Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived.
Founded on 20 June 1928, the club plays in Segunda División, holding home games at Estadio Nuevo José Zorrilla, which seats 26,512 spectators. It currently ranks 13th on the All-Time La Liga table.
History
Early history
Founded from the amalgamation of Real Unión Deportiva de Valladolid and Club Deportivo Español (eventually Real Unión), Valladolid first reached the top level in the 1947–48 season, as champions of Segunda División. In the following year, the team pushed on from this success and reached the finals of the domestic cup in the Chamartín Stadium against Athletic Bilbao, eventually losing 4–1.
The next ten years were spent in the first division, but relegation was short-lived and Valladolid gained promotion in 1958–59 with a 5–0 win over Terrassa FC under manager José Luis Saso, a legendary figure in the history of the team. He had originally been a goalkeeper for the club, and subsequently went on to perform many roles, ending up as president of the team.
Valladolid vacillated between the first and second divisions in the subsequent years, descending as low as third in 1970–71. Promoted in1992–93, the team was again sent down after the 2003–04 season. In 1984, Valladolid also won the Spanish League Cup (a competition only played in the early 80s), over Atlético Madrid.
The side's highest position during this 11-year stint was seventh in 1996–97, being coached in the previous seasons by former Real Madrid Castilla's coach Rafael Benítez, as various players from there also would later appear for Valladolid.
officiel website: http://www.realvalladolid.es/
Aris Football Club (Greek: Π.Α.Ε. Άρης), also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Associationas well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in Superleague Greece, the top tier of the Greek professional football system. The colors of the team are yellow and black, reminiscent of Byzantium, and the club is named after Ares, the god of war, whose image is portrayed on the club logo as depicted in the Ludovisi Ares. Aris have beenchampions of Greece three times, and have won the Greek Cup once.
A golden era 1920–1950
The club was established by a group of 22 young friends in a coffee bar in Votsi area on 25 March 1914 and given the name Aris from the god of war. Its nickname was inspired by the two Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, when Greece fought against the Ottoman Empire before engaging in a war with Bulgaria. In Greek mythology, Aris was a deity who was in conflict with Hercules, the mythological character after which Aris's rival football team, Iraklis, was named. In the beginning the club was based on a ground near the Arch and Tomb of Galerius but after the accession of two minor football clubs in 1919 and 1921 the club's base was moved near to Flemming Street. The first stadium was built on the site where Mars Field Park currently lies on Stratou Avenue. Quickly the club became very popular and soon new teams apart from football were established.
During this early stage of football in Greece no professional league was established. Instead, three minor leagues (in Macedonia (E.P.S.M.),Athens (E.P.S.A.) and Piraeus (E.P.S.P.)) were created, with the champions of each league competing in a postseason mini tournament to claim the title of the national champion. The first official game was held in 1923 against an other Thessalonikian Club, Megas Alexandros(Alexander the Great). That year marked the first title, when Aris was named regional champion of Macedonia, something that was repeated next year. Up to 1959, when the united First Division was created, Aris managed to finish first 14 times in the Macedonian division.
Its first national title came in 1928 when Aris beat twice the Athens' league champion, Atromitos, and the Piraeus chapmpion, Ethnikos. On 24 May 1928, Aris bested Atromitos 3–1 in Athens, losing 2–3 to Ethnikos three days later, in June the second leg was held in Thessaloniki, were Aris won both his opponents by 3–1. This championship also marked the first appearance of the club's most important player, Kleanthis Vikelides, while manager during that first national success was the Austrian Kessler.
The second championship came four years later in 1932, only this time his opponents were Olympiakos, Panathinaikos, AEK, Ethnikos, PAOK and Iraklis. Aris managed to collect 22 points in this mini tournament, four more than the second, Panathinaikos, scoring large wins like 7–0 against Panathinaikos, 7–3 against Iraklis and 3–0 versus AEK and Olympiakos in Athens, also new star players emerged, Kitsios, Aggelakis, Mpogdanos, Gigopoulos, while Belgian manager De Valer guided effectively the club.[2]
Aris won their third title in 1946, playing against two teams, AEK from Athens and Olympiakos from Pireus, champions of the other two minor domestic leagues. Aris beat Olympiakos twice, scoring two goals and conceding none; came to a draw with AEK in Athens and defeated them in PAOK’s stadium in Thessaloniki (score 4–1). Aris has not won a championship since the establishment of the First Division (1959).
Modern times 1950–1981
Aris' status remained high during this period, which was marked by the construction of the club's homeground, the Kleanthis Vikelides Stadium, named after the legendary homonymous player. Before World War II, Aris' homeground was located in the center of the city, near the International Trade Fair, but was abandoned by the state in 1936 in order for the Paedion tou Areos park (Mars Field) to be built. The club managed to buy some land during 1951 in a quarter of the city named Harilaou, where the new Stadium was slowly built. Also in 1959, the tripartite minor league system was abandoned and a new, unified Championship was created.
The club's accomplishments during these years were significant. It was one of the first teams in Greece to qualify for European tournaments. Under the leadership of Alexandros Alexiades, Giorgos Pantziaras and Takis Loukanidis, Aris earned high placings in the League during the '60 and '70, with apex the 1970 Hellenic Cup Title against the club's fierce rival, PAOK, in Kaftanzoglio Stadium.
In the 1970s, Aris was reorganized and a vast number of young players from Thessaloniki, including Kouis, Foiros, Drambis, Zindros andStelios Papafloratos led the club. Its most important achievements during that period included a successful 1980 UEFA campaign when Aris eliminated Benfica and Perugia. Aris was also the first Greek club to score a victory in Italy. At home, the team shared first place with Olympiakos at the end of the 1980 campaign, though it lost the title 2–0 in a tie-breaker against the Piraeus club in Volos National Stadium.
Stone years 1981–2006
After the mid '80 and the retirement of the club's honored old guard, Aris entered in a slow decline, rarely reaching European league qualification or notable Greek League position, which—in combination with appreciable financial troubles that left the club near bankruptcy—led to the club's relegation to the Second Division in 1997 and 2005. Both times though Aris managed to resume its place in the first division.
ARIS Members Society era 2006–
In recent years, specially after the creation of a ARIS members Society that controls the club's fortunes, Aris has qualified several times for the UEFA Europa League, finished fourth in the Superleague three times, and has reached in the Greek Cup Final four times, losing in 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2010, when 25,000 Aris fans went to Athens in the biggest ever move of fans in Greece. In 2008 and 2010 Aris made it through to the UEFA Europa League group stage after eliminating Real Zaragoza and Austria Wien respectively during the Cup's play-off rounds. During the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League they managed to play for the first time in club's history in Europe after Christmas, after a very good appearance in the group stage were they won home and away and eliminated the title holders Atlético Madrid. Recent developments include the interest from the club's board to construct a new, modern stadium in eastern Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area to replace the obsolete Kleanthis Vikelides Stadium and the modernization and expansion of the club's training facilities in Neo Rysio, Thessaloniki. Also, in a unique move for Greek standards, the board decided in December 2009 to establish a radio station, Aris FM 92.8 [3] in order to promote the communication between Aris fans around the country and the coverage of the clubs activities.
Aris Friends' Club
In January 2006, the club's board decided to create an organisation called "Aris Friends' Club" to give supporters the opportunity to participate in the club's management by buying no par value shares. According to the plan, each member will have the right to vote in the board elections for president, as well as to run as a candidate. In order to be involved in the elections, fans must also financially support the club.
The system was fully activated in May 2009, when the current president, Thanassis Athanassiades, was elected after prevailing against his opponent, obtaining 75.5% of the votes,while it has gained large support from the club's supporters, counting over 9.335 members, in 2011. Athanassiades was reelected in May 2011, obtaining 73,9% of the votes
Crest and colours
The emblem of the team is a resting Ares (Greek: Άρης – Aris), the Olympian god of war, as depicted in the Ludovisi Ares. It was chosen in the late '70 to replace the older and simpler logo which was used since 1914. The colors of the team are yellow and black, in order to remind the connection with the Byzantine heritage of Thessaloniki.
Shirt and sponsors history
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt partner |
|---|---|---|
| 1989–91 | Asics | |
| 1991–93 | Diadora | |
| 1993–94 | Bronx Shoes | |
| 1994–95 | Ioniki Zois | |
| 1995–96 | Kappa | |
| 1996–97 | Umbro | |
| 1997–98 | Puma | |
| 1998–99 | Megacard | |
| 1999–02 | Interamerican | |
| 2002–03 | Lotto | MORITZ |
| 2003–04 | Le Coq Sportif | DEPA |
| 2004–05 | Adidas | Enimex |
| 2005–06 | OPAP | |
| 2006–07 | Lampsi | |
| 2007–08 | EKO | |
| 2008–10 | Reebok | |
| 2010–12 | Under Armour | OPAP |
Supporters
Aris' fanbase is spread across all the economic classes in the city and the greater region of Greece.[citation needed] Their rivalry is against clubs such as arch-rival PAOK, Iraklis and also other traditional rivalries which include the Athenian clubs Olympiacos Piraeus, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens.[citation needed] The most fanatic part of them usually holds the eastern part of the Kleanthis Vikelides Stadium. Against Panathinaikos 25,000 Aris fans descended to Athens to what has been described as the biggest football fans move in Greece ever.[7][8][9][10][11] Aris fans are loosely connected with the supporters of Germany's Borussia Dortmund with whom they share the same colours,also with Boca Juniors, with Beitar Jerusalem F.C. sharing the same colours as well,[12] and with F.C Barcelona whom Barcelona has sold a number of players to Aris including Toni Calvo and former player Javito.
Honours and achievements
Honours
Greek Football League
Panhellenic Championship / Alpha Ethniki / Super League Greece (national level 1)
- Beta Ethniki / Football League (national level 2)
Domestic cup competition
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Regional honours
- Macedonian Football Clubs Association Championship (local level 1 until 1959) [M]
- Winners (13): 1922–23, 1923–24, 1925–26, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1933–34, 1937–38, 1945–46, 1948–49, 1952–53, 1958–59
- Runners up (6): 1938–39, 1947–48, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1956–57
- Northern Greece Championship (regional level 1 in 1932–35, 1938–40) [M]
- Winners (2): 1932–33, 1934–35
- Runners up (2): 1933–34, 1938–39
- Football Cup of Greater Greece
- Winners (1): 1971 [23]
Aris F.C. in Europe
Aris FC have played in the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup on many occasions. The furthest the club has progressed is to the Third Round of the 1979–80 UEFA Cup where Aris beat the Portuguese side Benfica 4–3 on aggregate in the 1st Round, and Italian club Perugia 4–1 on aggregate in the 2nd Round, before being eliminated 4–7 on aggregate by French club Saint Etienne. Aris's most recent participation in Europe is in the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League. The club's biggest win in a European competition was 6–0 to Hibernians, while the heaviest defeat was 1–9 to Újpest, both in 1968–69.
Aris boasts a remarkable statistic in European football; the club has not lost a home game in European competitions in 42 years, having gone 26 home games undefeated. This record was notably maintained when Aris defeated Europa League champions Atletico Madrid on 16 September 2010, Aris' 23rd undefeated home game in Europe. The team then went on to tieBayer Leverkusen and Manchester City to keep the record intact once more.
Notable former players
Nikolaos Aggelakis
Gilbert Prilasnig
Sanel Jahić
Ole Skouboe
Magnus Källander
Richard Knopper
Camel Meriem
Ilija Ivić
Danilo Pereira
Rubén Palazuelos
Kristi Vangjeli
Maciej Murawski
Christos Marangos
Valentin Ignatov
Joël Epalle
Gilles Domoraud
Njogu Demba-Nyrén
Salaheddine Bassir
Emmanuel Ekwueme
Ismail Ba
Nasief Morris
Mehdi Nafti
Kennedy Nagoli
Carlos Arano
Marcio Amoroso
Sebastian Abreu
Carlos Flores
Carlos Ruiz
Freddy Adu
Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santander, in the autonomous community ofCantabria. Founded in 1913, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio El Sardinero, with a capacity for 22,400 spectators.
History
Racing de Santander played its first match on 23 February 1913, losing 1–2 to neighbouring Strong. It was officially founded on 14 June, as Santander Racing Club, appearing in its first tournament during that summer (Luis Redonet Trophy) and being admitted to the Northern Federation on 14 November, eventually merging with Santander Foot-ball Club.
In 1929, Racing first reached La Liga, lasting nine consecutive seasons in the category - finishing in second position in its third year - and fluctuating between the first and the second divisions (with four participations in the third) in the following 30 years. In 1949–50, the Cantabrians returned to the top flight after a 10-year absence, scoring 99 goals in only 30 games.
During the period of Francoist Spain, the club was renamed Real Santander in 1941, because of the prohibition of non-Spanish names. The name was restored in 1973 as the team returned to the first division one year after nearly relegating, under young manager José María Maguregui.
Racing de Santander was immediately relegated, going on to spend the following years again bouncing between divisions one and two, also being crowned champions in Segunda División B (the new third level, created in 1977) in 1991. Veteran Quique Setién returned to his main club the following year, helping it return to the top flight, and scoring in the 1994–95 seasonagainst FC Barcelona, in an historic 5–0 home win.
In the 2000's, Racing only played one season in the second division, winning promotion with Setién as manager. In 2007–08, under Marcelino García Toral, it finished in sixth position, thus qualifying to the UEFA Cup for the first time ever; additionally the club reached the semifinals of the Copa del Rey twice during this decade, being ousted by eventual runners-up Getafe CFand Atlético Madrid in 2008 and 2010, respectively.
On 22 January 2011, Indian business tycoon Ahsan Ali Syed, founder and chairman of Western Gulf Advisory, an investment company, purchased Racing de Santander, immediately firing coach Miguel Ángel Portugal.[1]
Seasons
Recent seasons
Season Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P Cup Notes 1997–98 1D 14 38 12 9 17 46 55 45 3rd round 1998–99 1D 15 38 10 12 16 41 53 42 Quarterfinals 1999–00 1D 15 38 10 16 12 52 50 46 2000–01 1D 19 38 10 9 19 48 62 39 Quarterfinals Relegated 1 season in Segunda División 2002–03 1D 16 38 13 5 20 54 64 44 1st round 2003–04 1D 17 38 11 10 17 48 63 43 3rd round 2004–05 1D 16 38 12 8 18 41 58 44 3rd round 2005–06 1D 17 38 9 13 16 36 49 40 3rd round 2006–07 1D 10 38 12 14 12 42 48 50 2nd round 2007–08 1D 6 38 17 9 12 42 41 60 Semifinals 2008–09 1D 12 38 12 10 16 49 48 46 Round of 16 2009–10 1D 16 38 9 12 17 42 59 39 Semifinals
Season to season
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Toulouse Football Club (French pronunciation: [tuluz]; commonly referred to as Toulouse or TFC) is a French association football club based in the city of Toulouse. The club was founded in 1970 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Toulouse plays its home matches at the Stadium Municipal located within the city. The first team is managed by former club player Alain Casanova and captained by the defender Daniel Congré. Toulouse is also locally known as le Téfécé(pronounced [lə tefeˈse]) and le Tef (pronounced [lə ˈtɛf]).
Toulous was founded under the name Union Sportive de Toulouse as a replacement of the former club of the same name, which folded in 1967 after merging with Red Star Paris. In its 40 years of existence, the club has achieved minimal honours only winning Ligue 2 twice in 1982 and 2003. Toulouse have participated in European competition four times. In 2008, the club, among celebratory fanfare, qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in its history and, in the following season, played in the inaugural edition of the UEFA Europa League.
Toulouse is presided over by French businessman Olivier Sadran. Sadran took over the club following its bankruptcy in 2001, which resulted in the club being moved to the Championnat National. Toulouse has served as a springboard club for several players in its existence most notably, Fabien Barthez, Cédric Carrasso, Achille Emana, Jérémy Mathieu, and André-Pierre Gignac. Barthez established himself at the club before moving to clubs such as Monaco and Manchester United where he won several club honours. In 1998, he played on the France national team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup serving as a starting goalkeeper.
History
The predecessor side to the club was founded in 1937 as Toulouse Football Club, but sold its players and its place in French Division 1 professional football to Red Star Paris in 1967.
The association was re-founded as Union Sportive Toulouse on 25 May 1970 and took on the juniors of Gascogne and ACE Mermoz-Bonnefoy in order to establish a solid player base. They began competition in Division 2 in the 1970–71 season, playing in red and white. In 1977 the club re-claimed the historical name of its predecessor and adopted new colours of purple and white. The team quickly improved and earned promotion to Division 1 in 1982, followed by qualification for participation in the UEFA Cup in 1984. Their best result to date came in the 1986–87 season with a third place finish and another turn in the UEFA Cup competition, including a well-remembered win on penalty kicks over Maradona's mighty Napoli.
A decline followed that saw the club relegated to play in D2 by 1994. Throughout the 90s they yo-yoed between D1 and D2 with the club in frequent financial difficulty. Their financial problems led to their being sent down in 2001 by the French federation and nearly losing their professional status. Exceeding all hopes Toulouse FC quickly returned to Ligue 1 play in the course of just two seasons. After some disappointing results in their first seasons back in Ligue 1, they managed to scrape a place in the preliminary round of the UEFA Champions League, finishing with a 3rd place.
Toulouse's route to the Champions League seemed to be fraught with obstacles, and at one point they were mathematically out of contention. However, in the stalemate with Nantes, they were awarded a win after the Breton crowd invaded the pitch in despair at les Canaris' poor display, which resulted in their renewed belief in the possibility of European football. In a good final day Téfécé beat Girondins de Bordeaux 3–1 (a hat-trickfrom Johan Elmander), which, when coupled with the losses of the other contenders and Lille's 93rd-minute equalizer against Rennes, saw Toulouse scrape through.
For the second match of the 2007–2008 season, Toulouse beat the Olympique Lyonnais 1–0 at the Stadium Municipal with a goal from Johan Elmander. After the victory against Olympique Lyonnais Toulouse struggled all season to avoid relegation. Their Ligue 1 was finally secured on the last day of the season with a 2–1 home win against Valenciennes.
The 2008–2009 season marked unexpected success for Toulouse. The club finished fourth in the Ligue 1 table with 64 points, and secured a spot in the new Europa League. After a difficult season the previous year in which the club struggled to avoid relegation, not much was expected of Toulouse. The 2008–2009 season also marked the emergence of strikerAndré-Pierre Gignac, who led all scorers in Ligue 1 with 24 goals and was awarded a call-up to the French national team.
