셀타의 역사 파트1. 초기 Celta History: Part I

Celta’s history starts with his foundation. Celta is born on August 23^rd 1923 by the union of two clubs from Vigo city, Vigo Sporting  and Real Fortuna.  The name Celta came up because Vigo was a former Celts settlement, so the choose Celt from Vigo, and as a result Celta de Vigo in Spanish. Although there are other teams with similar names, like Celtic Glasgow, there are no links between Celta and any of those Clubs, and the name similarity is a mere coincidence. The only time they coincided was in the Uefa Cup, where Celtic eliminated Celta.

They played their first season in the second division, although they were entitled to play in the first division due to the size of the city, the negatives votes made by some teams stop them from playing where they belonged. One of those teams voting against Celta was Deportivo de la Coruna, Celta’s most hated enemy, and that is where all the hate began between this two teams.

After a bad start of the competition, they left it at 1929, starting all over again the next season from the lower divisions. They start achieving promotions, until they get to the first division, but Spanish Civil War stopped the competition until 1939, when they played their first season in the top division. They stayed there for two decades, with the exception of the 1944-1945 season where they had to play in the second division getting promotion the very same season.

That glorious time for Celta ended up in the 1958-1959 season, when they got relegated to the second division, where they stayed until 1968, when they got promoted again. Those where very good years for Celta, as next season they got their first classification for the UEFA Cup, where they were eliminated by Aberdeen.

From that time on, Celta was known as a lift team, going up and down from the second division to the first and all the way back. For years Celta fans did not enjoy but suffered with the fate of their team, as happiness only lasted one or two years before Celta was relegated again.

Some very good players played during this time in Celta, players that later on where Spain internationals, or even played for Real Madrid.

Pahino (Celta 1943-1948): born in Vigo, played his first professional games with Celta, where he scored 56 goals in 86 games. He then was sold to Real Madrid, where he scored 108 in 128 games, being one of Spain’s best strikers of his time

Hermidita (Celta 1944-1946): born in Vigo, he played 12 years for Celta forming a great due with Pahino. When Pahino left, he was in charge of the goals, netting 107 goals in 170 games, being one of Spain’s best scorers, and top Celta scorer to the date.

Baltazar (Celta 1985-1988): one of the best strikers to ever worn Celta’s top. Netted 34 goals in 35 appearances before being transferred to Atletico de Madrid. He remains as Celta’s best scorer in one season. 7 times international for Brazil.

Jorge Otero (Celta 1987–1994): from Celta’s young Academy, Jorge was Celta’s first player to be international for Spain while playing at Celta. He played a total of 222 games for Celta before signing for Valencia. He played 4 seasons there and kept representing Spain at an international level.

Santi Canizares (Celta 1992-1994): Canizares was signed by Celta from second division Merida. He only played two seasons in Vigo, but got his first international call while at Vigo, and debuted in a playoff for the World Cup qualification replacing sent off man Zubizarreta and being MOM of that game against Denmark. He was sold then to Real Madrid where he continued his career.