Madrid celebrate first 100 years

One hundred years old and never been stronger. That is Real Madrid CF, the eight-times champions of Europe, who celebrate their centenary today in the rudest possible health.
 
Legend lives on
A name that evokes a golden age of European football, when they claimed the first five European Champion Clubs' Cups, Madrid's star-spangled legend lives on in the here and now. For Ferenc Puskas, Alfredo di Stefano and Francisco Gento read Luis Figo, Raúl González and Zinedine Zidane. 
 
Success with style
Madrid's philosophy of success with style has certainly reaped its rewards down the years, with 28 domestic titles to add to their eight European Cups.  
 
All-white strip
It all started on 6 March 1902 when the club was founded in an extraordinary general meeting of the Madrid Football-Club. The royal prefix was added in 1920, as Madrid became officially 'Real'. Their first Spanish title came in 1931 but it was in the 1950s that the Merengues - so called because of their all-white strip - began to truly etch their name into the history books. 
 
Fit for kings
The then president, Santiago Bernabéu, rebuilt the club's Chamartín stadium into a 100,000-capacity arena fit for kings - and made a team fit to rule Europe, which they did for the first time in 1956, beating Stade de Reims 2-1 in the inaugural European Champion Clubs' Cup final. The rest, as they say, is history.
 
Cup final date
By a quirk of the football calendar, Madrid's present generation can mark the centenary by claiming their 18th Spanish Cup in tonight's final at their Bernabéu home against RC Deportivo La Coruña. Whatever the outcome, it will be some night, with the celebrated Spanish tenor, Placido Domingo, present to sing the club's anthem before the match and Spain's monarch, King Juan Carlos, there to present the trophy to the winning team.
 
Pulling power
King Juan Carlos has already played a part in the club's celebrations, hosting the Madrid squad at La Zarzuela palace in November - one of the many highlights of a centenary year that show this famous club's pulling power extends far beyond the football field.
 
Centenary tournament
In January, the club's basketball team played an all-star side led by the American Magic Johnson. In August, meanwhile, their footballers will host the Torneo Centenario, a centenary tournament which brings to the Bernabéu three of Europe's most-titled club sides, Milan AC, FC Bayern München and Liverpool FC.

Great show-stoppers
By the end of the year the celebrations reach a climax, with an exhibition match on 18 December between Vicente del Bosque's side and a world all-star XI. FIFA have already announced that on that day no other football matches should be played worldwide to honour the men in white.  The show stopping for the great show-stoppers. 

Happy birthday
This weekend, uefa.com's Magazine will be devoted to Madrid's centenary but first to today: football watchers across four continents will tune in to watch Madrid's Cup final party. We wish them a happy birthday, whatever the outcome.