Getafe CF

Getafe
Full name Getafe Club de Fútbol S.A.D.
Nickname(s) Azulones (The Deep Blues), El Geta
Founded 24 February 1946; 69 years ago
8 July 1983; 31 years ago
Ground Coliseum Alfonso Pérez,
Getafe, Community of Madrid,
Spain
Capacity 17,700
Owner Ángel Torres Sánchez
Chairman Ángel Torres Sánchez
Manager Pablo Franco
League La Liga
2013-14 La Liga, 13th
Website Club home page

Getafe Club de Fútbol (Spanish pronunciation: [xeˈtafe ˈkluβ ðe ˈfuðβol]), or simply Getafe CF, is a Spanish professional football club who play in La Liga. The club is based in Getafe, a city in the Madrid metropolitan area. Getafe was founded in 1946 and refounded in 1983.

Getafe has been in the top level since 2004–05. The clubs home stadium is Coliseum Alfonso Pérez which was founded in 1998 and can hold 17,393 spectators.

The clubs main rivalries are against CD Leganés who play in close proximity to Getafe and also a friendly rivalry against Real Madrid and Atletico de Madrid.

History

Beginnings

In 1924 was founded the Getafe Foot-ball Club, only plays in lower divisions since 1928 to 1932. After the Spanish Civil War, in 1945, when five Getafe locals, Enrique Condes García, Aurelio Miranda Olavaria, Antonio Corridor Lozano, Manuel Serrano Vergara and Miguel Cubero Francés, decided to form a team of the area while meeting at the "La Marquesina" bar. Officially founded on February 24, 1946, the club was named Club Getafe Deportivo.[1]

The club originally played in Campo del Regimiento de Artillería, which lacked goal posts. Shortly after, the club moved to San Isidro, housed in the current Municipal Sports Center of San Isidro. Here, Club Getafe was promoted to the third division following their victory against CP Villarrobledo in the 1956/57 season. Getafe was nearly promoted to the Segunda during 1957/58, but was defeated by C.D. Almería.[2]

On September 2, 1970, the club inaugurated its own stadium after being promoted back to the Tercera División. Presided by chairman Francisco Vara, Las Margaritas was won 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]

Second Division

Club Getafe Deportivo played six seasons in the Segunda División (Second Division), with little success. From 1976–1982, they placed below tenth level all six years.

In 1978, they advanced to play against 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, players having not been paid, 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 called 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.[4]

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.[5] 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 Huesca.

Meanwhile, Getafe's current stadium, the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, was inaugurated on January 1, 1998.[6]

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.[7]

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 Tenerife 5–3 with five goals from Sergio Pachón,[8] thus becoming along with Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Rayo Vallecano the fourth team from the Community of Madrid and the first of them from outside of the capital to ever play in La Liga .[9] With this promotion, Getafe had ascended the whole Spanish football pyramid, achieving this feat in only twenty years.

La Liga

Getafe Club de Fútbol vs. FC Barcelona.

The club started 2004–05 poorly, lying at the bottom of the table. Home wins over Espanyol, Athletic Bilbao, Valencia and Real Madrid,[10] followed by a sole away win of the season over Athletic Bilbao,[11] saw Getafe climb to finish 13th, being the only promoted side to avoid relegation. At the end of the season the club lost coach Flores, and several players to rival clubs.[12] In Getafe's next season the club briefly topped the table[13] before slipping to finish 9th.[14] During the 2006 World Cup, Argentine-born Mariano Pernía became Getafe's first ever Spanish international,[15] before moving to Atlético Madrid.[16]

In 2006–07 Getafe again finished ninth in the league,[17] conceding only 33 goals in 38 matches and goalkeeper Roberto "Pato" Abbondanzieri was awarded the Zamora Trophy, having recorded 12 clean sheets. The highlight of the club's season was reaching the Copa del Rey 2006-07 final, a competition in which Getafe had never even reached the quarter-finals before. The run included a two-legged semi-final against Barcelona in which Getafe lost the first leg 5–2 at the Camp Nou[18] before producing a 4–0 rout in the second leg at the Coliseum.[19] Getafe lost their first ever major final 1–0 to Sevilla in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.[20] Through this the club qualified for the following season's UEFA Cup qualification, as Sevilla had already qualified for the UEFA Champions' League through their league position.

The following season, coach Bernd Schuster left after two seasons to become head coach at Real Madrid,[21] and Getafe appointed Michael Laudrup as his replacement.[22] Under Laudrup's leadership Getafe again finished the league mid-table. In the UEFA Cup, the team managed to progress to the quarterfinals after finishing top of Group G, only losing once,[23] setting up a tie against four-times European Cup winners Bayern Munich. Getafe drew the away leg 1–1,[24] thanks to an injury time equaliser from Cosmin Contra. In the second leg Rubén de la Red was sent off after six minutes. Contra put Getafe ahead just before halftime, but in the 89th minute Franck Ribéry equalised, sending the game into extra time. Two quick goals, from Javier Casquero and substitute Braulio, gave Getafe a 3–1 lead but Bayern pulled a goal back from Luca Toni, before Toni again scored seconds before the end of extra time, giving Bayern an away goals win.[25] Getafe also had successful run in the Copa del Rey, reaching the final for a second year running. In the final, at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, Getafe were beaten 3–1 by Valencia.[26]

Stadium

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.[6]

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.[27]

Getafe president Ángel Torres 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.[28] The failure of this bid and poor crowd averages 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 Azulones, Getafe supporters have steadily grown to their team. The team has 18 peñas (supporter clubs), and 12,000 socios (associates). Former Real 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.

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 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".

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 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.

European cups history

UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League:

Season Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate
2007–08 Play-off Netherlands Twente 1–0 2–3 (aet) 3–3 (a)
Group England Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 1st
Israel Hapoel Tel Aviv 1–2
Denmark Aalborg 2–1
Belgium Anderlecht 2–1
1/16 Greece AEK Athens 3–0 1–1 4–1
1/8 Portugal Benfica 1–0 2–1 3–1
1/4 Germany Bayern Munich 3–3 (aet) 1–1 4–4 (a)
2010–11 Play-off Cyprus APOEL 1–0 1–1 (aet) 2–1
Group Denmark Odense 2–1 1–1 3rd
Switzerland Young Boys 1–0 0–2
Germany Stuttgart 0–3 0–1

Achievements

Runners-up (2): 2006–07, 2007–08
Winners: 1998–99

Recent seasons

Season Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P Cup Notes
1983/84 2R 1 ---- --62 Did not enter Promoted
1984/85 1R 1 ---- --59 Did not enter Promoted
1985/86 RP 1 ---- --56 Did not enter Promoted
1986/87 3 6 38171011 634544 Did not enter Promoted
1987/88 2B 3 3818119 714147 Fourth Round
1988/89 2B 6 38161111 523643 First Round
1989/90 2B 2 3818155 543051 Did not enter
1990/91 2B 4 3816139 452445 Fourth Round Lost promotion playoffs
1991/92 2B 6 38171110 563545 Fifth Round
1992/93 2B 4 3815176 422847 Third Round Lost promotion playoffs
1993/94 2B 2 3817165 533150 Fourth Round Promoted through playoffs
1994/95 2A 18 3852013 264230 Third Round Relegation reversed due to league expansion
1995/96 2A 19 3871120 305232 Second Round Relegated
1996/97 2B 16 3812917 445445 First Round Won relegation playoff
1997/98 2B 7 3817615 454057 Did not enter
1998/99 2B 1 382198 502372 Did not enter Promoted
1999/00 2A 19 4213920 395148 Second Round
2000/01 2A 21 4281123 426535 First Round Relegated
2001/02 2B 5 38171011 483761 First Round Promoted through playoffs
2002/03 2A 11 42131415 525553 Second Round
2003/04 2A 2 4220166 553876 First Round Promoted
2004/05 1A 13 38121115 384647 Last 16
2005/06 1A 9 3815914 544954 Last 16
2006/07 1A 9 38141014 393352 Final Qualified for 2007–08 UEFA Cup
2007/08 1A 14 38121115 444847 Final UEFA Cup Quarter-Finals
2008/09 1A 17 38101216 505642 Last 16
2009/10 1A 6 3817714 584858 Semi-Finals Qualified for 2010–11 Europa League
2010/11 1A 16 3812818 496044 Round of 16
2011/12 1A 11 38121115 405147 Round of 32

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

Season to season

Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1983/84 7 2 Regional 1st
1984/85 6 1 Regional 1st
1985/86 5 Preferente 1st
1986/87 4 3ª 6th
1987/88 3 2ªB 3rd Fourth round
1988/89 3 2ªB 6th First round
1989/90 3 2ªB 2nd
1990/91 3 2ªB 4th Fourth round
1991/92 3 2ªB 6th Fifth round
1992/93 3 2ªB 4th Third round
1993/94 3 2ªB 2nd Fourth round
1994/95 2 2ª 18th Third round
1995/96 2 2ª 19th Second round
1996/97 3 2ªB 16th First round
1997/98 3 2ªB 7th
1998/99 3 2ªB 1st
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1999/00 2 2ª 19th First round
2000/01 2 2ª 21st Round of 64
2001/02 3 2ªB 5th Round of 64
2002/03 2 2ª 11th Round of 32
2003/04 2 2ª 2nd Round of 64
2004/05 1 1ª 13th Round of 16
2005/06 1 1ª 9th Round of 16
2006/07 1 1ª 9th Runner-up
2007/08 1 1ª 14th Runner-up
2008/09 1 1ª 17th Round of 32
2009/10 1 1ª 6th Semifinalist
2010/11 1 1ª 16th Round of 16
2011/12 1 1ª 11th Round of 32
2012/13 1 1ª 10th Round of 16
2013/14 1 1ª 13th Round of 16
2014/15 1 1ª

Current squad

As of 30 January 2015[29]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Spain GK Jonathan López
2 Spain DF Alexis
3 Spain DF Roberto Lago
4 Uruguay DF Emiliano Velázquez (on loan from Atlético Madrid)
5 Brazil DF Naldo (on loan from Udinese)
7 Spain MF Ángel Lafita
8 Algeria MF Medhi Lacen
9 Spain FW Álvaro Vázquez
10 Spain MF Pablo Sarabia
11 France MF Karim Yoda
No. Position Player
12 Spain DF Álvaro Arroyo
13 Spain GK Jordi Codina
14 Spain MF Pedro León
15 Senegal FW Baba Diawara (on loan from Sevilla)
17 Spain MF Diego Castro
18 Spain DF Sergio Escudero
20 Spain DF Juan Valera
22 Spain MF Juan Rodríguez
23 Colombia MF Fredy Hinestroza (on loan from La Equidad)
25 Spain GK Vicente Guaita

Staff and board

Stadium information

Kit information

Getafe wear 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

Presidents

Famous coaches
  • Spain Pepe Mel (Jan 21, 2003–June 30, 2003)
  • Spain Josu Uribe (2003–04)
  • Spain Quique Sánchez Flores (July 1, 2004 – June 30, 2005)
  • Germany Bernd Schuster (July 1, 2005 – July 8, 2007)
  • Denmark Michael Laudrup (July 2, 2007 – June 30, 2008)
  • Spain Víctor Muñoz (July 1, 2008 – April 27, 2009)
  • Spain Míchel (April 27, 2009 – June 30, 2011)
  • Spain Luis García (July 1, 2011 – March 10, 2014)
  • Romania Cosmin Contra (March 11, 2014 – January 4, 2015)
  • Spain Quique Sánchez Flores (January 5, 2015 – February 26, 2015)

Notes and references

  1. ↑ En 1945 se comenzaba a crear un histórico, Getafe history (Spanish)
  2. ↑ Los primeros encuentros en el Campo del Regimiento de Artillería, Getafe history (Spanish)
  3. ↑ En Tercera en Las Margaritas, Getafe history (Spanish)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 El actual Getafe CF, Getafe history (Spanish)
  5. ↑ Vuelve a resurgir a lo más alto, Getafe history (Spanish)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 El estadio del Getafe CF, Getafe stadium (Spanish)
  7. ↑ Un policía mata a tiros a Sebas, central del Getafe, El Mundo, August 27, 2001 (Spanish)
  8. ↑ 2003/04 Spanish Second Division match reports
  9. ↑ Spain – Regional Analysis
  10. ↑ ESPNsoccernet Match Report
  11. ↑ ESPNsoccernet Match Report
  12. ↑ 2005/06 Spanish Primera Transfers
  13. ↑ 2005/06 Spanish Primera Standings, Matchday 8 (Spanish)
  14. ↑ 2005/06 Spanish Primera Final Table
  15. ↑ Spain send for Pernia, Sky Sports, May 30, 2006
  16. ↑ Pernia completes Atletico transfer, CNN, June 30, 2006
  17. ↑ 2006/07 Spanish Primera Final Table
  18. ↑ ESPNsoccernet Match Report
  19. ↑ ESPNsoccernet Match Report
  20. ↑ ESPNsoccernet Match Report
  21. ↑ Schuster confirmed as new Real coach, The Guardian, July 9, 2007
  22. ↑ Getafe appoint Laudrup as Schuster's replacement, Reuters, July 9, 2007
  23. ↑ UEFA Cup Group G
  24. ↑ ESPNsoccernet Match Report
  25. ↑ Heartbreak for Getafe as Bayern fight back, FourFourTwo, April 10, 2008
  26. ↑ Valencia win Copa del Rey, FIFA.com, April 16, 2008
  27. ↑ El Coliseum se llenará por primera vez, El Mundo, April 8, 2008
  28. ↑ "Con este campo el Getafe estaría entre los grandes", As, November 3, 2006
  29. ↑ "Primer equipo" [First team] (in Spanish). Getafe CF. Retrieved 31 January 2014.

See also

External links

Official websites