Why was it called RCD Español?

Javier Argudo

The RCD Spanish, currently RCD Espanyol of Barcelona, it is one of the historical clubs of our football. Not in vain, the parakeet set is one of the oldest teams in Spain and has a long history in the First Division.

In fact, the Catalan club is one of the founders of the Spanish League that started up in the season 1928-1929. His first descent, did not arrive until the years 60 although he returned to the top flight immediately. further, occupies one of the positions of privilege in the historical league standings.

RCD Spanish 1928-1929 — Formation of the Spanish RCD in the season 1928-1929. That season he would be proclaimed champion of the Spanish Cup for the first time (As)

But nevertheless, Today we want to focus on the reason why its founders chose the name of the club. Far from what many may think, the Spanish Foot-Ball Society, as it was originally called, was created by a group of young university students in Barcelona a 28 October 1900 as opposed to Barcelona, which they considered a ‘foreigners club’.

Indeed, Barça had been founded just a couple of years earlier by a Swiss, Joan Gamper, and the board was integrated, mostly, by outsiders like the Witty brothers, Morris, Harris, Steimberg and a long etcetera. further, as he Barcelona As the Catalan Football Club As the Spain, they only had Catalan or foreign footballers at that time.

Thus, the Spanish Football Society, which was soon renamed Spanish Club, was created with the aim of accommodating Catalan footballers but also from the rest of the national territory.

Initially, the club clothing was yellow, although already in 1910 the blue and white stripes are adopted with which we identify a Spanish group. In 1912, requested and was granted the title of Real by Alfonso XIII.

Although there has always been a certain interest on the part of a sector of Catalan society to uproot the parrot club, the truth is that its name, From the beginning, sought precisely the opposite. further, in case it wasn't clear enough, in 1995 the decision is made to change the name of RCD Spanish by the of Real Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona. In addition to being officially in Catalan, it adds “from Barcelona”, A declaration of intentions.