Trofeo Concepción Arenal
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 Moments before the start of the 2005 Concepción Arenal Trophy, which was contested by Racing de Ferrol and Sporting de Gijón | |
| Organising body | Racing de Ferrol |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1953 (aged 72) |
| Region |  Galicia |
| Current champions | Racing de Ferrol |
| Most successful club(s) | Deportivo de La Coruña (16 titles) |
 2022 Trofeo Concepción Arenal | |
The Trofeo Concepción Arenal (Spanish: Concepción Arenal Trophy) is a summer football competition organized by the Ferrol City Council and Racing de Ferrol since 1953, and played in Ferrol, Galicia.[1][2] Named in honor of the writer Concepción Arenal, a Ferrol native, this cup is one of the most prestigious and oldest football tournaments held in Spain.[1]
The Trofeo Concepción Arenal was created in 1953 as part of the city's summer festivities, at the initiative of the then Mayor of Ferrol, José Manuel Alcántara Rocafort, and his Sports Councilor, Manuel Seijas Brea.[3][4] Initially, the tournament was organized by the Ferrol City Council, but over time, Racing de Ferrol soon took over it.
Its first edition consisted of a single match between Athletic Bilbao and Valencia on 30 August 1953, which ended in a 3–1 win to the former, thanks to goals from Fuertes, Arteche, and Ignacio Azcarate.[1][2] However, Valencia was able to redeem itself in the following edition in which they faced Atlético de Madrid, who scored in extra-time to take a 4–3 lead, but then Daniel Mañó scored a quick brace to seal a 5–4 victory for Valencia.[1][2]
Throughout its long history, the trophy was contested in different formats: initially as one single match, but then triangular, and even knockout with semifinals and a final.[1][2] The 1958 edition, for instance, was a triangular competition that pitted the hosts Racing de Ferrol, then in the Segunda División, against Real Oviedo and Real Betis, recently promoted to La Liga, and in fact, Ferrol was defeated by both teams, which meant that the title was decided when they faced each other on 31 August, with Betis winning 2–0, the courtesy of Castaño and Esteban Areta.[5] Two days later, one Sevilla newspaper described this trophy as: "Betis went to Ferrol to establish their status as a great team and bring home a beautiful trophy that is ninety centimeters tall, from its base to its artistic crown. On the ornately embossed silver, it features goldcrests with the three competing teams on one side, and the goldcrest of the city of Ferrol in the other", and estimated its value at around 250,000 pesetas.[5]
Numerous teams have participated, both Spanish and foreign, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Porto, Aston Villa, and even the reigning European champions Ajax Amsterdam in 1995.[1][2][6][7]
