Celta de Vigo

Lore & Background

Celta have a long-standing rivalry with fellow Galician club Deportivo A Coruña, with whom they contest the Galician derby. Celta have never won the league title nor Copa del Rey, although they have reached the final three times in the latter. 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 in the round of 16. In the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, Celta reached the semi-finals for the first time, losing to Manchester United. In 2000, Celta were one of the co-winners of the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

In Their Own Story

The rain fell softly on the pitch at Benito Villamarín as the clock ticked past the ninetieth minute. The score was level, and the air smelled of wet grass and anticipation. A Betis midfielder, wearing the iconic green and white hoops, intercepted a pass near the halfway line. He looked up to see his Celta counterpart closing in, the blue and white stripes of the Galician jersey blurring slightly in the mist. With a simple one-two, he broke the defensive line, sending a cross that hung in the damp air like a promise kept, before the roar of the 'La Malasia' section erupted into a deafening chant.

Reader's Guide

Celta's home colours are sky blue and white. Originally, their home strip consisted of a red shirt, black shorts and blue socks. This was later changed at an unknown date to the current colours, representative of the Galician flag. Celta had the longest-running sponsorship deal in Spanish football with Citroën from 1985 to 2016. In 2016, the sponsor was changed to Estrella Galicia. Their kit supplier Umbro had a deal from 1986 to 2010.

Did You Know?

• Celta's name is derived from the Celtic peoples who once lived in Galicia.
• The club's first match was a friendly against Portuguese side Boavista, which Celta won 8–2.
• In 1947–48, Celta ranked fourth and reached the Copa del Generalísimo final, losing 4–1 to Sevilla FC.
• Celta were dubbed 'EuroCelta' in the late 1990s and early 2000s due to their European performance.