Real Madrid's Heroic Rescue Mission: The Incredible Story of How Los Blancos Saved Real Oviedo From Disappearing Forever

Real Oviedo continues to express appreciation toward Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez and José Ángel Sánchez as both teams gear up for their first La Liga encounter since 2001.

After being demoted from Spain's premier division 24 years ago, Oviedo has returned to La Liga this campaign and will host Madrid at their modest Estadio Carlos Tartiere during the second matchday of 2025–26.

Back in 2012, while Oviedo faced financial difficulties in the third tier, Madrid provided monetary assistance as part of domestic and global initiatives to support one of Spain's traditional clubs during their crisis.

Madrid traveled to Oviedo for a preseason fixture that summer—securing a 5–1 victory—and permitted the home team to retain all revenue, excluding Madrid's transportation expenses. Several months afterward, an additional €100,000 ($117,225) was provided following a barbecue gathering at Sánchez's residence.

"It represented a gesture from an authentic club," Toni Fidalgo, who served as Oviedo's president when the preseason match was organized, shared with AS.

"I will forever remain thankful to Florentino for his kind actions toward us in 2012.

"During preseason, we faced significant challenges assembling our squad. We required funding. Therefore, we approached Real Madrid requesting a friendly match. I contacted [general manager] José Ángel Sánchez, who serves as Real Madrid's orchestrator: every [decision] flows through him.

"He approved our request but mentioned we would need to discuss revenue distribution. The following day, he informed me that all proceeds would belong to us; we simply needed to cover their flight expenses."

Jorge Menéndez Vallina subsequently replaced Fidalgo as president and also cultivated a strong connection with Real Madrid and Sánchez. Vallina attended the barbecue where he raised the matter once more, and the financial support arrived through a contribution to Oviedo's city council two days afterward.

In total, Oviedo successfully secured the necessary €2 million by November 2012 to continue operations, while Mexican entrepreneur Carlos Slim, recognized by Forbes as the world's wealthiest individual at that time, subsequently contributed an additional €2.5 million.

This assistance not only preserved Oviedo's existence but initiated the club's gradual resurgence. Having competed in La Liga for significant periods during the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and continuously from 1988 to 2001, they rejoined Spain's Segunda División in 2015, and achieved promotion back to La Liga ten years later.