1921-1930
The 1920's were chalk full of events
that would define Real Madrid. Most importantly, the construction of the old
Chamartín, which was considered a monumental undertaking at the time. With a
seating capacity of 15,000, the new stadium was a spectacular leap towards the
future. In the closing years of the decade, it was Ricardo Zamora's signing
that caused a national stir. In the sporting arena, Madrid, as always, were the
team to beat.
Santiago Bernabéu joins Atletico for
a year
Prior to the start of the 1920/21
season Santiago Bernabéu left the Madridista team for the first time since his
arrival in 1912, although fans did see him play in several friendlies with the
“eternal rival.” In 1921, and after donning the Athletic Madrid shirt for a
match against Español, the Spanish FA denied Bernabéu authorisation to play in
the semifinals of the Spanish Cup because one year had not yet passed since his
Madrid departure.
The first team to wear black
armbands
Nowadays it's very common to see
teams wearing black armbands as a sign of mourning. Madrid was the first team
to ever wear the armband for such use, and they were first seen in a match
against Athletic Madrid on 5 Match 1922, in honour of the deaths of Madridista
Sotero Aranguren and Bilbao player Rafael Moreno “Pichichi”.
Ruete keeps Bernabéu off national
team
After being called up several times
by the national team, Santiago Bernabéu could have made his debut with Spain
against Portugal in Lisbon on 17 December 1922. He was all dressed to play when
national coach Julián Ruete gave Pagaza the nod instead. “I was surprised that
they called me up, but even more so that they allowed me to dress but didn't
play me,” stated Bernabéu.
One year at the Ciudad Lineal
Velodrome
Real Madrid were forced to leave
O'Donnell Field in 1923 because the owner wanted to develop the land. The team,
therefore, moved to the Velodrome at Ciudad Lineal, which was the first grass
playing field they ever used. The grounds belonged to Arturo Soria's heirs, who
then rented it to Madrid. It measured 108 metres long by 68 metres wide, and
had enough room for 8,000 spectators.
Chamartín, a so-called crazy
undertaking
The construction of the field at
Chamartín was believed to be a crazy, monumental undertaking in 1924, but what
it really was a giant leap towards the future. It was inaugurated on 17 May
1924 with a match between Real Madrid and Newcastle United. The hosts defeated
the English side 3-2 in front of 15,000 onlookers, which was full-capacity for
the new Madridista field. In 1947, the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium was built on
top of parts of this land.
The first English tour
Businessman Enrique Alcaraz was
responsible for getting Real Madrid to play in England, the birthplace of
football, for the first time. Despite the fact that every match against the
English teams ended in defeat, the British press unanimously praised Real
Madrid's talent and playing style.
Pedro Parages banishes black shorts
because they are jinxed
Real Madrid had always dressed in
white, until the 1925/26 season, when the shorts of the official kit were
changed to black. A string of bad results led Club President Pedro Parages to
scratch the black shorts idea because he thought they were jinxed.
Coach Santiago Bernabéu
In 1926, Santiago Bernabéu was given
the head coaching job when President Luis Urquijo decided to replace Juan de
Cárcer. Then, in 1928, he was in charge of the team for three months after
taking over for José Ángel Berraondo. During the 1932/33 season, Bernabéu
became interim coach for one month between the departure of Lippo Hertzka and
the arrival of Robert E. Firth.
American tour stirs excitement
Real Madrid's first American tour
was a big hit in Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Cuba, Mexico and the United States.
During the three and a half months the team was on the two continents, they won
16 of the matches they played. José García Echaniz was responsible for the
Madridista expedition and Santiago Bernabéu was the Club representative.
The first Madrid-Atletico derby
Madrid and Atletico met for the
first time on 21 February 1929 in Matchday 3 of the League Championship at the
former Chamartín. It was the first official derby of the new tournament, and
Madrid won 2-1 thanks to a brace by Triana, while Marín scored the lone strike
for the Rojiblancos.
First League runner-up
Real Madrid led the first Spanish
football League for the first ten match days, and it looked like they would
easily win the League title. But the Madridistas were surpassed by Arenas de
Guecho and then Barcelona. Madrid retook the lead in the second-to-last
matchday by defeating Arenas in what was their best game of the season. But the
loss to Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés in the last match of the season kept
Madrid from winning the title. They had to settle for runner-up, just one point
behind Barcelona.
Zamora signing has national impact
The negotiations between Pablo
Hernández Coronado and Damián Canellas, technical secretaries of Real Madrid
and Español, respectively, produced the transfer of the legendary keeper to the
Madridista Club. The Zamora signing caused a national stir, as Madrid paid the
Catalan Club the astronomical figure of 150,000 pesetas (900€). “The Divine,”
as Zamora was also known, made his Real Madrid debut on 5 October 1930 against
Athletic Madrid in Matchday 4 of the Regional Championship.
Gaspar Rubio escapes Madrid
A strong adventurous spirit led
Gaspar Rubio, a goal-scoring genius at the end of the 1930's, to join two
friends and to jump aboard a Cuban-bound ship in La Coruña without Madrid's
permission. Once on the Caribbean island, Rubio joined Juventud Asturiana. The
Madridista Club reported him to FIFA, who forbade him from playing. Rubio then
left to Mexico, which had no affiliation with FIFA, to play for España. His
adventure came to an end on 10 April 1932. Madrid quickly snatched Gaspar Rubio
up, but transferred him to Athletic Madrid shortly thereafter.
Source : http://www.realmadrid.com
