Frente Atlético

Lore & Background

The club was founded on 26 April 1903 as Athletic Club Sucursal de Madrid by three Basque students. Followers are nicknamed 'mattress makers', 'Indians', and 'redwhites'. The nickname 'mattress makers' comes from the club's traditional red and white striped shirts, which some believe were adopted because red and white striped tops were the cheapest to make, as the same combination was used to make ticking for mattresses. Another explanation involves the purchase of red and white shirts from Southampton (or possibly Sunderland) in 1909. The club's traditional kits consist of red and white vertical striped shirts and blue shorts.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights hummed against the night sky above the Calderón. In the lower stands, a sea of red scarves rose and fell in unison. A drumbeat cut through the humid Madrid air, steady as a heartbeat. Someone unfurled a banner, the fabric snapping taut in the wind. The chant began low, a rumble that grew into a roar. It was not about the scoreline on the board; it was about belonging. As the goalkeeper made a save, the section erupted, hands clapping rhythmically. In that moment, the identity of the club was not defined by trophies, but by the voices holding them together in the dark.

Reader's Guide

The club plays its home games at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, which has a capacity of 70,692. Atlético Madrid sustains a standing rivalry with Madrid neighbours Real Madrid, with whom they contest the Madrid derby.

Did You Know?

• Prince Felipe, later King Felipe VI, has been the honorary president of the club since 2003.
• Atlético Madrid won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1962, the UEFA Europa League in 2010, 2012 and 2018, and the UEFA Super Cup in 2010, 2012 and 2018.
• The club reached the UEFA Champions League final in 1974, 2014 and 2016.