RC Celta de Vigo facts for kids
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| Full name | Real Club Celta de Vigo, S.A.D. | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Los Celestes (The Sky Blues) O Celtiña (DIM) |
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| Short name | Celta | |||
| Founded | 23 August 1923 (as Club Celta) | |||
| Ground | Balaídos | |||
| Capacity | 24,870 | |||
| Coordinates | 42°12′42.6″N 8°44′22.9″W / 42.211833°N 8.739694°W | |||
| Owner | Grupo Corporativo Ges, S.L. | |||
| President | Marián Mouriño | |||
| Head coach | Claudio Giráldez | |||
| League | La Liga | |||
| 2022–23 | La Liga, 13th of 20 | |||
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Real Club Celta de Vigo, often called Celta Vigo, is a professional football club from Vigo, Galicia, Spain. They play in La Liga, which is the top football league in Spain. The team is known as Os Celestes, meaning "The Sky Blues," because of their light blue jerseys.
Celta Vigo was started in August 1923. It was formed when two local teams, Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna, joined together. Their home stadium is Balaídos, which can hold 24,870 fans. The club's name, Celta, comes from the ancient Celts who lived in the region. Celta Vigo has a big rivalry with another Galician club, Deportivo La Coruña. This match is called the Galician derby.
Celta Vigo has never won the main league title or the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup). However, they have reached the Copa del Rey final three times. Their best league finish was fourth place in the 2002–03 season. This allowed them to play in the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, where they made it to the Round of 16. In the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, Celta reached the semi-finals for the first time. They also won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2000.
Contents
Club History
How Celta Vigo Started
RC Celta de Vigo was created because football teams in Vigo wanted to be more successful across Spain. They often struggled against teams from the Basque region. The idea was to combine the two main Vigo teams, Real Vigo Sporting and Real Club Fortuna de Vigo, to make one stronger team.
Manuel de Castro, a sports writer, pushed for this idea starting in 1915. His motto was "All by and for Vigo." The managers of both clubs eventually agreed. The merger was officially approved on July 12, 1923.
On August 10, 1923, the clubs decided on the new team's name and colors. They chose "Club Celta" because the Celts were an ancient group of people connected to the Galicia region. The first president of Celta was Manuel Bárcena de Andrés. The new team had 64 players and was coached by Francis Cuggy. Their very first game was a friendly match against the Portuguese team Boavista, which Celta won 8–2.
In January 1927, Celta won the 'Copa del Rey Alfonso XIII' trophy. They beat an English sailors' team 4–1. In the 1947–48 season, Celta finished fourth in the league, which was their best result at the time. They also reached the Copa del Generalísimo final, but lost 4–1 to Sevilla FC.
European Success and Challenges
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Celta Vigo was nicknamed "EuroCelta" by the Spanish media. This was because they played very well in European competitions. For example, they beat Liverpool 4–1 overall to reach the quarter-finals of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup. The next season, they again reached the quarter-finals, with big wins over Juventus (4–0) and Benfica (7–0 at home).
At home, the team reached the 2001 Copa del Rey final but lost 3–1 to Real Zaragoza. Famous players during this time included Alexander Mostovoi, Valery Karpin, and Haim Revivo. Other important international players were goalkeeper Pablo Cavallero, defender Eduardo Berizzo, midfielders Claude Makélélé and Mazinho, winger Gustavo López, and strikers Catanha and Lyuboslav Penev.
In the 2002–03 season, Celta finished fourth in the league under coach Miguel Ángel Lotina. This was their highest league finish ever. They qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League and reached the Round of 16, where they were knocked out by Arsenal. However, in the same year, the team finished 19th in the league and was relegated to the Segunda División.
Even though many players left, Celta quickly returned to the top league. They finished second in the 2004–05 season. In the 2006–07 season, Celta was relegated again. The team then faced tough times, even risking falling to the third division and going bankrupt. Things improved in the 2010–11 season, when new players like David Rodríguez and Enrique de Lucas, along with coach Paco Herrera, helped them finish sixth.
Back in La Liga and Europe
On June 3, 2012, Celta Vigo returned to La Liga after five years away. In their first season back, they managed to avoid relegation on the very last day by beating RCD Espanyol 1–0.
Under former "EuroCelta" player and coach Eduardo Berizzo, Celta finished sixth in the 2015–16 season. This was their best result in ten years and earned them a spot in the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League. In this competition, Celta reached the semi-finals, where they were eliminated by Manchester United.
Celta Vigo avoided relegation on the final day of the season in 2019 and 2020. The goals scored by local forward Iago Aspas were very important in both seasons. In late 2023, after the club's 100th anniversary, Carlos Mouriño stepped down as president. His daughter, Marián Mouriño, became the first woman to hold the position. In the 2024–25 season, Celta finished seventh and qualified for the Europa League again after nine years.
Club Identity
Team Crest
Celta's first crest was simple. It had a red shield with two "C" letters for "Club Celta" and the royal crown of Spain. The club was given the right to use the word real (Royal) in its name and the crown on its badge by King Alfonso XIII. The next year, the shield's color was changed to the sky blue that is now traditional. Like many other clubs from Galicia, the crest also includes the red cross of Saint James, which was added in 1928.
Team Kit
Celta's home colors are sky blue and white. When the club first started, their home kit was a red shirt, black shorts, and blue socks. Later, the colors were changed to the current ones, which represent the Galician flag.
       1923–1924
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 Current
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Celta had a very long sponsorship deal with the French car company Citroën, lasting from 1985 to 2016. Citroën had a factory near the Balaídos stadium. In 2016, the sponsor changed to Estrella Galicia, a Galician brewery. They had already been advertising on the back of the shirts since 2011. Celta also had a long partnership with their kit supplier, Umbro, from 1986 to 2010.
| Years | Kit manufacturer | Sponsor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Company | ||
| 1980–1982 | Meyba | None | |
| 1982–1986 | Adidas | ||
| 1986–2010 | Umbro | Citroën | Citroën Automóviles España, S.A. |
| 2010–2013 | Li-Ning | ||
| 2013–2016 | Adidas | ||
| 2016–2024 | Estrella Galicia 0,0 | Hijos de Rivera, S.A.U | |
| 2024–present | Hummel | ||
Players
First-team Squad
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Reserve Team
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Players on Loan
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Club Records
These are some of Celta Vigo's top records as of May 24, 2025:
- Most league goals: 197, Iago Aspas (2008–2013, 2015–present)
- Most La Liga goals: 163, Iago Aspas (2012–2013, 2015–present)
- Most goals in a season (top division): 69 (1998–99)
- Most league appearances: 462, Manolo (1966–1982)
- Biggest win in top division: 10–1 (against Gimnàstic, October 23, 1949)
- Biggest away win in top division: 6–1, achieved twice:
* Against Las Palmas, October 6, 1957 * Against Athletic Bilbao, March 24, 2002
- Biggest defeat in top division: 0–10 (against Athletic Bilbao, January 11, 1942)
Top Players by Appearances
All current players are in bold.
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Top Goal ScorersAll current players are in bold.
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International Players at Celta
Many players who have played for Celta Vigo have also played for their national teams. Here are some of them:
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Club Management
Ownership
_-_34_(cropped).jpg)
Real Club Celta de Vigo is a public limited sports company. It is mostly owned by the Spanish-Mexican businessman Carlos Mouriño. He became the main owner in May 2006. He owns 67.9% of the club through his company, Grupo Corporativo Ges, S.L.
In October 2016, a Chinese company, CITS Group, was interested in buying the club for about €100 million.
Board of Directors
The board of directors helps run the club.
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Marián Mouriño |
| Vice presidents | Ricardo Barros |
| Pedro Posada | |
| Board of directors | María José Táboas |
| Primitivo Ferro | |
| Carmen Avendaño | |
| José Fernando Rodilla | |
| Managing director | Antonio Chaves |
| Financial director | María José Herbón |
| 'Fundación Celta' director | Germán Arteta |
| Academy director | Carlos Hugo García |
| Business development director | Carlos Cao |
| Commercial director | Carlos Salvador |
| Marketing director | Maruxa Magdalena |
| Security director | Julio Vargas |
Last updated: December 2023
Source: RC Celta
Club Presidents Over Time
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List of Head Coaches
Here is a list of Celta de Vigo's head coaches since 1923:
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Club Achievements
National Titles
- Segunda División (Second Division)
- Winners: 1935–36, 1981–82, 1991–92
- Segunda División B (Third Division)
- Winners: 1980–81
- Tercera División (Fourth Division)
- Winners: 1930–31
- Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup)
- Runners-up: 1947–48, 1993–94, 2000–01
European Titles
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Winners: 2000
Regional Titles
- Galician Championship
- Winners (6): 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26, 1929–30, 1931–32, 1933–34
- Asturian-Galician Championship (Galician Group)
- Winners: 1934–35
- Regional Government of Galicia Cup
- Winners: 2006
- Copa Galicia
- Winners: 2008
Friendly and Unofficial Tournaments
- Trofeo Cidade de Vigo
- Winners (21): 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012
- Trofeo Memorial Quinocho
- Winners (21): 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2022, 2023
- Trofeo Luis Otero
- Winners (13): 1965, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1997, 2007, 2010, 2014
- Trofeo Emma Cuervo
- Winners (9): 1954, 1961, 1968, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1997, 2010
- TIM Trophy
- Winners: 2016
- Teresa Herrera Trophy
- Winners: 1999
- Trofeo Xacobeo
- Winners: 1999
- Trofeo Federación Galega
- Winners: 2014
- Copa Comunidad Gallega
- Winners: 2016
Club Seasons
Celta Vigo has played:
- 60 seasons in La Liga (top division)
- 32 seasons in Segunda División (second division)
- 1 season in Segunda División B (third division)
- 1 season in Tercera División (fourth division)
European Competitions
Celta Vigo has played in several European tournaments. Here are some of their results (Celta's score is always listed first):
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate |
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| 1971–72 | UEFA Cup | First round |  Aberdeen |
0–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 |
| 1998–99 | UEFA Cup | First round |  Argeș Pitești |
7–0 | 1–0 | 8–0 |
| Second round |  Aston Villa |
0–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | ||
| Third round | Liverpool |
3–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | ||
| Quarter-finals |  Marseille |
1–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | ||
| 1999–2000 | UEFA Cup | First round |  Lausanne |
4–0 | 2–3 | 6–3 |
| Second round |  Aris |
2–2 | 2–0 | 4–2 | ||
| Third round |  Benfica |
7–0 | 1–1 | 8–1 | ||
| Fourth round |  Juventus |
0–1 | 4–0 | 4–1 | ||
| Quarter-finals | Lens |
0–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | ||
| 2000 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | Third round |  Pelister |
3–0 | 2–1 | 5–1 |
| Semi–finals | Aston Villa |
1–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | ||
| Finals |  Zenit Saint Petersburg |
2–1 | 2–2 | 4–3 | ||
| 2000–01 | UEFA Cup | First round |  Rijeka |
0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Second round |  Red Star Belgrade |
0–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | ||
| Third round |  Shakhtar Donetsk |
0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | ||
| Fourth round |  VfB Stuttgart |
0–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | ||
| Quarter-finals |  Barcelona |
3–2 | 1–2 | 4–4 (a) | ||
| 2001–02 | UEFA Cup | First round |  Sigma Olomouc |
4–0 | 3–4 | 7–4 |
| Second round | Slovan Liberec |
3–1 | 0–3 | 3–4 | ||
| 2002–03 | UEFA Cup | First round |  Odense |
2–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 |
| Second round |  Viking |
3–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | ||
| Third round | Celtic |
2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 (a) | ||
| 2003–04 | UEFA Champions League | Third qualifying round | Slavia Prague |
3–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 |
| Group H |  Ajax |
3–2 | 0–1 | 2nd | ||
 Club Brugge |
1–1 | 1–1 | ||||
| Milan |
0–0 | 2–1 | ||||
| Round of 16 | Arsenal |
2–3 | 0–2 | 2–5 | ||
| 2006–07 | UEFA Cup | First round | Standard Liège |
1–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 |
| Group H | Eintracht Frankfurt |
1–1 | N/A | 2nd | ||
| Newcastle United |
N/A | 1–2 | ||||
 Fenerbahçe |
1–0 | N/A | ||||
| Palermo |
N/A | 1–1 | ||||
| Round of 32 | Spartak Moscow |
1–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | ||
| Round of 16 | Werder Bremen |
0–1 | 0–2 | 0–3 | ||
| 2016–17 | UEFA Europa League | Group G | Ajax |
2–2 | 2–3 | 2nd |
| Standard Liège |
1–1 | 1–1 | ||||
| Panathinaikos |
2–0 | 2–0 | ||||
| Round of 32 | Shakhtar Donetsk |
0–1 | 2–0 (aet) | 2–1 | ||
| Round of 16 | Krasnodar |
2–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | ||
| Quarter-finals | Genk |
3–2 | 1–1 | 4–3 | ||
| Semi-finals | Manchester United |
0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | ||
| 2025–26 | UEFA Europa League | League phase | TBD | — | — | |
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See also
In Spanish: Real Club Celta de Vigo para niños
