meeting came on February 21, 1929. Under Diego Simeone, Atletico ended a long winless run against Real in 2013. Notable former coaches include Luis Aragonés, Helenio Herrera (who led back-to-back titles in 1950 and 1951), Radomir Antić (who led the 1995–96 double), and Gregorio Manzano. The club moved to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in 2017, modernizing the matchday experience. The Metropolitano generated approximately $130 million per season in revenue as of 2025, compared to only $48 million at the Vicente Calderón. [edit]