Real Madrid Femenino

Real Madrid Femenino

Full name	Real Madrid Club de Fútbol Femenino
Nickname(s)	Las Blancas (The Whites)[1]
Founded	CD TACÓN: 12 September 2014; 6 years ago (2014-09-12) Real Madrid Femenino: 1 July 2020; 14 months ago (2020-07-01)
Ground	Ciudad Real Madrid (Campo 11) Madrid, Spain
Capacity	400
Chairman	Florentino Pérez
Manager	David Aznar
League	Primera División
2020–21	Primera División, 2nd
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Active departments of Real Madrid
Football Football B Football U-19 Women's Football Basketball Basketball B

Real Madrid Femenino is a Spanish women's football club in Madrid. Founded as the independent Club Deportivo TACÓN in 2014, the club later underwent a merger and acquisition process with Real Madrid beginning in 2019 and was officially rebranded as Real Madrid's women's football section in 2020.

The club currently plays in the Primera División.

History[]

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Origins[]

It was first in 1997 that a younger Ana Rossell, playing for crosstown club Atletico Feminas, petitioned the then Real Madrid president, Lorenzo Sanz for the creation of a women's football section at the club. According to Rossell, her requests were denied, with club executives citing that a women's section wasn't economically sustainable. Speaking to Madrid-based Diario AS in 2013 about her earlier frustrations, Rossell looked back and said: “When you are a teenager, you dream of playing for your (dream) team, but since there was no Real Madrid (women’s section), I had to do it at Atlético Feminas (now Atlético Madrid Femenino) and CD Canillas.”

Rossell tried again first under Sanz's successor, Florentino Perez (in his first spell at the club). In the documentary "Un Sueño Real", she revealed that she approached Perez after the unveiling of Zinedine Zidane with a napkin proposing the women's team, similar to the way the president himself had signed Zidane. Her struggle proved unsuccessful once again, and it wasn't until 2013, in Perez's second stint as president that Real Madrid started to consider a women's section. “Real Madrid, until now, always answered me in the same tone that it (women’s football) was not part of the club’s plans in the short run. The other day, however, Florentino did leave a door open for the future,” said Rossell. In the same interview, she went on to say that starting the section would entail minimal costs in the first year of existence, with the focus being on grassroots football. “The first team would start in the Regional Division, and end up in the Primera Division in four years. And with the team in a top competition, an agreement would be signed with a leading company in the female sector,” she concluded.^[2]

In a collaboration with Primavera Blanca in May 2016, with support from Spanish players Verónica Boquete, Mar Prieto and Real Madrid fullback Alvaro Arbeloa, Rossell again launched a “Historia Por Hacer” (a line from the Real Madrid anthem meaning “History you will make”) campaign calling for the creation of women's section. In a speech in which she thanked Boquete for her support, Rossell concluded by saying; “…There is no doubt that every day that passes without having a women’s section is one less day that we have as Madridistas to make history; one less day to make our club bigger.” ^[3]

When the question was put to him during a talk show on El Larguero in 2017, Florentino Perez seemed prefer the idea of starting a team from scratch. “We will definitely have a women’s team,” he said. “We’re working on it, but it will be from the position of a newly formed club, not a team in which we bring the best player from Germany, Brazil… That is not what Madridismo is all about.”

2014–2019: Club Deportivo TACÓN[]

CD TACÓN was founded on 12 September 2014, with the aim to be a completely professional women's football team. The name TACÓN (which translates to heel) is an acronym: Trabajo (work) Atrevimiento (dare/bravery) Conocimiento (knowledge) Organización (organisation) Notoriedad (visibility/renown).^[4]

The club was founded with a possible future merger with Real Madrid firmly in mind. Like Madrid CFF, they wore all-white home kits in homage to the Spanish giants. In their first competitive season, 2015–16, the club only registered an under-14 team. On 24 June 2016, TACÓN announced the merge with CD Canillas for incorporating their women's senior and under-19 teams.^[5]

A few years after the founding of CD TACÓN, Ana Rossell again spoke about her dealings with Real Madrid. “Three years ago, we presented a project to Real Madrid to create a women’s football section.” Ana Rossell said at the unveiling of Lorena Navarro and Lucia Rodriguez for Club Deportivo TACÓN. In a docuseries with Newtral, she revealed that while Real Madrid were pleased with what they had seen with CD TACÓN, they weren't ready to make the jump into women's football.

After only three seasons in Segunda División, on 19 May 2019, TACÓN achieved promotion for the first time ever to Primera División.^[6]

2019: Takeover by Real Madrid[]

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On 25 June 2019, the Real Madrid CF board of directors announced a proposal of integrating TACÓN as their women's football section to be presented to their socios (members).^[7] As part of the agreement, TACÓN would play their 2019–20 season matches at Ciudad Real Madrid during the transition, with the merger being officially completed on 1 July 2020.^[8] On 15 September 2019, The Extraordinary General Assembly of Real Madrid approved the absorption of the club.^[9] The merger marked a successful end to a journey that , a socio at Real Madrid, began more than two decades earlier; bearing similarities with the role played in the rebirth of Atlético Madrid's women's football section.^[10] Florentino Perez, speaking at the General Assembly after the vote to absorb was passed, cited that TACÓN's youth system was the reason why it was chosen as the base for the women's team, thus striving to stay true to Real Madrid's philosophy of developing Spanish talent.

Real Madrid's decision to absorb a team rather than start from scratch did not come without controversy. Former TACÓN player, Yamilla Badell said to AS in 2019 that “Madrid was always behind everything” and that the agreement (between the clubs) had “been brewing for years”. It had been known that once promotion to the top division was achieved, an agreement with Real Madrid would be reached. In that interview with Diario AS, she said that the players knew about the absorption long before it was announced, and that the TACÓN dressing room was “very Madridista”. ^[11]

2019–2020: Transition year[]

Having been promoted, the club went on to lose a large majority of its playing squad in the summer of 2019. Argentine midfielder Ruth Bravo moved to Rayo Vallecano, while others like Lixy, Marbel Okoye and Yamilla Badell did not have their contracts renewed. In order to strengthen for the coming season, the club saw the arrival of Swedish duo Kosovare Asllani and Sofia Jakobsson; French midfielder Aurélie Kaci from Atlético Madrid, Ainoa Campo from crosstown rivals Madrid CFF, English forward Chioma Ubogagu, goalkeeper Ana Valles, Nigerian defender Osinachi Ohale, as well as the Brazilian pair Daiane and Thaisa Moreno, who was nominated for best midfielder in her lone year at A.C. Milan Women. The last signing of the summer was versatile defender Babett Peter from VFL Wolfsburg.^{[citation needed]}

Despite the wealth of talent and experience at their disposal, CD TACÓN's start to the season was nothing short of abysmal, with heavy losses against Barcelona (9-1), in its debut match,^[12] and EDF Logroño particularly standing out. After a poor run with just one win in nine games, the team started to gain a sense of stability in November 2019, going on a five match unbeaten run. TACÓN finished the shortened 2019–20 season in 10th place, with many fans unhappy with how the team had thrown away a 3–0 lead with ten minutes to go and ended up losing 4–3 on home soil in the last match before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spurred by the growing interest in women's football – more so in the United States after their latest World Cup triumph in 2019 – the Los Angeles based film and TV production company and Spanish media company Newtral announced a documentary series about the genesis of the first-ever women's football team at Real Madrid.^[13]

2020–present: Real Madrid Femenino[]

On 1 July 2020, Real Madrid CF released an official communication confirming the completion of the merger, thereby signalling the complete absorption of CD TACÓN, which would then operate as 'Real Madrid' from that date onwards.^[14]

The new structure of the section includes a senior team, reserve side similar to Castilla, known as 'Real Madrid Femenino B', an Under-19 team, 'Juvenil' and a 'Cadets' for under-15s and below. The structure already existed under CD TACÓN and has been integrated into Real Madrid's famous La Fábrica.^[15] The remaining TACÓN Juvenil and Cadete teams that couldn't be absorbed right away have since been rebranded as 'Fenix Football Club'. While the Madrid federation recognises the new Fenix as an affiliate of Real Madrid, it is unknown whether they will operate in all levels of the women's game, or just the grassroots as Cuneo did after being absorbed by Juventus.^[16]

Home ground[]

While many speculated that they would share the Estadio Alfredo di Stéfano with Real Madrid Castilla, during the transition season CD TACÓN played all their home games at Campo 11 in Valdebebas. TACÓN matches were not open to the general public, with only club members, or those possessing a membership card, allowed to attend.^[17]

Unofficial rumours after the Extraordinary General Assembly on September 15 suggested the women's team would be expected to move into the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano at the start of the 2020–21 season. However, an article by El Mundo Deportivo reported that with the completion of the merger on 1 July 2020, the women's team would continue playing at Campo 11 as opposed to the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium, with games still limited to club members and selected visiting fans.

Season to season[]

As CD TACÓN[]

As Real Madrid Femenino[]

Personnel[]

Current technical staff[]

Current squad[]

As of 18 August 2021.^[18]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  ESP Misa 2 DF  MEX Kenti Robles 3 MF  ESP Teresa Abelleira 4 DF  GER Babett Peter 5 DF  ESP Ivana Andrés (captain) 6 MF  FRA Aurélie Kaci (2nd captain) 7 FW  ESP Olga Carmona 8 MF  ESP Maite Oroz 9 FW  SWE Kosovare Asllani 10 FW  ESP Esther González 11 FW  ESP Marta Cardona

No. Pos. Nation Player 12 FW  ESP Lorena Navarro 14 FW  ESP Nahikari García 15 DF  ESP Claudia Florentino 16 FW  DEN Caroline Møller 17 DF  ESP Marta Corredera 18 DF  ESP Lucía Rodríguez 20 DF  ESP Rocío Gálvez 21 MF  ESP Claudia Zornoza 22 FW  ESP Athenea del Castillo 24 GK  FRA Méline Gérard — MF  AZE Malena Ortiz

Head coaches[]

As CD TACÓN[]

• Marta Tejedor: 2016–2018.
• David Aznar: 2018–2020.

As Real Madrid[]

• David Aznar: 2020–present.

References[]

External links[]

• Official website (in Spanish)