First La Liga Title (1950)

Lore & Background

Founded on 26 April 1903 as Athletic Club Sucursal de Madrid, the entity merged with Club Aviación Nacional in 1939, becoming Atlético de Madrid in 1946. The club's traditional kits consist of red and white vertical striped shirts and blue shorts. Followers are nicknamed 'mattress makers', 'Indians' and 'redwhites'. Prince Felipe, later King Felipe VI, has been the honorary president of the club since 2003.

In Their Own Story

Inside the Metropolitano, the air hung heavy with dust and anticipation as the final whistle neared. It was more than a match; it was a referendum on Madrid football's soul. While the aristocratic club across town celebrated their usual dominance, here in the red-and-white fortress, the players dug deeper than ever before. A defender threw his body into a sliding tackle that drew gasps from the stands, clearing danger and igniting a roar of defiance. In the crowd, a father gripped his son's shoulder, whispering, 'Remember this day.' They knew they were witnessing history written by men who refused to bow.

Reader's Guide

Atlético are one of the most successful Spanish clubs, having won 11 La Liga titles, including a league and cup double in 1996. Further domestic trophies include 10 titles, two Supercopas de España, one and one Copa Eva Duarte. They have also won numerous titles in Europe, including 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, in addition to the 1974 Intercontinental Cup. In the UEFA Champions League, Atlético reached the final in 1974, 2014 and 2016.

Did You Know?

• The club's first La Liga title came in the 1939–40 season under manager Ricardo Zamora.
• Atlético's biggest win over Real Madrid is 5–0, achieved in 1947 at the Metropolitano.
• The club's red and white stripes may originate from Southampton or Sunderland kits purchased in England.

Origins and Early Identity

The club traces its roots to April 26, 1903, when three Basque students in Madrid established Athletic Club Sucursal de Madrid as a youth branch of their beloved Athletic Bilbao. Initially wearing blue and white halved shirts mirroring Bilbao's early colors, the team soon adopted red and white vertical stripes in 1911. This iconic kit change sparked enduring nicknames like 'Los Colchoneros' (mattress makers), allegedly because the fabric was cheap ticking cloth used for mattresses, or alternatively due to a purchasing trip where unavailable Blackburn Rovers kits were replaced by Southampton's red and white shirts. By 1921, the club severed ties with Bilbao, becoming independent and moving into the newly constructed Estadio Metropolitano de Madrid. Their early years were marked by regional dominance in the Campeonato del Centro and Copa del Rey runner-up finishes against their parent club.