Why Real Madrid wear white and have a crown on their crest – and how the decision had a huge impact on Leeds United
REAL MADRID’s famous white kits originate from an unsuspecting source.
The LaLiga giants have played in their iconic white kits since being founded in 1902.
Incredibly, the inspiration behind their shirts came from an amateur side based in London.
Corinthian FC was a well-renowned club in England in the early 1900s with a reputation for playing a thrilling style of play.
One of the amateur side’s most famous results was an 11-3 win over Manchester United, which is still the Red Devil’s biggest defeat to date.
Two of Real’s founders visited the club in 1902 while they played a game at The Oval.
They were impressed by the club and decided to take the white of Corinthian FC’s shirts and make it into their own kit, adding matching white shorts and socks.
The club’s colours has gone on to inspire its nickname “Los Blancos” which is Spanish for ‘The Whites’.
Leeds United chose to base their kits on Real’s in the 1960s, inadvertently copying Corinthian FC.
Before that, the club would sometimes play in blue and yellow.
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There is also history to Real’s name which translates to “Royal Madrid”.
The name was given to the club after King Alfonso XIII granted them royal patronage in 1920.
Before then, the club was simply known as Madrid Football Club.
During the 1920s, Real experimented with different colours however it proved to only be temporary.
Former club president Pedro Parages declared that the club would revert to the all-white kits as he believed that any deviation would be unlucky.
Due to the naming of the club, a crown was added to its crest.
However the crown vanished from the badge in 1931 when Spain became a republic.
This change saw the stripe of Castile added, while the crown returned to the badge in 1941.
There have been plenty of editions of Real’s kits over the years, with this season’s being a fan favourite.