Deportivo end 43-year anomaly with A Coruña name change | OneFootball

Deportivo have aligned their identity with Galicia’s official toponymy, adopting Real Club Deportivo de A Coruña in Spanish and Real Club Deportivo da Coruña in Galician after shareholders approved the switch on 23 June. The move, coming as the club marked their 120th anniversary and return to the elite, closes a 43-year anomaly.

A prior consultation of season-ticket holders drew 56% participation and almost 80% backed the change, paving the way for unanimous approval at the meeting. The club said in a statement that the update formally brings the corporate name into line with current law and caps a process shaped by member input and full shareholder support.

Football took root in A Coruña at the turn of the 20th century, and athletes from the Sala Calvet gym formed a team after matches on 9 and 10 December 1906 ended 2-1 and 1-1. Royal patronage arrived in 1909, then in 1912 the side adopted the title Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña to better reflect the city.

Monarchical symbols and the word Real were removed during the Second Republic between 1931 and 1935, then restored in 1939. A 1941 decree forced castilianisation across Spanish football, locking the La in the city’s name, while a 1983 language law later established Galician toponyms as the only legal form, including A Coruña. Local resistance persisted, notably a failed court challenge by mayor Francisco Vázquez, and the club’s boards avoided reopening the issue until now.

The change drew praise from rivals Celta de Vigo, who applauded the decision as a further step for the language and offered congratulations.

Source: AS