After the tough defeat against Unionistas de Salamanca, Real Madrid Castilla won 2 – 1 against Barakaldo at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium.
The young Blancos, under the guidance of Alvaro Arbeloa delivered a decent game, even playing in 9 men during the last moments of the match.
The first 40’ minutes were pretty eventless. Both teams had they opportunities to score but never manage to finalize it.
For example, in the first few minutes Daniel Yanez had the first chance for Castilla, but his shot was blocked by goalkeeper.
Also the away team pushed to take the lead of the match. Saving Castilla, at this point were the great interceptions by Fran Gonzàlez, the class ’05 goalkeeper.
After 43 minutes from the beginning of the match it’s Castilla’s captain that puts his team on the lead.
After 4 minutes of added time the first half ends 1- 0 for the home team.
More happened in the second half.
Just 5 minutes after, Barakaldo scores the equaliser.
In this last 45 minutes the referee had a lot of work to do. He was called three times to check the VAR. One time to review a goal; once for a possible penalty; and the third time to confirm a red card given to a Castilla player.
On the 73rd minute David Jiménes, thanks to a really well played action by Thiago Pitarch, put Real Madrid Castilla back in the lead.
On the 88th minute the first red card arrives. Mesonero is sent straight to the locker rooms after an hard foul.
And on the last minute of added time another red card it’s showed. This time it’s Leiva the players that’s being sent off.
The game reaches the 100th minute and finally the referee puts an end to it.
Nine men Castilla managed to hold off Barakaldo, which threated their lead, by keeping the result on 2 – 1.
Managing to earn three important points.
But do you know what Castilla is? Because I didn’t. But I made some research, so let me explain it to you.
Real Madrid Castilla, also called Real Madrid “B”, is the second team of Real Madrid. The players are part of the academy known as “La Fábrica” and they aim at reaching the first team.
They compete in the same league system as professional clubs, not a league made especially for reserve team. But, following today’s federation’s rules they cannot ever play in the same division as the first team, so they can never reach the first division.
They cannot even take part in the Copa del Rey, even though it wasn’t always like this. In the season 1979 – 80, the rules allowed them to participate. That season they even reach the final, that was against Real Madrid first team. They lost 6 – 1 but they remain the only reverse team to ever reach the Spanish Cup final ever.
Il “Castilla Club de Futbol”, as we know it today was official found in 1972. But the team as history before that.
16 December 1930 there was another team acting as the Real Madrid feeder club, it was “Agrupacion Depotiva Plus Ultra”.
They weren’t the only one; Real Madrid had a lot of agreement with different Madrid – based clubs that were used as unofficial academy clubs. The agreement stated that Real Madrid would provide sport equipment and in the return this clubs granted access to promising players.
Soon “Agrupacion Deportiva Plus Ultra” established a formal agreement with Real Madrid, becoming the club’s official reserve team. When the agreement was made the team was playing in the group VIII of the Spanish third division.
They played some season in the second division, before official becoming a reserve team. In 1963-64, 1965-66 and 1967-68 they tried to reach it again, but failed to win the playoffs.
The ’70 were definitely the toughest years for the team, that eventually got dissolved due to poor performance.
So what happens next? How is Castilla existing today? The man that we have to thank is Santiago Bernabeu. After the team was dissolve, Bernabeu acquired the sporting and federation rights and founded the team that would become the new reserve team: Castilla C. F.
They started their career by playing in the third division. In 1977 they reached Segunda Devision B; and eventually the reached the second division.
In 1983- 84 was a very successful year for them. As I mentioned before they reach the Copa del Rey final, but they also won the Second Divion title.
In the 1990 the Spanish Federation changed their rules regarding reserve team, Castilla was forced to dissolve as a separate club, changing the name to “Real Madrid Deportivo”, losing also their original crest.
In 2004 – 05 the team requested, to the Spanish Federation to go back to their original name. The request was approved, but just for the name, they couldn’t retake their original crest.
Throughout the following years the team experienced several promotions and relegations between Segunda Divion and Segunda Division B.
Today the team still has the name “Real Madrid Castilla” and they play under the Real Madrid crest. In this season standing they’re in 4th place with 24 points.
If you feel like you never heard anything about the team, you might not have, but there played some players that you definitely heard of: Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vazquez, Fran Garcia, Alvaro Morata and also Raul Asencio.
Now you definitely know more about the team and if you find yourself in Madrid by any chance you should definitely by a ticket to one of their games and enjoy the atmosphere at the Alfredo de Stefano Stadium.
