Celta de Vigo
The Sky Blues of Galicia
Real Club Celta de Vigo, commonly known as Celta Vigo or just Celta, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, that competes in La Liga. Nicknamed Os Celestes (The Sky Blues), the club was founded in August 1923 as Club Celta, following the merger of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna. The club's home stadium is Balaídos, which seats 24,870 spectators.
Quick Facts
- Character
- Historic Rivalry
- Affiliation
- La Liga (Primera División)
- First appears
- 1920s (Early La Liga era)
- Status
- Active but Intermittent due to league fluctuations
- Key theme
- Technical flair and shared underdog spirit
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.
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.
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