Real Zaragoza

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Real Zaragoza

Full name

Real Zaragoza

Nickname(s)

Blanquillos,
Maños

Founded

1932

Ground

La Romareda,
Zaragoza, Aragón,
Spain
(Capacity 34,596)

Chairman

Eduardo Bandrés

Manager

Marcelino García Toral

League

Segunda División

2007-08

La Liga, 18th (Relegated)





Home colours





Away colours

Real Zaragoza (or Real Saragossa) is a Spanish football team from Zaragoza in Aragón. Founded on March 18, 1932, it will play the 2008/09 season in the Segunda División. They play in white with blue shorts. The home stadium is the La Romareda that seats 34,596 spectators.

1 History
2 Honours
- 2.1 Winners:
- 2.2 Runners-up:
3 Current squad
- 3.1 Out on loan
4 Statistics 2007/08
5 Recent History
6 Famous players
7 Notable coaches
- 7.1 Chronology of coaches
8 See also
9 External links

[edit] History

Real Zaragoza was originally formed out of two rival teams, Iberia SC and Real Zaragoza CD. By the 1930s, the team was making headway in La Liga, but the Civil War put a brake on a lot of the progress made.

On September 8, 1957 the team left their original stadium (the Torrero) for the La Romareda. It was not until the 1960s that Zaragoza would see their first successes, in the Copa del Rey and in the Fairs Cup. The Real Zaragoza side of this era contained los Magnificos (the Greats), an attacking line of Canario, Santos, Marcelino, Villa and Lapetra. Other notable players included Reija and Violeta in defence. Fans of the side had to wait until the 1980s to experience another victory in the cup competition.

Real Zaragoza have played the majority of their history, a total of 45 seasons, in the Primera División. Being more of a specialist cup side, they have not managed to win the league, although they have come second on one occasion. In the 2001-02 season they were relegated from the Primera for the first time in 25 years; however, they earned promotion back to the Primera the following season.

In late May 2006, Agapito Iglesias bought Alfonso Solans' shares and took the control of Real Zaragoza. Agapito promised to build one of the strongest team in Spain and Europe. In his first year owning Real Zaragoza, Agapito bought Pablo Aimar for 11 million euros to reinforce the midfield. In a poll in 2007, Zaragoza fans voted Aimar the teams greatest ever player.^{[citation needed]}

Thanks to Diego Milito's 23 goals in 2006/07 (he finished third to AS Roma's Francesco Totti and Real Madrid CF's Ruud Van Nistelrooy, 26 and 25 goals, respectively, for the European Golden Shoe), Real Zaragoza managed a very respectable 6th place finish, qualifying for Europe. However, despite having nearly the same squad as they had during the previous campaign, the 2007/08 season would finish with this Zaragoza team becoming one of the most disappointing and underachieving teams in La Liga history. They crashed out in the first round of the UEFA Cup. By the turn of the year, they found themselves slipping further and further down the table. Gaffer Víctor Fernández was sacked, and 3 different managers, culminating with former Zaragoza standout Manolo Villanova, were brought in from January to May in a desperate attempt to change Zaragoza's fortunes. Largely due to having managed only a dismal 8 points from 18 away fixtures (despite having managed 34 from all their games at La Romareda), they went into their final fixture of the season needing a win to guarantee their Primera División survival. Kickoff was delayed for over an hour due to a torrential downpour, but not even the rain could keep Zaragoza from relegation as they fell to Real Mallorca 3-2, despite 2 goals from Ricardo Oliveira and at 1-1 looking like they might stay up.

[edit] Honours

[edit] Winners:

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: 1
- 1965

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1
- 1995

Copa del Rey: 6
- 1965, 1966, 1986, 1994, 2001, 2004

Segunda División: 1
- 1978

[edit] Runners-up:

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: 1
- 1966

La Liga: 1
- 1974-75

Copa del Rey: 6
- 1963, 1965, 1976, 1993, 2006

Segunda División: 6
- 1929, 1936, 1942, 1951, 1956, 2003

[edit] Current squad

The numbers are established according to the official website: www.realzaragoza.com and www.lfp.es

As of March 1, 2008

No.	Position	Player
1	GK	César Sánchez
2	DF	Carlos Diogo
3	DF	Javier Paredes
4	DF	Luis Carlos Cuartero
5	MF	Óscar
6	DF	Roberto Ayala
7	MF	Peter Luccin
8	MF	Pablo Aimar
9	FW	Sergio García
11	DF	Juanfran
12	FW	Ricardo Oliveira
13	GK	Miguel
14	MF	Gabi
15	DF	Francisco Pavón

No.	Position	Player
16	MF	Albert Celades
17	MF	David Angulo
19	MF	David Generelo
20	MF	Francelino Matuzalém
21	MF	Alberto Zapater
22	FW	Diego Milito (Captain)
23	DF	Sergio Fernández
24	DF	Chus Herrero
25	GK	Javier López Vallejo
27	DF	Jorge Gotor
28	DF	Óscar Valero
29	MF	Guillermo Grande
34	FW	Burbu
36	MF	Alberto Montejo

[edit] Out on loan

No.	Position	Player
12	FW	Ewerthon (to RCD Espanyol)
17	MF	Ángel Lafita (to Deportivo de La Coruña)
20	MF	Antonio Longás (to CD Tenerife)

[edit] Statistics 2007/08

La Romareda stadium

Top Scorers:
- Ricardo Oliveira - 17 goals
- Diego Milito - 15 goals
- Sergio García - 4 goals
Top Goalkeepers
- César - 57 goals in 37 Matches
- López Vallejo - 4 goals in 2 Matches

[edit] Recent History

Season	Leg.	Pos.	Pl.	W	D	L	GS	GA	P	Cup	Europe		Notes
1997-1998	1D	13	38	12	12	14	45	53	48
1998-1999	1D	9	38	16	9	13	57	46	57
1999-2000	1D	4	38	16	15	7	60	40	63
2000-2001	1D	17	38	9	15	14	54	57	42	Winner	UC	1st Round
2001-2002	1D	20	38	9	10	19	35	54	37		UC	2nd Round	Relegated
Segunda División 2002-03	2D	2	42	20	12	10	54	40	72				Promoted
2003-2004	1D	12	38	13	9	16	46	55	48	Winner
2004-2005	1D	12	38	14	8	16	52	57	50	2nd round	UC	Last 16
2005-2006	1D	11	38	10	16	12	46	51	46	Runners Up
2006-2007	1D	6	38	16	12	10	55	43	60
2007-2008	1D	18	38	10	12	16	50	61	42		UC	1st Round	Relegated