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Atletico de Madrid)
Club Atlético de Madrid is a Spanish football team from Madrid. Founded on April 26 1903, they currently play in the Primera División.
They play in red and white striped shirts and dark blue shorts. They are sometimes nicknamed Los Colchoneros, (Spanish for "mattress makers") because mattresses were wrapped in a cloth with red and white stripes. The home stadium is the Vicente Calderón, which seats 57,000 spectators.
Originally formed as an affiliate club of Athletic Bilbao in 1903, and playing in blue and white. By 1911 the team was playing in its current colours in the Spanish league. In 1921 they became independent of Bilbao and, by 1923, the club built its first stadium, the Metropolitano. By the 1939-40 season, the team had changed its name to Atlético Aviación and had won their first league title after spending some years playing in the Segunda División.
The Vicente Calderón stadium was inaugurated in 1966, named after the then-president of the club. This was an era of great success, just after winning its first European trophy, and with the great pichichi (top scorer) Gárate signing. The sixties and seventies were probably the two best decades in the club's history.
In the 1999-00 season the club was relegated again to the Segunda División where it play for two seasons until the team was promoted back to the Primera División.
Club Atlético de Madrid is the third team in Spain, behind archrivals and neighbours Real Madrid Club de Fútbol and Fútbol Club Barcelona, for the number of league titles won, the number of season-ticket holders, and the amount of income generated from Pay Per View. Although, the only three teams that have played always in the 'Primera División' are the two mentioned above and Athletic Club de Bilbao.
Honours
- Trofeo Ramón de Carranza. Winners 8 times. In 1968, 1976-78, 1991, 1995, 1997 & 2003.
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Primera División champions 1939-40, 1940-41, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1965-66, 1969-70, 1972-73, 1976-77, and 1995-96.
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Copa del Rey winners 1960, 1961, 1965, 1972, 1976, 1985, 1991, 1992, and 1996.
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Cup Winners' Cup winners (against Fiorentina) 1961-62.
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Intercontinental Cup winners 1974-75.
Famous Players
