Who started Hala Madrid? | Meaning, How To Respond in 2023

Who started Hala Madrid? | Meaning, How To Respond in 2023

First, Hala Madrid is a magazine. Realc Madrid released her for club members and all Madrid (meaning official subscription). A magazine has been published since 1990, every month.

As for the expression “Hala Madrid!” there are some theories:

• Theory No. 1 is a colony for Arabs. Here, Arab traditions, painting, and art were very much instilled. The writing, from which many words were borrowed, was no exception. The word “Hala” is of Arab origin, and it means “praise.” So they greeted at that time great personalities, winners. “Hala Madrid” means “Praise to Madrid” or “Long live to Madrid.”

• Theory number 2. Some are still convinced that the expression “Hala Madrid” translates as “God Save the Madrid” – supposedly, within the meaning of the football club’s anthem. One way or another, this version was voiced by one of the staff of the Royal Club Museum. 

It is not known exactly why it is in this interpretation of the expressions. Still, upon returning to the moment of composing the gymnasium, we can safely assume that for the main team, Madrid was considered a cult and not a deity (because of a fantastic game).

• Theory # 3: The popular translation of “Hala Madrid” is “Forward Madrid”. Honestly, there is no reason to talk about it. Probably, this option was invented by the fans themselves for ease of understanding the meaning of words.

What does “Hala Madrid” mean?

In Spanish, hala is a term expressing surprise, admiration, encouragement, or to strengthen a command or a reprisal.

¡Hala Madrid! is a way to cheer for the club to express encouragement or admiration, depending on the tone. There is another variant of hale, not with Madrid in particular, but in Spanish; hala and hale are two variants of that expression.

For example:

  • Hala, ya lo has roto — there you go, you broke it
  • ¿Hala qué has hecho? — Omg, what have you done?
  • ¡Hala qué bonito! — Omg, that’s beautiful!
  • ¡Hala cómo llueve! — F*ck, it rains!
  • Hala cállate — Ok, shut up
  • ¡Hala Madrid! — Go Madrid!

The expression is only used in Spain and Colombia.

The word’s origin is debatable; most linguists claim it just appeared as a phonetic creation like in English hey or boom. But some linguists claim it comes from Arabic Allah, meaning “God”, of course. 

Spanish has a history of absorbing religious exclamations from Arabic due to the coexistence of Latin/Romance and Arabic in Al Andalus: for example ¡ojalá! from inshallah meaning “if God wants”, or ¡olé! From walleh, meaning “for God”.

¡Hala Madrid! is the traditional way to cheer for Real Madrid by the local fans

And since the 10th Champions League victory of the club (named la Décima, or “the Tenth One” in Spain), it is also the name of the club’s new anthem to commemorate it: Hala Madrid y Nada Más “Go Madrid, and That’s It.”

How do you respond to “Hala Madrid”?

If you’re a Madrid supporter, reply “Y Nada Mas”. This phrase shows that you agree.

If you’re a Barça supporter, reply “Visca el Barça”. This can never go wrong, and you two can argue for hours.

If you support neither of the clubs, keep silent or switch the topic.

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What explains the current dip in Real Madrid after the historic success of the previous season?

In May 2017, Zidane’s Real Madrid became the first club to retain the Champions League trophy after an emphatic win vs. Juventus. They started the next season similarly by beating Barcelona and Manchester United to win the Spanish Supercopa and SuperCup, respectively.

Everything was going well for Real Madrid. But fast forward five months, and the situation has changed drastically. Real Madrid is 19 points behind league leaders FC Barcelona, out of Copa Del Ray and awaiting the UCL R-16 clash with in-form PSG. They are struggling to beat even the minnows of La Liga. So, what went wrong for Los Blancos?

Madrid’s recent struggles can’t be attributed to one particular reason. A lot of factors have played a part in their woeful campaign. Let’s look at them one by one.

Zidane’s tactics -It might seem harsh to criticize a coach or doubt his tactical understanding when he has conquered Europe twice in 2 seasons. But Zidane’s tactical approach has been highly questionable this season. When a team having Toni Kroos, Isco, and Modric is unable to break down opposition defences regularly, the coach must be questioned. 

Zidane insists on playing through the flanks and using crosses as his main strategy despite having world-class midfielders in the lineup. He used the narrow 4–3–1–2 formation for most games this season, but the execution was very poor.

Isco’s free roaming and Casemiro’s bombing forward runs created gaps in the midfield, which were easily exploited by the opposition attacks. Zidane has recently changed to his traditional 4–3–3, which might bring some positive changes.

Who started Hala Madrid?

Poor finishing-While Madrid’s chance creation has been poor; their finishing has been even worse. Ronaldo and Benzema have their worst seasons in front of goal, and their poor finishing has cost Madrid numerous times.

Bale has been Madrid’s best forward this season, but injuries have restricted his involvement. Real Madrid needs to improve their finishing if they want to improve in the remaining half of the season.

Poor bench strength-Madrid’s management fucked up big time last summer. They let go of James and Morata without getting adequate replacements. Both James and Morata had played a big role in Madrid’s successful 16–17 season, and letting them go was a big mistake.

Pepe and Danilo were also sold, which hasn’t helped the cause much. Madrid bought Theo and Ceballos and brought Llorente, Vallejo and Mayoral back from loan to improve the squad, but they are too young to make an impact like James or Morata did.

Bad Luck-No, I am not kidding. Bad Luck has played a part as well in Madrid’s current campaign. There have been games(Villareal, Betis) where Madrid has played much better but conceded a late goal to drop points. Madrid lost 0–1 to Villareal despite being the better team in the entire game and won 4–1 against Valencia despite struggling for large parts of the game.

Out-of-form superstars Toni Kroos, Marcelo and Carvajal have been underperforming this season. These three are crucial to Madrid’s attacking scheme, and their bad form has affected the club. I have already mentioned about Ronaldo and Benzema’s struggles. Only Luka Modric, Varane and Navas have been performing continuously for Madrid this season. They need their stars to get back in form.

All the issues that I have listed have affected Madrid’s campaign.

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On what basis do the people of Madrid support Real Madrid or Athletico Madrid?

Today, it is mostly a matter of “identity”, which is very influenced by your family (typically your father). Fans tend to support the team their parents supported.

Secondly (and related to the above) is geographic location. AM is more popular in the south and SW of Madrid (where the different stadiums have been located), while RM is more popular in northern Madrid (where their stadium is located). The north is more affluent.

A very schematic map of Madrid, see RM stadium in the north and AM stadium in the SW:

Thirdly (also related to the first) is (perceived) social class. AM has traditionally been linked to working classes. It is not necessarily correlated with money. Some sons of working-class parents perceive themselves as working class despite making more than other white-collar workers. 

This effect is diminished but not completely annulled with social mobility (which has been intense in the past 30 years in Spain). Atlético would be “leftist” and RM “rightist”, which is a bit of a pinch of salt.

Who started Hala Madrid?

Fourth is a matter of values (although this is more a consequence than a cause). Real Madrid supporters believe they support “the best” team. The team is more able to win titles and glory. (“If supporting someone is essentially free, why not support directly the best team around?”) Atlético supporters consider themselves more modest (RM is arrogant by definition); they even pride themselves on supporting the team when they lose. 

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They ironically call their team “el pupas” (which is a boy who is all the time hurting himself and having bad Luck). (RM supporters are ruthless when they lose; they expect excellence at every match). Thus, AM consider themselves the best crowd (in terms of unconditional love), while RM fans consider themselves more difficult and “connoisseurs”. Atlético supporters even consider themselves “better people” vs. Real Madrid.

These are, of course, general rules with as many exceptions as there are fans. Most people cannot explain, but these would more or less be the drivers.

Who started Hala Madrid? | Meaning, How To Respond in 2023
Who started Hala Madrid? | Meaning, How To Respond in 2023

On what basis do the people of Madrid support Real Madrid or Athletico Madrid?

Today, it is mostly a matter of “identity”, which is very influenced by your family (typically your father). Fans tend to support the team their parents supported.

Secondly (and related to the above) is geographic location. AM is more popular in the south and SW of Madrid (where the different stadiums have been located), while RM is more popular in northern Madrid (where their stadium is located). The north is more affluent.

A very schematic map of Madrid, see RM stadium in the north and AM stadium in the SW:

Thirdly (also related to the first) is (perceived) social class. AM has traditionally been linked to working classes. It is not necessarily correlated with money. 

Some sons of working-class parents perceive themselves as working class despite making more than other white-collar workers. This effect is diminished but not completely annulled with social mobility (which has been intense in the past 30 years in Spain). Atlético would be “leftist” and RM “rightist”, which is a bit of a pinch of salt.

Fourth is a matter of values (although this is more a consequence than a cause). Real Madrid supporters believe they support “the best” team. The team is more able to win titles and glory. 

Who started Hala Madrid?

(“If supporting someone is essentially free, why not support directly the best team around?”) Atlético supporters consider themselves more modest (RM is arrogant by definition); they even pride themselves on supporting the team when they lose. They ironically call their team “el pupas” (which is a boy who is all the time hurting himself and having bad Luck). 

(RM supporters are ruthless when they lose; they expect excellence at every match). Thus, AM consider themselves the best crowd (in terms of unconditional love), while RM fans consider themselves more difficult and “connoisseurs”. Atlético supporters even consider themselves “better people” vs. Real Madrid.

These are, of course, general rules with as many exceptions as there are fans. Most people cannot explain, but these would more or less be the drivers.

What’s the best thing Florentino Perez should currently do with Real Madrid?

Sort out the tactics!

Varane = world-class World Cup champion. Ramos is a world-class World Cup champion. Is it unbeatable? We let in two goals against Villareal, so something is up!

We played a 4–4–2:

Early in the match, sloppy passing led us to lose the ball. They are four on four, and Vasquez is forced to take a yellow for fouling Cazorla.

This has been great pressing for Villareal, right? Nope… Carvajal receives the ball from Varane with one man running at him.

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Casemiro and Kroos (who should be providing options) are thirty metres away—forcing Vasquez to be in their spot. So, with no threat down the wing, Villareal only needs one man to cover Vasquez and one to cover Varane, and we are helpless.

More Champions League medals are around their necks than most can carry, yet they don’t know how to meet the ball. They don’t know how to move when they don’t have the ball? We need strategies to ensure our players can help each other. So that Carvajal shouldn’t have to hit an inch-perfect ball, and Vasquez shouldn’t have to dribble off two men just for us to get out of our half.

Who started Hala Madrid?

Let’s take Villareal’s first goal: Moreno does great to get free. We have a three vs. three situation. Nobody covers Toko Ekambi, but Courtois gets a hand to his shot and parries it out. Nobody covers the room around Moreno, so when Moreno takes the shot from 8 yards out, we have Courtois on the ground at the five-yard line and Varane at the penalty mark; he is given three metres in our box!!

The second goal is much the same. Moreno wriggles himself into space and gets a shot of forcing the save. 4 Madrid players look on as the deflection goes to an attacker in our box. Nobody even tries to mark the man standing on our five-yard box, and he calmly slots it past Courtois.

No defensive organization. They seek individual players to perform heroic tackles and stop the attack.

Compare our goals: Casemiro does a pass, taking four defenders out of the game, then Jovic’s first-time heel flicks the ball inch-perfect through to Carvajal’s timed run. Carvajal then passes the ball perfectly to Bale, who taps it in.

Our second goal is an incredible solo effort from Bale.

To summarize, Villareal has a team that is worse than ours. That’s no disrespect, but go through their team, position by position, and there is NOT A SINGLE ONE I would want at Madrid. Yet they got a point! The reason for that is simple:

Villareal relies on simple football to provide heroic results. We neglect simple football, so we must play heroically to get results.

Who started Hala Madrid?

Position for position: We have a better team than Pep Guardiola, but no tactics. Bernardo Silva, a midfielder, ran 13.7 km when Manchester City beat Liverpool. Could you imagine Real Madrid midfielders running those distances?

We don’t build up attacks the same way, so a simple pass from defence to midfield seems impossible. We don’t try to keep the ball; we watch the ball.

We struggle because we have no tactics. We rely on incredible individual performances. When it works, we Cheer for our heroes; when it fails, we Cheer for them. Instead, we should ask ourselves if a system relying on the extraordinary can lead to our desired results.

We need a tactical identity where players may perform magic to score, but we shouldn’t have to perform magic to get out of our half.

Answer: Perez needs to give Zizou a tactical identity. If Zizou isn’t ready yet, he should be offered a position as assistant coach while we bring in somebody who can shape teams!

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What is it like to live in Madrid? The daily life, food, jobs, business, nightlife, people, how’s it to live there?

I recently moved to Madrid from the UK. It’s my first time living overseas. I don’t speak the language. I came here with my wife and young daughter. Here are my observations:

1. It’s hot. Hot. From about May until October, there’s a prolonged period of dry, hot weather. Temperatures can get up to 40ºC levels. And because there’s no nearby sea, don’t expect it to cool down a lot in the evenings/night.

2. The city functions on its stomach. Whatever the time of day, Madrileños (people from Madrid) are to be found sitting on terraces and in cafés eating and drinking (see #4).

3. Folks work long hours. The working day starts at 9 am and generally doesn’t finish until 6:30 pm. Shops stay open later into the evening, too.

However, at the height of summer, the city goes into a kind of extended siesta, where working hours are significantly reduced, many businesses close down completely, and about half the city runs away to somewhere with a cooler breeze and more water.

Who started Hala Madrid? | Meaning, How To Respond in 2023

Who started Hala Madrid? | Meaning, How To Respond in 2023

4. Mealtimes take some getting used to.

As far as I can make out, there are about five general meal ‘zones’ –

Early breakfast – when you wake up, you drink a coffee and maybe eat some fruit or something

Late breakfast – between 10 am and 12 pm, you have another coffee and grab a snack like a churro (basically a cylindrical doughnut), a tostada (two halves of a small baguette or similar, toasted with jam or tomatoes) or a croissant.

Lunch – between 1.30 pm and 4 pm, you’ll have a large-ish meal – none of this eating-a-sandwich-at-your-desk nonsense

Tapas – from when you leave work until about 9 pm, you’ll often head to a local bar for a cold drink and a (normally complimentary) small snack – something like jamon (cured ham), olives, croquetas (fried balls of béchamel with various flavourings), tortilla de patatas (thick potato omelette) etc.

Dinner – any time from 8 pm – 12 pm, people will sit down for their evening meal, which can be large or light

5. The most important things to Madrileños seem to be:

  1. Family
  2. Friends
  3. Food & drink
  4. Football

6. You’re living in a community. For better and for worse. Unlike the reserved, prim and proper manner of people back home in the UK, Madrid (and perhaps Spain generally), everybody’s business is everybody else’s.

This means people are helpful, caring and generous with their time and energy. When I first moved here, colleagues would arrive at our new apartment unannounced (I still need to figure out how they got the address) with little treats like wine and snacks.

Who started Hala Madrid?

Anyone we meet who catches that we’re new in town immediately offers advice on where to go, what to see, and what’s best to eat.

There’s a downside too. Sometimes, the advice is not needed, or even a little antagonizing to our Anglo-Saxon ears (like the timetime’s old ladies comment loudly in the street to my wife that our daughter ‘must be cold only wearing one layer’ – they mean well, but it comes across as judgy). 

The Spanish, like many continental Europeans, are bluntly honest. If they think you’re wrong, they override, correct, or tell you what you should be doing instead. You have to learn to ride along with it.

6. The bureaucracy sucks. Getting a bank account, registering for an ‘NIE number’ (a tax code that is totally essential and virtually impossible to get), and getting a doctor…these tasks can be frustrating, primarily because of #8.

7. People don’t speak a whole lot of English. So, learn some key phrases. If you ask, ‘Habla usted Inglés?’ you’ll get a shrug of the shoulders or a shake of the head. From then on, you will either need a little Spanish or rely on pointing/gesturing and smiling a lot.

8. They love children. If you’re moving here with your kids, then you will feel very pleased that you did.

Everywhere we go, our daughter gets her cheeks pinched, her hair ruffled, and offered sweets, sometimes even picked up or her handheld. Don’t be put off or nervous (unless the character in question is suspicious or dangerous-looking). In general, and thinking back to point #6, folks here are much more open and sharing than you might be used to.

9. It’s a wonderful place and we love it. Madrid has a little something for everyone – beautiful parks, quaint old streets, uncountable terraces, bars, restaurants, nightclubs and cafés, interesting cultural attractions, and unique and distinctive neighbourhoods with diverse characters. It’s a great city.

Who started Hala Madrid? [Meaning & More 2023]

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