History of Getafe CF: From local roots to Spain’s top flight

Getafe Club de Fútbol’s history is a story of local passion, rebirth, and steady rise through Spanish football’s ranks. Early Beginnings and Predecessors Football in Getafe dates back to the early 20th century. The city’s first organised football club, Sociedad Getafe Deportivo, was founded in 1923 and initially played matches in regional competitions. However, this early effort faded and disappeared by 1933. Post-War Foundation (1946) After the Spanish Civil War, a group of five locals, Enrique Condes García, Aurelio Miranda Olavaria, Antonio Corredor Lozano, Manuel Serrano Vergara, and Miguel Cubero Francés, met at La Marquesina bar and decided to form a new club to represent the city. Their efforts led to the official foundation of Club Getafe Deportivo on 24 February 1946. The team initially played in makeshift fields such as the Campo del Regimiento de Artillería before later moving to San Isidro. During the 1950s and 1960s, Club Getafe Deportivo competed in Spain’s lower divisions and briefly climbed to the Tercera División, the third tier of the Spanish league system. Rebirth as Getafe CF (1983) By the early 1980s, Club Getafe Deportivo was struggling financially and eventually dissolved in 1982. In response, local football leaders and existing smaller clubs, Club Deportivo Peña Getafe and Club Getafe Promesas, united to create a new team. On 8 July 1983, Getafe Club de Fútbol was officially founded through this merger, taking up the footballing legacy of the city and starting life in the regional leagues. Rise Through the Leagues Getafe CF began its journey at the bottom of Spain’s football pyramid but quickly made progress. The club earned several promotions from the regional divisions and Segunda División B, reaching Segunda (the second tier) and laying the foundation for future success. In 1998, Getafe inaugurated their current home, the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez stadium, which provided a modern and dedicated venue for the city’s growing football ambitions. First La Liga Promotion and Establishment Getafe’s most historic milestone came in 2004, when the club earned promotion to La Liga for the first time, becoming only the fourth team from the Madrid region to reach Spain’s top division, after Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Rayo Vallecano. Since then, Getafe have largely maintained their status among Spain’s elite, with spells in European competition and some of the club’s highest league finishes coming in the 2010s and 2020s. Identity and Culture Getafe’s deep-blue home colours have earned them the nickname “Azulones” (the Deep Blues), a tradition carried over from the earlier Club Getafe Deportivo. The team’s rise from local roots to La Liga stalwarts reflects the city’s passion for football and its supporters’ enduring commitment.