Deportivo de La Coruña facts for kids
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| Full name | Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña, S.A.D. | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Os brancoazuis (The Blue and Whites) Herculinos (The Herculeans) Turcos (The Turks) |
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| Short name | Deportivo Dépor |
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| Founded | 8 December 1906 as Club Deportivo de la Sala Calvet |
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| Stadium | Riazor | |||
| Stadium capacity |
32,490 | |||
| Owner | Abanca Corporación Bancaria, S.A. (80%) | |||
| President | Juan Carlos Escotet | |||
| Head coach | Óscar Gilsanz | |||
| League | Primera Federación – Group 1 | |||
| 2022–23 | Primera Federación – Group 1, 4th of 20 | |||
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Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña, often called Deportivo La Coruña or just Deportivo, is a professional football club from A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. They play in the Segunda División, which is the second-highest football league in Spain.
The club was started in 1906. Deportivo has won the top Spanish league, La Liga, once in the 1999–2000 season. They also won the Spanish Cup twice and the Spanish Super Cup three times. For about 20 years, from 1992 to 2010, Deportivo was one of the top teams in La Liga. They even played in the UEFA Champions League for five years in a row, reaching the semi-finals once.
Deportivo plays its home games at the Riazor stadium, which can hold over 32,000 fans. Their home kit is blue and white striped shirts with blue shorts and socks. They have a big rivalry with Celta Vigo, and their matches are called the Galician derby.
Contents
Club History: Deportivo's Journey
Early Years: How Deportivo Started
Football came to A Coruña thanks to José María Ábalo, who learned the game in England. Soon, many informal teams were playing.
In December 1906, people from the Sala Calvet gym formed Deportivo de La Coruña. Luis Cornide was their first president. In 1907, the King of Spain, Alfonso XIII of Spain, gave the club the "Royal" ("Real") title. Deportivo first played at Corral de la Gaiteira, then moved to the Old Riazor stadium near Riazor beach.
The team played friendly games and local leagues. In 1912, they won their first official title, the Concurso España. Football became even more popular in Spain after the national team played in the 1920 Summer Olympics. This led to many teams becoming professional, and a national league started in 1928–29.
Climbing the Ranks: From Segunda to La Liga
In 1928, Deportivo didn't make it into the first Primera División. Instead, they played in the Segunda División, the second league. In 1932, they famously beat Real Madrid in the Spanish Cup, even though Real Madrid was unbeaten in the league that season.
The Spanish Civil War stopped all football until 1939–40. After the war, Deportivo almost got promoted to La Liga but lost to their rivals Celta de Vigo. However, the next season, they beat Murcia to reach La Liga for the first time!
Their first season in the top league saw them finish fourth. But they struggled in the next few years, going up and down between divisions. This decade was important because Deportivo built their new stadium, Riazor, which opened in 1944. A key player from this time was goalkeeper Juan Acuña, who won the best goalkeeper award (Zamora Trophy) four times.
The "Golden Decade" and "Elevator Team" Years
From 1948 to 1957, Deportivo had a "Golden Decade." They finished second in La Liga in 1949–50, just one point behind Atlético Madrid. This was thanks to their manager, Alejandro Scopelli, who brought in talented South American players. Famous players like Pahiño and Luis Suárez also played for Deportivo during this time.
After this period, Deportivo became known as the "elevator team." They kept getting promoted to the top league and then relegated back down. This happened many times between 1962 and 1973. Even though they had a great youth system, producing stars like Amancio Amaro and Luis Suárez, the club often had to sell its best players due to money problems.
Tough Times and a New Beginning
After being relegated in 1973, Deportivo faced hard times. They even dropped to the third division (Tercera División) for the first time. They quickly got back to the second division but struggled to return to the top flight for many years. In 1987–88, they almost got relegated again but were saved by a last-minute goal. This moment is often seen as the end of their dark period.
In 1988, a new board of directors, led by Augusto César Lendoiro, took over. The club had a lot of debt and needed a fresh start.
The Rise of "Súper Dépor" (1989–1998)
Arsenio Iglesias, a former player and coach, returned to manage Deportivo. The team started to improve, and in 1990–91, they finally got promoted back to La Liga after 18 years! The club's money situation also got better, and more fans supported them.
In the 1992–93 season, Deportivo had an amazing year. They finished third in La Liga, which meant they would play in a European competition for the first time! Their player Bebeto was the top scorer in the league, and goalkeeper Paco Liaño won the best goalkeeper award. This era became known as "Súper Dépor."
In 1993–94, Deportivo almost won La Liga. They were first on the last day of the season but missed a penalty kick in the final moments, losing the title. It was heartbreaking, but fans still celebrated their incredible season. They also played in the UEFA Cup for the first time.
The 1994–95 season was another great one. They finished second in La Liga again. But the biggest moment was winning the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) for the first time! The final against Valencia was stopped by a huge rainstorm and finished three days later, with Deportivo scoring the winning goal.
Glory Days: La Liga Title and European Adventures (1999–2006)
In 1999–2000, under manager Javier Irureta and with stars like Roy Makaay and Diego Tristán, Deportivo finally won their first-ever La Liga title! This was a huge achievement for a city the size of A Coruña. They also reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup.
As league champions, Deportivo played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 2000–01. They did very well, topping their groups and reaching the quarter-finals. The next season, they again reached the quarter-finals.
The 2001–02 season was special. Deportivo finished second in La Liga and won the Copa del Rey for the second time! This final is famous as the Centenariazo. It was played against Real Madrid at their home stadium, the Santiago Bernabéu, on their 100th anniversary. Everyone expected Real Madrid to win easily, but Deportivo surprised them with a 2-1 victory, ruining their party!
Deportivo's best Champions League run was in 2003–04, when they reached the semi-finals, losing to Porto. This season is also remembered for their amazing comeback against Milan in the quarter-finals. Milan won the first game 4-1, but Deportivo won the second game 4-0 at Riazor, winning 5-4 overall!
After this, Deportivo had a less successful season in 2004–05, finishing eighth in La Liga and having their worst Champions League campaign. This ended their five-year streak in the Champions League.
Ups and Downs: Recent Years
From 2007 to 2015, Deportivo went through a period of change. They were relegated from La Liga in 2010–11. However, they quickly returned to the top flight in 2011–12 by winning the Segunda División title.
But their time back in La Liga was short, as they were relegated again in 2012–13. They bounced back up in 2013–14 but struggled again in 2014–15, barely avoiding relegation.
In recent years, the team has faced more challenges. They were relegated from La Liga again in 2017–18. Then, in 2019–20, they dropped to the third division (Segunda División B) for the first time in 39 years.
After four seasons in the third tier, Deportivo finally won promotion back to the second division in 2023–24. The deciding match against Barcelona Atlètic had a record attendance of over 31,000 fans, showing the strong support for the club.
Club Identity
Team Crest
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Deportivo's club crest has parts from the old Sala Calvet gym logo. It has a blue diagonal stripe, which comes from the maritime flag of A Coruña and the Galician flag. The crown on the crest shows its "Royal" status, given by King Alfonso XIII. During a time when Spain was a republic, the crown was removed, but it was put back later.
Team Kit
Deportivo has always played in its famous blue and white striped shirts. These colors became official in 1912. Today, they still wear blue and white striped shirts with blue shorts and socks. Their second and third kits change each year. Their main shirt sponsor is the local brewery Hijos de Rivera.
| Years | Kit manufacturer | Sponsor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Company | ||
| 1990–92 | Rox | Leyma | Leite Rio, S.L. |
| 1992–97 | Umbro | Feiraco | Feiraco Sociedad Cooperativa Galega |
| 1997–00 | Adidas | ||
| 2000–01 | Dreamcast | Sega Europe Ltd | |
| 2001–07 | Joma | Fadesa | Fadesa Inmobiliaria, S.A. |
| 2007–08 | Canterbury of New Zealand | ||
| 2008–09 | Estrella Galicia | Hijos de Rivera, S.A.U. | |
| 2009–17 | Lotto | Estrella Galicia 0,0 | |
| 2017–21 | Macron | ||
| 2021– | Kappa | ||
Deportivo Supporters
Deportivo fans are called deportivistas. There are about 200 fan groups, known as peñas, with the "Riazor Blues" being the most famous.
Even when the club was in the third division in the 2022–23 season, they had over 25,000 season ticket holders! A match against Real Madrid Castilla in March 2023 had over 26,000 fans, which was one of the highest attendances in all of Spain that weekend.
Home Stadium
- Name – Abanca-Riazor
- City – A Coruña
- Capacity – 32,490 people
- Opened – 1944
- Pitch size – 105 x 68 meters
Current Squad
First Team Players
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Reserve Team Players
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Players on Loan
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Club Achievements
League Titles
- La Liga (Top Spanish League)
- Winners (1): 1999–2000
- Segunda División (Second Spanish League)
- Winners (5): 1961–62, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1967–68, 2011–12
- Tercera División (Third Spanish League)
- Winners (1): 1974–75
- Primera Federación (Third Spanish League, new format)
- Winners (1): 2023–24
Cup Wins
- Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup)
- Winners (2): 1994–95, 2001–02
- Supercopa de España (Spanish Super Cup)
- Winners (3): 1995, 2000, 2002
- Concurso España
- Winners (1): 1912
Regional Tournaments
- Campeonato de Galicia
- Winners (6): 1926–27, 1927–28, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1936–37, 1939–40
- Copa Galicia
- Winners (1): 1945–46
Friendly Tournaments
- Teresa Herrera Trophy
- Winners (25): 1955, 1962, 1964, 1969, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
Individual Player Awards
- Pichichi (Top Scorer in La Liga)
- 1992–93 – Bebeto (29 goals)
- 2001–02 – Diego Tristán (21 goals)
- 2002–03 – Roy Makaay (29 goals) (European Golden Shoe)
- Zamora (Best Goalkeeper in La Liga)
- 1941–42 – Juan Acuña
- 1942–43 – Juan Acuña
- 1949–50 – Juan Acuña
- 1950–51 – Juan Acuña
- 1953–54 – Juan Otero
- 1992–93 – Francisco Liaño (tied with Santiago Cañizares)
- 1993–94 – Francisco Liaño
- 1996–97 – Jacques Songo'o
Player Records
Most Games Played
| No. | Name | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fran |
435 |
| 2 | Juan Carlos Valerón |
422 |
| 3 |  Mauro Silva |
369 |
| 4 | Manuel Pablo |
341 |
| 5 | Donato |
303 |
| 6 | Sergio |
294 |
| 7 |  Noureddine Naybet |
260 |
| 8 | Acuña |
231 |
| 9 | Romero |
218 |
| 10 |  / Miroslav Djukić |
212 |
Most Goals Scored
| No. | Name | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Roy Makaay |
96 |
| 2 | Diego Tristán |
87 |
| 3 | Bebeto |
86 |
| 4 | Pahiño |
46 |
| 5 | Fran |
44 |
| 6 |  Franco |
42 |
| 7 | Tino |
39 |
| 8 | Djalminha |
38 |
| 9 | Riki |
38 |
| 10 | Donato |
38 |
Women's Team
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña Femenino is the women's football team of Deportivo. They play in the Primera Federación, which is the second-highest women's league in Spain.
Women's Team Honours
- Women's Spanish Cup (unofficial) (2): 1981, 1982
- Women's Spanish Cup (3): 1983, 1984, 1985
Reserve Team
Real Club Deportivo Fabril is the reserve team for Deportivo de La Coruña. It was founded in 1914 as Fabril Sociedad Deportiva. They play in the Segunda Federación, the fourth-highest league in Spanish football. Their stadium is called Cidade Deportiva de Abegondo.
In 1993, the team was officially renamed Deportivo B, but many locals still called it "Fabril." In 2017, it was changed back to Real Club Deportivo Fabril.
Images for kids
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Deportivo Sala Calvet in 1908
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Real Club Deportivo's first team in the 1912 Concurso España
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Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña in 1927
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Amancio Amaro played for Deportivo between 1958 and 1962.
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Bebeto was a symbol of Súper Dépor
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Chart of Deportivo league performance 1929–2023
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Deportivo played in UEFA Cup in the 2008–09 season.
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Match at Riazor in 2015
