Real Madrid's Record of Success
Primera Liga Wins and Victory in European Cup and Champions League
Real Madrid have recorded a record thirtieth Primera Liga title success, to add to their record setting achievements in the European Cup and Champions league competition.
Real Madrid’s record thirtieth La Liga title shows how they have dominated Spanish club football in the past fifty three years. Their nearest rival for most League wins is Barcelona who have eighteen titles but since the mid-1950s Real have secured twenty eight of those titles.
Real first won the League for two successive seasons in 1931-32 and 1932-33. It was another twenty years before they secured the title again but since then it has been a regular occurrence, including periods when three, four or five consecutive titles came to the Bernabeu.
From the mid-1950s, Real Madrid had teams that dominated in Spain and in Europe for almost two decades. They won the title in 1954 and 1955 with another double success in 1957 and 1958. From 1960-61 season, Real won five consecutive La Liga titles. Having missed out for two years, Real showed their strength again by winning the title for a three year period from 1967 to 1969.
The early 1970s saw Real win La Liga once (1971-72) but then another period of dominance occurred from 1975 with a double win and a hat-trick of win in six years, missing out only in 1977. Again it was the late 1980s that saw a period of dominance by Real with five consecutive wins from 1986 to 1990.
Since then Real have added only five more titles to their illustrious record with wins in 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003 and 2007.
Success in European Cup and Champions League
Real Madrid’s success has not been limited to domestic football they have also been a
dominant force in Europe. In the mid-1950s, the newly introduced European Cup for clubs who were the Champions of their national leagues provided Real Madrid with an opportunity to demonstrate the strength of Spanish football.
After winning the inaugural competition in 1956, defeating Stade Reims in the final in Paris, Real retained it for the next four years, culminating in their 7-3 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt at Hampden Park, Glasgow in 1960. That team had such famous footballing legends as Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas and Real Madrid was awarded the UEFA Badge of honour to mark their five successive wins and were the first club to keep the trophy permanently.
Real Madrid have won the European Cup/Champions League on a record nine occasions from twelve finals, another record. They were runners-up in 1962 and 1964 and won their sixth title in 1966, defeating Partizan Belgrade in the final.
After their domination in the early years of European football, Real Madrid had to wait another thirty two years before claiming the European title again, defeating Juventus in the final of the 1998 competition. A mini period of revival saw them record two further successes in the next four years. In 2000 they defeated Valencia in the first all national final and two years later, Bayer Leverkusen lost in the final.
Their other final appearance came in 1981 when they lost to Liverpool.
With such a record at home and in Europe, Real Madrid will be looking to build on this season’s success to re-establish themselves as a power in Spain and Europe by adding to their total of wins in La Liga and the Champions League in the coming years.
