I mean, it makes sense that people look for shortcuts and with both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid being successful lately calling them “Real” and “Atletico” is the way to avoid confusion. Yeah, I know in Spain they call Real Madrid “el Madrid” for short but wouldn’t that be the Sheffield argument all over again with Sheffield Wednesday (and Sheffield FC, if anyone remembers them) fans insisting on the full name as Sheffield United isn’t the only club in Sheffield? Hell, at that point should us Bucharest clubs insist on the full name too because there are 3 large ones and some smaller ones in the city? No, just say Dinamo, Rapid, Steaua and we know which you mean in normal conversation here (of course, internationally you kinda have to specify the city unless the context is clear) despite the fact that those names are used throughout the former communist bloc. Or at least we used to before we started splitting our clubs, but even now most people assume Steaua=FCSB (the most contentious one of course but usually people are talking about the first division and not whatever the fuck CSA Steaua is doing being permanently banished to the second tier, then again that IS a huge issue that we are already tired of talking about), Dinamo=the first division one that was recently relegated (yes, there are two more clubs called that in the pyramid but not even the city would help you tell them apart, you d need the full legal name) and Rapid=the first tier one (not “ACS Rapid Frumosii Nebuni Ai Giulestiului”, some random team founded by a few supporters in the chaos following the OG Rapid s bankruptcy which I think is still alive in the 4th tier). Yeah, there are loads of other “Real” clubs, I know that it is actually a royal designation but those come up less in conversation and when they do they can be referred to by the rest of their name (Sociedad, Mallorca, Sporting Gijon etc).

Idk, it has just been commonly accepted from the moment I started talking football at least here in Romania but also on the internet that Real=Real Madrid, Atletico=Atletico Madrid, Milan=AC Milan, Inter=Internazionale Milano, United=Manchester United (not any of the other fuckton of Uniteds in the English pyramid) and City=Manchester City respectively, Sheffield=Sheffield United (I am pretty sure 99% of people outside of England don’t even know Sheffield Wednesday or Sheffield FC exist) but usually Forest for Nottingham Forest for some reason (even though idk how many people would confuse them for Notts County), Bayern=Bayern Munchen and 1860 Munchen is the other one if they ever come up etc. Also, while we are on this topic, you all can just say CFR when you mean CFR Cluj, I have barely seen people calling them Cluj before I started reading on the Internet lol. Still inexcusable to call Athletic Bilbao “Atleti” though, that is literally not a string found in the team s name, I thought they meant Atletico Madrid as I was not up to date with who played who in this La Liga matchday and I didn’t focus on the kits in the background at the end