Getafe CF

Full name

Getafe Club de Fútbol

Nickname(s)

Azulones (The Dark Blues), El Geta

Founded

1983

Ground

Coliseum Alfonso Pérez,
Getafe, Madrid,
Spain
(Capacity: 16,300)

Chairman

Ángel Torres Sánchez

Manager

Víctor Muñoz

League

La Liga

2007-08

La Liga, 14th




Home colours




Away colours

Getafe Club de Fútbol is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Getafe, a city in the metropolitan area of South Madrid, founded in 1946 and refounded in 1983. Their stadium is the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez. 2008 is the fifth season which the club has played in La Liga.

History

Earliest foundation

The first incarnation of Getafe Club de Fútbol existed since 1945, when five Getafe locals, Enrique Condes García, Aurelio Miranda Olavaria, Antonio Corredor Lozano, Manuel Serrano Vergara and Miguel Cubero Francés, decided to form a team from the area while meeting at the "La Marquesina" bar. Officially founded on 24 February 1946, the club was called Club Getafe Deportivo.^[1]

The earliest days of this club were played out of the Campo del Regimiento de Artillería, which did not have goals. Shortly after, the club moved to San Isidro, where the current Municipal Sports Center of San Isidro exists today. Here, Club Getafe gained promotion to the third division following a victory against CP Villarrobledo in the 1956/57 season. Getafe even came close to promotion into Segunda during 1957/58, before being defeated by C.D. Almería.^[2]

On September 2, 1970, the club finally inaugurated its own stadium as they gained promotion back into Tercera División. Presided over by chairman Francisco Vara, Las Margaritas was founded with a 3-1 victory over Michelín. The team survived in the third level that season, and six years later gained a historic promotion to second division.^[3]

New history in Segunda

Club Getafe Deportivo played six seasons in Segunda División, with little success. From 1976-1982, they never finished higher than tenth.

A highlight for the club came in 1978, when they were drawn against highly-fancied Barcelona in the Copa del Rey Round of 16. Playing at home in the first leg, Getafe drew with a star-studded Barcelona team 3-3, before travelling away for the Second Leg and being thrashed 8-0 at the Nou Camp.

At the conclusion of the 1981/82 season, following unpaid payments to players, Getafe was automatically relegated and subsequently liquidated.

Meanwhile, on September 1, 1976, a new club was founded in the National Sports Council and the Regional Federation of Castille. The club was Peña Madridista Getafe (the Real Madrid supporter's club of Getafe). This club played for four seasons in various divisions, until taking the name Club Deportivo Peña Getafe, and played under this name for a further two seasons. On July 10, 1982, they joined forces with the much older Club Getafe Promesas, and were registered again in the Regional Federation of Castille.^[4]

Present existence

Based on the merger the previous year, the present Getafe Club de Fútbol was officially founded on July 8, 1983, after passing through the general partners assembly.^[5]

Starting in the regional leagues in 1983/84, Getafe was promoted for four consecutive seasons until reaching Segunda División B. The club started a new period with its promotion into Segunda in 1994/95, staying only two years.^[6] Threatening absolute disappearance just a few years later in 1997, Getafe survived relegation into the fourth level Tercera División following a two-legged playoff victory over SD Huesca.

Meanwhile, Getafe's current stadium, the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, was inaugurated on the January 1, 1998.^[7]

Returning to the second division for 1999/00, Getafe lasted another two seasons. One year later, however, they would return, following an amazing promotion during 2001/02 during which one of their players, Sebastián "Sebas" Gómez, was murdered, and controversy regarding unpaid payments of players following a debt of 3 million euros.^[8]

Consolidating their position after one year, Getafe had a fantastic season in Segunda. At the top of the table for most of the year, the side travelled to the Canary Islands on the final matchday needing a win to assure a historic promotion to the first division. Amazingly, they defeated C.D. Tenerife 5-3 with five goals from Sergio Pachón,^[9] thus becoming the first Madrid suburban team into La Liga. With this promotion, Getafe had ascended the whole Spanish football pyramid, achieving this feat in only twenty years.

2004/05: First La Liga season

Hiring young coach Quique Sánchez Flores at the helm of the club, Getafe were widely tipped to be relegated straight back to Segunda. A poor start to the 2004/05 season had the side firmly at the bottom of the table, before home wins over Espanyol, Athletic Bilbao and Valencia turned around their fortunes dramatically. Things improved notably and Getafe began a climb up towards the middle of the table. Including a 2-1 home win against Real Madrid,^[10] followed three days later by their sole away win of the season over Athletic,^[11] Getafe finished a comfortable 13th, being the only previously promoted side to maintain its status, as both Levante UD and CD Numancia were relegated straight back down.

At the end of the season, what would become an annual rebuilding began, as several of Getafe's better performers moved on to bigger clubs, including coach Flores, Raúl Albiol, Nano and Gabi.^[12]

2005/06: Consolidation and progress

Getafe's next season in the top-flight proved even better. Getafe had a solid start to the season and actually held pole position in the league for a week.^[13] However, late October and early November saw a slump in from as they crashed from the heady heights of Champions League qualification spots to mid-table. But the slide went no further and Getafe finished the season in a very respectable 9th position with 54 points^[14] . Their consistency and competitive spirit impressed pundits and fans alike.

During the course of the season Getafe took several famous "scalps" with victories over quality teams like Valencia^[15] and Atlético Madrid.^[16] Their main offensive weapons included left back Mariano Pernía, who's 10 goals were often both outrageous and spectacular, Serbian striker Veljko Paunović, pairing up-front with the "unknown" Daniel Güiza. During the 2006 World Cup, Argentine-born Pernía became Getafe's first ever Spanish international,^[17] before moving to Atlético Madrid.^[18]

2006/07: Copa del Rey Final

In 2006/07 Getafe also finished ninth,^[19] producing memorable results which included another home win against Real Madrid^[20] and a draw with previous year's league champion FC Barcelona.^[21] The highlight of the season was their run towards the Copa del Rey final, which included aggregate victories over Xerez, Valencia and Osasuna. Having previously never made it as far as the quarter finals, Getafe faced FC Barcelona in the semi-finals, losing the first leg 5-2 at the Camp Nou^[22] before producing an amazing 4-0 rout in the second leg at the Coliseum on May 10.^[23] Qualfying for their first ever major final, Getafe went down 1-0 to Sevilla FC in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.^[24] However, the side would achieve UEFA Cup qualification through the 2007 Spanish Cup finalist spot, courtesy of Sevilla's Champions League berth.

In the league, Getafe finished with the joint best defense overall, conceding only 33 goals in 38 matches together with Barcelona (11 goals in 19 home contests). Newly signed goalkeeper "Pato" Abbondanzieri was awarded the Zamora Trophy, having recorded 12 clean sheets.

2007/08: ¡EuroGeta!

The following season, coach Bernd Schuster left after two seasons to become head coach at Real Madrid,^[25] and Getafe appointed former Real Madrid and Barcelona player Michael Laudrup as his replacement.^[26] The playing staff also changed, with 7 players leaving, including Alexis, Güiza and captain Vivar Dorado.^[27] The club would acquire, amongst others, Rubén de la Red and Esteban Granero from Real Madrid.^[28] Getafe started the season poorly, needing 7 games to record the first victory, but over the winter they steadied the ship and managed to accumulate more points on the board. This included two good wins, one at home to Barcelona (2-0)^[29] and a controversial 1-0 away success against Real Madrid^[30] which kept the team in midtable. More importantly, Laudrup's attacking philosophy was getting wide recognition, as they displayed excellent football along the way.

This was a historic season for Getafe as they entered Europe for the first time. In the UEFA Cup, the team managed to progress to the quarterfinals after finishing top of Group G, only losing once (to Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C.).^[31] Getafe recorded historic wins against European giants as Tottenham Hotspur,^[32] Anderlecht,^[33] AEK Athens^[34] and Benfica,^[35] setting up a tie against European giants, Bayern Munich, while also surviving as the last Spanish team in the competition. Getafe drew the first match 1-1 at the Allianz Arena,^[36] thanks to an injury time equaliser from Cosmin Contra. In the second leg, only 6 minutes had passed when Rubén de la Red was sent off, making a tough job even harder. Contra put Getafe ahead just before halftime, but in the 89th minute, Frenchman Franck Ribéry volleyed home the equaliser and sent the game into extra-time. Two quick goals, courtesy of Javier Casquero and substitute Braulio, gave Getafe a 3-1 lead, and Bayern struggled for much of the remainder of the match despite their numerical advantage. However, they were suddenly thrown a lifeline when Luca Toni stabbed home from keeper Abbondanzieri's dreadful blunder on 115 minutes. It did not end there, as with the last kick of the match, Toni headed the third goal, earning his side an away-goals victory and a place in the semi-finals, a cruel way for the Getafe UEFA Cup run to come to an end.^[37] Though heartbreaking, Eurogeta had gained the respect of the continent for their tremendous efforts.

Getafe also had an equally fruitful run in the Copa del Rey. They made relatively light work of reaching the final for a second year running, beating Burgos,^[38] Levante,^[39] Real Mallorca^[40] and then Racing Santander in the semi-finals,^[41] as Valencia, managed by Ronald Koeman, defeated Barcelona in the other contest.^[42] In the decider at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, Valencia scored two early goals, before Granero shortened the gap with a penalty kick just before half-time. Coming so quickly after a devastating loss to Bayern Munich, Getafe could rally no further and conceded the decisive third goal to Fernando Morientes, finishing runner-up for the second consecutive year.^[43]

Stadium

Main article: Coliseum Alfonso Pérez

Getafe play at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, located in Getafe. Its pitch dimensions are 105x70 metres. The stadium was inaugurated on January 1, 1998, named after the Spanish international (and of Real Madrid fame) Alfonso Pérez. Though he never played for or against Getafe, or even in the stadium, he is perhaps the most famous footballer to come out of the area and was at the height of his career during the mid-1990s.^[44]

Before playing in the Coliseum, Getafe played their home matches at the nearby Estadio de las Margaritas, part of the greater Sports City of Las Margaritas. The Coliseum was subsequently built as a natural extension to the much smaller facilities at Las Margaritas. Since its foundation, the stadium has had numerous renovations, and now seats 14,400 people and several thousand more standing. As such, the exact capacity of the is variable and ambiguous. Getafe generally fill the stadium for local matches against Real and Atlético Madrid, as well as against Barcelona, most famously in the 2006-07 Cup semifinal. For the first time in their history, Getafe pre-sold out the whole of the Coliseum before their Second Leg match against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup Quarter-final.^[45]

Getafe president Ángel Torres has expressed interest in upgrading the Coliseum to a much greater 20,000 seat arena, in conjunction with Madrid's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.^[46] The failure of this bid and poor crowd averages has put this redevelopment in doubt.

Getafe use the nearby Sports City when training. These facilities include several training pitches with both grass and artificial turf, full medical rooms and recuperation facilities.

Supporters

Commonly called Marea Azul, or Getafeños, Getafe supporters have steadily grown to their team. The team has 18 peñas (supporter clubs), and 12,000 socios (associates). Former Madrid player Francisco Pavón is a well-known Getafe associate, while Fernando Alonso and Rafael Nadal have attended matches at the Coliseum in the past.

Despite being a suburban team, Getafe supporters have grown far beyond the area and are now known to have fans in Australia, Sweden, Finland, Argentina, Scotland, Denmark, United States and Mexico. In 2007, a peña was founded in Venezuela to extend the worldwide club reach.

Getafe also created controversy in 2007 when their season ticket campaign included biblical references of Abraham, Moses and Jesus sacrificing themselves for the team. The club responded by withdrawing the first scene involving Abraham.

Upon important or famous victories, Getafe fans celebrate at the Cibelina statue in the town centre. Prior to the 2007 Cup final, Torres implored the fans to "tear down the Cibelina" upon victory, promising to pay for a new design. During that final, thousands of supporters rushed to get tickets and packed into the Santiago Bernabéu, yet were vastly outnumbered by Sevillistas. However, those who failed to get tickets - most of which went to season ticket holders for the 2007/08 campaign - were able to watch the match on a big screen in Getafe's central square.

Getafe has also a small group of Ultras supporters, called Comandos Azules. (Blue commandos).

Rivalries

Historically, due to their close geographical position, Getafe has always held a strong rivalry with CD Leganés. They played out numerous encounters in the lower division, before the two teams fortunes began to contrast as Getafe gained ascendency and Leganés began to deteriorate.

In the first division, the side has held some tremendous matches in the last few years with Real Madrid, with the ledger being most recently squared at 3 wins each. Real Madrid's greater stature, budget and squad has never stopped Getafe from often playing their best football against their "bigger brother". Getafe also has a smaller rivalry with Atlético Madrid.

In addition to this, Getafe has developed somewhat of a rivalry with Barcelona, which culminated in their famous 4-0 victory over their more fancied opponents during the 2006-07 Copa del Rey Semi Final. Also, Valencia CF has succumbed numerous times to el Geta, often quite heavily, as was the case during the 2006-07 Copa del Rey, which ensured Getafe's first ever appearance in the Copa's Quarter-Finals with a 2-4 win at the Mestalla. This result was turned around in the 2008 Copa del Rey final, however, as Valencia would deny Getafe their first ever trophy with a 3-1 victory. This rivalry is propped up healthily by the regular transfer of Getafe players (and coach Quique Sánchez Flores) to Valencia.

Achievements

Copa del Rey

Runners-up (2): 2006-2007, 2007-2008

Segunda División B - Group 1

Winners: 1998-1999

Zamora Trophy for Roberto Abbondanzieri in 2006-2007

1 Participation in UEFA Cup
5 seasons in First division
6 seasons in Second division
11 seasons in Second division B
1 seasons in Third division

Current squad

The numbers are established according to the official website: www.getafecf.com and www.lfp.es

As of September, 2008

No.	Position	Player
1	GK	Jacobo Sanz (on loan from Valladolid)
2	DF	Cosmin Contra
3	DF	"Cata" Díaz
4	DF	David Belenguer (captain)
5	DF	Mario
6	MF	Fabio Celestini
7	MF	Mario Cotelo
8	MF	Jaime Gavilán
9	FW	Roberto Soldado
10	MF	Juan Albín
11	MF	Francisco Sousa
12	DF	Lucas Licht
13	GK	"Pato" Abbondanzieri
14	FW	Manu del Moral

No.	Position	Player
15	DF	Rafa
16	MF	Joffre Guerrón
17	FW	Kepa
18	FW	Ikechukwu Uche
19	DF	Franck Signorino
20	MF	Eugen Polanski
21	DF	David Cortés
22	MF	Javier Casquero
23	MF	Adrián González
24	DF	İbrahim Kaş
25	MF	Esteban Granero
31	GK	Gonzalo Gutiérrez
-	GK	Oscar Ustari (not registered because of injury)

Reserve team

Out on loan

No.	Position	Player
15	MF	Nacho (to Málaga CF)
--	GK	Luis Garcia (to CD Tenerife)
--	DF	Manuel Tena (to Rayo Vallecano)
--	MF	Pablo Redondo (to Gimnàstic)

Staff & Board

Staff 2007/08

Manager: Victor Muñoz
Assistant Manager: Raul Longhi
Goalkeeper Coach: Juan Carlos Arévalo Aguilar
Trainer: Manuel Luís Lapuente
Physiotherapist: Álvaro García Zudaire
Physiotherapist: Carlos Enrique López Nuevo
Physiotherapist: Raúl Sánchez Infante
Medical: Ana de la Torre Combarros
Medical: Alberto Cerqueira Fernández
Medical: Christopher Oyola Palacios
Kitman: Javier Cabeza Valero (Peñi)
Kitman: Francisco Gutiérrez Pinilla
Kitman: Iván García Iniesto
Delegate: Jesús Mantilla Gutiérrez
Recuperator: Sergio Jiménez Rubio

Board 2007/08

President: Ángel Torres Sánchez
Vice President: Agustín Clemente Alonso
Board Members:
- Manuel Ruiz Morales
- Antonio Alonso Herrero
- Jesús Neira Salazar
- Jesús Martinez Velasco
- Julián Melero Díaz
General Director: Antonio Mendoza
Sporting Director: Antonio Muñoz
Marketing Director: Ainara Knörr
Chief of Press: Luz Monzón
Secretaries:
- Juan Leil Pérez
- María Paz García Novo

Recent History

Season		Pos.	Pl.	W	D	L	GS	GA	P	Cup	Notes
1983/1984	2R	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	62	Did not enter	Promoted
1984/1985	1R	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	59	Did not enter	Promoted
1985/1986	RP	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	56	Did not enter	Promoted
1986/1987	3	6	38	17	10	11	63	45	44	Did not enter	Promoted
1987/1988	2B	3	38	18	11	9	71	41	47	Fourth Round
1988/1989	2B	6	38	16	11	11	52	36	43	First Round
1989/1990	2B	2	38	18	15	5	54	30	51	Did not enter
1990/1991	2B	4	38	16	13	9	45	24	45	Fourth Round	Lost promotion playoffs
1991/1992	2B	6	38	17	11	10	56	35	45	Fifth Round
1992/1993	2B	4	38	15	17	6	42	28	47	Third Round	Lost promotion playoffs
1993/1994	2B	2	38	17	16	5	53	31	50	Fourth Round	Promoted through playoffs
1994/1995	2A	18	38	5	20	13	26	42	30	Third Round	Relegation reversed due to league expansion
1995/1996	2A	19	38	7	11	20	30	52	32	Second Round	Relegated
1996/1997	2B	16	38	12	9	17	44	54	45	First Round	Won relegation playoff
1997/1998	2B	7	38	17	6	15	45	40	57	Did not enter
1998/1999	2B	1	38	21	9	8	50	23	72	Did not enter	Promoted
1999/2000	2A	19	42	13	9	20	39	51	48	Second Round
2000/2001	2A	21	42	8	11	23	42	65	35	First Round	Relegated
2001/2002	2B	5	38	17	10	11	48	37	61	First Round	Promoted through playoffs
2002/2003	2A	11	42	13	14	15	52	55	53	Second Round
2003/2004	2A	2	42	20	16	6	55	38	76	First Round	Promoted
2004/2005	1A	13	38	12	11	15	38	46	47	Last 16
2005/2006	1A	9	38	15	9	14	54	49	54	Last 16
2006/2007	1A	9	38	14	10	14	39	33	52	Final	Qualified for 2007-08 UEFA Cup
2007/2008	1A	14	38	12	11	15	44	48	47	Final	UEFA Cup Quarter-Finals

2R=Segunda Regional
1R=Primera Regional
RP=Regional Preferente

Stadium information

Name - Coliseum Alfonso Pérez
City - Getafe
Capacity - 18,000
Inauguration - 1998
Pitch size - 105 x 68 m
Other Facilities: - Ciudad Deportiva

Kit information

Getafe wears their traditional blue strip. Small strips of white and red also tend to be incorporated in their kit. Generally, their away strip is red, however this has changed in recent years. Their shirt manufacturer is Joma.

Previous sponsors