RC Celta de Vigo
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Real Club Celta de Vigo (Script error: No such module "IPA".; Template:Literal translation), commonly known as Celta Vigo, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, that competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football. 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.
The club's name is derived from the Celts, a people who once lived in the region. Celta have a long-standing rivalry with fellow Galician club Deportivo La 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.
History
Foundation
RC Celta de Vigo was formed as a result of the ambition of Vigo's teams to achieve more at national level, where the Basque sides had been their bête noire in the Spanish Championship. The idea was to merge both Vigo-based teams, Real Vigo Sporting and Real Club Fortuna de Vigo, to create a more powerful team at national level. The standard-bearer of this movement was Manuel de Castro, known as "Handicap", a sports writer for the Faro de Vigo who, from 1915, began to write in his articles about the need for a unitarian movement.[1] The slogan of his movement was "Todo por y para Vigo" ("All by and for Vigo"),[1] which eventually found support among the managers of both clubs. It was backed unanimously when De Castro himself presented the motion at the assembly of the Royal Spanish Football Federation in Madrid on 22 June 1923.[1]
On 12 July 1923, the merger was approved at the annual general meetings of Vigo and Fortuna, held at the Cine Odeón and Hotel Moderno, respectively.[1] At the last general meeting of Fortuna and Vigo, which approved the formation of the new club and was held on 10 August, the members decided on the name and colours of the team.[1] Among the various names proposed were Club Galicia, Real Atlético FC, Real Club Olímpico, Breogán and Real Club Celta. The latter two names were the most liked and in the end they decided on Club Celta, an ethnic race linked to Galicia.[1] The first president of Celta was Manuel Bárcena de Andrés, the Count of Torre Cedeira.[1] This assembly also decided on the squad, which totaled 64 players and included some important players from Fortuna and Vigo, and was managed by Francis Cuggy.[1] Their first match was a friendly against Portuguese side Boavista, which Celta won 8–2.[1]
In January 1927, Celta won the 'Copa del Rey Alfonso XIII' trophy after defeating the English sailors team 4–1.[2]
In 1947–48, Celta ranked fourth, the club's joint highest ever finish, and reached the Copa del Generalísimo final, where they lost 4–1 to Sevilla FC.[3] Local striker Pahiño, who took the Pichichi Trophy for 21 goals in 22 games that season, subsequently moved to Real Madrid.[4]
EuroCelta and subsequent decline
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Celta were dubbed "EuroCelta" by the Spanish press as a result of their European performance. This included a 4–1 aggregate win against Liverpool in a run to the quarter-finals of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup.[5] In the next season's edition they again reached the last eight, with a 4–0 second leg win over Juventus and a 7–0 home win against Benfica (8–1 on aggregate).[6] Domestically, the team reached the 2001 Copa del Rey final, losing 3–1 to Real Zaragoza in Seville.[7]
Key players during the period included Alexander Mostovoi, Valery Karpin and Haim Revivo, though the squad also relied upon other international players as well, such as goalkeeper Pablo Cavallero; defender and future coach Eduardo Berizzo, midfielders Claude Makélélé and Mazinho; winger Gustavo López; and strikers Catanha and Lyuboslav Penev, amongst others.
In 2002–03, under manager Miguel Ángel Lotina, Celta ranked fourth, their highest finish since 1948, and qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League. They reached the round of 16, where they were eliminated by Arsenal 5–2 on aggregate.[8] Domestically that year, the team came 19th and suffered relegation to the Segunda División.[9] Although the squad was heavily dismantled following the demotion, Celta earned an immediate return to the top flight after finishing second in 2004–05.[10]
In 2006–07, Celta finished 18th and were once again relegated to the Segunda División. The team subsequently fought against relegation to the third tier, and the risk of bankruptcy.[11] This trend was bucked in the 2010–11 season, when new striker David Rodríguez, winger Enrique de Lucas and manager Paco Herrera helped them finish sixth. They were eliminated in the first knockout round by Granada after a penalty shoot-out, the game having finished 1–1 in 90 minutes.[12]
Return to La Liga and Europe
On 3 June 2012, Celta returned to La Liga after a five-year absence.[13] In their first season after returning to the top flight, they avoided relegation to the Segunda División on the final day after beating RCD Espanyol 1–0 to ensure a 17th-place finish.[14]
Under "EuroCelta" veteran Eduardo Berizzo in 2015–16, Celta finished sixth for their best result in a decade and earned a spot in the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League.[15] In their return to European competitions, Celta reached the semi-finals of the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, where they were eliminated by eventual champions Manchester United.[16]
Celta avoided relegation on the final day of the season in 2019 and 2020, with the goals of local forward Iago Aspas being crucial in both seasons.[17][18] In late 2023, shortly after the club's centenary, Carlos Mouriño resigned the presidency that he had held since 2006, ceding it to his daughter Marián as the first woman in the office.[19] In 2024–25, Celta finished seventh and qualified for the Europa League for the first time in nine years.[20]
Identity
Crest
Celta's original crest was rather simple, featuring a red shield with two stylised letter Cs (Club Celta) and the royal crown of Spain; in the year of its foundation, the club became one of a number of Spanish football clubs to be granted patronage by Alfonso XIII and thus the right to use the honorific real (Royal) in its name and the crown on its badge.[1] The following year the shield's colour was changed to the traditional sky blue colour. Like many other Galician clubs, such as Compostela and Racing Ferrol, the crest also features the red cross of Saint James which was added in 1928.[21][22][23] During the Spanish Second Republic (1931–1936), the honorific title and crown were removed from the club's name and crest; however, it was to return under the Spanish State.
Kit
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.[1]
1923–1924
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Current
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Celta had the longest-running sponsorship deal in Spanish football, and one of the longest-running in the world, with the French automobile manufacturer Citroën from 1985 to 2016.[24] The company established its plant within walking distance from Balaídos in 1958, and had first sponsored the club's women's basketball team in 1980. In 2016, the sponsor was changed to that of Galician brewery, Estrella Galicia, which had advertised on the back of the shirts since 2011.[25] Their business deal with kit supplier, Umbro, was also one of the longest-running ones, from 1986 to 2010.[26]
| Years | Kit manufacturer | Sponsor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Company | ||
| 1980–1982 | Meyba | None | |
| 1982–1986 | Adidas | ||
| 1986–2010 | Umbro | Citroën | Citroën Automóviles España, S.A. |
| 2010–2013 | Li-Ning | ||
| 2013–2016 | Adidas | ||
| 2016–2024 | Estrella Galicia 0,0 | Hijos de Rivera, S.A.U | |
| 2024–present | Hummel | ||
Players
First-team squad
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Reserve team
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Out on loan
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Records
Club
As of 24 May 2025[28]
- Most league goals: 197, Iago Aspas (2008–2013, 2015–present)[29]
- Most La Liga goals: 163, Iago Aspas (2012–2013, 2015–present)[29]
- Most goals in a season (top division): 69 (1998–99)
- Most league appearances: 462, Manolo (1966–1982)[30]
- Biggest win in top division: 10–1 (against Gimnàstic, 23 October 1949)
- Biggest away win in top division: 6–1, achieved on two occasions:
- Against Las Palmas, 6 October 1957
- Against Athletic Bilbao, 24 March 2002
- Biggest defeat in top division: 0–10 (against Athletic Bilbao, 11 January 1942)
- Most home points in a season (top division): 46 (1997–98)[31]
- Most away points in a season (top division): 27 (2015–16)[32]
Individual
As of 24 May 2025. All current players are in bold.[33]
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Internationals playing at Celta
The following past and present Celta players have been capped at full international level while playing for the club.[34]
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Management
Ownership
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Real Club Celta de Vigo, S.A.D. is a sociedad anónima deportiva, a public limited sports company, owned by the Spanish-Mexican businessman Carlos Mouriño, who has been the majority shareholder since May 2006 when he acquired Horacio Gómez's 39.84% shareholding in the club. He currently owns 67.9% of the club through the holding company Grupo Corporativo Ges, S.L.[35]
In October 2016, the club was the subject of a potential €100 million takeover by the Chinese CITS Group.[36]
Board of directors
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Marián Mouriño |
| Vice presidents | Ricardo Barros |
| Pedro Posada | |
| Board of directors | María José Táboas |
| Primitivo Ferro | |
| Carmen Avendaño | |
| José Fernando Rodilla | |
| Managing director | Antonio Chaves |
| Financial director | María José Herbón |
| 'Fundación Celta' director | Germán Arteta |
| Academy director | Carlos Hugo García |
| Business development director | Carlos Cao |
| Commercial director | Carlos Salvador |
| Marketing director | Maruxa Magdalena |
| Security director | Julio Vargas |
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Last updated: December 2023
Source: RC Celta
List of presidents
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List of head coaches
List of Celta de Vigo head coaches since 1923.[38][39]
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Honours
National titles
- Segunda División
- Segunda División B
- Winners: 1980–81
- Tercera División
- Winners: 1930–31
- Copa del Rey
European titles
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Winners: 2000
Regional titles
- Galician Championship[46]
- Winners (6): 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26, 1929–30, 1931–32, 1933–34
- Asturian-Galician Championship (Galician Group)
- Regional Government of Galicia Cup
- Copa Galicia
Friendly and unofficial tournaments
- Trofeo Cidade de Vigo[50]
- Winners (21): 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012
- Trofeo Memorial Quinocho[51]
- Winners (21): 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2022, 2023
- Trofeo Luis Otero[52]
- Winners (13): 1965, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1997, 2007, 2010, 2014
- Trofeo Emma Cuervo[53]
- Winners (9): 1954, 1961, 1968, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1997, 2010
- TIM Trophy
- Winners: 2016[54]
- Teresa Herrera Trophy
- Winners: 1999[55]
- Trofeo Xacobeo
- Winners: 1999[56]
- Trofeo Federación Galega
- Winners: 2014[57]
- Copa Comunidad Gallega
- Winners: 2016[58]
Seasons
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- 60 seasons in La Liga
- 32 seasons in Segunda División
- 1 season in Segunda División B
- 1 season in Tercera División
European competitions
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| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–72 | UEFA Cup | First round | Template:Flagicon Aberdeen | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 |
| 1998–99 | UEFA Cup | First round | Template:Flagicon Argeș Pitești | 7–0 | 1–0 | 8–0 |
| Second round | Template:Flagicon Aston Villa | 0–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | ||
| Third round | Template:Flagicon Liverpool | 3–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | ||
| Quarter-finals | Template:Flagicon Marseille | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | ||
| 1999–2000 | UEFA Cup | First round | Template:Flagicon Lausanne | 4–0 | 2–3 | 6–3 |
| Second round | Template:Flagicon Aris | 2–2 | 2–0 | 4–2 | ||
| Third round | Template:Flagicon Benfica | 7–0 | 1–1 | 8–1 | ||
| Fourth round | Template:Flagicon Juventus | 0–1 | 4–0 | 4–1 | ||
| Quarter-finals | Template:Flagicon Lens | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | ||
| 2000 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | Third round | Template:Flagicon Pelister | 3–0 | 2–1 | 5–1 |
| Semi–finals | Template:Flagicon Aston Villa | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | ||
| Finals | Template:Flagicon Zenit Saint Petersburg | 2–1 | 2–2 | 4–3 | ||
| 2000–01 | UEFA Cup | First round | Template:Flagicon Rijeka | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Second round | Template:Flagicon Red Star Belgrade | 0–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | ||
| Third round | Template:Flagicon Shakhtar Donetsk | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | ||
| Fourth round | Template:Flagicon VfB Stuttgart | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | ||
| Quarter-finals | Template:Flagicon Barcelona | 3–2 | 1–2 | 4–4 (a) | ||
| 2001–02 | UEFA Cup | First round | Template:Flagicon Sigma Olomouc | 4–0 | 3–4 | 7–4 |
| Second round | Template:Flagicon Slovan Liberec | 3–1 | 0–3 | 3–4 | ||
| 2002–03 | UEFA Cup | First round | Template:Flagicon Odense | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 |
| Second round | Template:Flagicon Viking | 3–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | ||
| Third round | Template:Flagicon Celtic | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 (a) | ||
| 2003–04 | UEFA Champions League | Third qualifying round | Template:Flagicon Slavia Prague | 3–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 |
| Group H | Template:Flagicon Ajax | 3–2 | 0–1 | 2nd | ||
| Template:Flagicon Club Brugge | 1–1 | 1–1 | ||||
| Template:Flagicon Milan | 0–0 | 2–1 | ||||
| Round of 16 | Template:Flagicon Arsenal | 2–3 | 0–2 | 2–5 | ||
| 2006–07 | UEFA Cup | First round | Template:Flagicon Standard Liège | 1–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 |
| Group H | Template:Flagicon Eintracht Frankfurt | 1–1 | — | 2nd | ||
| Template:Flagicon Newcastle United | — | 1–2 | ||||
| Template:Flagicon Fenerbahçe | 1–0 | — | ||||
| Template:Flagicon Palermo | — | 1–1 | ||||
| Round of 32 | Template:Flagicon Spartak Moscow | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | ||
| Round of 16 | Template:Flagicon Werder Bremen | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–3 | ||
| 2016–17 | UEFA Europa League | Group G | Template:Flagicon Ajax | 2–2 | 2–3 | 2nd |
| Template:Flagicon Standard Liège | 1–1 | 1–1 | ||||
| Template:Flagicon Panathinaikos | 2–0 | 2–0 | ||||
| Round of 32 | Template:Flagicon Shakhtar Donetsk | 0–1 | 2–0 Template:Aet | 2–1 | ||
| Round of 16 | Template:Flagicon Krasnodar | 2–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | ||
| Quarter-finals | Template:Flagicon Genk | 3–2 | 1–1 | 4–3 | ||
| Semi-finals | Template:Flagicon Manchester United | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | ||
| 2025–26 | UEFA Europa League | League phase | TBD | — | — | |
| TBD | — | — | ||||
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References
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Further reading
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External links
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- Celta de Vigo at La Liga Template:In lang
- Celta de Vigo at UEFA Template:In lang
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- Pages with script errors
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- RC Celta de Vigo
- La Liga clubs
- Football clubs in Galicia (Spain)
- Organisations based in Spain with royal patronage
- Association football clubs established in 1923
- 1923 establishments in Spain
- Segunda División clubs
- UEFA Intertoto Cup winning clubs