(Football news) Atlético de Madrid will host UD Las Palmas at the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano on Saturday at 2pm CET, in a game between two LALIGA EA SPORTS sides that share a curious connection. Los Amarillos pulled off a solid display to end Atleti’s six-game winning streak in the league by defeating Los Rojiblancos 2-1 at home back in November in front of 30,080 fans. This was UD Las Palmas’ first victory against Atlético de Madrid in over three decades, with their previous triumph over Los Rojiblancos dating back in 1987, when neither of the three scorers in November’s clash – Kirian Rodríguez, Benito Ramírez del Toro or Álvaro Morata – had been born.
Hence, Atlético de Madrid will look to avenge their defeat at the hands of UD Las Palmas, with Saturday’s game offering us the opportunity to delve into the peculiar connection between the two clubs.
A familiar badge on UD Las Palmas’ crest
Eagle-eyed LALIGA EA SPORTS fans have surely noticed that UD Las Palmas’ crest features a few different badges, including one that is very similar to Atlético de Madrid’s badge. Yet, a closer look reveals that the animal featuring on it looks like a dog and the tree might be a palm, both historical symbols of the Canary Islands. These two appear to replace the bear and that strawberry tree, which feature on Atleti’s badge as symbols of Madrid.
Meanwhile, the letters “C” and “A” amidst the stripes represent Club Atlético, a team formed from the re-foundation of Club Deportivo Santa Catalina. That club decided to change from a blue and black shirt and black shorts to a red and white shirt and blue shorts, resembling the kit colours of Atlético de Madrid.
The foundation of UD Las Palmas
Canarian football, previously isolated from mainland championships, underwent a pivotal moment in the early 1940s, at a time when Spanish football powerhouses would sign the best youngsters from the islands. Despite initial resistance, the major local clubs joined forces in 1949 to establish Unión Deportiva Las Palmas, symbolising a union of Canarian football to try to keep the top talents at home.
UD Las Palmas was the result of a merger between five Canarian clubs: Marino Fútbol Club, Real Club Victoria, Club Deportivo Gran Canaria, Arenas Club and Club Atlético, with all five badges being included in the newly-formed team’s crest.
More historical ties
Historically, Atlético de Madrid have been one of the main destinations for players from the Canary Islands. At the end of the 1940s, Canarian players such as Alfonso Silva, Rafael Mújica González, Antonio Durán, Rosendo Hernández and Miguel el Palmero featured in an Atleti side that won back-to-back league titles in 1949/50 and 1950/51 under legendary coach Helenio Herrera. That team was nicknamed Atlético Canario due to the number of Canarian footballers included in the squad.
The enduring relationship between the two clubs continued through Vicente Calderón’s tenure, with the former Atlético de Madrid president travelling frequently to the Canary Islands for business reasons.
Juan Carlos Valerón and Víctor Machín Pérez, known as Vitolo, are two of the most notable Canarian players to have featured both at UD Las Palmas and Los Rojiblancos in the modern era. The former played for a struggling Atlético de Madrid side that was relegated to LALIGA HYPERMOTION at the end of the 1999/2000 campaign, before moving at RC Deportivo, where he became a club legend. As for the latter, Los Rojiblancos triggered Vitolo’s buyout clause and signed him from Sevilla FC in 2017. Yet, injuries meant Vitolo never managed to establish himself in Diego Simeone’s side and he is expected to part ways with the club at the end of the season, when his contract is set to expire.
Meanwhile, his teammates will look to get back to winning ways after losing at Sevilla FC last weekend. To do so, Atlético de Madrid will need to overcome Vitolo’s boyhood team, a solid UD Las Palmas, who beat Valencia CF at home and now sit just three points away from the European spots.
