Real Madrid formally launches women's football team

Spanish football giants Real Madrid has launched its women's team. Los Blancos have bought Madrid-based club Deportivo Tacon for 300,000 euros (£271,000). Following the transaction, the club has been officially renamed as "Real Madrid Femenino." Club president Florentino Perez has reportedly said that it's the time for them to build a female team that supporters will be proud of.

Real Madrid was one of only a handful of major European football clubs that didn't have a women's team. Their decision to finally step into women's football has been hailed as "a huge positive."

The Madrid-based club released a statement which reads, "Real Madrid will play the women's soccer competitions from the next 2020-21 season. Our women's soccer academy will be made up of the Senior, Youth, and Cadet teams. Real Madrid is looking forward to this new challenge with the commitment of promoting the promotion of women's football and contributing to its development and growth in our society."

Real's Spanish league rivals, FC Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Valencia have all been part of the women's game. The Catalans founded Club Femeni Barcelona back in 1988, the very year when a Spanish women's football competition was introduced. Barcelona is the current Primera champion.

On the other hand, there is an unaffiliated club named Madrid CFF, which has been playing in the Primera since 2017. But now, with the acquisition of CD Tacon, Real Madrid can boast of owning an official women's team that is ready to carry the legacy of the club on its shoulders.

The first-ever winner of the Women's Ballon d'Or in 2018, Ada Hegerberg, stated that Real's decision to build a women's team is positive news. The 24-year-old Lyon forward is hopeful that the Madrid side would have a long-term perspective, as building a successful team is not something that could be done overnight.

CD Tacon was originally formed in 2014. Last season, when they were promoted to the Spanish women's top flight, the club started recruiting heavily. BBC reports that they already had an indication of a potential takeover.

Before the club was renamed, they signed Sweden internationals Sofia Jakobsson and Kosovare Asllani. Jakobsson was nominated for the Women's Ballon d'Or in 2019. They also signed AC Milan's Brazilian midfielder Thaisa.