RCD Mallorca facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mallorca

Full name	Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, S.A.D.
Nickname(s)	Los Piratas (The Pirates) Los Bermellones (The Vermilions) Els Barralets (The Barralet)
Founded	5 March 1916; 109 years ago (1916-03-05) as Alfonso XIII Foot-Ball Club
Ground	Estadi Mallorca Son Moix
Ground Capacity	25,800
Owner	Andy Kohlberg (majority) Steve Nash (minority) Steve Kerr (minority) Stu Holden (minority)
President	Andy Kohlberg
Head coach	Jagoba Arrasate
League	La Liga
2022–23	La Liga, 9th of 20
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, often called Real Mallorca or RCD Mallorca, is a professional football club from Palma, on the island of Mallorca in Spain. The club was started on March 5, 1916. They play their home games at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, which can hold 23,142 fans.

Mallorca had its most successful period in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They finished third in La Liga twice, in 1999 and 2001. They also won the Copa del Rey in 2003 and the 1998 Supercopa de España. They even reached the final of a big European competition, the 1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final. The team's traditional colors are red shirts with black shorts and socks.

History

The Early Years

The club began on March 5, 1916, under the name Alfonso XIII Foot-Ball Club. Just weeks later, they played their first official match against FC Barcelona. Even though they lost 8–0, it was a big step! Soon after, the King of Spain, Alfonso XIII, allowed the club to add "Real" (Royal) to their name, making them Real Sociedad Alfonso XIII Foot-Ball Club.

RCD Mallorca's first match on March 25, 1916, against FC Barcelona's reserve team.

The original document that started Alfonso XIII Football Club in 1916.

In 1917, Mallorca won their first title, beating Futbol Club Palafrugell 3–1 in Barcelona. Before the 1930s, they played against famous Spanish teams like RCD Espanyol and Real Murcia. They even hosted international teams from places like Ajax (Netherlands), Uruguay, Chile (Colo-Colo), and the Czech Republic.

In 1931, Spain became a republic, and the club changed its name to Club Deportivo Mallorca, removing the royal reference. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), football on the island continued, and the team won every championship they entered.

On September 22, 1945, the club moved to a new stadium called Es Fortí, which could hold 16,000 people. The stadium was later renamed Lluís Sitjar, honoring the person who helped build it. In the 1949–1950 season, the club got its "Real" title back, becoming Real Club Deportivo Mallorca.

1960s to 1990s: Ups and Downs

On April 17, 1960, Mallorca made history by getting promoted to La Liga (Spain's top football league) for the very first time! In their first season (1960–61), they finished 9th, which was a good start.

However, the club often moved between La Liga and the Segunda División (second division) during these years. They were relegated several times but also managed to get promoted back up. In the 1970s, they even dropped down to the Tercera División (third division) and then the fourth division.

But Mallorca showed great spirit! They achieved back-to-back promotions in 1979–80 and 1980–81, climbing out of the lower leagues. They even returned to La Liga in 1983, though they were relegated again soon after. They kept fighting, getting promoted to La Liga again in 1986.

1990s and 2000s: The Golden Age

This was a fantastic time for RCD Mallorca!

A chart showing RCD Mallorca's league performance from 1929 to today.

In 1991, Mallorca reached the Copa del Rey final for the first time, but they lost to Atlético Madrid.

In 1997, a new manager, Héctor Cúper, joined the team. Under him, Mallorca reached the Copa del Rey final again in 1998, losing to FC Barcelona in a penalty shootout. But because Barcelona also won the league, Mallorca got to play them in the 1998 Supercopa de España (Spanish Super Cup) and won! This was their first major trophy.

Mallorca also played in the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, a European competition. They made it all the way to the final but lost 2–1 to S.S. Lazio from Italy.

In 1999, Mallorca finished 3rd in La Liga, their best-ever position, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League! They were knocked out before the group stage, but it was still a huge achievement. They finished 3rd in La Liga again in 2001.

The biggest win came on June 28, 2003, when Mallorca won the Copa del Rey! They beat Recreativo de Huelva 3–0 in the final, with goals from Walter Pandiani and two from Samuel Eto'o. This was a truly special moment for the club.

2010s: Challenges and Comebacks

After their golden age, Mallorca faced some tough times. In 2013, they were relegated from La Liga. In 2016, American investor Robert Sarver and former NBA player Steve Nash bought the club, hoping to bring it back to success.

In 2017, Mallorca dropped to the third division, which was the first time since 1981. But they didn't give up! A year later, they earned promotion back to the second division. And in June 2019, they achieved a second promotion in a row, returning to La Liga! They were relegated again a year later, but once more, they bounced back to the top tier. In 2024, Mallorca reached the Copa del Rey final again, showing their fighting spirit.

Club Statistics

• 32 seasons in La Liga (top division)
• 37 seasons in Segunda División (second division)
• 3 seasons in Segunda División B (third division, before it was renamed)
• 12 seasons in Tercera División (fourth division, before it was renamed)
• 7 seasons in Regional Divisions (lower leagues)

Players

Current Team

No. Position Player 1 GK Dominik Greif 2 DF Mateu Morey 3 DF Toni Lato 4 DF Siebe Van der Heyden 5 MF Omar Mascarell 6 DF José Copete 7 FW Vedat Muriqi 8 MF Manu Morlanes 9 FW Abdón Prats 10 MF Sergi Darder 11 FW Takuma Asano 12 MF Samú Costa 13 GK Leo Román

No. Position Player 14 MF Dani Rodríguez (vice-captain) 16 MF Valery Fernández (on loan from Girona) 17 FW Cyle Larin 18 MF Antonio Sánchez 19 FW Javi Llabrés 20 FW Chiquinho (on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers) 21 DF Antonio Raíllo (captain) 22 DF Johan Mojica 23 DF Pablo Maffeo 24 DF Martin Valjent (3rd captain) 25 GK Iván Cuéllar 27 FW Robert Navarro 33 FW Daniel Luna

Players on Loan

Sometimes players from Mallorca play for other teams for a while. This is called being "on loan."

No. Position Player DF David López (at Burgos until 30 June 2025)

Club Management

Technical Staff

These are the people who coach and train the players.

Position	Staff
Head coach	Jagoba Arrasate
Assistant coach	Bittor Alkiza
Fitness coach	Sergi Pérez Miguel Artigues
Goalkeeping coach	Luisvi de Miguel
Analysts	Xisco Campos Xim López
Delegate	Chando Anabel Soto
Kit man	José Martín Aitor Hernández
Head of medical staff	Adolfo Muñoz
Nutritionist	Nuria Granados
Physiotherapist	Dani Guiscafré Toni Jordi Perelló Magí Vicens Ferran Rosselló
Rehab fitness coach	Christian Castilla

Board of Directors

These people help run the club.

• President: Andy Kohlberg
• Board of Directors Member: Glenn Carlson
• Board of Directors Member: Sam Garvin
• Honorary Secretary: Rosemary Mafuz
• No Honorary Vicesecretary: Alfonso Díaz

Sports Directors

These people are in charge of the football side of the club, like finding new players.

• CEO of Football: Pablo Ortells
• Sports Director: Sergio Marty
• Technical Secretary: Sergio Moya

Club Presidents Over Time

Many people have been president of the club since it started. Here are some of them:

Achievements

Spanish Competitions

• Copa del Rey
  • Winners (1): 2002–03
  • Runners-up (3): 1990–91, 1997–98, 2023–24

• Supercopa de España (Spanish Super Cup)
  • Winners (1): 1998
  • Runners-up (1): 2003

• Segunda División (Second Division)
  • Winners (2): 1959–60, 1964–65
  • Play-off Winners (1): 2019 (won promotion through play-offs)

• Segunda División B (Third Division)
  • Winners (2): 1980–81, 2017–18

International Competitions

• UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1998–99 (finished second in this European tournament)

Club Records

Team Records

• Best La Liga position: Third place (in 1998–99 and 2000–01)
• Biggest La Liga win: 7–1 against Recreativo de Huelva (at home), March 9, 2008
• Biggest La Liga defeat: 7–0 against Atlético Madrid (away), February 7, 1988
• Fastest goal: 22 seconds by Dani García against Real Oviedo, February 21, 1999.
• Most goals scored in a season: 69 goals (in 2007–08)

Individual Player Records

Most Games Played

These players have played the most matches for Mallorca.

#	Name	Matches
1°	Miguel Ángel Nadal	255
2°	José Nunes	222
3°	Javier Olaizola	206
4°	Ariel Ibagaza	204
5°	Víctor Casadesús	197
6°	Juan Arango	183
7°	Jovan Stanković	175
8°	Marcos	171
9°	Paco Soler	168
10°	Dudu Aouate	167
11°	Iván Ramis	164
12°	José Luis Martí	161

Top Goal Scorers

These players have scored the most goals for Mallorca.

#	Name	Goals
1°	Samuel Eto'o	70
2°	Abdón Prats	52
3°	Juan Arango	46
4°	Víctor Casadesús	37
5°	Vedat Muriqi	29
6°	Daniel Güiza	28
7°	Pierre Webó	27

• Pichichi Trophy (Award for top scorer in La Liga)
  • La Liga
    • Daniel Güiza – 27 goals (in 2007–08)
• Ricardo Zamora Trophy (Award for best goalkeeper in La Liga)
  • La Liga
    • Carlos Roa – 1998–99
  • Segunda División
    • Badou Zaki – 1988–89

World Cup Players

These players were chosen to play for their country in the World Cup while they were playing for Mallorca.

Club Information

• Members: 12,107 (as of 2020–21)
• Total Attendance in La Liga: 205,828 (in 2019–20)
• Average Attendance: 10,836 Spectators (in 2019–20)
• Official shirt manufacturer: Nike
• Official shirt sponsors: αGEL
• Other sponsors: Coca-Cola, CaixaBank, Estrella Damm, PayPal, Fibwi, juaneda, Air Europa, Specialized Bicycle Components, okmobility, Alua Hotels & Resorts

Stadium Information

• Name – Visit Mallorca Stadium
• City – Palma de Mallorca
• Capacity – 23,142 seats
• Opened – June 1999
• Pitch size – 107 meters by 69 meters
• Other Facilities: – Antonio Asensio Sports Complex (also known as "Son Bibiloni"), which is where they train.
• Google Maps Location – Visit Mallorca Stadium

The team sometimes uses a plane because Mallorca is an island.

Other Teams

• RCD Mallorca B – This is the club's reserve team, where younger players develop their skills.

Images for kids

• 

  The Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, Mallorca's home stadium.

See also

In Spanish: Real Club Deportivo Mallorca para niños