Real Mallorca


Last Updated ( Saturday, 02 August 2008 )

Full Name: Real Club Deportivo Mallorca
City: Palma de Mallorca
Country: Spain
League: La Liga
Founded: 1916
Stadium: ONO Estadi - Son Moix (26,500)
Colors: Black, Red
Previous: Junta Directiva del Alfonso XIII FBC (1916-17), Real Sociedad Alfonso XIII (1917-31), Club Deportivo Mallorca (1931-49)
Nicknames: Barralets, Ensaimada Mecánica, Bermellones and Vermellencs, Mallorqueta

Official Website: rcdmallorca.es

Description:
Junta Directiva del Alfonso XIII Foot Ball Club was founded on March 5, 1916 in Palma on the island of Mallorca, the largest island in the Balearic Island chain. It was named after then Spanish king Alfonso XIII. A year later they received the honorary title of Real from the king and changed their name to Real Sociedad Alfonso XIII. After the abdication of King Alfonso XIII in 1931 and the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, the club was given the less political name of Club Deportivo Mallorca - Mallorca Sports Club. In 1949 Real was restored to the club's name and they are regularly called Real Mallorca as well as just Mallorca. Mallorca are the oldest and most successful club in the Balearic Islands. They reached the 1999 European Cup Winners Cup final.

Mallorca have a number of nicknames - Barralets, Ensaimada Mecánica, Bermellones and Vermellencs and Mallorqueta to name a few. A Barralet is a type of small bottle, sometimes called an ampoule. When the club received royal patronage the emblem was modified to add a crown at its top (see below). With that addition it had the appearance of a barralet and the club has had the nickname ever since. Ensaimada Mecánica is a bit of a play on words and was specifically given to the Mallorca team of the late 90s, the best in club history. It's a joke on A Clockwork Orange (Naranja Mecánica in Spanish) replacing ensaimada (a popular Mallorcan pastry) for orange. It's not used to so much anymore. Vermellencs and Bermellones mean The Reds (or specifically The Vermillion) in Catalan and Spanish respectively. Mallorqueta is like "little Mallorca" in a sense of familiarity not size.

The stadium is commonly known as Son Moix but officially the ONO Estadi after title sponsors ONO, a Spanish telecoms company. Previous stadiums: Buenos Aires (1916-45), Es Fortí/Lluís Sitjar (1945-99).