FOOTBALL

CLUBS
A-Z

by

misha
raj
 ARSENAL FC
Arsenal, in full Arsenal Football Club, Hotspur, against whom it plays the
byname the Gunners, English “North London derby” match nearly
professional football team based in every year. When the Football League
London. resumed play in 1919 after World War I,
Arsenal—which had Finished Fifth in the
The club was founded in 1886 and took Second Division before the war—was
the name Royal Arsenal after its frst controversially promoted to the First
game, combining the moniker of the Division over higher-placing Tottenham
Royal Oak pub, where the team after Arsenal’s chairman argued that
members met, with that of his club deserved promotion because
their workplace, the Arsenal of its longer history, further spurring the
munitions factory in Woolwich. rivalry between the two teams.

Arsenal has a long-standing

rivalry with another North
London club, Tottenham
 BARCELONA
FC Barcelona, in full Fútbol Club oan Gamper, who advertised for
Barcelona, also called Barca, Spanish players in a local Barcelona sports
professional football club located in magazine.
Barcelona.
Barcelona’s local adversary is RCD
FC Barcelona is renowned for its Espanyol, but its biggest rival in Spain is
historically skillful and attractive brand Real Madrid. Games between the two
of attacking football that places an teams are referred to as El Clasico “The
emphasis on fowing, open Classic” and attract major interest
play. The team is part of a throughout Spain, in large part
wider sports and social because the two sides symbolize for
club with thousands many the ongoing political and cultural
of members. difculties between Catalonian
,Barcelona, and Castilian ,Real Madrid,
FC Barcelona was Spain.
formed in 1899 by
businessman
 CHELSEA
Chelsea FC, in full Chelsea Football Despite Chelsea’s roller-coaster history,
Club, English professional football team an array of notable players have
based in the Hammersmith and performed with the club. On the
Fulham borough of London. downside, Chelsea fans include one of
England’s most notorious gangs of
Chelsea Football Club FC, nicknamed football hooligans, known as the
“the Blues,” is one of the world’s richest, Headhunters; they have been
biggest, and most-supported football responsible for organized violence in
clubs. It is known for its star players the stands since the 1970s, usually
and an ofensive style of play. consisting of assaults on fans of other
teams. Spain.
Chelsea FC was founded in 1905 by
Henry Augustus Mears. Home games
are played at Stamford Bridge stadium,
the original site Mears chose for the
club. The team had mixed fortunes over
the years, not winning a major trophy
until the 1950s and
moving up and down
between divisions
several
times.
 DERBY COUNTY
Derby County Football Club is an
English football club based in Derby,
England. Notable for being one of the
twelve founder members of the
Football League in 1888, it is one of only
ten clubs to have competed in every
season of the English football league.
The club is managed by Nigel Clough;
its captain is Shaun Barker.

Derby County F.C. was founded in 1884,

by William Morley, as an offshoot of
Derbyshire County Cricket Club; it has
spent all but four seasons in the top
two divisions of the English football
league.

The club adopted its now traditional

black and white club colours in the
1890s and appropriated its club
nickname The Rams, a tribute to its
links with the First Regiment of Derby
Militia, which took a ram as its mascot
and the song "The Derby Ram" as its
regimental song,
 RCD ESPANYOL
Espanyol was founded by Angel In 1910, the club changed its name to
Rodriguez Ruiz, a student at the nearby Club Deportivo Espanyol, adopting the
University of Barcelona. Rodriguez blue-and-white kits they’re known for
named the new club Sociedad today. By choosing these particular
Espanola de Football, in order to colors, Espanyol paid tribute to Roger
differentiate it from other Barcelona de Lluria, one of the most successful
teams that were dominated by naval commanders of all time. Two
foreigners. Today, Espanyol is years later, King Alphonso XIII granted
considered to be the frst Spanish club the club his royal patronage; from then
formed exclusively by on, the ofcial name of the club was Real
Spanish fans and Club Deportivo Espanyol.
students.
Before the establishment of La Liga,
Espanyol played in the regional
Catalan football
championship (Campionat
de Catalunya. Second to
FC Barcelona, they were
the most successful
team, winning nine
championships. After
the creation of a national
league, the Catalan
football championship
co-existed with La Liga
until 1940.
 EINTRACHT FRANKFURT
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German football play for them. Karl-Heinz Körbel
professional football club that holds the record for the most
presently plays in the Bundesliga, the appearances for Frankfurt. The centre
top tier league of Germany. Founded in back had 688 appearances for the club
1899, Frankfurt have come a long way in which he scored an impressive 48
and have seen various ups and downs times. Bernd Hölzenbein holds the
in over 120 years of its existence. record for the most goals scored for
the club. The German winger found the
Frankfurt’s history goes back to 1911, back of the net 192 times out of which
when two clubs, Frankfurter 160 were in Bundesliga,
Fußball-Club Viktoria von 1899 and a club record.
Frankfurter Fußball-Club Kickers von
1899, both formed in 1899, merged to
become Frankfurter Fußball Verein.
Over a series of mergers and
separations, Eintracht Frankfurt, the
football club was born.

Frankfurt have
also seen
many greats
of
 GETAFE CF
Getafe Club de Fútbol is a Spanish La posts. Shortly after, the club moved to
Liga football club based in Getafe, a San Isidro, housed in the current
city in the Madrid metropolitan area, Municipal Sports Center of San Isidro.
founded in 1946 and refounded in 1983. Here, Club Getafe was promoted to the
third division following their victory
The frst season of play for Getafe Club against CP Villarrobledo in the 1956/57
de Futbol was in 1945, when fve Getafe season. Getafe was nearly promoted to
locals, Enrique Condes Garcia, Aurelio the Segunda during 1957-58, but was
Miranda Olavaria, Antonio Corridor defeated by C.D. Almeria.
Lozano, Manuel Serrano Vergara and
Miguel Cubero Francis, decided to form On September 2, 1970, the club
a team of the area while meeting at the inaugurated its own stadium after
La Marquesina bar. Ofcially founded on being promoted back to the Tercera
February 24, 1946, Divisin. Presided by chairman
the club was Francisco Vara, Las
named Club Margaritas was won a 3–1
Getafe victory over Michelín. The
Deportivo. team survived in the third
level that season, and six
The club originally years later gained a
played in historic promotion
Campo del to second
Regimiento division.
de Artillera,
which
lacked
goal
 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN AFC
In 1908, the club was formed in the a game against Bradford Park Avenue,
Albert Pub, Huddersfeld and the which was also the club's first game,
Huddersfeld Association Football Huddersfield beat Bradford, 2–1 in front
Ground Co. was formed and, with of a crowd of 1000. Their first match in a
capital of 500 euros, set about senior competition, came 3 days later
purchasing the Leeds Road recreation (5 September), against South Shields
fields. The stadium just started as a Adelaide in which "salmon pink" shirts
pitch but was still ready for their frst were worn.
game, which was a local semi-fnal. On
15 August 1908, Huddersfeld Town Town played on until 1915 when the
Association Football Club was League stopped during World War One.
registered as a limited company. Fred Huddersfeld was for a long period
Walker was appointed as the club’s frst well-established in the top leagues, but
manager. The stadium was after a relegation after 1971-72 season,
opened on 2 September with the fans had to wait until the 2017-18
season for the club's return to
the highest league level.
 INTER MILAN
Inter Milan, in full Football Club continental championship (Champions
Internazionale Milano, Italian League) in a single year. In
professional football team based in international competiton, the club has
Milan. won three European Cup/Champions
League titles (1964, 1965, and 2010), two
Inter was formed in 1908 by a Intercontinental Club Cup titles
breakaway group of players from the (beating Independiente of Argentina in
Milan Cricket and Football Club, now 1964 and 1965), and three Union of
known as AC Milan, who wanted their European Football Associations (UEFA)
club to accept more foreign players; Cups (now UEFA Europa League; 1991,
Inter’s frst club captain, Hernst Marktl, 1994, and 1998).
was Swiss. Inter won its frst Italian
league championship in 1910 and has
amassed 18 domestic league titles in
total, including a run of fve
consecutive titles from 2005–06,
the original winner that year,
Juventus, was stripped of the
title for its role in a
match-fxing scandal to
2009–10. In 2010 Inter
became the frst Italian
club to capture the “treble”
of a domestic top-division
title the Serie A
championship, a domestic
cup. the Italian Cup, and a
 JUVENTUS
Juventus, in full Juventus Football Club, shirts. Its current uniforms, featuring
also called Juventus FC, bynames la shirts with black and white vertical
Vecchia Signora Italian: “the Old Lady” stripes, were adopted in 1903. Two
and Juve, Italian professional football years later the club won its frst Italian
team based in Turin. league championship. The Agnelli
family, owners of the Fiat automotive
Juventus was founded in 1897 by a company, gained control of the club in
group of grammar school students. 1923, and in 1925–26 Juventus won its
The team, which did not play an official second Italian league title. The 1930s
league match until were a golden period for “Juve,” as it
1900, started out won five Italian league championships
wearing pink in that decade and provided nine
members of the Italian
national squad that won the
1934 World Cup.

Juventus has triumphed in

the Italian league,
known since 1929 as
Serie A, a
record 35
times. In
2006 that
total was
reduced,
as the
club’s
 KOBENHAVN
Football Club Kobenhavn F.C. level. B1903 on the other hand was an
Copenhagen is in many ways both an established top club in the Danish
old and a new club. Even though the Superliga right up until 1992, with
club was established in 1992, it is disappointing attendances average.
nevertheless rooted in over 100 years of
club tradition.

F.C. Copenhagen is
unique in Scandinavia,
as the clubs frst team
represents two
separate clubs :
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub -
KB - mainland Europes
oldest football club
founded in 1876 and
Boldklubben 1903 founded in
1903.

KB had actually attempted to run

professional football on two previous
occasions in the 1980’s but both times
had failed to muster enough fnancial
support, and for many members of KB,
it had been a long time since they had
enjoyed football success at the highest
 LYON
Olympique Lyonnais were founded in level, and they did exactly that, earning
1950, but the year is half-deceiving, their frst Coupe de France in 1964 with
given that the club can trace its origins French-Argentinian Néstor Combin
back to the 19th century, and more scoring twice in the fnal
specifically to Lyon Olympique against Bordeaux.
Universitaire, which can be seen as a Three years later they
very early predecessor of the club that repeated their
was meant to take French football by success, with Fleury
storm a whole century later. Di Nallo scoring in the
fnal one of the 222
The fties passed with goals he netted for
“OL” earning Lyon throughout
promotion to the his career, many
top division and more than any
then other player
establishing who has
themselves as a worn Lyon’s
consistent jersey.
participant there.

The sixties
were the
decade that
Lyon had
to up
their
 MANCHESTER UNITED
Manchester United, in full Manchester dominated by two long-serving
United Football Club, also called managers. Sir Matthew Busby was
Manchester United FC, bynames Man U appointed manager in 1945 and over
and the Red Devils, English professional the next 24 years steered the club to five
football team based in Manchester, English league and two FA Cup
England. victories. The club had to contend
with tragedy in 1958 when an
The club was formed as Newton aircraft carrying the team
Heath LYR in 1878 by workers from crashed in Munich,
the Lancashire and Yorkshire killing 23 of the 44
Railway. Renamed onboard. In the
Manchester United in 1902, 1960s the team,
the club won its first English rebuilt by
league championship in Busby,
1907–08. In 1910 the club included the
moved from its old Bank Street highly
ground into Old Trafford talented
stadium, which has attacking trio of
served as the team’s Bobby Charlton,
home ever since. George Best, and
Denis Law.
Manchester
United’s history
since World
War II has
been
 NAPOLI
SSC Napoli was formed in early 1900s for football. At that time, there were
following the arrival of English sailors many football teams in the city of
notably William Poths. Poths had come Naples. These included Open Air Team
from England where the game had which had been founded by the Costa
really caught up, and he teamed up brothers, Marquis Ruffo and Alfonso
with Ernesto Bruschini, a Neapolitan, to Parise among others. In their first
form Napoli. match, Napoli played against Arabik,
an English ship crew
You can’t talk of Napoli history team members. They
without mentioning William defeated the English
Poths. He deserves a special team 3-2.
mention. Poths was
employed by
Cunard
Shipping Line
at the time he
helped form
Napoli. He
had just
emigrated
from
England in
1903 and he
came with
his deep
passion
 OLYMPIACOS
“Olympiacos Football Club” is how the Piraeus is the biggest port city in
team are called in English, but in Greek Greece, adjacent to Athens, so it is no
the full name is much longer. surprise that historically the biggest
“Olympiakos Syndesmos Filathlon rivals of Olympiacos have been
Peiraios”, often abbreviated to “OSFP”, Panathinaikos, the biggest club of
means Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus. Athens.
This is the name chosen in 1925, when
Olympiacos were The name and the crest were inspired
founded after the by Ancient Greece and its original
merger of two Olympic Games. The most used
preexisting clubs. nickname for the club is “Thrylos”,
Greek for “legend”. The team are also
called “Erythrolefkoi”, “Red and Whites”.
It is no coincidence that Olympiacos
maintain a very friendly relationship
with another team dressed in red and
white, Belgrade’s Red Star.

Olympiacos have always been playing

at the place where their modern
Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium named
after a Greek national hero of the 19th
century has been standing at since
2004, after its impressive – total –
reconstruction.
 PARIS SAINT-GERMAN
For the longest time, Paris did not have Cups in 1982 and 1983. It was during
a football club that truly belonged to this period that PSG developed a
the elite. That finally changed in 1970, penchant for attacking-minded
when a group of businessmen went football, which would play a large part
through with the plan of merging Paris in the club becoming fan favorites,
FC and Stade Saint-Germain into a both in France and abroad. These
single club named Paris Saint-Germain. golden years were followed up with a
period of decline due to severe
Not surprisingly, PSG immediately drew mismanagement and cracking under
sympathies of the Parisian crowd, pressure in the title races. Their
which was exalted to finally have a club fortunes took a turn for the better after
that could contend for domestic the club was bought by Qatar Sports
trophies. Shortly after earning Investments in 2011. Led by their
promotion to Ligue 1 in 1972, the new star, Zlatan Ibrahimović, PSG
club moved into the legendary returned to the spotlight by
Parc des Princes, which would winning three consecutive
serve as their home to Ligue 1 titles from 2013 to
this day. 2015. In 2017, Brazilian
star Neymar was
The early 80s saw bought from
PSG win their first Barcelona
major trophies by and 2021, so
claiming was Messi.
back-to-
back
French
 QUEENS PARK RANGERS
The club was officially formed in 1882, successful during the decades that
under the name of St. Jude's. Four followed, spending most of their time in
years later, they merged with Christ the lower ranks of English football.
Church Rangers and subsequently
changed their name to Queens Park Their luck finally changed with the
Rangers, due to most of their players arrival of Alec Stock in 1959. Now
hailing from the Queen's Park district. regarded as the club's greatest
manager of all time, Stock made his
The club became a member of presence known from the get-go; in the
the expanding Football season that followed, QPR achieved
League in 1920, but their record victory by routing Tranmere
was not Rovers 9-2.
particularly
But it was not until 1967 that
Queens Park Rangers really made a
name for itself. The club won a double
by placing first in the Third Division
and defeating West Bromwich
Albion in the League Cup final
after being down 2-0 at
halftime.
 REAL MADRID
Though the club was founded in 1902, it 2000s, Florentino Pérez, was responsible
was originally named Madrid Football for some of the biggest transfers was in
Club; it wasn't until 1920 that King international football. His idea of
Alfonso XIII bestowed them with the forming the best team possible was to
title of "real" – or "royal" in English. These buy big names and not so much
early years were reasonably successful thinking of balancing the team. Then
for Real and the two decades that Florentino Pérez was the president the
followed were as glorious for the club’s club brought together a team of
growing army of supporters. In superstars, famously called the
addition to cleaning up the domestic Galácticos. The Galácticos era of Real
competitions by claiming an Madrid included players such as
unprecedented 14 La Ligas and 5 Copa Zinedine Zidane, Luís Figo, David
del Reys, the year of 1966 Beckham, Christiano Ronaldo
saw Real add another and Roberto
European Cup to their Carlos.
rich collection by
defeating Partizan
Belgrade 2-1 in the final.
The decade was closed
out on a sour note,
however, with Santiago
Bernabéu Yeste passing
away in 1978.

The president of Real

Madrid in the
 SANTOS
Santos Futebol Clube Brazilian Júnior as a response to the lack of
Portuguese: commonly known simply representation the city had in football.
as Santos or Santos FC is a Brazilian
sports club based in Vila Belmiro, a In 1962, Santos became the first club in
bairro in the city of Santos. It is also the the world to win the continental treble
team with the most goals in football consisting of the Paulista, Taça Brasil
history. The club was founded in 1912 by (Brazilian Championships), and the
the initiative of three sports enthusiasts Copa Libertadores.
from Santos by Raimundo Marques,
Mrio Ferraz de Campos, After 50 years Santos began to be seen
and Argemiro de as the best team in the world. When
Souza Pelé made his debut in the
Campeonato Paulista in 1957, the
team already was twice state
champion. State champion in 1973,
still with Pele, and in 1978, driven by
the amazing Pita Boys Town, Juary,
Jolo Paulo and Nilton Batata, the
Santos of the 1970s were no
longer just appreciated for
the refinement of their
football and became a
symbol of passion
and rapture.
 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Tottenham Hotspur FC was founded in 1901 by defeating Sheffield United in the
1882, by a group of grammar-school FA Cup final, thus becoming the only
boys from All Hallows Church. At frst, non-Football League side to
the club was simply named Hotspur; in win the FA Cup. The next
order to avoid confusion with an older couple of decades were
club named Hotspur FC, the name was decidedly mixed, with
soon changed to Tottenham Hotspur. three successful Cup
forays standing out in a
Shortly after being admitted to the sea of mediocre league
Southern League in finishes. After
1895, Tottenham claiming their
started attracting fnal FA Cup in
large crowds to their 1990,
home games; this Tottenham
surge in popularity followed it
played a big part up with
in the club League
Cup
victories
becoming a in 1999
trophy and
contender. They 2008.
acquired their
frst piece of
silverware in
1901 by
 1. UNION BERLIN
FC Union Berlin was founded in 1966, The players responded by going to the
but its pre-history goes all way back to West Germany anyway and set up a
1906 when its forerunner FC Olympia new club, which become Sport-Club
Oberschneweide was funded – that is Union 06 Berlin.
one of many clubs that Union Berlin has
its root in. What remained from the old club would
continue to play in regional
FC Olympia Oberschneweide become competitions and would during the
SG Oberschneweide after the Second next decade change name several
World War. In 1950, this forerunner of times before setting with 1. FC Union
Union Berlin was split into two clubs Berlin.
since the players hadn’t been allowed
to travel to West Germany to play in the In 1989 the wall between the east and
German football championship after west sides fall and Berlin was once
being the runners-up in Oberliga Berlin. again one city. In the time
of the political
changes, Union
Berlin was in
fnancial
 VALENCIA
Even though the club was founded in acquire taste for silverware, winning its
1919, it only moved into the frst La Liga titles in 1942, 1944 and 1947
world-famous Mestalla stadium in 1923. and two Copa del Rey trophies in 1941
The frst couple of decades of the club’s and 1948.
existence were not particularly fruitful,
but things started to change after the Valencia’s glory days came at the turn
Spanish Civil War had of the millennium. First, however, they
ended. had to shake off their losing mentality;
the club lost two successive
The post-war Champions League fnals, to
period saw Real Madrid in 2000 and
Valencia Bayern Munich in 2001. The
latter season also saw
them slip to fifth
place in La Liga
after spending
most of the
season at the
top of the
table. The
next four
years
 WOLVERHAMPTON
Wolves first began life as a schoolboy became known as Wolverhampton
team in 1877 when the headmaster of Wanderers. In 1888 the club were
St. Luke’s school in Blakenhall, Harry invited to join the Football League in its
Barcroft, presented a football to a inaugural season. Having by now
group of pupils who had enjoyed an become one of the leading clubs in the
exceptional year’s schoolwork. The land, it was obvious that a more
presentation of the football was suitable ground had to be found. The
instigated by the co-founders of the Wanderers’ attention was drawn to
team, John Baynton and Jack Brodie. Molineux and it has been
their home ever since 1889.
Two years later, after merging
with the local cricket and
football club known as
The Blakenhall
Wanderers, they
 XEREZ CD
Xerez Club Deportivo, known simply as The team's new stadium, Estadio
Xerez, is a Spanish football team based Municipal de Chapin, was inaugurated
in Jerez de la Frontera, in the on 10 July 1988, replacing the old
autonomous community of Andalusia. Estadio Domecq – the frst match there
Xerez currently plays in Tercera Division was a friendly against Real Madrid.
RFEF, the fth tier of Spanish football. After decades in that category and
also in the third, it had a 2001–02
Founded on 24 second level campaign which almost
September 1947. Due resulted in an historic La Liga
to the link between promotion, only one year after doing
Jerez de la the same thing; the club
Frontera and the seemed certain to gain
United Kingdom promotion all season,
created by the but ultimately failed after
exports of sherry a dramatic loss of form
,Jerez in towards its closure, only
Spanish, football gaining four points in
had it’s the last eight
beginnings in the matches.
region towards the
second half of the
19th century.
 BSC YOUNG BOYS
BSC Young Boys are a Swiss sports club favorites, because the Bern club had
based in Bern, Switzerland. The club lost to them one month before 1–4. This
was founded in 1898. Its name was caused Neuchtel to make the error of
intended to mimic that of the underestimating the Young Boys. The
Basel-based club Old Boys. Neuchâtel defense completely broke
apart when the YB striker Walter Frey
YB began to be successful very early found the net shortly after halftime to
on. On 29 March YB faced the West post a 1–0 lead. The game ended with a
champion FC one-sided 5–0 result,
Neuchâtel. The and YB after only fve
guests from years of existence
Neuchtel had won their frst
were the Swiss football
clear championship.
 ZURICH
Fussballclub Zurich, commonly 1990. The club did make it to last 16 of
abbreviated to FC Zurich or simply FCZ, the UEFA Cup 1998–99, but were beaten
is a Swiss football club based in Zurich. by Roma. The club won the Swiss Cup in
The club was founded in 1896 by former 2000, beating Lausanne in the fnal and
members of the two local clubs FC also in 2005 beating Luzern.
Turicum and FC Excelsior.
On 13 May 2006, FCZ ended their 25
n 1898, FC Excelsior completely merged years efort to win Super League with a
with FC Zurich and local club FC goal in the 93rd minute by Iulian
Victoria joined shortly thereafter. Filipescu against FC Basel. The goal
gave FCZ a 2 – 1 victory based on goal
Following the club’s league title in 1981, diference. They sustained the league
the club went into a decline and in 1988 title In 2006–07.
they were relegated to the Nationalliga
B. Zurich returned to the top league in