The island club was once the home of Miguel Angel Nadal and Samuel Eto'o, while they currently have NBA legends as shareholders.
As one of the 11 clubs to have lifted the Copa del Rey trophy in the 21st century, RCD Mallorca holds a special place in the history of Spanish football. The club of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea are nicknamed The Vermilionsmeaning The Vermilions in English, and they returned to the final of the Copa del Rey after overcoming Real Sociedad in the semi-finals of the 2023/24 edition. Here are five facts you didn't know about this unique club.
The stadium is only 25 years old and has recently been renovated
Mallorca plays in Palma, the largest city on the island of Mallorca. Their home is the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, which was built for the 1999 Summer Universiade and has been used by the soccer team ever since. It was recently renovated to remove the athletics track and to enhance the atmosphere of the match, with the current capacity now at around 23,000 seats.
RCD Mallorca won the Copa del Rey in 2003
Without a doubt, the greatest moment in RCD Mallorca's history was the 2002/03 Copa del Rey final, where they defeated Recreativo de Huelva 3-0 with a penalty from Walter Pandiani and a brace from Samuel Eto'o . They also won the Spanish Super Cup in 1998, as the club enjoyed some very successful years at the turn of the century.
Rafael Nadal's uncle was the captain of the club
The captain of Mallorca when they won the Copa del Rey in 2003 was Miguel Angel Nadal, who also played for Barcelona and who is Rafael Nadal's uncle. The legendary tennis player is from Manacor on the island of Mallorca and has often been seen attending matches at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix.
There is a mural of Samuel Eto'o outside the stadium
As the scorer of two goals in that 2003 Copa del Rey final, Samuel Eto'o will forever be a club legend. In fact, there is a mural of the striker at the stadium, which is seven meters wide and almost 10 meters high. It was created by local Majorcan artist Rene Makela, who described it as “a gift from everyone Majorcanists to one of the most important icons in the club's history.” In total, Eto'o scored 70 goals for the team in 165 appearances between 2000 and 2004.
The club has NBA ties in its ownership group
The ownership group of RCD Mallorca knows what it takes to win in the world of sports, as the island club boasts two of the most successful figures in NBA history as shareholders in the form of Steve Nash and Steve Kerr. Former Chelsea and England player Graeme Le Saux has also been a member of the club's board during its rise to the top of Spanish football.
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