We are SPORTFIVE, a company that has been in the sports entertainment business for 55 years worldwide.Our name “FIVE” stands for five key players: brands, sports IP, media platforms, fans and our own team members.These five parts work together to achieve better results.
Today, we are going to talk about a special soccer club – Atletico de Madrid (Atletico).It was founded on April 26, 1903, and is exactly 121 years old this year.As the sole global business partner of Atletico Madrid, we at SPORTFIVE would like to extend our best wishes to them and hope that they will continue to create new splendor in the future.
What is Atletico Madrid?
Atletico Madrid is one of the most famous soccer teams in Spain and a major force in European soccer.Not only have they won the La Liga 11 times, they have also won the Copa del Rey 10 times.They have also won a lot of trophies in the international arena, such as 3 Europa League titles, 3 UEFA Super Cups, and an Intercontinental Cup, to name a few.
The most impressive thing about this team is their spirit.No matter what difficulties they encountered, they never gave up lightly.This attitude of not giving up has infected many fans and made Atletico a very special team.
How did Atletico develop step by step?
Origin: The dream of three students
The story of Atletico Madrid began at the beginning of the 20th century.At that time, there were three young men from the Basque Country living in Madrid who loved playing soccer and formed a team.Initially, they were the youth team of Athletic Bilbao, before slowly becoming independent.
Origin of the “Bilbao” team
In 1911, the team decided to change their blue and white jerseys to red and white stripes.At the time, red and white striped bedspreads were popular in Spanish homes, so the team was nicknamed the “Bedlam Legionnaires”.This unique design has been used to this day and has become one of Atletico’s symbols.
Independence and Development
In 1921, Atletico broke away from Athletic Bilbao to become an independent club, and in 1923, they were given their own stadium, the Metropolitano.
Rebirth after the war
After the Spanish Civil War, Atletico merged with the Air Force Parachute Sport to form a new team, Atletico Madrid Air Force Club.They won their first La Liga title in the 1939-40 season and defended it the following year.
Dropping the military colors and returning to the essence of soccer
In 1947, the team decided to remove its military background and officially changed its name to Atlético de Madrid, a name that is still used today.In the same year, they beat city rivals Real Madrid 5-0 at home in a very important game.
Moving to the European stage
By the 1950s, Atletico Madrid were no longer content with domestic competitions and were moving into Europe, winning their first ever European trophy in 1962 when they beat Italy’s Fiorentina 3-0 in the final of the European Cup of Excellence.
The Aragonés Era
In 1964, a striker named Aragonés joined Atletico.He played here for ten years, scoring 173 goals and is still the team’s all-time leading scorer.After retiring, he also served as Atletico’s manager four times, leading the team to win several important honors.
The Simeone era: a symbol of the iron spirit
Since 2011, Diego Simeone has been the manager of Atletico Madrid.Under his leadership, Atletico gradually developed their own distinctive style – tenacious, hard-working and indomitable.This “Iron-blooded Atletico” has challenged the dominance of Barcelona and Real Madrid time and again, and has also achieved good results in European competitions, becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world soccer world.
Change of Home Stadium: From Calderon to Metropolis
Calderon Stadium
Atletico’s earliest home stadium was called the Calderon, located in the southwestern part of Madrid, near the Manzanares River.It was a well-built stadium with a maximum capacity of more than 50,000 people and was one of the best soccer stadiums in the world.The stadium was officially named “Stadio Vincent Calderon” in 1971 in honor of the greatest president in the history of Atletico Madrid, Mr. Vincent Calderon.
Metropolitano Stadium: a new modern home
At the end of 2016, Atletico Madrid moved into their new home, the Wanda Metropolitano.The stadium, which has a capacity of almost 68,000 and hosted the 2019 UEFA Champions League final, was renamed again in July 2022, this time by Civitas, and is now known as the “Civitas Metropolitano”.
Coat of arms: a link between the city and the team
The ancient name of Madrid is “Ursalia”, which means “land of the bears”.Therefore, the Atletico Madrid crest features a bear in the top left corner, alongside the seven stars, which are taken from the Madrid city coat of arms.The strawberry tree on the crest symbolizes the city’s vitality.The blue area represents the five provinces surrounding Madrid, and the overall design reflects both geographical features and cultural connotations.
The shirt: a combination of tradition and modernity
Home shirt
The 2023-24 home jersey features four white stripes and three red stripes on the front, with red as the dominant color.The sides, shoulders and back of the jersey are red and have a Spanish flag printed on them.
The pants are blue with white lines accenting the sides.The socks are red with the slogan “From Madrid”.
Away jersey: 120th Anniversary
On April 26, 2023, the 120th anniversary of the founding of Atletico Madrid, the players wore a special away shirt for their match against Mallorca.The jersey is meant to commemorate more than a century of the team’s existence and is very significant.
Fourth jersey: for the younger generation
In February 2024, Atletico Madrid unveiled their fourth jersey of the season.This jersey was not just for the matches, but it also took into account the needs of the younger fans.They wanted to wear the shirt not only to watch the matches, but also to show their support for the team in their lives.
Star Player: Griezmann
You can’t talk about Atletico Madrid without mentioning one man – Antoine Griezmann.Born in France in 1991, he is a striker.He joined Atletico in 2014 and soon became the centerpiece of the team.He was named La Liga’s best player in the 2015-16 season and scored 133 goals in 257 appearances during his time at Atletico.
Although he briefly left the team, he returned to Atletico in 2021.In 2023, he proved his mettle once again by topping the La Liga scoring, assists and chances created lists.
SPORTFIVE’s partnership with Atletico Madrid
Since 2021, we at SPORTFIVE have been Atletico Madrid’s global business partner.We help them to develop strategies to expand their international market, especially to enhance their brand influence in China, North America and other regions.
We offer a full range of services to Atletico, including marketing, digital content production, fan interactive activities, product development and more.We hope that through localized content, more Chinese fans will know and love the “Bedlam Army”.
We also utilize multiple platforms such as Weibo, WeChat, Jittery, Facebook, Instagram, etc. to communicate with fans, increase Atletico’s visibility, and help sponsors realize greater commercial value.
As an example, in March 2024, we facilitated Fotocasa, a leading Spanish real estate website, to become Atletico’s official partner.Through such a partnership, Fotocasa can gain stronger brand exposure in the Spanish market, while Atletico will be able to obtain more resources to support them.
Summary
Atletico Madrid is more than just a soccer team; it is a veteran club with a 121-year history.It has struggles, perseverance, and glory in its story.Whether it is the performance on the pitch or the cultural heritage behind it, it has become a presence that cannot be ignored in the world soccer world.
In the future, we at SPORTFIVE will continue to accompany Atletico Madrid and help them go farther on the global stage, so that more people will recognize and fall in love with the passionate and fighting spirit of the “Bedlam Army”.
