Osasuna

Club Atlético Osasuna was founded in 1920 in Pamplona, with its name, meaning “health” in Basque, chosen by Benjamín Andoian Martínez. The club steadily climbed the Spanish football pyramid, reaching La Liga for the first time in the mid-1930s and making an early impression by reaching consecutive Copa del Rey semi-finals. Osasuna’s early development was brutally disrupted by the Spanish Civil War, during which the club suffered severe repression, with players and officials persecuted or killed. Although they were controversially offered a place in La Liga when football resumed, Osasuna failed to establish themselves and spent many years outside the top division.

Stability gradually returned in the 1950s, when Osasuna re-emerged in La Liga and managed to retain top-flight status for several seasons. The opening of El Sadar Stadium in 1967 became a major milestone, giving the club a permanent home that would later become one of Spanish football’s most distinctive venues. Osasuna’s competitive stature grew in the 1980s and early 1990s, highlighted by their first European qualification in 1985–86 and a historic fourth-place league finish in 1990–91, which led to another strong UEFA Cup run. However, relegation in the mid-1990s ushered in a prolonged period in the Segunda División.

The early 2000s marked one of Osasuna’s strongest eras. Promotion in 2000 was followed by consistent La Liga performances, a Copa del Rey final appearance in 2005, and a remarkable fourth-place finish in 2005–06 that earned Champions League qualification rounds. Although they missed out on the group stage, Osasuna enjoyed an outstanding 2006–07 UEFA Cup campaign, reaching the semi-finals after memorable victories over Rangers and Bayer Leverkusen. The following years were more turbulent, with repeated relegation battles and narrow escapes.

Osasuna’s modern history has been defined by resilience and frequent rebuilding. After relegation in 2014, the club fought its way back to La Liga through the promotion play-offs in 2016, suffered another drop, and then returned again as Segunda División champions in 2019. The club celebrated its centenary in 2020 and has since re-established itself as a competitive top-flight side, reaching the Copa del Rey final in 2023 and qualifying for European competition for the first time in over a decade. Osasuna’s identity remains rooted in perseverance, strong regional ties, and a reputation for punching above its weight in Spanish football.

2024-25 SEASON: 9th in La Liga, Copa del Rey quarterfinal

2025-26 SEASON: La Liga (since 2020)

Osasuna’s main rivalry is with Real Zaragoza, with their meetings often called the Aragón–Navarre rivalry or Derbi del Ebro. Historically this rivalry was not a very intense matchup until 1987, when Zaragoza fans threw objects at Osasuna goalkeeper Roberto Santamaría. Since then, the rivalry has intensified and meetings often involve altercations between fans and players. This led to the rivalry being recognized as one of the fiercest in Spain. Recently, the two have been in different divisions, leading to fewer matches played between the two clubs.

Club Atlético Osasuna Femenino is Osasuna’s women’s football club. The team plays in Primera Federación, the second level of Spanish women’s football. The club was initially founded in 2003, but was disbanded 10 years later due to poor management and lack of funding. A phoenix club was launched in its place in 2016, leading to the current Osasuna Femenino. The club currently plays its home games at the training ground of Osasuna.

None in particular that we’ve noticed.

Osasuna plays its home games at the Estadio El Sadar, and have since 1967. The club have made renovations several times over the years, with the most recent taking place in 2019 and increasing the final capacity to just under 24,000.

TOURS: There is a link on the club’s website for stadium tours, but when we visited there was nothing available.

GETTING THERE: It’s just over a mile from the city center, so about a 30-minute walk. From the main train station, you can also take bus #16 (Beriáin V.) to the stadium.

PUBS and GRUB: There really is nothing around the stadium, so take care of all that in the city center.

AROUND TOWN: Famous for its food, architecture, history and the annual festival that includes the running of the bulls, Pamplona is probably already on your tourism radar — as it should be. Check the city’s tourism website for ideas.