Getafe CFThe story of Getafe CF is less about a single great upset than about a whole series of them — and it is that string of memorable nights, rather than any trophy haul, that defines the identity of this club from the southern outskirts of Madrid. The club in its present form was founded on 8 July 1983 as heir to the dissolved Club Getafe Deportivo, though organised football had existed in the city since 1923. From the regional leagues, the Azulones climbed the entire Spanish football pyramid in barely two decades, reaching La Liga for the first time in 2004–05.
The foundations of the club's reputation as football's most awkward opponent were laid in the 2006–07 season, when Getafe — managed by Bernd Schuster — reached the Copa del Rey semi-finals for the first time in its history. Having lost the first leg 5–2 to FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou, Getafe produced one of the most spectacular turnarounds in the competition's history, winning the home leg 4–0 to advance to the final on the away-goals rule. In the final at the Santiago Bernabéu, however, the club fell 0–1 to Sevilla. A year later, now under Michael Laudrup, Getafe reached the domestic cup final again, this time losing 1–3 to Valencia.
The 2007–08 season brought something more, though: a UEFA Cup campaign fans still remember as "Eurogeta". Getafe won their group and eliminated AEK Athens and Benfica before meeting Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. In the second leg at the Coliseum, played on 10 April 2008, Getafe led 3–2 deep into stoppage time of extra time, on the verge of a historic upset of the German giants — only for Luca Toni to head home an equaliser in the 121st minute, sending Bayern through 3–3 on aggregate by virtue of away goals.
The next breakthrough came only after years of struggle. Following relegation from La Liga in 2016, the club turned to coach José Bordalás, architect of the intensely physical, organised style that has since become the team's trademark. Under his guidance, Getafe not only returned to the top flight but, in 2018–19, recorded the best league finish in its history — fifth place, which opened the door to the 2019–20 Europa League group stage. There the side advanced all the way to the round of 16, eliminated only by Inter Milan. Bordalás later returned to the club and was still in charge for the 2025–26 season, in which Getafe finished seventh, securing qualification for the 2026–27 UEFA Conference League.
The club plays its home matches at the stadium known since 1998 as the Coliseum, a 16,500-capacity ground that has witnessed every defining moment of Getafe CF's short but remarkably eventful history — a club that, despite lacking major honours, has carved out a reputation as one of the most unpredictable sides in modern La Liga.