History of Real Sociedad in Timeline

Real Sociedad is a Spanish professional sports club founded in 1909 and based in San Sebastián, Basque Country. The club is commonly known as Real Sociedad and plays its home matches at the Anoeta Stadium.

1904: San Sebastián Recreation Club Formed

In 1904, the San Sebastián Recreation Club, the first football club in the city, was formed by students and workers returning from Britain.

1905: Copa del Rey Competition

In 1905, San Sebastián Recreation Club competed in the Copa del Rey.

1907: Team Split

In 1907, a conflict caused the team to split, with several players leaving San Sebastián Recreation Club.

1908: San Sebastian Football Club Created

In 1908, several players created the San Sebastian Football Club.

September 1909: Sociedad de Futbol Founded

In September 1909, the players who had won the Copa del Rey tournament founded the Sociedad de Futbol.

September 1909: Real Sociedad Founded

On September 7, 1909, Real Sociedad de Futbol was founded in Donostia / San Sebastián, Basque Country.

1909: Copa del Rey Title

In 1909, Real Sociedad won the Copa del Rey.

1909: Copa del Rey Win as Club Ciclista

In 1909, San Sebastian Football Club competed as Club Ciclista de San Sebastián and won the Copa del Rey, defeating Athletic Club in the quarter-finals and Club Español de Madrid in the final. George McGuinness scored 6 goals in the tournament.

1910: Copa del Rey Final as Vasconia de San Sebastián

In 1910, Sociedad competed in the Copa del Rey as Vasconia de San Sebastián, reaching the final but losing to Athletic.

1913: First Final as Real Sociedad

In 1913, the first final the club played as Real Sociedad was against FC Barcelona.

1928: Copa del Rey Final

In 1928, Sociedad reached the Copa del Rey final, losing to FC Barcelona in three games.

1929: Founding Member of La Liga

In 1929, Real Sociedad became a founding member of La Liga.

1931: Name change to Donostia Club de Futbol

In 1931, the club's name was changed to Donostia Club de Futbol with the advent of the Second Spanish Republic.

1939: Name changed back to Real Sociedad

In 1939, after the Spanish Civil War, the club's name was changed back to Real Sociedad.

1967: Start of 40-Season Top Flight Spell

In 1967, Real Sociedad began a 40-season long spell in the top flight of La Liga.

1979: Finished Runners-Up in La Liga

In 1979, Real Sociedad finished as runners-up in La Liga.

1980: Runners-up in La Liga

In 1979-80, Real Sociedad finished as runners-up in La Liga for the first time.

1980: Jesús María Satrústegui was the club's top scorer

In 1980, Jesús María Satrústegui was the club's top scorer with 16 goals.

1981: Won First Primera Division Title

At the end of the 1980-81 season, Real Sociedad won its first ever Primera División title.

1981: First UEFA Champions League Appearance

In 1981, Real Sociedad made its first appearance in the UEFA Champions League, losing in the first round against CSKA Sofia.

1981: La Liga Title Win

In 1981, Real Sociedad won the La Liga title for the first time.

1982: Retained Liga Title and Won Supercopa

In 1982, Real Sociedad retained the Liga title and won the Supercopa de España, defeating Real Madrid.

March 1987: Record Copa del Rey Win

On March 11, 1987, Real Sociedad set a record for most goals in a Copa del Rey quarter-final after defeating Mallorca 10-1.

June 1987: First Copa del Rey Title

On June 27, 1987, Real Sociedad won its first Copa del Rey title, defeating Atlético Madrid 4-2 on penalties.

1987: Runner-up in Liga

In 1987, Real Sociedad finished as runner-up in La Liga.

March 1988: Lost Copa del Rey Final

On March 30, 1988, Real Sociedad lost the Copa del Rey final to Barcelona at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

1988: Last time runners up

The 1997-98 season was Real Sociedad's best finish since being runners-up for the first time since 1988

1989: Signed John Aldridge

In 1989, Real Sociedad ended its policy of only signing Basque players by signing Republic of Ireland forward John Aldridge.

1990: Signed Dalian Atkinson

In 1990, Real Sociedad signed English striker Dalian Atkinson of Sheffield Wednesday, becoming the club's first black player. He scored 12 goals in his first season.

1997: Finished Third in La Liga

In the 1997–98 season, Real Sociedad finished third in La Liga.

1998: Qualified for UEFA Cup

In 1998, Real Sociedad qualified for the 1998-99 UEFA Cup after finishing third in La Liga.

2001: Start of Alleged Doping Period

In 2001, it was alleged that José Luis Astiazarán's presidency began paying to dope players.

2002: Runner-up in Liga

In 2002, Real Sociedad finished as runner-up in La Liga.

2002: La Liga Runners-Up

In 2002, Real Sociedad finished as runners-up in La Liga, its best finish since 1988.

2003: La Liga Runners-Up

In 2002-03, Real Sociedad finished as runners-up in La Liga, its best finish since 1988.

2003: La Liga Title Race and Champions League Qualification

In 2003, Real Sociedad kept first place in La Liga until the penultimate game and qualified directly for the 2003-04 UEFA Champions League after finishing second, losing the title to Real Madrid.

2003: Champions League Group Stage

In 2003, Real Sociedad was placed in Group D of the 2003–04 Champions League with Juventus, Galatasaray and Olympiacos.

2003: UEFA Champions League Round of 16

In the 2003-04 season, Real Sociedad progressed to the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League before losing to Lyon.

2005: José Luis Astiazarán Presidency

José Luis Astiazarán was Real Sociedad's president between 2001 and 2005.

September 2006: 2,000th La Liga Match

On September 9, 2006, Real Sociedad played its 2,000th La Liga match. That season they were relegated.

July 2007: Chris Coleman Appointed Coach

On July 9, 2007, Chris Coleman was appointed as the new club coach of Real Sociedad.

2007: End of 40-Season Top Flight Spell

In 2007, Real Sociedad's 40-season long spell in the top flight of La Liga ended.

2007: End of Alleged Doping Period

In 2007, it was alleged that José Luis Astiazarán's presidency ended paying to dope players.

2007: Affinity within Spanish population

In 2007, the Spanish Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas found that 1.3% of the Spanish population had more of an affinity for Real Sociedad than any other club. Also, 1.5% had more of an affinity for La Real than any other club apart from their favorite.

January 2008: Chris Coleman Resigned

On January 16, 2008, Chris Coleman resigned as the coach of Real Sociedad.

2008: Doping Accusations

In 2008, Real Sociedad's president, Iñaki Badiola, accused the preceding club management of buying doping substances.

December 2012: Supporter appreciation match

In December 2012, in appreciation of the value of the supporters to the club, the Real Sociedad players wore the name of a randomly selected club member on their shirt for the match against Sevilla.

2012: Finished Fourth Place

In the 2012-13 season, Real Sociedad finished in fourth place.

2013: Doping Accusations Continued

In 2013, Iñaki Badiola accused José Luis Astiazarán's presidency of paying up to €300,000 to Eufemiano Fuentes to dope players between 2001 and 2007. Astiazarán denied the claims.

2013: Champions League Qualification

In the 2012-13 season, Real Sociedad finished in fourth place and qualified for the 2013-14 Champions League for the first time since the 2003-04 season. They qualified for the group stage by defeating Lyon in the play-offs.

2013: UEFA Champions League Group Stage

In the 2013-14 season, Real Sociedad finished 4th place in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

November 2014: David Moyes Appointed Manager

On November 10, 2014, Real Sociedad announced David Moyes as the manager to replace Jagoba Arrasate.

November 2015: David Moyes Sacked

On November 9, 2015, David Moyes was sacked after falling to 16th in La Liga and was replaced by Eusebio Sacristán.

June 2017: Sacristán Contract Renewed

In June 2017, Sacristán's contract with Real Sociedad was renewed. However, he was ultimately dismissed.

December 2018: Imanol Alguacil Appointed Manager

On December 26, 2018, Imanol Alguacil succeeded Aiser Garitano as reserve team manager.

2020: Copa del Rey Title

In 2020, Real Sociedad won the Copa del Rey.

April 2021: Copa del Rey victory

In April 2021, Real Sociedad won its third Copa del Rey, which was the delayed 2020 Copa del Rey Final, due to COVID-19. They played a Basque derby against Athletic Bilbao.