A Castilla for history

The most Madrid Cup final of history turns 40 today. The June 4, 1980, the Santiago Bernabéu hosted the final match of the Spain Championship: the finalists were the Madrid and its rival, Castilla, its subsidiary, who performed a spectacular feat throughout the competition to reach the final. Not in vain eliminated four first: No one has ever repeated this feat. Also partly because the Spanish Federation banned the presence of the subsidiaries in the competition.

Castilla had been starring in a spectacular career: in two years it had happened from third to second after passing through Second B. It was the culmination of a team that had been created in 1972 as Madrid's second team. That new Castilla started in Tercera with one purpose: to be springboard of your players as well as the promises signed by his promising future.

That season, 1979-80, the white cubs began their journey in the Cup in Almendralejo. I know they measured Extremadura, which he beat in both matches. In the second tie, it was the Alcorcón who fell struck down (They won 1-4 in the rival field …).
That's where his feat began: his third rival was the Racing, a recently relegated team that in Madrid was thrashed with a forceful 3-0. And after eliminating the Cantabrians, the main courses began. to get started the hercules. In Alicante fell thrashed (4-1). The comeback seemed impossible, but a Gallego's goal in the last minute of the match he gave the extension. In it, Cidón resolved the pass: “The game was played at the Bernabéu because the president wanted. Had 40,000 people. Finished with 80,000 because they opened the doors at the break and everyone entered. There was morbid to see what was Castilla doing“Balín told AS a few years ago.

After the Alicante team, he Athletic fell into luck: they won in The Cathedral (1-2). They called them Giant slayer: “Winning at San Mamés 1-2 that was … No Athletic footballer greeted us, but the public applauded us a lot and forced us to leave, “recalls Castro, the then second captain.

The next to go was the Royal Society, a team that was forming the block that would win the League in 1981 and 1982. After falling in Atocha, the whites would win con goals by Paco and Bernal To access to the semifinals and a penalty missed by López Ufarte. But the brilliant match was the semifinal against Sporting. After falling in Gijón, they thrashed the rojiblancos with a spectacular 4-1 (after 60 minutes of play, the scoreboard already reflected a devastating 4-0).

And in the the older brother was waiting, who had had an easier route: Logroñés, Betis and Atlético (eliminated him in the penalty shootout). AND he had no mercy. Beat him 6-1. Most castillistas think they came out too soft. But they had a prize: almost everyone played in First teams. Some like Gallego and Agustín follow linked to the clubCastro is enrolled in the team of white Veterans, others face retirement. But no one forgets the feat of that final. “That, all the matches, was a brutal experience“summarizes the majority.

The great feat of Castilla resulted in his participation in the Recopa In the season 1980-81. They would defeat to West Ham English (English Cup champion) in the Bernabéu 3-1, but in London, in a closed-door meeting as a sanction for the incidents that led to their hooligans in the Madrid capital, the Londoners would eliminate the whites with a forceful 5-1. At that match, the fans hammers they would baptize him as the Ghost match ('The Ghost Party'). But in order to play that game, Castilla starred a feat that turns 40 …

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Real Madrid: García Remón; Known, Benito, Pirri, Camacho; Pirri, Stielike (García Hernández, 63 '), Del Bosque, Ángel; Juanito, Santillana and Cunningham (Roberto Martínez, 82 ').

Castile: Agustin; Juanito, Herrero, Castañeda, Casimir; Alvarez, Gallego, Bernal; Pineda,, Paco (Sánchez Lorenzo, 46 ​​'), and Cidón (Balín, 73')

Referee: Franco Martínez, Murcian school. Without admonitions.

Goals: 1-0. Juanito (20 '). 2-0 Santillana (43 '). 3-0 Known (59 '). 4-0 Del Bosque (62 '). 4-1 Álvarez (80 '). 5-1 García Hernández (83 '). 6-1 Juanito, from a penalty (89 ').

Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu. Full.