RC Celta de Vigo

History

Foundation

RC Celta de Vigo was formed as a result of the ambition of Vigo's teams to achieve more at national level, where the Basque sides had been their bête noire in the Spanish Championship. The idea was to merge both Vigo-based teams, Real Vigo Sporting and Real Club Fortuna de Vigo, to create a more powerful team at national level. The standard-bearer of this movement was Manuel de Castro, known as "Handicap", a sports writer for the Faro de Vigo who, from 1915, began to write in his articles about the need for a unitarian movement. The slogan of his movement was "Todo por y para Vigo" ("All by and for Vigo"), which eventually found support among the managers of both clubs. It was backed unanimously when De Castro himself presented the motion at the assembly of the Royal Spanish Football Federation in Madrid on 22 June 1923.

On 12 July 1923, the merger was approved at the annual general meetings of Vigo and Fortuna, held at the Cine Odeón and Hotel Moderno, respectively. At the last general meeting of Fortuna and Vigo, which approved the formation of the new club and was held on 10 August, the members decided on the name and colours of the team. Among the various names proposed were Club Galicia, Real Atlético FC, Real Club Olímpico, Breogán and Real Club Celta. The latter two names were the most liked and in the end they decided on Club Celta, an ethnic race linked to Galicia. The first president of Celta was Manuel Bárcena de Andrés, the Count of Torre Cedeira. This assembly also decided on the squad, which totaled 64 players and included some important players from Fortuna and Vigo, and was managed by Francis Cuggy. Their first match was a friendly against Portuguese side Boavista, which Celta won 8–2.

In January 1927, Celta won the 'Copa del Rey Alfonso XIII' trophy after defeating the English sailors team 4–1.

In 1947–48, Celta ranked fourth, the club's joint highest ever finish, and reached the Copa del Generalísimo final, where they lost 4–1 to Sevilla FC. Local striker Pahiño, who took the Pichichi Trophy for 21 goals in 22 games that season, subsequently moved to Real Madrid.

EuroCelta and subsequent decline

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Celta were dubbed "EuroCelta" by the Spanish press as a result of their European performance. This included a 4–1 aggregate win against Liverpool in a run to the quarter-finals of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup. In the next season's edition they again reached the last eight, with a 4–0 second leg win over Juventus and a 7–0 home win against Benfica (8–1 on aggregate). Domestically, the team reached the 2001 Copa del Rey final, losing 3–1 to Real Zaragoza in Seville.

Key players during the period included Alexander Mostovoi, Valery Karpin and Haim Revivo, though the squad also relied upon other international players as well, such as goalkeeper Pablo Cavallero; defender and future coach Eduardo Berizzo, midfielders Claude Makélélé and Mazinho; winger Gustavo López; and strikers Catanha and Lyuboslav Penev, amongst others.

In 2002–03, under manager Miguel Ángel Lotina, Celta ranked fourth, their highest finish since 1948, and qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League. They reached the round of 16, where they were eliminated by Arsenal 5–2 on aggregate. Domestically that year, the team came 19th and suffered relegation to the Segunda División. Although the squad was heavily dismantled following the demotion, Celta earned an immediate return to the top flight after finishing second in 2004–05.

In 2006–07, Celta finished 18th and were once again relegated to the Segunda División. The team subsequently fought against relegation to the third tier, and the risk of bankruptcy. This trend was bucked in the 2010–11 season, when new striker David Rodríguez, winger Enrique de Lucas and manager Paco Herrera helped them finish sixth. They were eliminated in the first knockout round by Granada after a penalty shoot-out, the game having finished 1–1 in 90 minutes.

Return to La Liga and Europe

On 3 June 2012, Celta returned to La Liga after a five-year absence. In their first season after returning to the top flight, they avoided relegation to the Segunda División on the final day after beating RCD Espanyol 1–0 to ensure a 17th-place finish.

Under "EuroCelta" veteran Eduardo Berizzo in 2015–16, Celta finished sixth for their best result in a decade and earned a spot in the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League. In their return to European competitions, Celta reached the semi-finals of the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, where they were eliminated by eventual champions Manchester United.

Celta avoided relegation on the final day of the season in 2019 and 2020, with the goals of local forward Iago Aspas being crucial in both seasons. In late 2023, shortly after the club's centenary, Carlos Mouriño resigned the presidency that he had held since 2006, ceding it to his daughter Marián as the first woman in the office. In 2024–25, Celta finished seventh and qualified for the Europa League for the first time in nine years.

Identity

Crest

Celta's original crest was rather simple, featuring a red shield with two stylised letter Cs (Club Celta) and the royal crown of Spain; in the year of its foundation, the club became one of a number of Spanish football clubs to be granted patronage by Alfonso XIII and thus the right to use the honorific real (Royal) in its name and the crown on its badge. The following year the shield's colour was changed to the traditional sky blue colour. Like many other Galician clubs, such as Compostela and Racing Ferrol, the crest also features the red cross of Saint James which was added in 1928. During the Spanish Second Republic (1931–1936), the honorific title and crown were removed from the club's name and crest; however, it was to return under the Spanish State.

Kit

Celta's home colours are sky blue and white. Originally, their home strip consisted of a red shirt, black shorts and blue socks. This was later changed at an unknown date to the current colours, representative of the Galician flag.

Celta had the longest-running sponsorship deal in Spanish football, and one of the longest-running in the world, with the French automobile manufacturer Citroën from 1985 to 2016. The company established its plant within walking distance from Balaídos in 1958, and had first sponsored the club's women's basketball team in 1980. In 2016, the sponsor was changed to that of Galician brewery, Estrella Galicia, which had advertised on the back of the shirts since 2011. Their business deal with kit supplier, Umbro, was also one of the longest-running ones, from 1986 to 2010.

Players

First-team squad

Reserve team

Main article: RC Celta Fortuna

Out on loan

Records

Club

As of 29 January 2026

• Most league goals: 199, Iago Aspas (2008–2013, 2015–present)
• Most La Liga goals: 165, 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, 23 October 1949)
• Biggest away win in top division: 6–1, achieved on two occasions:
  • Against Las Palmas, 6 October 1957
  • Against Athletic Bilbao, 24 March 2002
• Biggest defeat in top division: 0–10 (against Athletic Bilbao, 11 January 1942)
• Most home points in a season (top division): 46 (1997–98)
• Most away points in a season (top division): 27 (2015–16)

Individual

As of 29 January 2026. All current players are in bold.

;Most appearances

;Most goals scored

Internationals playing at Celta

The following past and present Celta players have been capped at full international level while playing for the club.

Management

Ownership

Real Club Celta de Vigo, S.A.D. is a sociedad anónima deportiva, a public limited sports company, owned by the Spanish-Mexican businessman Carlos Mouriño, who has been the majority shareholder since May 2006 when he acquired Horacio Gómez's 39.84% shareholding in the club. He currently owns 67.9% of the club through the holding company Grupo Corporativo Ges, S.L.

In October 2016, the club was the subject of a potential €100 million takeover by the Chinese CITS Group.

Board of directors

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List of head coaches

List of Celta de Vigo head coaches since 1923.

Honours

National titles

• Segunda División
  • Winners: 1935–36, 1981–82, 1991–92
• Segunda División B
  • Winners: 1980–81
• Tercera División
  • Winners: 1930–31
• Copa del Rey
  • 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

Seasons

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• 60 seasons in La Liga
• 32 seasons in Segunda División
• 1 season in Segunda División B
• 1 season in Tercera División

European competitions

All results (home and away) list Celta's goal tally first.

References

References

1. "Club history". RC Celta de Vigo.
2. "Instalaciones". RC Celta de Vigo.
3. (23 August 2013). ""Todo por y para Vigo"".
4. "El Mundo Deportivo, 24 January 1927".
5. "Spain, Final Tables 1939–1949".
6. (12 June 2012). "Fallece Pahíño [''sic''], histórico goleador del fútbol español". Marca.
7. (6 May 2015). "Steven Gerrard Liverpool farewell: full Reds debut was only time 'I was pleased to be substituted'". Liverpool Echo.
8. (25 November 2019). "Celta 7–0 Benfica foi há 20 anos. Da volta triunfal à goleada sem volta". Diário de Notícias.
9. (1 July 2001). "El Zaragoza vence al Celta y levanta su quinta Copa del Rey". El País.
10. (10 March 2004). "Arsenal 2-0 Celta Vigo". BBC Sport.
11. (25 May 2004). "Relegated Celta expect exodus". UEFA.
12. (18 June 2005). "Spanish duo celebrate promotion". UEFA.
13. (9 November 2007). "El Celta pide que las instituciones le saquen de la quiebra económica". La Voz de Galicia.
14. (28 January 2014). "A trip down memory lane for Granada and Celta". La Liga.
15. (3 June 2012). "Celta back in La Liga after five-year absence".
16. (3 June 2013). "Celta Vigo defy odds as four becomes relegated three in La Liga finale". The Guardian.
17. (14 May 2016). "Berizzo feliz con el nivel del Celta: "Hicimos una temporada brillante"". Prensa Fútbol.
18. (11 May 2017). "Manchester United 1–1 Celta Vigo". BBC Sport.
19. (20 May 2019). "Iago Aspas y la afición salvan un pésimo año". La Voz de Galicia.
20. (17 July 2020). "Las cuentas de la salvación, ¿qué resultados le valen al Celta?". Faro de Vigo.
21. (10 November 2023). "Carlos Mouriño cedió la presidencia del Celta a Marián Mouriño a finales de septiembre". La Voz de Galicia.
22. (31 May 2025). "Marián Mouriño, optimista coas contas do Celta despois da clasificación para Europa". G24.
23. "Historia del R.C. Celta de Vigo".
24. (22 August 2016). "Orígenes y escudo del Celta de Vigo".
25. (17 February 2009). "Celta de Vigo".
26. (2016-05-31). "Citroën abandona la camiseta del Celta".
27. (1 June 2016). "Adiós a un patrocinador histórico: Tras 31 años con Citroën". Sport.
28. (1 July 2010). "El Celta y Umbro concluyen un cuarto de siglo de relación comercial". Faro de Vigo.
29. "Primer equipo – Jugadores". RC Celta de Vigo.
30. "Celta de Vigo, Real Club Celta de Vigo – Statistics".
31. "Iago Aspas, Iago Aspas Juncal – Footballer".
32. "Manolo, Manuel Rodríguez Alfonso – Footballer".
33. "Fútbol – Primera División de España – La Liga 1997/1998 – Resultados detallados".
34. "Fútbol – Primera División de España – La Liga 2015/2016 – Resultados detallados".
35. "Celta de Vigo – Players".
36. "General Information for Celta Vigo".
37. (2020-11-24). "El Grupo GES aumenta hasta el 67,9 % su pastel en el accionariado del club".
38. (15 October 2016). "Mouriño cuadruplicará su inversión en el Celta si vende sus acciones a CITS". [[Mundo Deportivo]].
39. (14 December 2023). "Marián Mouriño muestra su "confianza plena en Benítez hasta final de temporada"".
40. "Managers Celta de Vigo".
41. "Celta Vigo – Manager history".
42. (9 November 2020). "Celta Vigo have chosen title-winning Argentine as new boss".
43. (12 November 2020). "Celta Vigo announce arrival of new coach Eduardo Coudet until 2022".
44. (10 June 2023). "Carvalhal leaves Celta Vigo by mutual consent".
45. (23 June 2023). "Rafa Benitez: Celta Vigo name former Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea boss as manager".
46. (12 March 2024). "Rafa Benitez sacked as Celta Vigo manager".
47. (12 March 2024). "Giraldez named new Celta Vigo coach after Benitez sacking".
48. "Spain – List of Champions of Galicia".
49. "Hemeroteca Digital. Biblioteca Nacional de España".
50. (4 January 2007). "El Celta alza la Copa Xunta".
51. (21 May 2008). "El Celta revalida ante el Deportivo su título de campeón de la Copa Galicia".
52. "Trofeo Ciudad de Vigo".
53. "Memorial Quinocho".
54. ":: Troféo Luis Otero :: Pontevedra – Espanha".
55. "Trofeo Emma Cuervo".
56. (11 August 2016). "Trofeo Tim al Celta Vigo, Sassuolo rimonta Milan".
57. "Trofeo Teresa Herrera".
58. "Trofeo Xacobeo 1999".
59. (13 August 2019). "El Celta se lleva con merecimiento el Trofeo Federación Galega ante el Deportivo".
60. (22 July 2016). "El Celta de Vigo se coronó campeón de la Copa Comunidad Gallega disputada en Montevideo".