The Blue Side of Madrid by David Pugh

The Blue Side of Madrid by David Pugh

The Blue Side of Madrid is the inspirational story of Getafe Club de Fútbol – the capital’s resilient outsiders who refused to accept that top-flight football belonged exclusively to the city’s big two: Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. Re-founded in 1983, Getafe have climbed from the margins of Spanish football to the bright lights of the Primera División, establishing themselves as a permanent fixture among Spain’s elite. Since their first-ever promotion in 2004, Los Azulones have spent 21 of the last 22 seasons in La Liga, reaching two Copa del Rey finals and embarking on three European campaigns. Operating on a shoestring budget and playing in a municipally owned stadium, the south-Madrid club is vying for the title of the capital’s third-best team, alongside Rayo Vallecano and Leganés. This fascinating book follows the drama of the 2025/26 season while charting Getafe’s meteoric rise – from out-of-town underdogs to a formidable force in La Liga and in Europe.

David Pugh is an English freelance sports journalist and translator who has spent two decades living in Madrid. After years of extensive travel throughout Spain, immersing himself in the Spanish language and the culture of Spanish football, he set out to write The Blue Side of Madrid, inspired by witnessing the rise of Getafe CF first-hand and driven by the belief that every football club has a story worth telling.