Carlos Mouriño, the president of RC Celta, Marián Mouriño, former presidents of the club, legendary players, the oldest and youngest season ticket holders, representatives from the first team and the youth academy, supporters’ groups, fans, historical and current sponsors, new partners… past, present, and future of RC Celta. This was the family photo from the Centennial event that took place this morning at the Cidade Deportiva Afouteza, leading up to the grand celebration in the evening on Friday at the exterior of Abanca Balaídos, with continuation inside, and the emotional Legends Match on the 30th of this month.
This commemorative event for the 100-year history of RC Celta was a heartfelt birthday party that began early in the morning with the placement of a commemorative plaque at the exact location where the merger of Vigo Sporting Club and Real Club Fortuna took place. The signing happened at the Fundación Penzol, which was then the headquarters of the Federación Gremial de Patronos in 1923.
At 11:30, the event started at CD Afouteza with the presence of not only the photo’s participants but also others who came to celebrate RC Celta’s 100 years of existence. Among them were Alejandro Blanco, the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, representatives from the Xunta de Galicia, mayors from the province representing different political parties, and numerous representatives from Galician politics, media, business, the sports world, and Galician society at large.
Carlos Mouriño, the president of RC Celta, delivered an emotional speech emphasizing the roots, identity, and the uniqueness of being a Celtista, and paid homage to everyone who has been part of the club’s history since its inception. “I must admit that I dare not attempt to extol our 100 years of history. In a club so rich in emotions, experiences, references, and heroes, it’s impossible. No book, collection, or documentary can do it justice. There will always be names not mentioned, stories untold, and above all, feelings that can’t be described,” he began.
Carlos Mouriño also noted, “Each one of our fans, from that August 23rd 100 years ago, could recount dozens of beautiful and sad stories. And that, ultimately, matters. We are an endless number of beautiful and sad stories. The beautiful ones make us proud, and the sad ones united us.”
“That dream of Manuel de Castro, Pepe Villar, and Baliño Ledo ended up spreading and filling every corner of our land. Celta ascended to La Liga, reached Copa finals, played in Europe, amazed with its football, built an enviable youth academy, garnered admiration and sympathy, and over the course of 100 years forged a loyal, passionate, dedicated, and proud fanbase. With the enormous responsibility of preserving and enriching that legacy, the work done for a century by people who loved the club above all, and the responsibility of giving meaning to the sacrifices our fans made, the effort our players put in, we arrive at the day when we turn 100,” he added.
The president of RC Celta also pointed out, “With the enormous responsibility of preserving and enriching that legacy, the work done for a century by people who loved the club above all, and the responsibility of giving meaning to the sacrifices our fans made, the effort our players put in, we arrive at the day when we turn 100.”
“I am happy to celebrate this Centennial in our twelfth consecutive season in La Liga. To celebrate it in these magnificent facilities that are the seed of an exciting project that will forever change the club. We reach this century of existence with a legacy that many before us dreamt of and that makes us stronger, with a splendid social headquarters, a modern sports complex, and an ongoing project that will place us on the map of the European sports industry. Every gesture and act of the past brought us here, to an exciting present, with a broad social base, this valuable heritage, and our dreams intact. The future is yet to be written, others who will love Celta as much as or more than us will do it. Other leaders, other fans, and other players. But the passion will be the same, our identity will be identical. It will be the same Celta from 100 years ago, with its values, its hopes, and its vocation: being a club from Vigo for all Galicians. Here’s to another 100 years of noble play, courage, and heart. Hala Celta!” he concluded.
The president of RC Celta received the Breean Urbanism certification for the GS360 project from Javier Torralba. This certification evaluates and rates the environmental, social, and economic impact of sustainable urban development. Jose Castro, the president of Sevilla, also presented him with a commemorative plaque for the club’s centennial, as did Rafael Louzán, the president of the Galician Football Federation.
In addition, there were emotional speeches from the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, various videos full of sentiment, a large birthday cake, music from Lagharteiras, octopus vendors, “queimada” (a traditional Galician beverage), and more.
