Granada CFGranada CF are the club of the Andalusian city famous for the Alhambra, and their own history carries a similar air of faded grandeur. Founded on 14 April 1931 as Recreativo Granada, the club long claimed that date for its symbolic coincidence with the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic, though surviving documents suggest the club had already been formed a few days earlier.
The defining moment in the club's history came in 1959. Managed by the Hungarian coach Jenő Kálmár, Granada battled through a gruelling run that included a play-off victory over Valencia CF to reach the final of the Copa del Generalísimo, the forerunner of the Copa del Rey. On 21 June 1959, at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, Granada faced FC Barcelona, who had just won the league title. The Catalans won 4-1, with Ramón Carranza scoring Granada's only goal - a runner-up finish that remains the club's greatest achievement in a major domestic cup.
More than six decades later, Granada finally tasted sustained European football. In their first-ever continental campaign, in 2020/21, the side coached by Diego Martínez reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League, eliminating established sides along the way before falling 4-0 on aggregate to Manchester United, who went on to reach the final. Fittingly for a team whose motto is eterna lucha (eternal fight), Granada pushed the English club close in the first leg before a late penalty settled the tie. The team plays in red and white at the Nuevo Los Cármenes stadium, successor to the old Los Cármenes ground where legends such as Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás once appeared as visitors during Granada's spells in the top flight.