When Grace Kelly watched Monaco humble the Galacticos
The forgotten friendly match where Monaco beat Real Madrid 2-1 in 1966, with Princess Grace and Prince Rainier watching from the royal box.
A glamorous night at Stade Louis II saw Monaco claim the scalp of five-time European champions Real Madrid, with Hollywood royalty-turned-actual royalty Grace Kelly in attendance.
Royal appointment in the principality
On March 23, 1966, Monaco and Real Madrid faced each other for the first time in history during a friendly match at Stade Louis II. The occasion wasn’t just any exhibition game – it was part of Monaco’s “Spanish Tourism Week” celebrations, with the royal couple Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace Kelly presiding over the event from the stands.
Spanish government minister Manuel Fraga Iribarne joined the Grimaldis to watch what would become a memorable night for the principality club.
Madrid’s second-string stumble
Real Madrid, already five-time European Cup winners at this point, arrived with a significantly weakened squad. With one eye on their upcoming league clash against Barcelona just four days later and European Cup semi-finals against Inter Milan looming three weeks away, manager Miguel Muñoz opted to field mostly reserves.
The makeshift Madrid lineup featured:
- Araquistáin in goal
- A defensive line of Calpe, Santamaría and Casado
- Tejada and Félix Ruiz in midfield
- An attacking unit of Serena, Jaime Blanco, Goyvaerts, Puskas and Bueno
Of this starting eleven, only Araquistáin and Serena would go on to start in that season’s European Cup final against Partizan Belgrade in Brussels.
Veterans on the fringes
The match highlighted the changing of the guard at Madrid, with legendary figures Ferenc Puskas and José Santamaría finding themselves increasingly on the periphery of the first team.
Puskas, philosophical about his situation after the 2-1 defeat, remarked: “I want to play. But the young lads are doing well, so why change things?”
Santamaría, the great defender, was similarly reflective about his future prospects at the club despite showing he still had something to offer.
Monaco’s golden era
Monaco were no pushovers, having won the French league title in both 1961 and 1963. They had also competed in the European Cup, reaching the quarter-finals in their second campaign before being eliminated by Inter Milan – the team that would eventually beat Madrid in Vienna to lift the trophy.
The principality club made the most of facing Madrid’s reserves, securing a 2-1 victory that delighted the royal spectators.
Real Madrid didn’t leave empty-handed though – club president Santiago Bernabéu received the Gold Medal of Physical Education from Prince Rainier, with special distinctions also awarded to club director Raimundo Saporta and defender Santamaría.