RCDE
History
Founded by young catalan students
RCD Espanyol de Barcelona is one of the most ancient and important Football clubs in La Liga. In Ángel Rodríguez founded the Sociedad Española de Football, a club of university students keen to play a new sport that had been recently imported from England. He called it Sociedad Española de Football to differentiate it from other clubs in Barcelona, whose players were mostly foreigners. After some slight changes in its name, the club became Reial Club Deportivo Espanyol in when King Alfonso XIII bestowed the royal title upon the club.
Yellow, club’s original colour
Despite RCD Espanyol of Barcelona nowadays dresses white and blue, yellow was the club original colour, for the simple reason that was the colour of the piece of material that one of the first season ticket holder gave to the club to make this first kits. Further on, they wore white t-shirt and blue trousers and, in they changed to the current colours white and but, the ones Roger de Llúria showed in his shield.
Great players
For well over 100 years, Espanyol has had players well-known around the world. Possibly the first and great blue and white idol was the goal-keeper Ricardo Zamora. After him, other players such as the international Alfredo di Stefano, Kubala, N’Kono… joined the club.
Great football academy
The club counts with a second team, Espanyol B, twelve Academy teams, ladies’ teams and a football school. All of them train and play their matches as home teams in Dani Jarque’s training facilities, inaugurated on
From Sarrià to the Olympic Stadium
The present RCD Espanyol started playing their matches in a big esplanade, near to the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. From and to the season Sarrià Stadium, familiarly known as ‘Can Ràbia’ or ‘la Bombonera’, at Ricardos Zamora’s square was the club’s ground.
In the club was forced to sell Sarria and moved to the Lluís Companys’ Olympic Stadium, where RCD Espanyol played their matches until season with a regular assistance of 22,500 people per match. During these twelve years, the team was able to achieve great success as the Spanish Cup and or when we qualified to the UEFA Final Cup in tournament in which they didn’t register any defeat.
In Montjuïc we also lived wonderful moments like the team's salvation in thanks to Tamudo's goal against Murcia, Coro's goal in injury time against Real Sociedad that allowed RCD Espanyol to continue in the First Division in the year and face the way to our new house in Cornellà – El Prat, where the club moved on
Four Cup Titles: and
In RCD Espanyol won the Macaya Cup. In the team won its first Spanish Cup, a title it would win again in in – during the celebration of its foundation – and in In the club was the UEFA Cup runner-up. In the Club reached the UEFA Cup Final against Sevilla F. C. Our club stood up for not suffering any defeat along the competition.
Twice finalist of the UEFA Cup
RCD Espanyol has been twice finalist of the UEFA Cup. In with Javier Clemente as manager, the team played against Bayer Leverkusen and in with Ernesto Valverde on the bench, against Sevilla F. C. The white and blue team got to this final without losing a single match throughout the several draws.
A new stadium defines the club’s future
Early in RCD Espanyol of Barcelona announced the start of the formalities for the construction of their new Stadium of their own at the Municipality of Cornellà – El Prat, close to Barcelona city. After long administrative procedures, in works started also the countdown for its inauguration. The new ground project establishes the beginning of a new era for the espanyolisme, as the Club is now the owner of his home: the Stadium RCD Espanyol of Cornellà – El Prat, the most modern ground across Spain, with 40,000 people capacity and 4-star category in accordance with UEFA catalogue. On the new Stadium RCDE Cornellà – El Prat was inaugurated. Espanyol defeated Liverpool (3–0) in a friendly match. The first official match took place the against Real Madrid.
Source: rcdespanyol.com