Racing de Santander facts for kids
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| Full name | Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. | |||
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| Founded | 23 February 1913 | |||
| Ground | El Sardinero | |||
| Capacity | 22,222 | |||
| Owner | Sebman Sports International (74%) | |||
| President | Manuel Higuera Sancho | |||
| Head coach | José Alberto López | |||
| League | Segunda División | |||
| 2022–23 | Segunda División, 12th of 22 | |||
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Real Racing Club de Santander, often called Racing de Santander or just Racing, is a football club from Santander, Cantabria, Spain. They play in the Segunda División, which is the second highest football league in Spain.
The club was started in 1913. Their home games are played at El Sardinero stadium, which can hold 22,222 fans. Racing is one of the ten original clubs that helped create La Liga, Spain's top football league.
Contents
Club History and Achievements
Racing Club played their very first football match on February 23, 1913. They lost 1–2 to a nearby team called Strong. The club was officially founded on June 14, 1913, and was first known as Santander Racing Club. They joined the Northern Federation on November 14 and later joined with Santander Football Club.
Early Years in La Liga
The Spanish League started in the 1928–29 season. Racing had to win a few games to become the tenth and final team in the new First Division. They beat Valencia, Betis, and Sevilla to get their spot. Racing was also part of the first game in the league that ended with no goals, playing against Athletic Bilbao.
In the 1930–31 season, Racing achieved their highest ever finish in the Spanish League. They came in second place, tied with champion Athletic Bilbao. This was a great achievement for the club. They also played in an international tournament in Paris, reaching the semi-finals.
During the 1935–36 season, Racing made history. They were the first club in the Spanish league to beat both Barcelona and Real Madrid in all four league matches (both home and away games) in the same season. A player named Milucho scored in every one of these matches.
Returning to the Top League
In 1950, the team from Cantabria returned to the top league after ten years. They scored an amazing 99 goals in just 30 games that season!
During a period in Spanish history, the club's name was changed to Real Santander in 1941 because non-Spanish names were not allowed. The original name, Racing, was brought back in 1973.
Racing was also the first Spanish team to wear a sponsor's name on their shirt. This happened on December 27, 1981, when they wore the name of the German electronics company Teka during an away game against Real Madrid.
On March 25, 2000, Racing played their 1,000th game in La Liga, a big milestone for the club.
Recent Challenges and Comebacks
In the 2000s, Racing spent only one season in the second division before getting promoted back to the top league. In the 2007–08 season, they finished in sixth place, which allowed them to play in the UEFA Cup (now called the UEFA Europa League) for the first time ever. They also reached the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey (Spain's main cup competition) twice during this time.
In 2011, a businessman named Ahsan Ali Syed took over Racing de Santander. However, the 2011–12 season was difficult, and the club was relegated from La Liga after a decade in the top flight.
The next season, 2012–13, was also tough, and Racing was relegated again. This meant they were no longer in Spain's professional leagues after 22 years. During this time, the club faced serious financial problems.
In January 2014, Racing's players decided not to play a cup match because they had not been paid for several months. They said they would only play if the club's president and board resigned. Three days later, in a game against Real Sociedad, the players stood together in the middle of the field after kick-off and refused to play. The game was stopped, and Racing was given a loss. Because of this protest, the club was fined and not allowed to play in the next cup competition. Soon after, the president was replaced by a former player, Juan Antonio Sañudo.
Despite these challenges, Racing managed to get promoted back to the second division in 2014. However, they were relegated again the very next season. They won their group in the third division again in 2016 but lost in the playoffs to get promoted.
Racing was promoted back to the second division in 2019 after four years in the third tier. But they were relegated again in the 2019–20 season, winning only five games. In 2022, Racing finished first in their league and were promoted back to the Segunda División, where they currently play.
Club Rivalries
Racing Santander is one of the few Spanish teams that has spent most of its history in La Liga but doesn't have a major rival. This is mainly because Racing is the only fully professional team from Cantabria, so there isn't much competition with other local clubs.
However, many Racing fans consider their biggest rival to be Athletic Bilbao, a major team from the nearby Basque Country. This is because the cities are close, and the clubs have a long history of playing against each other. There are also smaller rivalries with Real Oviedo from Asturias and Getafe.
On a friendly note, Racing Santander supporters have good relationships with fans of Sporting de Gijón.
Recent Seasons Overview
| Season | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Copa del Rey | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 1D | 13 | 42 | 11 | 17 | 14 | 52 | 54 | 50 | Quarter-finals | |
| 1997–98 | 1D | 14 | 38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 46 | 55 | 45 | 3rd round | |
| 1998–99 | 1D | 15 | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 41 | 53 | 42 | Quarter-finals | |
| 1999–2000 | 1D | 15 | 38 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 52 | 50 | 46 | 2nd round | |
| 2000–01 | 1D | 19 | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 48 | 62 | 39 | Quarterfinals | Relegated |
| 2001–02 | 2D | 2 | 42 | 19 | 14 | 9 | 58 | 37 | 71 | Round of 64 | Promoted |
| 2002–03 | 1D | 16 | 38 | 13 | 5 | 20 | 54 | 64 | 44 | 1st round | |
| 2003–04 | 1D | 17 | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 48 | 63 | 42 | 3rd round | |
| 2004–05 | 1D | 16 | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 41 | 58 | 44 | 3rd round | |
| 2005–06 | 1D | 17 | 38 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 36 | 49 | 40 | 3rd round | |
| 2006–07 | 1D | 10 | 38 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 42 | 48 | 50 | 2nd round | |
| 2007–08 | 1D | 6 | 38 | 17 | 9 | 12 | 42 | 41 | 60 | Semi-finals | |
| 2008–09 | 1D | 12 | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 49 | 48 | 46 | Round of 16 | |
| 2009–10 | 1D | 16 | 38 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 42 | 59 | 39 | Semi-finals | |
| 2010–11 | 1D | 12 | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 41 | 56 | 46 | Round of 32 | |
| 2011–12 | 1D | 20 | 42 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 28 | 63 | 27 | Round of 16 | Relegated |
| 2012–13 | 2D | 20 | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 38 | 51 | 46 | 3rd round | Relegated |
| 2013–14 | 3D | 1 | 36 | 17 | 15 | 4 | 55 | 27 | 66 | Quarterfinals | Promoted |
| 2014–15 | 2D | 19 | 42 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 42 | 53 | 44 | DNP | Relegated |
| 2015–16 | 3D | 1 | 38 | 21 | 11 | 6 | 58 | 28 | 74 | 1st round | |
| 2016–17 | 3D | 2 | 38 | 26 | 8 | 4 | 86 | 28 | 86 | Round of 32 | |
| 2017–18 | 3D | 5 | 38 | 20 | 8 | 10 | 44 | 33 | 68 | 1st round | |
| 2018–19 | 3D | 1 | 38 | 22 | 12 | 4 | 66 | 25 | 78 | Round of 32 | Promoted |
| 2019–20 | 2D | 22 | 42 | 5 | 18 | 19 | 39 | 56 | 33 | 1st round | Relegated |
| 2020–21 | 3D | 4 2 |
26 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 40 | 28 | 42 | 1st round | |
| 2021–22 | 3D | 1 | 38 | 25 | 7 | 6 | 61 | 31 | 82 | DNQ | Promoted |
| 2022–23 | 2D | 12 | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 39 | 40 | 54 | 2nd round | |
| 2023–24 | 2D | 7 | 42 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 63 | 55 | 64 | 1st round | |
| 2024–25 | 2D | 5 | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 65 | 51 | 71 | Round of 32 |
Racing de Santander has played:
- 44 seasons in La Liga (top division)
- 39 seasons in Segunda División (second division)
- 1 season in Primera División RFEF (third division)
- 7 seasons in Segunda División B (former third division)
- 4 seasons in Tercera División (former third division)
Club Honours and Trophies
Racing de Santander has won several titles throughout its history:
- La Liga
- Runners-up: 1930–31 (finished second)
- Segunda División
- Winners (2): 1949–50, 1959–60
- Promoted (6 times): 1972–73, 1974–75, 1980–81, 1983–84, 1992–93, 2001–02
- Tercera División/Segunda División B/Primera División RFEF (Third Tier)
- Winners (4): 1943–44, 1947–48, 1969–70, 2021–22
- Group Winners (4): 1990–91, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2018–19
- Promoted (6 times): 1943–44, 1947–48, 1969–70, 1990–91, 2013–14, 2018–19
- Cantabrian Championship
- Winners (13): 1922–23, 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1938–39, 1939–40
European Competitions
Racing de Santander has played in the UEFA Cup (now UEFA Europa League) once.
| Season | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | First round |  Honka |
1–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 |
| Group stage |  Twente |
0–1 | |||
 Schalke 04 |
1–1 | ||||
 Paris Saint-Germain |
2–2 | ||||
 Manchester City |
3–1 |
Current Team Squad
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Reserve Team Players
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Players Returning from Loan
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Current Coaching Staff
| Position | Staff |
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| Manager |  José Alberto López |
| Assistant manager | Pablo Álvarez |
| Goalkeeping coach | Pedro Dorronsoro |
| Fitness coach | Albert Tataret Dani Salvador |
| Analyst | Enric Soriano |
| Delegate | Delfín Calzada |
| Kit man | Sergio San Juan José Ruiz Manolo San Juan |
| Doctor | Gonzalo Revuelta |
| Rehab fitness coach | Hugo Camarero |
| Physiotherapist | Diego Ortiz Fran Ruiz Antonio Malanda |
| Nutritionist | Juan Carlos Llamas |
| Podiatrist | José Andreu |
Last updated: 20 November 2024
Source: Real Racing Club
Famous Former Players
This list includes players who have played in at least 100 league games for Racing or have played for their national teams.
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World Cup Players
These players were chosen to play for their country in the World Cup while they were playing for Racing Santander.
Mutiu Adepoju (1994)
Dmitri Radchenko (1994)- Dmitri Popov (1994)
Mario Regueiro (2002)
Mehdi Lacen (2010)
See also
In Spanish: Real Racing Club de Santander para niños
- Rayo Cantabria – Racing's reserve team
- CDE Racing Féminas – affiliated women's team
Images for kids
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Santander Racing Club squad of 1922. Fred Pentland (first on the left) was the coach of the team this year.
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Ángel Sánchez Losada, the first president of the club.
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Campos de Sport de El Sardinero before 1910.
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RC Racing de Santander first crest, 1913.
