Only nine clubs in Spain can say that they have ever won the most important trophy in the country, the LaLiga Santander title, and only six can point to multiple league championships. Real Sociedad are one of those prestigious clubs and they won both of the league titles in their history in back-to-back seasons, in 1980/81 and 1981/82.
That was a golden era for the club from San Sebastin, and the fans of La Real can still recite the starting line-ups from those years by heart. From Luis Arconada between the posts to the back line of Alberto Grriz, Ignacio Kortabarra, Genaro Celayeta and Julio Antonio Olaizola to the midfield trio of Periko Alonso, Jess Mara Zamora and Diego to the forward duo of Jess Mara Satrstegui and Roberto Lpez Ufarte, who were accompanied by Santiago Idgoras in 1980/81 and then by Pedro Uralde during the 1981/82 title defence.
Of those players, all of them bar Diego came through Real Sociedad's own academy or B team. To have so many homegrown footballers in one side was certainly one of the keys to the synergy between the players.
Many of them even came up together and centre-back Alberto Grriz (below) knew that they had great potential. Discussing the team's success, he recalled: "Playing in the B team, in Sanse, we already saw that this La Real side had potential. I think everything came together for that very good period, as we had the coach, Alberto Ormaetxea, who knew the club perfectly and was able to get a very good performance out of the whole squad. And, on top of that, we had a very compact team, which was the basis of our success, with a good atmosphere, team spirit and dressing room."
Luis Arconada, the legendary goalkeeper who won the Zamora Award three times, including in both title-winning campaigns, agrees. He said: "I think it came down to good work at the youth team level. It was a united group, with a good coach, and we were fortunate to be able to fight at the top and, ultimately, win those titles."
Of course, there was more to the success of that golden generation than the fact that they emerged from the academy together. That side was so impressive because the players were also exceptional. As Grriz added: "Then there was the leadership of specific players. To name a few, we had Luis Arconada, who I think was the best goalkeeper I've ever seen. We were good in defence, with Zamora in midfield. Up front, there was Satrstegui and Lpez Ufarte. But, the fundamental key to that team was the united dressing room and the coach."
The mentality of the team was immense, starting with the 1979/80 season in which Real Sociedad finished second in the table and just one point behind champions Real Madrid. They went into the final round of that campaign still dreaming of glory, but a victory by Los Blancos against La Real's neighbours Athletic Club saw the trophy go to the capital.
In 1980/81, the title tussle was again between Real Sociedad and Real Madrid and this time the Txuri-Urdin edged it. They finished level on points with the team from the capital, but held a better head-to-head record. On the final matchday, it came down to the final minutes. La Real found themselves trailing in Gijn and knew they needed a point, which they achieved thanks to a Zamora goal in the 89th minute, making April 24th 1981 one of the most glorious days in Real Sociedad history.
The following season, Real Sociedad retained their title and it also went down to the final round. This time they were at home, at their iconic Atotxa Stadium and in a Basque Derby against Athletic Club. The Txuri-Urdin were competing with FC Barcelona in that title race and entered the last round ahead, so knew a win over their neighbours from Bilbao would seal the championship. That was easier said than done, but another final matchday goal from Zamora and one more from Lpez Ufarte earned a 2-1 win, sparking jubilant scenes in San Sebastin.
That was a special day, April 25th 1982, as Real Sociedad were able to win in front of their home crowd. The fanbase played its role in the back-to-back titles too, according to Alberto Gorriz. He recalled: "The connection with the supporters was also important. I remember many of the fans' faces from that time, because we were very close to them. It influenced us to perform better or to play with that extra motivation. Atotxa was a unique place."
And, it should be remembered, that most of the Real Sociedad players had been Real Sociedad fans before they'd made it onto the pitch. That was the case with Arconada, for example. As he put it: "When I was a kid, I would go to watch Sanse's games on one Sunday and then the following Sunday I would go to watch La Real's games. To be able to play for Sanse and then play for La Real, and to win LaLiga titles and be there competing with the big clubs, it was wonderful. It was wonderful for a club from a small province."
