Real Madrid History From 1941 to 1950

1931-1940

The Birth Of Legendery Team

Invented by Canadian-born James Naismith in 1891, basketball took three decades to make its way to Spain. In the late 1920s, and as a result of the sport’s growing popularity, Ángel Cabrera proposed to Real Madrid that the club start its own team. From there a team was created that proved decisive in making basketball such a popular sport in Spain. A sport that would become legendary.

Cabrera, a Spaniard who had been playing basketball in Argentina, was given the go ahead by the Real Madrid board at the time to create the first teams. On the 8th of March 1931 an advertisement was placed in the daily newspaper ABC which said the following: “Men who are interested in practicing this sport are kindly asked to visit the club secretary, Caballero de Gracia, 15, to receive further instructions”.

THE CAMPEONATO DE CASTILLA Real Madrid and Rayo Club de Madrid, the two big teams from the centre in the thirties

At the beginning, basketball’s evolution in Spain was helped on by the efforts of individuals. Cabrera, the founder of the basketball project, not only played but was also a driving force behind the Federación de Castilla. One of his first teammates, Segundo Braña, became the team’s first coach in 1935. The dedication of these pioneers helped basketball really get a foothold in Real Madrid and gradually helped it become a hugely popular sport all over Spain.

BRAVE PIONEERS In its first years in Spain, basketball was played outdoors and on grass

THE FIRST BIG RIVALRY

Real Madrid began to compete in the Castilla Championship, where the team’s first big rivalry was with Rayo Club de Madrid. Both teams fought it out to be the best side in the region for years. The Whites won their first title against Rayo in the final of the Castilla Championship in 1933 (the third edition of the competition). Real Madrid won 22-16 with Filipino Juan Castellví putting in a MVP performance. Also playing for the Whites were Braña, Máximo Arnáiz, ‘Tano’ Ortega and Juan Negrín, son of the soon to be Spanish prime minister. The sides met again in the final of the Spanish Championship, however, on this occasion the Whites were beaten to the title. This great rivalry lasted right up until Rayo disbanded in 1941.

The first big rivalry

FROM OUTDOORS TO THE FRONTON COURT

Basketball in Spain was initially played outdoors, on earthen or clay courts, with wooden backboards. Some players would play with a beret, knee guards and rope-soled sandals. Real Madrid’s first court was situated on land close to one of the stands of the Chamartín Stadium. Onlookers would have to crowd around the court to see the pioneers of what was at the time an exotic sport. In 1939 the Whites moved their games to the now-extinct Recoletos Fronton. Frontons were not the only enclosures transformed into basketball courts. In April of 1933 a crowd of 14,000 fans attended a game between a selection of players from Madrid and Lisbon at the Goya Bullring. Basketball was initially played outdoors in Spain on homemade grass or ash courts and with wooden backboards. Some players used to compete in games wearing a beret, kneepads and sandals. Real Madrid’s first basketball court was located near the stands of the Chamartin football stadium. To watch these pioneers play this new, exotic sport, spectators had to crowd together by the side of the court. In 1939 the Whites began playing in the now defunct Frontón Recoletos. Fronton courts weren’t the only places that were adapted to make basketball courts, in April 1933, 14,000 spectators crowded into the Plaza de Toros de Goya (The Goya Bullring) to watch Madrid and Lisbon take each other on.

From outdoors to the fronton court

 REGIONAL RUNNERS-UP The 1932 Real Madrid basketball squad. At the time the team's white shirts included a central purple band 

THE FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING TEAM Filipino Juan Castellví, with the ball in his hands, heading the team that won the 1933 Campeonato de Castilla

HONOURS

Castile Championship1

1941-1950

                                    The section was consolidated in the 40s

With the help of players from different colonial outposts, Real Madrid managed to win three Castilla Championships between 1942 and 1944. It was the first period during which the team really dominated. Already established as one of the references of Spanish basketball, the Whites were missing something in order to be truly dominant. And that was about to come.

Ortega, the Filipino Castellví and Arnáiz

Basketball was late coming to Spain, but the Civil War delayed its full implementation even further. When the fighting stopped, Real Madrid and Rayo resumed their rivalry. With the latter going defunct in the early 1940s, brothers Pedro and Emilio Alonso along with their cousin Claudio moved across town to join the Whites. From sworn enemies to powerful allies.

 

RUN FOR IT A Real Madrid player starts a counter attack in the 1940 Campeonato de Castilla

The Alonsos, who were originally from Cuba, were hugely important for Real Madrid as the team won three Castilla Championships (1942, 43 and 44). The club repeated that success at the end of the decade with another three Castilla Championships (1948, 49 and 50), and thereby cemented its status as central Spain’s basketballing superpower. There was still more to come.

RUNNERS-UP IN THE CUP In 1940 Real Madrid played in the final of the Copa del Generalísimo against Español

REINFORCEMENTS FROM OVERSEAS

A lot of the star players during this period were either from or descended from the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico. These children of emigrants, who moved to Madrid to go to university, had an advantage in terms of playing basketball. Given that the sport was invented and developed in the USA and Canada, it arrived to the aforementioned countries, which had stronger ties with North America, sooner than Spain. Juan Castellví, Edy Hernández-Villamil and Kaimo were Filipino. Freddy Borrás was Puerto Rican. Pedro, Emilio and Claudio Alonso were born in Cuba to Basque parents. These players helped secure the club’s first titles.

  TRIPLE CHAMPIONS OF CASTILLA With the arrival of Pedro (no. 3) and Emilio Alonso (top right) Real Madrid won the 1942, 43 and 44 Campeonato de Castillas

THE WOMEN’S TEAM, ALSO SUCCESSFUL

In 1934 Real Madrid inaugurated a new part of the club, the women’s basketball team. During this time women had a league of their own. The female game was initially played with some slightly different rules: six players instead of five, a court divided into three zones, access to which was dependent on the player’s position, and a restriction of only one bounce of the ball at a time. The Real Madrid women's team won the Castilla Championship in its founding year. In 1943, as well as lifting the Castilla Championship, the team finished runner-ups in Spain. However, the team disbanded in 1944.

THE BEST ONCE AGAIN In 1947 Real Madrid won the Campeonato Regional again. It would repeat the feat in the following two years SiguienteAnterior

HONOURS

Castile Championships       6

1951-1960

Saporta was the section's greatest asset

The Real Madrid basketball team received a major boost in 1952 with the arrival of Raimundo Saporta. The administrator was a visionary who provided the team with resources and helped shape its identity. Among his many merits, he entrusted another Spanish basketballing genius, Pedro Ferrandiz, with taking charge of the team. Together they built a Madrid side that would win in Spain and Europe.

Ferrándiz, the clairvoyant coach Freddy Borrás receives the 1954 Copa

In 1952, to mark the club’s Golden Jubilee, Santiago Bernabéu  wanted to organise a great basketball tournament. Jesus Querejeta, the president of the Federation at the time, recommended that he talk with a young administrator, Raimundo Saporta. The tournament was such a resounding success that the president of the Whites immediately grasped what it meant for Real Madrid.

 

 THE FIRST GREAT DECADE With the emergence of Raimundo Saporta, Real Madrid progressed during the fifties to become the best team in Spain

Saporta was an important figure in all the different areas of the club, but basketball had a special place in his heart. He spearheaded the creation of the National League (1957) and the European Championship Cup (1958), competitions in which his club triumphed. His philosophy always attracted the best. His dream was that the basketball team would match the football team’s success.

RAINING TITLES In the middle of the fifties the titles started to flow. In this picture Joaquín Hernández picks up the 1956 Copa del Generalísimo 

During this period another hugely important man in the basketball team’s history made his way to Real Madrid, Pedro Ferrandiz. After training with the White’s youth academy, the Alicante native took charge of the first team for the 1958-59 season. Shrewd and intelligent, he knew how to make Saporta’s ambitious dreams for team a reality. He won four European Championship Cups, twelve League Cups and eleven Copas de España (Spanish Cups) during his thirteen seasons on the Real Madrid bench.

 THE FIRST LEAGUE Real Madrid won the first National League, created in the 1956-57 season at the proposal of Saporta

THE FIESTA ALEGRE CALDRON

In 1952 Real Madrid moved to the Frontón Fiesta Alegre, which was also known as Jai Alai, which acted as the team’s home for nearly fifteen years. It was a small building that held 2,500 spectators, and where the team played on a two-walled Fronton (Basque Pelota) court. On matchdays it was like an inferno. The cement court, heat and pressure cooker like atmosphere from the fans, made it a very difficult place for opposing teams to come to. The Fiesta Alegre witnessed some incredible comebacks, especially against European teams.

The Fiesta Alegre caldron

FIRST STEPS IN THE EUROPEAN CUP

Real Madrid made its debut in the European Championship Cup on the 12th of March 1958, and did so as the champion of the National League which was inaugurated a year beforehand. Ignacio Pinedo’s men had no problem getting through the first two rounds of the competition but the run came to an end in the semi-finals. The Spanish government would not allow Madrid to play against ASK Riga for political reasons. As a result, the Soviet team reached the final where it won the first of three straight European Championship Cups. In 1961 the teams met each other in the semi-finals again, but this time Saporta had the idea of playing the game in a neutral venue. Both sides won a game each but ASK Riga’s greater points total meant they went to the final.

First steps in the European Cup

THE BEST TEAM AND BEST YOUTH ACADEMY

Real Madrid’s basketballing progress wasn’t just the result of the team’s ability to sign good players, throughout the fifties the club worked hard on expanding its youth academy. More teams were created and tournaments were organised to attract new talent. The fruits of this new policy were for all to see in the final of the 1960 Copa de España (Spanish Cup). Real Madrid sent Barcelona out in the semi-finals and then met its own reserve team in the final. On its way to the final, Hesperia, led by a young Lolo Sainz, knocked out the previous year’s finalist (Aismalíbar) and the 1958 champion (Juventud Badalona). The ‘more senior’ side ended up winning the title (76-64). The White youth and reserve teams continued to achieve great results and, more importantly, kept providing the first team with good players.

The best team and best youth academy

 BÁEZ, THE VITAL PIVOT After arriving from Puerto Rico in 1957, Johnny Báez astonished everyone with his physique and technique. In three seasons Madrid won two leagues and a cup SiguienteAnterior

HONOURS

National League   3

 

Spanish Cup         6

 

Latin Cup             1

1961-1970

With full backing from the club, which was secured by Saporta, coupled with the intelligence of Ferrándiz, Real Madrid put a legendary team together. It was the decade of Emiliano, Luyk, Sevillano and Brabender, who helped the team dominate in Spain and grow in prestige on the continent until finally winning its first European Championship Cup in 1964. After that, the team’s success snowballed.

Real Madrid was the first Western European side to reach the final of the European Championship Cup. The Spaniards lost the 1962 and 1963 finals to Dinamo Tblisi and CSKA Moscow. Up until that point teams from the Soviet bloc had dominated the international scene but in 1964 they temporarily withdrew from the competition to concentrate on preparations for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

 

Madrid, for its part, prepared for its third straight European Championship Cup final against Czech side Spartak Brno. With Ferrándiz taking up director duties, Joaquín Hernández was the first team coach, and had Emiliano, Luyk and Bob Burgess playing out of their skins. After losing by 11 points in the first leg, Madrid finally etched its name on the trophy it helped create by winning the return leg in the Fiesta Alegre by 20 points.

 

A year later, with the Soviets back in the competition, Madrid confirmed its status as the best club on the continent. Taking on the mighty CSKA Moscow, in a repeat of the 1963 final, colossal performances from Emiliano and Luyk resulted in the title going to the Whites yet again. The Real Madrid basketball team would continue to dominate the European game during the sixties and seventies.

FERRÁNDIZ’S SCOUTING MISSIONS

Pedro Ferrándiz made multiple trips to the United States in search of players who could help improve his team. His reconnaissance missions resulted in him bringing the first great American player to Europe, Wayne Hightower. The pivot was going to play for the Harlem Globetrotters while he waited for permission to compete in the NBA, but Ferrándiz convinced to come to Spain instead after flying out to Hightower’s native Philadelphia. The American only played for Madrid for one season (1961-62), during which he was the top scorer in the Liga Nacional (domestic league) and also helped Madrid reach its first ever European Championship Cup final. Ferrándiz’s subsequent trips were even more successful. During his trips to American, Ferrandiz’s persuasive skills resulted in the club signing future legends like Luyk Clifford (1962), Wayne Brabender (1967) and Walter Szczerbiak (1973), as well as many other valuable players.

A STEP AHEAD OF THE REST

Pedro Ferrándiz was always a step ahead of the rest. A good example of this was during the first leg of the round of 16 in the 1962 European Championship Cup against Varese. With the score tied and with just a few seconds left on the clock, Ferrándiz ordered Lorenzo Alocén to score into his own basket so as to avoid extra time, which he thought would be harmful to his team. Madrid lost the game, but only by two points, a deficit it overcame in the Fiesta Alegre in the return leg. As a result of that play, FIBA was forced to change its rules.

A NEW HOME, A NEW TOURNAMENT

On the 6th of January 1966 Real Madrid inaugurated the Ciudad Deportiva basketball arena. With twice the capacity of the Fiesta Alegre, it was the first court that officially belonged to the team. To celebrate the opening, Raimundo Saporta devised an international tournament with Ignis Varese from Italy, Corinthians from Brazil and the Chicago Jamaco Saints, which was initially called the Intercontinental Cup. This competition acted as the forerunner to the Christmas Tournament, which the club would go on to organise until 2004. Throughout these four decades the best teams in the world came to the Spanish capital each year to take on Real Madrid. It became a tradition that enhanced the prestige of the club and helped grow the profile of basketball in Spain.

A POKER OF TITLES AGAINST THE ODDS

The format of the European Championship Cup changed so that the final would now be decided in a single match. In 1967, Real Madrid hosted the final of the tournament, which acted as an advantage. The Whites won their third continental title in four years on their own court against Simmenthal Milano. However, repeating that success seemed very unlikely in 1968. Madrid reached the final once again, but Carlos Sevillano was seriously injured and Emiliano was suffering with a back problem. Spartak Brno was the favourite to lift the title, but Ferrándiz’s men still managed to fight their way to victory. Having played in eleven editions of the tournament, Real Madrid now had four titles to its name, making it the true ruler of the continent.

HONOURS

European Cups   4

 

National League  9

 

Spanish Cup        6

 

Christmas Tournaments   4

1971-1980

Real Madrid’s dominance on the domestic and international stages continued into the seventies. First with Pedro Ferrándiz in charge, and then with his successor on the bench, Lolo Sainz, the Whites tasted success season after season. Another three European Championship Cups made the team from the Spanish capital the most decorated club on the continent.

Real Madrid cemented its dominance over Spanish basketball throughout the seventies. Changes to the squad didn’t seem to affect the results. While Sevillano, Emiliano and Luyk all eventually retired, there were always other great players coming in to pick up the baton.

 

The same was true of the team’s management. After winning the National League and the Copa de España in 1975, Pedro Ferrandiz became a sporting director and appointed a successor, Lolo Sainz, who had been his assistant up until that point. The team’s winning mentality continued with the former Madrid point guard at the helm. Sainz remained in office until the end of the 1988-89 season.

AN UNSTOPPABLE CYCLE

While the sixties was a successful decade, the seventies were not far behind. Between 1970 and 1975, Real Madrid won each edition of the National League and the Spanish Cup. Between 1972 and 194 they went 88 games unbeaten in the league. In order to be able to keep this level of play up, the side needed a consistent flow of good players to replace those who left and retired (Emiliano, in 1973). Not only new Americans, but also local talent sourced from the academy, such as Rafa Rullán and Carmelo Cabrera. In 1971, a point guard with a big personality came through in Juan Antonio Corbalán. In the final minutes of the European Cup final in 1974, when Cabrera was sin binned for fouling, Ferrándiz put his confidence in the brash 19 year-old. Madrid won and Corbalán became the new natural leader of Spanish basketball.

A RIVAL AT THE TOP

The unstoppable Real Madrid side of the seventies found a rival of similar stature in Europe. Italian side Varese, who had the great Dino Meneghin in their ranks, crossed paths with Madrid many times, playing out some legendary matches. In this decade they played each other four times in the European Cup Final, as both side won twice. The last of which, in Munich in 1978, saw them draw level on five continental titles each. Following an intense match, Real Madrid won, and they earned the right to keep the crown as Europe’s best side. Varese’s count stayed at five, whereas The Whites’ carried on growing. In 1980 Madrid won their seventh European Cup, beating the football side’s number of titles up to said date.

HONOURS

European Cups   3

 

Intercontinental Cups   3

 

National League     9

 

Spanish Cup     6

 

Christmas Tournaments    8

1981-1990

Real Madrid were able to keep their star players, however year upon year their opponents became stronger, thanks to the ‘basketball boom’ of the 1980s. This period is noted for the creation of the Liga ACB and two legendary names of the sport: Fernando Martín and Drazen Petrovic.

In 1983 the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto was created, and it took over the responsibility of organising the league from the Federation. The number of participating sides grew considerably, and the type of competition changed. For the first time, the title was decided in a playoff format.

 

Real Madrid, who had won 22 of the 27 editions of the National League (between 1857 and 1983), continued to dominate, winning the first three ACB titles (1984-1986). They were the years all bowed down to Fernando Martín, Romay and Iturriaga. The side, who celebrated its golden anniversary in 1981, was enjoying an enviable state of health.

 

FROM ENEMY TO ALLY

In the eighties came rivals who added colour to history. In this period there is one name that stands out above the rest: Drazen Petrovic. The young Croat shows his dominance on the continent through talent and a strong personality. In 1985 he won the European Cup with Cibona Zagreb, against Real Madrid, who were one of the sides who really motivated him. In 1986 Petrovic scored 90 points in two games against Madrid. Real took revenge in 1988 by winning the Korac Cup. With this success, Lolo Sainz became the first coach to win the three continental titles (European Cup, Saporta Cup and the Korac Cup). The following season the Croatian magician was to wear the white of Madrid.

A NIGHT OF GLORY IN ATHENS

The 1988-89 season started full of hopes and dreams. Madrid organised the McDonald’s Open, where The Whites faced off against the Boston Celtics. Months later, they won the Copa del Rey against Barça. The season’s critical moment came on the 14th of March 1989. This day Real Madrid won the Saporta Cup in one of the most memorable finals in the history of European basketball. Drazen Petrovic scored 62 points as The Whites downed Oscar Schmidt’s Snaidero Caserta 117-113 in an incredible match.

GOODBYE TO FERNANDO MARTÍN

After 15 years as The Whites’ coach, Lolo Sainz moved into the position of technical secretary at the start of the 1989-90 season. In his place, NBA coach George Karl was appointed. Drazen Petrovic went the other way, so expectation at Real Madrid fell onto the sturdy shoulders of Fernando Martín. However, destiny had other ideas. On the 3rd of December 1989 the Madrid-born pivot was involved in a fatal car accident on the way to a game at the Palacio de Deportes. His sudden loss had a huge impact on Spanish society. Thousands of people visited the chapel installed at the pavilion at the training ground. Real Madrid retired the number 10 in his honour, and nobody has worn the jersey since.

HONOURS

Club world cup  1

 

European Cups Winner's Cups   2

 

Korac Cup    1

 

National Leagues    4

 

Copa del Rey titles    3

 

Spanish Super Cups    1

 

Christmas Tournaments   5

1991-2000

Following the tumultuous ending to the previous decade, Real Madrid rebuilt with the objective of returning to the top of the continental game. Another basketballing legend, Arvydas Sabonis, joined The Whites as they made history by winning their eighth European Cup in 1995. Following that, figures like Herreros, Bodiroga and Djordjevic ensured that the side would finish the century with more titles.

In the summer of 1992, Real Madrid acquired the services of Arvydas Sabonis. Nicknamed ‘the tsar’, he was a key piece of the new project headed up by Mariano Jaquotot, who oversaw the running of the team as he looked to take them to the top of the continental game. A pivot with outstanding vision for which there was no stopping him.

 

The goal was completed with the signing of Joe Arlauckas, his ideal partner on the court, and the appointment of Zeljko Obradovic in 1994. The Serbian coach had won the Euroleague in two of the last three seasons with two different sides (Partizan and Joventut). With the correct pieces on the table, success was only a matter of time.

THE ‘EYE OF THE TIGER’

In 1991, upon the exit of George Karl, Clifford Luyk took over the side. A winner of six European Cups as a player, the pivot wanted to put his stamp on the nineties Real Madrid. He popularised the expression  ‘the eye of the tiger’, something he wanted to see in his players. He lead the side in two different periods (1991 to 1994 and the 1998-99 season), in which Madrid won two league titles, one Copa del Rey, and an exhilarating Saporta Cup in 1992, which was won my Ricky Brown’s last minute basket.

KINGS OF EUROPE ONCE AGAIN

With Arvydas Sabonis, Real Madrid grew during the 1994-95 season. They got to the Final Four in the Euroleague in Zaragoza as an unmatched side. Madrid played two close to perfect games, showing excellent concentration and outstanding defensive work. The result was the side’s eighth European Cup. It was the end of the Sabonis era on this side of the Atlantic and the icing on the cake of the careers of Arlauckas, Biriukov, Santos and Antonio Martín. Following the title Sabas, without doubt the continent’s best player, went to play in the NBA.

ALWAYS WITH THE BEST

Loyal to their philosophy of always having the best players, Real Madrid rebuilt following the title of 1995 and the Final Four of 1996. Pedro Gerrándiz, who returned to the club’s offices, signed star Spanish forward Alberto Herreros. European giant Dejan Bodiroga also arrived. With a good group of players, including Pablo Laso, Alberto Angulo and Juan Orenga, they won the Saporta Cup in 1997 against Riello Verona.

THE LAST LEAGUE TITLE OF THE 20TH CENTURY: MADRID’S

Just as with the first National League, the first ACB League was won by Madrid. The final league of the 20th century, of course, was not going to be any different. Following an indifferent regular season, Real Madrid got to the final of the ACB 1999-00, where they travelled to Barcelona. Alberto Herreros, the best player around at the time, was injured, and could only play 14 minutes in the series final. Barça were overwhelming favourites. However Real Madrid won two matches at the Palau, including the fifth and decisive one. Sasha Djordjevic, who had left the Catalan side the summer before, came back to haunt his former club. It was the club’s 28th league title.

HONOURS

European Cups    1

 

European Cups Winner's Cups    2

 

National Leagues    3

 

Copa del Rey titles    1

 

Christmas Tournaments    6

2001-2010

A new century brought sweeping changes to the sport of basketball, including the inauguration of the Euroleague, rule changes, the creation of squads and the globalisation of the NBA. This decade stands out as one in which the club strived to win more trophies and build on the their prestige.

In the 2000-01 season a new competition was born: the Euroleague. With it, the clubs adapted the historic European Cup (later called the European League) to the modern era. The first ever game was Real Madrid-Olympiakos, played at the old Ciudad Deportiva, which was renamed Raimundo Saporta in 1999. It wasn’t luck of the draw, but recognition that Real Madrid were the kings of Europe.

THE MOST INCREDIBLE FINAL

Among the long list of finals that Real Madrid have been involved in throughout their history, the showdown for the ACB League in 2005 was one of the most unforgettable. With the Whites up against Tau, the sides' playoff series for the title went down to game five, which was played in Vitoria. It proved an even clash, but in the final minutes the hosts managed to pull away on the scoreboard. Holding an eight-point lead with 42 seconds remaining, their fans were already starting to celebrate the League. However, Madrid refused to give up, putting together quick attacks and good defensive plays to turn the match on its head. Alberto Herreros sealed a 69-70 final score with a three-pointer from the corner that went down in history, both for the title that it brought and because it was his final contribution as a basketball player. The Madrid-born small forward closed out his career as the all-time highest scorer in the ACB League (8,995 points) and became sporting director in the club's basketball section.

AN EXCITING TEAM

In 2006, Real Madrid handed over the reigns to Joan Plaza, who was the previous assistant coach. The result of this change was the assembling of a squad who swept through the ACB with players who are part of the club’s history, like Felipe Reyes (MVP in the final) and Louis Bullock. In 2007 Madrid also won the ULEB Cup, their first European title since 1997. Another of the season’s great successes was the incorporation of youngster Sergio Llull.

HONOURS

ULEB Cup   1

 

National Leagues   2

 

Christmas Tournaments   2

2011-2020

The tenth European Cup arrived in May 2018, a title they regained after the famous 2014/15 season when they won four trophies, including the ninth European Cup. Over the last decade, the team won five league titles (2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019), six Copa del Rey titles (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2020) and six Super Cups (2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019 and 2020).

Since the return of Florentino Perez to the presidency in 2009, the commitment to basketball has been absolute. The continent’s most prestigious coach, Ettore Messina, was appointed by the club, while players Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez were brought in from the NBA alongside individuals with great potential such as Jaycee Carroll. Even Serge Ibaka turned out for Real Madrid during the lockout experienced by North America’s top league.

This commitment has continued its progression since summer 2011, when former Real Madrid player Pablo Laso took the helm as head coach. Laso’s offensive brand of basketball had fans hooked from the word go, and under him the side claimed the 2012 Copa del Rey. With his style of play firmly established, the team then made the Euroleague final in 2013 and that same year brilliantly won the League against Barcelona. The 2013/14 season began with another Super Cup victory, before a Copa triumph in February of that campaign.

The 2014/2015 season saw the club lift its ninth European Cup following on from three successive final appearances. In addition to the success enjoyed on the European scene, Real Madrid lifted their 32nd League title, the Super Cup and the Copa del Rey, overcoming Barcelona in all three instances. In the 2015/16 season the winning streak continued and the club's list of honours was added to with an Intercontinental Cup, which was claimed after victory over Brazilian side, Bauru; the Copa del Rey crown, after a final showdown against Gran Canaria; and the 33rd League title in which Barcelona were defeated in the final series.

In the 2016/17 season, the team won the club's fourth straight Copa del Rey and the 27th in its history, downing Valencia Basket in the showpiece. The following campaign saw Real Madrid once again crowned European champions, this time in Belgrade. The Whites secured the club's 10th European success after seeing off Fenerbahçe in the final. A few weeks later, Laso's men clinched the double after capturing the club's 34th league title. The 2018/19 started with a win in the Super Cup in Santiago and ended with league title number 35. The Super Cup was won again in the 2019 edition. The Supercopa was won again in the 2019 edition and the 28th Copa del Rey title was won in 2020 in Malaga. The 2020/21 campaign got off to a good start with the third consecutive Super Cup.

KINGS OF EUROPE WITH ATTACKING BASKETBALL

Pablo Laso’s gamble on an upbeat and offensive basketball has gone hand-in-hand with lots of titles. Among them, the ones that stand out are the two European Cups won in 2015 and 2018. The first took place in Madrid, beating Olympiacos 78-59 in the final, with Nocioni voted MVP in the decisive match. In 2018 la Decima was won, this time against Fenerbahçe in Belgrade and after a spectacular campaign by Doncic, seeing him named the player of the tournament and the Final Four.

A 33 YEAR-OLD MVP

15 years after his debut in the ACB, Felipe Reyes courageously lead Real Madrid to the ACB title. Always coming off the bench, the man from Córdoba was the difference in the series against Barcelona that finished the 2012-13 season. It was the Madrid side’s 31st league title, won with 38 wins from 44 games. Felipe collected his second MVP award in an ACB final, just like the legendary Arvydas Sabonis.

THE RECORD-BREAKING MADRID TEAM EPICALLY WINS THE CUP

The Real Madrid basketball team recorded the best start to a season in its history between October 2013 and January 2014. With a 31 match winning streak (16 in the league, 13 in the Euroleague and 2 in the Super Cup) Pablo Laso’s men easily surpassed the previous record held by Ferrándiz’s Madrid team: 23 victories during the 1960-61 campaign. After a perfect first half to the ABC season (no defeats), the Whites cemented their status as the best side in Spain by winning their 24th Copa del Rey title in an epic final. At the end of forty entertaining minutes, and with just a tenth of a second left on the buzzer, Sergio Llull scored the basket that defeated Barcelona. Nikola Mirotic was unanimously voted the MVP. The 2014 Copa del Rey is the third title in a row for the Madrid outfit who won the 2013 ABC League and Spanish Super Cup titles in 2013.

HONOURS

European Cups   2

 

National Leagues  5

 

Copa del Rey titles  6

 

Spanish Super Cups  6

 

Intercontinental Cups  1

2021-2030

Real Madrid won the Undécima on 21 May 2023. Our team increased its domination in the European Cup after beating Olympiacos in the final in Kaunas thanks to an extraordinary basket by Llull with three seconds to go. During this decade we also won the league in 2021/22 and 2023/24, the Cup in 2024 and the Super Cup in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

We won our eighth Super Cup in September 2021. Our team beat Barça 83-88 in the final following a spectacular 19-point comeback over the last two quarters. It was the start of a campaign which ended with the side winning another league title. Barça were once again the opponents when claiming the 36th league title, with our team winning 3-1 on aggregate, and Tavares being named MVP in the final.

The 2022/23 season kicked off with another Super Cup win, the fifth in a row and the ninth in total to further strengthen our dominance in this competition. With Chus Mateo at the helm, our team won another Clasico (89-83). Tavares was the standout player. Real Madrid won their 11th European Cup in Kaunas on 21 May 2023 after seeing off Olympiacos (78-79) with a basket that would go down in history by Llull. The crowning moment of an unforgettable and epic Euroleague campaign in which Real Madrid turned around a 0-2 deficit in the playoffs against Partizan and overcame Barça in the semi-finals.

The 2023/24 season got off to a flying start with the tenth Super Cup title. This year's event was held in Murcia and Real Madrid saw off Barcelona in the semi-finals and Unicaja in the final (81-88). Our team clinched its second trophy of the season in Malaga. Chus Mateo's team lifted the 29th Copa del Rey at the Martín Carpena. To round off another excellent campaign, Real Madrid won their 37th league title after overcoming UCAM Murcia in the final.

HONOURS

European Cup   1

 

National Leagues   2

 

Copa del Rey    1

Spanish Super Cups    3