Valencia CF Profile

Formed: 1919
Nickname: Blanquinegros (The White and Blacks)

UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets)
• European Champion Clubs’ Cup: (2000), (2001)
• UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup: 1980
• UEFA Cup: 2004
• UEFA Super Cup: 1980, 2004

Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets)
• League title: 6 (2004)
• Spanish Cup: 7 (2008)

History
• On 5 March 1919 a group of footballers gathered in a bar on Calle Barcelona with the aim of creating a football team to replace the long defunct Club Valencia. Valencia CF was born, initially calling a field in Algiros home.

• Regional success brought admission into the Copa del Rey in 1923, the year Valencia moved to Mestalla, and by the end of the 1920s Los Blanquinegros had won promotion to Spain’s second tier. By 1931 they were in the Liga, and though Real Madrid CF proved too strong in the 1934 Copa del Rey final, Valencia did not have to wait long for their time.

• Under charismatic club president Luis Casanova, the 1940s was a golden era for Valencia. Spearheaded by Epifanio ‘Epi’ Fernández and Edmundo Suárez, they returned to Mestalla – largely reconstructed following damage during the Spanish Civil War – with three Liga titles (1942, 1944, 1947) and two Spanish Cups (1941, 1949).

• The gold run dried up, but Alfredo Di Stéfano’s entrance in 1970 changed that as he guided Los Blanquinegros to a last-day Liga triumph in his first season. The arrival of another Argentina-born star, Mario Kempes, at the end of the decade brought more success as El Matador scored the winning goal in the 1979 Copa del Rey final. Twelve months later Kempes missed a penalty in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup showpiece though Valencia nevertheless prevailed against Arsenal FC. Yet by 1986 they were enduring their first season outside the top flight in 56 years.

• Following the 1999 Copa del Rey triumph, the new millennium brought fresh success. Rafael Benítez guided the side to two Liga successes (2002 and 2004) and, having lost successive UEFA Champions League finals (in 2000 to Real Madrid CF and in 2001 to FC Bayern München), a 2-0 victory against Olympique de Marseille secured the 2004 UEFA Cup. Valencia added their seventh Copa del Rey in 2008.

Club records
Most appearances: Fernando Gómez (552)
Most goals: Mundo (206)
Record victory: 8-0 twice, most recently at home against Real Sporting de Gijón (Liga, 29 November 1953)
Record defeat: Sevilla FC 10-3 Valencia (Liga, 13 October 1940)

 

From: http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2012/clubs/club=52268/profile/index.html

Real Madrid CF Profile

Formed: 1902
Nickname: Los Merengues (The Meringues)

UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets)
• European Champion Clubs’ Cup: 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002; (1962), (1964), (1981)
• UEFA Cup: 1985, 1986
• UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup: (1971), (1983)
• UEFA Super Cup: 2002; (1998), (2000)

Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets)
• League title: 31 (2008)
• Spanish Cup: 18 (2011)

History
• Following four consecutive Copa del Rey triumphs between 1905 and 1908, Madrid were given their royal title in 1920 and became one of the founding members of the Liga on its 1929 inception. A team including legendary goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora were champions in 1931/32 and 1932/33.

• With the Chamartin Stadium in ruins following the Spanish Civil War, board member Santiago Bernabéu led construction of the venue that now bears his name, opening in 1947. The club then pulled the masterstroke of signing Alfredo di Stéfano, and with Francisco Gento and Miguel Muñoz, Madrid set about dominating European football.

• Los Merengues won the first five instalments of the European Champion Clubs’ Cup, and completed the quintet in memorable fashion in 1960. Spearheaded by Di Stéfano and Hungary’s Ferénc Puskas, Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the Hampden Park final. Winger Gento went on to play in the European Cup victory of 1966, with new stars such as Amancio and Pirri.

• The next classic Madrid side came in the 1980s with the ‘Quinta del Buitre’, The Vulture Squad, led by Emilio Butragueño, winning successive league titles between 1986 and 1990. The dominance of Johan Cruyff’s FC Barcelona overshadowed Madrid in the early 1990s, but the emergence of Raúl González heralded a new beginning. Madrid won the 1997/98 UEFA Champions League, Predrag Mijatović scoring the only goal of the final against Juventus. A more convincing 3-0 victory against Valencia CF followed in the 1999/2000 showpiece.

• The likes of Ronaldo, Luís Figo and Zinédine Zidane led Madrid to a ninth European Cup in 2001/02, the latter scoring a memorable winner to see off Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-1 in Glasgow. The summer of 2009 brought a new influx of stars, including Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo – for a world record €94m – and although Barcelona reigned in Spain and Europe, Madrid did beat their rivals in the 2011 Spanish Cup final.

Club records
Most appearances: Raúl González (759)
Most goals: Raúl González (330)
Record victory: Madrid 9-0 B 1913 Odense (European Champion Clubs’ Cup, 25 October 1961)
Madrid 11-2 Elche CF (Liga, February 1960)
Record defeat: RCD Espanyol 8-1 Madrid (Liga, 5 March 1930)

 

From: http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2012/clubs/club=50051/profile/index.html

Villarreal FC Profile

Formed: 1923
Nickname: Submarino Amarillo (Yellow Submarine)

UEFA club competition honours
• None

Domestic honours
• None

History
• Just three months after their formation the club began renting what became known as El Madrigal, playing their first friendly at the stadium in October 1923. Villarreal have spent much of their history in Spain’s regional divisions; it was not until the 1990s that the small-town club set about an ambitious and impressive rise to the top.

• In 1990/91 Villarreal made the step up to the third tier, won promotion the following campaign and in 1997/98, under club president Fernando Roig, coach José Antonio Irulegui’s team finished fourth and entered into a play-off with SD Compostela for a place in the Spanish top flight. Having only managed a 0-0 draw at El Madrigal the odds were against Villarreal, but in the return Alberto Saavedra’s goal earned a 1-1 draw and the Submarino Amarillo prevailed.

• Villarreal were relegated after just one term in the Liga, but they bounced back immediately and this time cemented a place in Spain’s top flight. European success arrived with the 2003 UEFA Intertoto Cup triumph followed by a run to the UEFA Cup semi-finals the same season, losing out to local rivals Valencia CF 1-0 on aggregate.

• Further UEFA Intertoto Cup success in 2004 led to another tilt at the UEFA Cup and this time time to the quarter-finals. A third-placed Liga finish in 2004/05 – with Diego Forlán top scorer – took Villarreal into the UEFA Champions League, Everton FC being defeated in the third qualifying round to book a place in the group stage.

• Manuel Pellegrini’s men embarked on a run all the way to the tournament’s semi-finals, Arsenal FC eventually ending Villarreal’s party. In 2007/08 the club finished second in the Liga, their highest ever placing, and returned to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in 2008/09 where they again lost out to Arsenal.

Club records
Most appearances: Rodolfo Arruabarrena (284)
Most goals: Diego Forlán (59)
Record victory: 6-1 v NAC Breda (UEFA Europa League, 27 August 2009)
Record defeat: 0-6 v Valencia CF (Copa del Rey, 14 April 1993)

From: http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2012/clubs/club=70691/profile/index.html

Barcelona FC profile

Formed: 1899
Nicknames: Azulgrana (Blue and Reds, Spanish), Blaugrana (Blue and Reds, Catalan)

UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets)
• European Champion Clubs’ Cup: 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011; (1961), (1986), (1994)
• UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup: 1979, 1982, 1989, 1997; (1969), (1991)
• UEFA Super Cup: 1992, 1997, 2009; (1979), (1982), (1989), (2006)

Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets)
• League title: 21 (2011)
• Spanish Cup: 25 (2009)

History
• Swiss businessman Hans Gamper founded FC Barcelona after placing an advert in a local sports magazine following his arrival in the city. Several football enthusiasts responded to Gamper’s notice looking for players and the club held its first official meeting on 29 November 1899. Barça lost their first game 1-0 to a team of English expatriates.

• The 1950s brought a surge in popularity – not to mention Liga titles Nos5, 6 and 7 – thanks to the likes of Ladislau Kubala, Estanislao Basora and César Rodríguez. In September 1957 Barça moved to what is now known as the Camp Nou but it was the arrival of Johan Cruyff in 1973 that heralded a new beginning for the club. Along with star turns Carles Rexach, Juan Manuel Asensi and Hugo Sotil, Cruyff immediately won the Liga title.

• Johan Neeskens and Hans Krankl were influential as the team defeated Fortuna Düsseldorf 1895 4-3 in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final, Barça winning the trophy again three years later. Defeat by FC Steaua Bucureşti on penalties in the 1986 European Champion Clubs’ Cup final eventually brought a return of Cruyff, this time as coach, and the Dutchman built a side that would gain fame as the ‘Dream Team’.

• Barcelona won a third UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup title in 1989, consecutive Liga championships between 1991 and 1994, and, in 1992, Ronald Koeman’s extra-time strike secured European Cup final victory against UC Sampdoria. Sir Bobby Robson led Barça to a record-breaking fourth UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup win in 1997 though a lull followed until the arrival of club president Joan Laporta in 2003.

• Frank Rijkaard led the side to back-to-back Liga titles and goals from Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti earned UEFA Champions League glory over Arsenal FC in 2006. Better was yet to come, however, as Josep Guardiola guided Barcelona to an unprecedented six trophies in 2009, following that up with Liga successes in 2010 and 2011. A third European Cup in five years was won with victory against Manchester United FC at Wembley in 2011.

Club records
Most appearances: Xavi Hernández (577)*
Most goals: César Rodríguez (235)
Record league victory: Barcelona 10-1 CG Tarragona (11 September 1949)
Record league defeat: Athletic Club 12-1 Barcelona (8 February 1931)

From: http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2012/clubs/club=50080/profile/index.html