RC_Celta_de_Vigo
RC Celta de Vigo
Spanish association football club
Real Club Celta de Vigo (Galician pronunciation: [reˈal ˈkluβ ˈθeltɐ ðɪ ˈβiɣʊ]; lit. 'Royal Celtic Club of Vigo'), commonly known as Celta de Vigo or simply Celta, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, that competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football. Nicknamed Os Celestes (The Sky Blues), the club was founded in August 1923 as Club Celta, following the merger of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna. The club's home stadium is Balaídos, which seats 24,791 spectators.
| Full name | Real Club Celta de Vigo, S.A.D. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Los/Os Celestes (The Sky Blues) O Celtiña (DIM) | ||
| Short name | Celta | ||
| Founded | 23 August 1923; 100 years ago (1923-08-23) (as Club Celta)[1] | ||
| Ground | Balaídos | ||
| Capacity | 24,791[2] | ||
| Coordinates | 42°12′42.6″N 8°44′22.9″W | ||
| Owner | Grupo Corporativo Ges, S.L. | ||
| President | Marián Mouriño | ||
| Head coach | Claudio Giráldez | ||
| League | La Liga | ||
| 2022–23 | La Liga, 13th of 20 | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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 Current season | |||
The club's name is derived from the Celts, a people who once lived in the region. Celta have a long-standing rivalry with fellow Galician club Deportivo La Coruña, with whom they contest the Galician derby.
Celta have never won the league title nor Copa del Rey, although they have reached the final three times in the latter. The club finished in their best-ever position of fourth in 2002–03, qualifying for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, where they were eliminated by Arsenal in the round of 16. In the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, Celta reached the semi-finals for the first time, losing to Manchester United. In 2000, Celta were one of the co-winners of the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Foundation
RC Celta de Vigo was formed as a result of the ambition of Vigo's teams to achieve more at national level, where the Basque sides had been their bête noire in the Spanish Championship. The idea was to merge both Vigo-based teams, Real Vigo Sporting and Real Club Fortuna de Vigo, to create a more powerful team at national level. The standard-bearer of this movement was Manuel de Castro, known as "Handicap", a sports writer for the Faro de Vigo who, from 1915, began to write in his articles about the need for a unitarian movement.[3] The slogan of his movement was "Todo por y para Vigo" ("All by and for Vigo"),[3] which eventually found support among the managers of both clubs. It was backed unanimously when De Castro himself presented the motion at the assembly of the Royal Spanish Football Federation in Madrid on 22 June 1923.[3]
On 12 July 1923, the merger was approved at the annual general meetings of Vigo and Fortuna, held at the Cine Odeón and Hotel Moderno, respectively.[3] At the last general meeting of Fortuna and Vigo, which approved the formation of the new club and was held on 10 August, the members decided on the name and colours of the team.[3] Among the various names proposed were Club Galicia, Real Atlético FC, Real Club Olímpico, Breogán and Real Club Celta. The latter two names were the most liked and in the end they decided on Club Celta, an ethnic race linked to Galicia.[3] The first president of Celta was Manuel Bárcena de Andrés, the Count of Torre Cedeira.[3] This assembly also decided on the squad, which totaled 64 players and included some important players from Fortuna and Vigo, and was managed by Francis Cuggy.[3] Their first match was a friendly against Portuguese side Boavista, which Celta won 8–2.[3]
In 1947–48, Celta ranked fourth, the club's joint highest ever finish, and reached the Copa del Generalísimo Final, where they lost 4–1 to Sevilla FC.[4] Local striker Pahiño, who took the Pichichi Trophy for 21 goals in 22 games that season, subsequently moved to Real Madrid.[5]
EuroCelta and subsequent decline
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Celta were dubbed "EuroCelta" by the Spanish press as a result of their European performance. This included a 4–1 aggregate win against Liverpool in a run to the quarter-finals of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup.[6] In the next season's edition they again reached the last eight, with a 4–0 second leg win over Juventus and a 7–0 home win against Benfica (8–1 on aggregate).[7] Domestically, the team reached the 2001 Copa del Rey final, losing 3–1 to Real Zaragoza in Seville.[8]
Key players during the period included Alexander Mostovoi, Valery Karpin and Haim Revivo, though the squad also relied upon other international players as well, such as goalkeeper Pablo Cavallero; defender and future coach Eduardo Berizzo, midfielders Claude Makélélé and Mazinho; winger Gustavo López; and strikers Catanha and Lyuboslav Penev, amongst others.
In 2002–03, under manager Miguel Ángel Lotina, Celta ranked fourth, their highest finish since 1948, and qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League. They reached the round of 16, where they were eliminated by Arsenal 5–2 on aggregate.[9] Domestically that year, the team came 19th and suffered relegation to the Segunda División.[10] Although the squad was heavily dismantled following the demotion, Celta earned an immediate return to the top flight after finishing second in 2004–05.[11]
In 2006–07, Celta finished 18th and were once again relegated to the Segunda División. The team subsequently fought against relegation to the third tier, and the risk of bankruptcy.[12] This trend was bucked in the 2010–11 season, when new striker David Rodríguez, winger Enrique de Lucas and manager Paco Herrera helped them finish sixth. They were eliminated in the first knockout round by Granada after a penalty shoot-out, the game having finished 1–1 in 90 minutes.[13]
Return to La Liga and Europe
On 3 June 2012, Celta returned to La Liga after a five-year absence.[14] In their first season after returning to the top flight, they avoided relegation to the Segunda División on the final day after beating RCD Espanyol 1–0 to ensure a 17th-place finish.[15]
Under "EuroCelta" veteran Eduardo Berizzo in 2015–16, Celta finished sixth for their best result in a decade and earned a spot in the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League.[16] In their return to European competitions, Celta reached the semi-finals of the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, where they were eliminated by eventual champions Manchester United.[17]
Crest
Celta's original crest was rather simple, featuring a red shield with two stylised letter Cs (Club Celta) and the royal crown of Spain; in the year of its foundation, the club became one of a number of Spanish football clubs to be granted patronage by Alfonso XIII and thus the right to use the honorific real (Royal) in its name and the crown on its badge.[3] The following year the shield's colour was changed to the traditional sky blue colour. Like many other Galician clubs, such as Compostela and Racing Ferrol, the crest also features the red cross of Saint James which was added in 1928.[18][19][20] During the Spanish Second Republic (1931–1936), the honorific title and crown were removed from the club's name and crest; however, it was to return under the Spanish State.
Kit
Celta's home colours are sky blue and white. Originally, their home strip consisted of a red shirt, black shorts and blue socks. This was later changed at an unknown date to the current colours, representative of the Galician flag.[3]
    1923–1924
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Current
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Celta had the longest-running sponsorship deal in Spanish football, and one of the longest-running in the world, with the French automobile manufacturer Citroën from 1985 to 2016.[21] The company established its plant within walking distance from Balaídos in 1958, and had first sponsored the club's women's basketball team in 1980. In 2016, the sponsor was changed to that of Galician brewery, Estrella Galicia, which had advertised on the back of the shirts since 2011.[22] Their business deal with kit supplier, Umbro, was also one of the longest-running ones, from 1986 to 2010.[23]
| Years | Kit manufacturer | Sponsor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Company | ||
| 1980–82 | Meyba | None | |
| 1982–86 | Adidas | ||
| 1986–10 | Umbro | Citroën | Citroën Automóviles España, S.A. |
| 2010–13 | Li-Ning | ||
| 2013–16 | Adidas | ||
| 2016– | Estrella Galicia 0,0 | Hijos de Rivera, S.A.U | |
First-team squad
- As of 31 January 2024[24]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Reserve team
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club
As of 12 April 2024[25]
- Most league goals: 184, Iago Aspas (2008–2013, 2015–present)[26]
- Most La Liga goals: 150, Iago Aspas (2012–2013, 2015–present)[26]
- Most goals in a season: 69 (1998–99)
- Most league appearances: 462, Manolo (1966–1982)[27]
- Biggest win and biggest home win: 10–1 (against Gimnàstic, 23 October 1949)
- Biggest away win: 6–1 (against Athletic Bilbao, 24 March 2002)
- Biggest defeat and biggest away defeat: 0–10 (against Athletic Bilbao, 11 January 1942)
- Most home points in a season: 46 (1997–98)[28]
- Most away points in a season: 27 (2015–16)[29]
Individual
As of 12 April 2024. All current players are in bold.[25]
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The following past and present Celta players have been capped at full international level while playing for the club.[30]
Ownership
Real Club Celta de Vigo, S.A.D. is a sociedad anónima deportiva, a public limited sports company, owned by the Spanish-Mexican businessman Carlos Mouriño, who has been the majority shareholder since May 2006 when he acquired Horacio Gómez's 39.84% shareholding in the club. He currently owns 67.9% of the club through the holding company Grupo Corporativo Ges, S.L.[31]
In October 2016, the club was the subject of a potential €100 million takeover by the Chinese CITS Group.[32]
Board of directors
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Marián Mouriño |
| Vice presidents | Ricardo Barros |
| Pedro Posada | |
| Board of directors | María José Táboas |
| Primitivo Ferro | |
| Carmen Avendaño | |
| José Fernando Rodilla | |
| Managing director | Antonio Chaves |
| Financial director | María José Herbón |
| 'Fundación Celta' director | Germán Arteta |
| Academy director | Carlos Hugo García |
| Business development director | Carlos Cao |
| Commercial director | Carlos Salvador |
| Marketing director | Maruxa Magdalena |
| Security director | Julio Vargas |
Last updated: December 2023
Source: RC Celta
List of presidents
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2023) |
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List of Celta de Vigo head coaches since 1923.[34][35]
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_-_34_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}
National titles
- Segunda División
- Segunda División B
- Winners: 1980–81
- Tercera División
- Winners: 1930–31
- Copa del Rey
European titles
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Winners: 2000
Regional titles
- Galician Championship[42]
- Winners (6): 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26, 1929–30, 1931–32, 1933–34
- Asturian-Galician Championship (Galician Group)
- Regional Government of Galicia Cup
- Copa Galicia
Friendly and unofficial tournaments
- Trofeo Cidade de Vigo[46]
- Winners (21): 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012
- Trofeo Memorial Quinocho[47]
- Winners (21): 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2022, 2023
- Trofeo Luis Otero[48]
- Winners (13): 1965, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1997, 2007, 2010, 2014
- Trofeo Emma Cuervo[49]
- Winners (9): 1954, 1961, 1968, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1997, 2010
- TIM Trophy
- Winners: 2016[50]
- Teresa Herrera Trophy
- Winners: 1999[51]
- Trofeo Xacobeo
- Winners: 1999[52]
- Trofeo Federación Galega
- Winners: 2014[53]
- Copa Comunidad Gallega
- Winners: 2016[54]
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- 58 seasons in La Liga
- 32 seasons in Segunda División
- 1 season in Segunda División B
- 1 season in Tercera División
European competitions
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- Celta score listed first.
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–72 | UEFA Cup | First round |  Aberdeen |
0–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 |
| 1998–99 | UEFA Cup | First round |  Argeș Pitești |
7–0 | 1–0 | 8–0 |
| Second round |  Aston Villa |
0–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | ||
| Third round | Liverpool |
3–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | ||
| Quarter-finals |  Marseille |
1–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | ||
| 1999–2000 | UEFA Cup | First round |  Lausanne |
4–0 | 2–3 | 6–3 |
| Second round |  Aris |
2–2 | 2–0 | 4–2 | ||
| Third round |  Benfica |
7–0 | 1–1 | 8–1 | ||
| Fourth round |  Juventus |
0–1 | 4–0 | 4–1 | ||
| Quarter-finals | Lens |
0–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | ||
| 2000 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | Third round |  Pelister |
3–0 | 2–1 | 5–1 |
| Semi–finals | Aston Villa |
1–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | ||
| Finals |  Zenit Saint Petersburg |
2–1 | 2–2 | 4–3 | ||
| 2000–01 | UEFA Cup | First round |  Rijeka |
0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Second round |  Red Star Belgrade |
0–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | ||
| Third round |  Shakhtar Donetsk |
0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | ||
| Fourth round |  VfB Stuttgart |
0–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | ||
| Quarter-finals |  Barcelona |
3–2 | 1–2 | 4–4 (a) | ||
| 2001–02 | UEFA Cup | First round |  Sigma Olomouc |
4–0 | 3–4 | 7–4 |
| Second round | Slovan Liberec |
3–1 | 0–3 | 3–4 | ||
| 2002–03 | UEFA Cup | First round |  Odense |
2–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 |
| Second round |  Viking |
3–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | ||
| Third round | Celtic |
2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 (a) | ||
| 2003–04 | UEFA Champions League | Third qualifying round | Slavia Prague |
3–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 |
| Group H |  Ajax |
3–2 | 0–1 | 2nd | ||
 Club Brugge |
1–1 | 1–1 | ||||
| Milan |
0–0 | 2–1 | ||||
| Round of 16 | Arsenal |
2–3 | 0–2 | 2–5 | ||
| 2006–07 | UEFA Cup | First round | Standard Liège |
1–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 |
| Group H | Eintracht Frankfurt |
1–1 | — | 2nd | ||
| Newcastle United |
— | 1–2 | ||||
 Fenerbahçe |
1–0 | — | ||||
| Palermo |
— | 1–1 | ||||
| Round of 32 | Spartak Moscow |
1–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | ||
| Round of 16 | Werder Bremen |
0–1 | 0–2 | 0–3 | ||
| 2016–17 | UEFA Europa League | Group G | Ajax |
2–2 | 2–3 | 2nd |
| Standard Liège |
1–1 | 1–1 | ||||
| Panathinaikos |
2–0 | 2–0 | ||||
| Round of 32 | Shakhtar Donetsk |
0–1 | 2–0 (a.e.t.) | 2–1 | ||
| Round of 16 | Krasnodar |
2–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | ||
| Quarter-finals | Genk |
3–2 | 1–1 | 4–3 | ||
| Semi-finals | Manchester United |
0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 |
- "Club history". RC Celta de Vigo. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- "Concluye la campaña de altas para la temporada 2023/24 con más de 20.000 abonados" (in Spanish). RC Celta de Vigo. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- ""Todo por y para Vigo"". Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). 23 August 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- "Spain, Final Tables 1939–1949". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- "Fallece Pahíño [sic], histórico goleador del fútbol español" [Pahiño, historic goalscorer of Spanish football, dies]. Marca (in Spanish). 12 June 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- Kelly, Andy (6 May 2015). "Steven Gerrard Liverpool farewell: full Reds debut was only time 'I was pleased to be substituted'". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- Pereira, Antonio Pedro (25 November 2019). "Celta 7–0 Benfica foi há 20 anos. Da volta triunfal à goleada sem volta" [Celta 7–0 Benfica was 20 years ago. From triumphant return to thrashing with no return]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- "El Zaragoza vence al Celta y levanta su quinta Copa del Rey" [Zaragoza beat Celta and lift their fifth Copa del Rey]. El País (in Spanish). 1 July 2001. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- "Arsenal 2-0 Celta Vigo". BBC Sport. 10 March 2004. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- "Relegated Celta expect exodus". UEFA. 25 May 2004. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- "Spanish duo celebrate promotion". UEFA. 18 June 2005. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- "El Celta pide que las instituciones le saquen de la quiebra económica" [Celta asks that the instuitutions save it from bankruptcy]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 9 November 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- "A trip down memory lane for Granada and Celta". La Liga. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- "Celta back in La Liga after five-year absence". Reuters. 3 June 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
- Lowe, Sid (3 June 2013). "Celta Vigo defy odds as four becomes relegated three in La Liga finale". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- "Berizzo feliz con el nivel del Celta: "Hicimos una temporada brillante"" [Berizzo happy with Celta's level: "We had a brilliant season"] (in Spanish). Prensa Fútbol. 14 May 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- Jurejko, Jonathan (11 May 2017). "Manchester United 1–1 Celta Vigo". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- "Historia del R.C. Celta de Vigo". Fame Celeste.
- "Orígenes y escudo del Celta de Vigo". Sexto Anillo. 22 August 2016.
- "Celta de Vigo". Heráldica Futbolística. 17 February 2009.
- "Citroën abandona la camiseta del Celta" [Citroën abandons Celta's shirt]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). 31 May 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- "Adiós a un patrocinador histórico: Tras 31 años con Citroën" [Goodbye to a historic sponsor: After 31 years with Citroën]. Sport (in Spanish). 1 June 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- "El Celta y Umbro concluyen un cuarto de siglo de relación comercial" [Celta and Umbro conclude a quarter of a century of business partnership]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). 1 July 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- "Primer equipo – Jugadores" [First team – Players] (in Spanish). RC Celta de Vigo. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- "Celta de Vigo – Players". bdfutbol.com. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- "Iago Aspas, Iago Aspas Juncal – Footballer". bdfutbol.com. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- "Manolo, Manuel Rodríguez Alfonso – Footballer". bdfutbol.com. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- "Fútbol – Primera División de España – La Liga 1997/1998 – Resultados detallados". los-deportes.info. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- "Fútbol – Primera División de España – La Liga 2015/2016 – Resultados detallados". los-deportes.info. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "General Information for Celta Vigo". national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- "El Grupo GES aumenta hasta el 67,9 % su pastel en el accionariado del club". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 24 November 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- "Mouriño cuadruplicará su inversión en el Celta si vende sus acciones a CITS" [Mouriño will quadruple his investment in Celta if he sells his shares to CITS] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 15 October 2016.
- "Marián Mouriño muestra su «confianza plena en Benítez hasta final de temporada»" [Marián Mouriño shows her "full confidence in Benítez until the end of the season"]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- "Managers Celta de Vigo". bdfutbol.com. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- "Celta Vigo – Manager history". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- Millar, Colin (9 November 2020). "Celta Vigo have chosen title-winning Argentine as new boss". Football Espana. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- "Celta Vigo announce arrival of new coach Eduardo Coudet until 2022". Marca. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- "Carvalhal leaves Celta Vigo by mutual consent". The Athletic. 10 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
- "Rafa Benitez: Celta Vigo name former Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea boss as manager". BBC Sport. 23 June 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- Millar, Colin (12 March 2024). "Rafa Benitez sacked as Celta Vigo manager". The Athletic. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- "Giraldez named new Celta Vigo coach after Benitez sacking". Xinhua. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- "Spain – List of Champions of Galicia". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- "Hemeroteca Digital. Biblioteca Nacional de España". hemerotecadigital.bne.es. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- "El Celta alza la Copa Xunta". Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). 4 January 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- "El Celta revalida ante el Deportivo su título de campeón de la Copa Galicia". Atlántico (in Spanish). 21 May 2008. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- "Trofeo Ciudad de Vigo". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- "Memorial Quinocho". RSSSF. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ":: Troféo Luis Otero :: Pontevedra – Espanha". Campeões do Futebol (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- "Trofeo Emma Cuervo". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- "Trofeo Tim al Celta Vigo, Sassuolo rimonta Milan". ANSA.it (in Italian). 11 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- "Trofeo Teresa Herrera". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- "Trofeo Xacobeo 1999". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- "El Celta se lleva con merecimiento el Trofeo Federación Galega ante el Deportivo". RC Celta (in European Spanish). 13 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- Faraldo, Manuel L. (22 July 2016). "El Celta de Vigo se coronó campeón de la Copa Comunidad Gallega disputada en Montevideo". España Exterior (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- González Villar, Celso. Albores do fútbol Vigues (in Galician).
- Cros, Jaime (1973). El Celta y la Liga (in Spanish). Murcia: APANDA de Artes Gráficas, S.A. ISBN 84-605-5851-7.
- Cros, Jaime (1974). Celta 74 (in Spanish).
- Álvarez, Eugenio (2004). A historia do Celta (1992–2004) (in Spanish). Vigo. p. 272.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Ball, Phil (2001). "Raining Champions". Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football. Kings Lynn, England: WSC Books. pp. 165–181. ISBN 0-9540134-6-8.
- Official website (in Spanish, Galician, and English)
- Celta de Vigo at La Liga (in English and Spanish)
- Celta de Vigo at UEFA (in English and Spanish)