A rare midweek match for Real Madrid tonight, as they face El Geta tonight in the Coliseum, in the start of their “Madrid” week, as they will also be playing the other Madrid-based team, Atlético, this weekend.   The good thing is, they don’t have to travel very far!

Playing against Getafe is kind of like Madrid playing against its B side, because there are so many azulones with Madrid pasts, starting with the coaching staff.  Head coach Míchel is of course a Real Madrid legend, who played 560 games with the white jersey.  His assistant Juan Esnáider was a short-lived member of both Madrid’s first and second teams back in the early ’90s.

The players with Madrid pasts include Roberto Soldado (out for this game due to injury), who arrived at Madrid when he was 14 years old and made it to the first team.  We also have Dani Parejo, who played a couple of minutes last season after returning from a loan spell at QPR.  Captain David Belenguer played with Real Madrid C back in the 1992-93 season.  Javier Casquero formed a part of several of Madrid’s youth teams.  Una Madridista favorite Miguel Torres ascended through the ranks of Madrid and made it to the first team, where he played for two seasons.  Adrián (who is also very good-looking) is of course Míchel’s son and it comes as no surprise that he has also been with Madrid since he was a tot, rising through the ranks until he made his début for Castilla (while his dad was coach).  And lastly, Jordi Codina was the third goalkeeper behind Iker and Jerzy and played for Castilla, after arriving in Madrid in 2002.

And on the Madrid side, De La Red, Albiol and Granero have all suited up for Getafe at some point in their careers.

Picture from Marca, and information from AS!