Eduardo de Acha

Eduardo de Acha y Otáñez (13 March 1878 – 30 November 1928 ) was a Spanish soldier (Captain of the Artillery) and Knight of the Order of Calatrava. In 1903 he was one of the main architects of the foundation of Club Athletic de Madrid (now Atlético Madrid), an entity of which he would serve as its second president between 1903 and 1907.

Early years Acha was born on 13 March 1878 in Madrid as the son of Juan Nicolás de Acha, To thank this initiative, King Alfonso XIII appointed Alberto de Acha Marquis de Acha, eldest son of Juan Nicolás and Eduardo's older brother, with a marquesado (a marquisate). The idea was received with enthusiasm in the Basque town, so he was immediately provided with the statutes, the shield and he was even invited to pose in the official photo alongside the Spanish champions.

Acha appeared on the club's first board of directors as a secretary with Enrique Allende as president. thus displacing the evicted New Foot-ball Club off this playing field with their presence to the point of being the final straw for its disappearance.

Club presidency Athletic Club de Bilbao helped Athletic de Madrid from the first moment, giving them uniforms, a badge, and the name.

During his presidency, Athletic made its first participation in an official tournament, in October 1906, by partaking in the Madrid Championship, whose winner would go on to the Copa del Rey as a representative of the Madrid region, except if said champion was Athletic, as they were prohibited from competing against their parent club from Bilbao. Until then, all the matches played since its foundation had been friendly games. The club got its first competitive victory on 6 December 1906, when they unexpectedly, but convincingly defeated Madrid 5–0.

Having moved its headquarters to Calle Fuencarral, Athletic Club de Madrid wanted to officially establish itself and formalize its first regulations, instead of continuing to use Bilbao's. Eduardo de Acha drafted a statute to obtain legal personality, in accordance with the law of associations of 30 June 1887, drawing up the club's own statutes, so on 20 February 1907, the club was registered in the official registry of associations, thus officially disassociated itself from Athletic Club de Bilbao.

With the club's independence, a new board of directors was elected and Acha resigned from his position on 20 February 1907, the same day that Athletic de Madrid got their independence when they stopped being a branch of the Bilbao club, with Ricardo de Gondra, another of the club's founders, taking over the presidency. The unofficial links with Athletic Club de Bilbao (for instance, both teams switched their shirt colours to red-and-white in 1910 via a single order from England) would continue, although with different intensity, until 1923.

Military career At the same time, Acha developed a career as a soldier and became captain of the artillery and a member of the Order of Calatrava.

Death Acha married Manuela Sánchez-Arjona y Velasco (12 August 1887 – 23 April 1957), daughter of the 1st Marquis of Casa Arjona and twice great-granddaughter of the 2nd Marquis of Ríocabado, and had six children and daughters.

Acha died in Madrid on Saint Andrew's Day (November 30) of 1928, at the age of 50.