Real Sociedad facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Real Sociedad

Full name	Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D.
Nickname(s)	Txuri-Urdin (The White and Blues) La Real / Erreala (The Royal)
Founded	7 September 1909; 115 years ago (7 September 1909) as Sociedad de Foot-Ball de San Sebastián
Ground	Reale Arena
Ground Capacity	39,500
President	Jokin Aperribay
Head coach	Sergio Francisco
League	La Liga
2022–23	La Liga, 4th of 20
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Real Sociedad de Fútbol, often called Real Sociedad, is a professional sports club from Donostia / San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain. It was started on September 7, 1909. The team plays its home games at the Anoeta Stadium.

Real Sociedad has won the La Liga title twice, in the 1980–81 and 1981–82 seasons. They also finished second in 1979–80, 1987–88, and 2002–03. The club has won the Copa del Rey three times: in 1909, 1987, and 2020. They have a big rivalry with Athletic Bilbao, playing in what is known as the Basque derby. Real Sociedad was one of the first teams to join La Liga in 1929. They stayed in the top league for 40 seasons, from 1967 to 2007.

For many years, the club only signed players from the Basque region. This changed in 1989 when they signed Irish player John Aldridge. Even today, many players are from the Basque Country, but the team also has players from other parts of Spain and from other countries. Their youth academy has helped develop famous players like Xabi Alonso and Antoine Griezmann, who both won the World Cup.

The club has played in the UEFA Champions League five times. In the 1981–82 season, they lost in the first round. The next season, they made it to the semi-finals. In 2003–04, they reached the round of 16. In 2013–14, they finished last in their group. Most recently, in the 2023–24 season, they reached the round of 16 but lost to PSG.

Besides football, Real Sociedad also has teams for other sports. These include track and field, field hockey, and basque pelota.

Club History and Achievements

How Real Sociedad Started

Real Sociedad team in 1912

Football came to San Sebastián in the early 1900s. Students and workers who had been in Britain brought the sport back with them. In 1904, they created the city's first football club, San Sebastián Recreation Club. This club played in the Copa del Rey in 1905.

In 1907, some players left to form a new team called San Sebastian Football Club. This team played in the 1909 Copa del Rey as Club Ciclista de San Sebastián. They won the final against Club Español de Madrid 3–1. A player named George McGuinness scored 6 goals in that tournament.

A few months after this win, the players started a new club called Sociedad de Futbol on September 7, 1909. In 1910, King Alfonso XIII gave the club his support. This is when the club became known as Real Sociedad de Fútbol, which means "Royal Society of Football."

Early Years in La Liga

Real Sociedad squad in the 1930–31 league season

Real Sociedad was one of the founding teams of La Liga in 1929. They finished fourth in their first season. In 1931, during the Second Spanish Republic, the club's name changed to Donostia Club de Futbol. After the Spanish Civil War ended in 1939, it changed back to Real Sociedad.

For many years, the team often moved between the top league (Primera División) and the second league (Segunda División). In the 1940s, they were relegated and promoted seven times! Interestingly, the famous sculptor Eduardo Chillida was the team's goalkeeper during this time, until an injury ended his football career.

The Golden Era of the 1980s

Real Sociedad had a very successful period in the 1980s. In the 1979–80 season, they finished second in La Liga, just one point behind Real Madrid.

The club won its first ever La Liga title in the 1980–81 season. They tied with Real Madrid on points, but Real Sociedad won because they had a better head-to-head record against Madrid. This victory allowed them to play in the 1981–82 European Cup, where they were knocked out early.

Real Sociedad supporters in San Sebastián

The team won the La Liga title again the very next season, in 1981–82. This time, they beat Barcelona to the title. The manager during these successful years was Alberto Ormaetxea. In the 1982–83 European Cup, they reached the semi-finals, losing to Hamburger SV. Real Sociedad also won the Supercopa de España in 1982, beating Real Madrid.

In 1987, Real Sociedad won its first Copa del Rey title. They beat Atlético Madrid in a penalty shootout after the game ended in a 2–2 draw. The next season, they reached the Copa del Rey final again but lost to Barcelona. In the 1987–88 La Liga season, they finished second in the league.

New Players and Continued Success

The Republic of Ireland international John Aldridge was Real Sociedad's first non-Basque player, and was the club's top scorer during both of his seasons from 1989 to 1991

For many years, Real Sociedad only signed players from the Basque region. This changed in 1989 when they signed Irish player John Aldridge from Liverpool. Aldridge was the club's top scorer in his first season. In 1990, they signed Dalian Atkinson, who became the club's first black player.

In the 1997–98 season, Real Sociedad finished third in La Liga. This was their best finish since 1988. This strong performance allowed them to play in the 1998–99 UEFA Cup, where they reached the third round.

Real Sociedad in the 21st Century

Mikel Oyarzabal, a key Real Sociedad player and Spanish national team member.

Xabi Prieto was a top goalscorer for Real Sociedad in the 21st century.

In the 2002–03 La Liga season, Real Sociedad finished second, just two points behind Real Madrid. This was their best finish since 1988. The team was managed by Raynald Denoueix from France. Key players included strikers Nihat Kahveci and Darko Kovačević, goalkeeper Sander Westerveld, and midfielder Xabi Alonso. Alonso was named the best Spanish player in the league that season.

A big moment that season was when Real Sociedad beat Real Madrid 4–2 at home. They were in first place until the second-to-last game, when they lost to Celta de Vigo. This meant Real Madrid won the title. However, finishing second allowed Real Sociedad to play in the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League. They made it to the last 16 before losing to Lyon.

After this successful season, the club's performance dropped, and they finished 15th in the league in 2003–04. In 2006–07, Real Sociedad was relegated from La Liga, ending their 40-year stay in the top division. They returned to La Liga for the 2010–11 season.

Antoine Griezmann playing for Real Sociedad in 2012

In the 2012–13 season, Real Sociedad finished fourth. This meant they qualified for the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League. They beat Lyon in the play-offs to reach the group stage, but they only earned one point in their group.

In November 2014, David Moyes became the new manager, but he was replaced by Eusebio Sacristán a year later. Sacristán was later dismissed, and Asier Garitano took over, but he also lasted only seven months.

On December 26, 2018, Imanol Alguacil, who used to manage the reserve team, became the head coach. Under his leadership, the team played an exciting, attacking style of football.

Real Sociedad won its third Copa del Rey on April 3, 2021. This final was delayed for almost a year due to COVID-19. They won against their rivals, Athletic Bilbao, in a Basque derby. In the 2022–23 season, the club finished fourth in La Liga. This qualified them for the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League, their first time in ten years. The 2024–25 season saw Real Sociedad finish 11th in La Liga and reach the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.

Home Stadium

View of the Anoeta Stadium.

Real Sociedad plays its home games at the Anoeta Stadium. The city council of San Sebastián owns this stadium.

Team Name and Colours

The club's full name, "Real Sociedad de Fútbol," means "Royal Society of Football" in Spanish. During the Second Spanish Republic in 1931, the name was changed to Donostia Club de Futbol, but it went back to Real Sociedad after the Spanish Civil War in 1939.

The team is often called Erreala or the txuri-urdin in Basque. Txuri-urdin means "white-blue," which are the colours of their uniform. These colours come from the flag of San Sebastián, which has a blue section on a white background.

Fan Support

A study in 2007 found that 1.3% of people in Spain felt Real Sociedad was their favourite club. Another 1.5% liked Real Sociedad more than any other club, besides their absolute favourite.

The club truly values its supporters. In December 2012, to show how important fans are, the players wore the names of randomly chosen club members on their shirts for a match against Sevilla. The club president, Jokin Aperribay, said, "The fans are the soul, the nourishment and the reason for Real Sociedad."

Club Trophies

Domestic Competitions

• La Liga (Top Spanish League)
  • Winners (2): 1980–81, 1981–82
• Segunda División (Second Spanish League)
  • Winners (3): 1948–49, 1966–67, 2009–10

Cup Competitions

• Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup)
  • Winners (3): 1909, 1986–87, 2019–20
• Supercopa de España (Spanish Super Cup)
  • Winners (1): 1982

Regional Competitions

• Gipuzkoa Championship
  • Winners (6): 1918–19, 1922–23, 1924–25, 1926–27, 1928–29, 1932–33

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Álex Remiro 2 DF Álvaro Odriozola 3 DF Aihen Muñoz 5 DF Igor Zubeldia (3rd captain) 6 DF Aritz Elustondo (vice-captain) 7 FW Ander Barrenetxea 8 MF Arsen Zakharyan 9 FW Orri Óskarsson 10 FW Mikel Oyarzabal (captain) 11 FW Sheraldo Becker 12 DF Javi López 13 GK Unai Marrero 14 FW Takefusa Kubo 17 FW Sergio Gómez

No. Position Player 18 DF Hamari Traoré 19 DF Jon Aramburu 20 DF Jon Pacheco 22 MF Beñat Turrientes 23 MF Brais Méndez 24 MF Luka Sučić 28 MF Pablo Marín 30 FW Mikel Goti 31 DF Jon Martín MF Jon Gorrotxategi MF Urko González de Zárate FW Carlos Fernández FW Jon Karrikaburu FW Umar Sadiq

Reserve Team

No. Position Player 32 GK Aitor Fraga 33 MF Jon Balda 34 DF Iñaki Rupérez 35 GK Egoitz Arana 37 DF Luken Beitia 40 FW Arkaitz Mariezkurrena

No. Position Player 41 FW Alex Marchal 43 FW Dani Díaz 44 MF Mikel Rodríguez 45 FW Ekain Orobengoa MF Alberto Dadie

Team Performance Over the Years

Recent Seasons in La Liga

Real Sociedad's finishing positions since the Spanish football league system began.

Season	Div.	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts	Cup	Europe		Notes
2013–14	1D	7th	38	16	11	11	62	55	59	Semi-final	UCL	Group stage
2014–15	1D	12th	38	11	13	14	44	51	46	Round of 16	UEL	Play-off round
2015–16	1D	9th	38	13	9	16	45	48	48	Round of 32
2016–17	1D	6th	38	19	7	12	59	53	64	Quarter-final
2017–18	1D	12th	38	14	7	17	66	59	49	Round of 32	UEL	Round of 32
2018–19	1D	9th	38	13	11	14	45	46	50	Round of 16
2019–20	1D	6th	38	16	8	14	56	48	56	Winners
2020–21	1D	5th	38	17	11	10	59	38	62	Round of 16	UEL	Round of 32
2021–22	1D	6th	38	17	11	10	40	37	62	Quarter-finals	UEL	Knockout round play-offs
2022–23	1D	4th	38	21	8	9	51	35	71	Quarter-finals	UEL	Round of 16
2023–24	1D	6th	38	16	12	10	51	39	60	Semi-final	UCL	Round of 16
2024–25	1D	11th	38	13	7	18	35	46	46	Semi-final	UEL	Round of 16

Real Sociedad has played 79 seasons in La Liga and 16 seasons in Segunda División.

European Competition Record

Real Sociedad has played in European competitions many times. Here's their overall record:

Source: UEFA.com
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal Difference.

Coaching Staff and Managers

Current Coaching Staff

Position	Staff
Director of football	Roberto Olabe
Head coach	Sergio Francisco
Assistant coach	Iosu Rivas Felipe Sánchez Mateos Xabier Ruiz Ocenda
Fitness coach	David Casamichana Iñigo Almandoz
Chief analyst	Jose Rodriguez
Match analyst	Héctor Ibáñez
Mental coach	Imanol Ibarrondo
Goalkeeper coach	Jon Alemán
Scout	Mikel Aranburu
Match delegate	Miguel Díaz
Kitman	José Luis Sánchez Pablo Marañón Ion Jabat
Doctor	Xabi Valencia
Physiotherapist	Imanol Soroa Iñaki Ayuela Jon Igarzabal Iñigo Murua
Nutritionist	Natalia Ibáñez
Rehab fitness coach	Alain Gandiaga
Delegate	Juantxo Trezet
Loan player manager	Gorka Larrea

Recent Coaches

• Imanol Alguacil (December 2018 – May 2025)
• Asier Garitano (May 2018 – December 2018)
• Eusebio (November 2015 – March 2018)
• David Moyes (November 2014 – November 2015)
• Jagoba Arrasate (July 2013 – November 2014)
• Philippe Montanier (July 2011 – June 2013)
• Martín Lasarte (July 2009 – June 2011)
• Juanma Lillo (April 2008 – June 2009)
• Chris Coleman (July 2007 – January 2008)
• Miguel Ángel Lotina (October 2006 – June 2007)
• José Mari Bakero (March 2006 – October 2006)
• Raynald Denoueix (July 2002 – June 2004)
• The current head coach is Sergio Francisco, who started in May 2025.

Player Statistics

Most Appearances for the Club

Rank	Player	Matches
1	Alberto Górriz	599
2	Juan Antonio Larrañaga	589
3	Jesús María Zamora	588
4	Luis Arconada	551
5	Xabi Prieto	529
6	Miguel Fuentes	495
7	Roberto López Ufarte	474
8	Agustín Gajate	469
9	Inaxio Kortabarria	442
10	Mikel Aranburu	427

Top Goal Scorers

Rank	Player	Goals
1	Jesús María Satrústegui	162
2	Roberto López Ufarte	129
3	Cholín	127
4	Mikel Oyarzabal	115
5	Sebastián Ontoria	114
6	Paco Bienzobas	107
7	Darko Kovačević	107
8	Pedro Uralde	100
9	José Mari Bakero	91
10	José Mari Pérez	84

Famous Former Players

This list includes players who played in at least 100 league games or played for their national team.

Club Presidents

More About Real Sociedad

• Real Sociedad B – This is the club's main reserve team.
• Real Sociedad C – This is the club's second reserve team.
• Real Sociedad cantera – This is the club's youth system, where young players train.
• Real Sociedad Femenino – This is the club's women's football team.

See also

In Spanish: Real Sociedad de Fútbol para niños