Real Madrid

[bigangus]

Hello
Can anybody tell me why some Spanish teams have Real in there names. i know it translates to Royal, and Real Madrid were granted the title in the 20's. but what about the other teams Real Betis,Real Zaragoza, Real Sociedad etc
Thanks in advance

[redman41]

The word "Real" in the club's name is the Spanish term for "royal", and was given by the King Alfonso XIII in 1920 together with the royal crown in the emblem – several other Spanish football teams also received this royal distinction: Real Sociedad, Real Unión de Irún, Real Betis, and Real Zaragoza.

[rowanwitch]

on this basis when William becomes King we may end up with Royal Aston Villa.... now that is a scary thought

[Jimbre]

It's like asking why most teams have United in front the name? It doesn't make sense if you really think about it but most of get used to it and it's "normal" for us. Maybe it's the same in Spain. Using Real is such a normal thing for them.