Castilla turns 48

Castilla, which is how our generation knew it (70s and 80s) was born as such on July 21, 1972. In fact and since 1947, Real Madrid had a subsidiary-associate called Plus Ultra, a club that wore a blue shirt, white pants and blue stockings. For 25 years it served as a nursery for young players for whites. They played their games at the Ciudad Lineal Velodrome, now disappeared. They went on to shine to the point of fighting for promotion to Primera in the 1959-60 season. The Plus Ultra left legendary figures of the club such as Miguel Muñoz (architect of the first European Cups and winner of the Fifth and Sixth as a coach), José María Zárraga, Enrique Mateos and Ramón Grosso. But after several ascents and descents they entered into serious economic problems and Santiago Bernabéu decided to take charge of their federative and sports rights and that is why on 21 July 1972 it was renamed Castilla Club de Fútbol. Today is the 48th anniversary of that subsidiary, which is also nicknamed 'The Factory'.

The Madrid affiliate started his first five years in the Third Division, but in 1977 he went up to Second Division and in the 1979-80 season he began his wonderful story. Hand in hand with the late Juanjo, he achieved the feat of getting into the final of the Copa del Rey, after eliminating in the last rounds First teams such as hercules (going back 4-1 in the first leg), Athletic Bilbao (winning 1-2 in San Mamés), Real Sociedad de Arconada, Zamora and López Ufarte (defeating them 2-0 at the Bernabéu) and Sporting de Quini and Ferrero (raising 2-0 from El Molinón). The final was against the older brothers, Madrid de Pirri, Camacho, Del Bosque, Stielike, Juanito and Santillana, and fell 6-1. But for history there is a milestone that no subsidiary equaled, being the only one capable of gambling the title in the final. In fact, in 1991 the Federation changed the statutes and left the subsidiary teams out of the competition forever.

Castilla in Europe

Castilla's second historical achievement is having played in European competitions. He played the first round of the defunct Recopa against English West Ham. At the Bernabéu he won 3-1 and only gave up on the lap after an extension. And the third historical conquest of Castilla that no other branch has ever achieved was to proclaim itself champion of the Second Division. It was in the 1983-84 season, in hard struggle until the last day with Bilbao Athletic trained by Iribar and in which Julio Salinas and Andrinua stood out. The Quinta del Buitre was already there, with Butragueño, Michel, Sanchis and Martín Vázquez at the head, filling the Bernabéu for the subsidiary matches something that the first team did not achieve.

Over the years the name of Castilla was changing for federal reasons. Real Madrid Deportivo (1990-91), Real Madrid B (1991-2005, from which Raúl, Guti and Casillas came out) and Real Madrid Castilla, current name from 2005 to date. Since May 2006, it has played its games at the Alfredo Di Stéfano stadium in Valdebebas, which has raised its level of emblem for Real Madrid after having also hosted Madrid's Zidane, which has won its six games in the Post-Pandemic League there, helping the whites to win the 34th League. In that stadium Castilla has had lustrous coaches Zidane himself, Lopetegui and now Raúl González, apart from seasoned and highly trained men of the house such as Toril, Ramis or Solari. And let's not forget that in recent years players like Parejo, Soldado, Negredo, De la Red, Granero, Borja Valero, Carvajal, Nacho, Morata, Jesé or Lucas Vázquez have been trained in Castilla. Today is all for birthdays. Almost 50 years of the Factory. An inexhaustible cradle of talent …