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Elche CF

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Elche
Full nameElche Club de Fútbol, S.A.D.
Nickname(s)Los Franjiverdes / Els frangiverds (The Green-striped ones)
Los Ilicitanos / Els Ilicitans (The Ones from Elche)
Founded10 January 1923; 101 years ago (1923-01-10) as Elche Foot-ball Club[1]
GroundEstadio Martínez Valero, Elche
Capacity33,732[2]
OwnerChristian Bragarnik
PresidentJoaquín Buitrago Marhuenda
Head coachEder Sarabia
LeagueSegunda División
2023–24Segunda División, 11th of 22
Websiteelchecf.es
Current season

Elche Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. (Valencian: Elx Club de Futbol, S.A.D.) is a Spanish professional football club based in Elche, Province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community, Spain. Founded in 1923, the club competes in LaLiga Hypermotion, holding home matches at Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero, with a capacity of 33,732 seats.[3]

Founded in 1923 as the result of a merger between all of the town's clubs, Elche entered the league system in 1929, reaching Segunda División in 1934 and La Liga in 1959, finishing fifth in the latter tournament in 1963–64. The club were runners-up in the Copa del Rey in 1969. Elche became the first and only club in the history of La Liga to be relegated due to unpaid tax debts in the 2014–15 season. Elche returned to La Liga in 2020–21 after being promoted to the Segunda División and then La Liga in only three seasons.

History

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Foundation and early years

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Elche Club de Fútbol was founded in the winter of 1923, after the merger of all of the town's football teams. The club's first-ever game was against Monóvar, where they beat the home team 4–0, and its first official match was a 2–0 win over Crevillente. In its first years Elche, like many teams of the time, played in an all white uniform.[4] The team played its first league season in 1929–30, in the Tercera División, achieving promotion to the Segunda División in 1934. However, Elche suffered relegation for the first time six years later, but were promoted back the following season.

In the late 1950s, Elche achieved two consecutive promotions from the third level to La Liga, securing the club's first promotion to the latter competition with a 3–0 success against Tenerife in 1959.

1959–78: La Liga

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Estadio Martínez Valero

Elche opened its first season in the top level with a 1–1 draw against Real Oviedo, the first goal being scored by Vicente Pahuet. The club finished tenth out of 16 sides, nine points ahead of relegated Osasuna – the campaign included a 2–1 comeback home victory over Barcelona, but also a 2–11 loss at Real Madrid. The following season saw the team having to compete in the relegation/promotion play-off, where it overcame a 0–1 loss in the away leg against Atlético Ceuta with a 4–0 home victory.[5]

Elche achieved their best-ever league finish in 1963–64, ranking in fifth position. The season also saw the club's reserve team, Elche Ilicitano, promote to Segunda División.[6]

In 1969 the club reached their first and only Copa del Rey final, following victories over Pontevedra, Valencia and Real Sociedad. The semi-final against the latter was won 2–0 in a replay in neutral Madrid, as the tie had finished 4–4 on aggregate; the final, played on 15 June at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in the same city, brought a 0–1 loss to Athletic Bilbao.[7]

After twelve seasons Elche were relegated to division two in 1971, having finished second from bottom.[8] Two years later the team returned to the main category, as champions. Its second spell in the top flight lasted five seasons, often immerse in relegation fights as the best campaign (1974–75) ended with the club in eighth position; at the end of 1977–78 the side returned to the second division after finishing 17th out of 18 clubs, the last game being a 4–4 draw with Atlético Madrid, which was led 2–4 with five minutes remaining.[9]

80s and 90s: severe financial crisis

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Chart of Elche CF league performance 1929–2023

After the relegation Elche suffered in 1978, they never managed to gain promotion to the top flight – in fact, in the first five years since their return to the second level, they were fourth on three occasions and fifth on two (and on a further two, even on points with the third-placed team but with a worse goal difference), often losing the chance of promotion on the last matchday. Especially traumatic was the finish of the 1980–81 season: with one game remaining, they were second two points ahead of Rayo Vallecano and Racing de Santander, only needing a draw against Cádiz at the Martínez Valero; the game ended however in a loss, and Elche finished with 45 points alongside Castellón, Cádiz, Racing and Rayo.

A promotion finally occurred at the end of 1983–84, even though Elche only finished fifth in the regular season – the first two positions were occupied by Real Madrid Castilla and Athletic Bilbao B, who could not promote as reserve sides. The whole of the top division campaign was spent in the relegation zone, and relegation consequently befell as 17th. In 1988 they were promoted again for another cameo appearance, as the side went on to finish dead last with eighteen points, dropping down a category alongside Real Murcia, who they trailed by nine points; the last match for years in the category was a 1–3 away loss against Real Zaragoza, the goal coming courtesy of Alfonso Fernández.

After the relegation in 1989, Elche started to suffer heavily in the financial department, and relegated to Segunda División B – the new third level created in 1977 – at the end of 1990–91. During the better part of the 1990s the club reached the second division promotion playoffs, only to consecutively fall short.

In 1997 Elche finally managed to return to the second category, being immediately relegated back but gaining another promotion subsequently.

2010s: return to the top flight

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Elche squad and fans celebrating the return to La Liga in 2013

In 2010–11, again in the "silver category", the team finished fourth and thus qualified for the play-offs: after disposing of Real Valladolid in the first round (3–2 on aggregate)[10] the dream of top flight promotion ended at the hands of Granada, on the away goals rule.[11]

On 18 May 2013, following Barcelona B and Alcorcón's 1–1 draw, Elche was automatically promoted to the top level, returning to the competition after 24 years.[12] In the meantime the team coached by Fran Escribá had broken a number of Segunda División records, being the only team to date able to lead the competition from the first until the last match of the season, setting in the process a new record of both matches won and points scored to date as well as the best first round in the history of Segunda's championship.[13]

During the 2013–14 season, the team managed to keep in the top competition, with an average attendance to home matches estimated at 25,104 people.[14]

In the 2014–15 season, despite managing once again to keep in the top flight (the team was already safe from relegation four dates before the end of the competition[15]) Elche became the first team ever in the history of the Spanish Primera División being relegated to Segunda following new regulations by the Spanish football league limiting excess debt and economic mismanagement.[15]

In the 2016–17 season, Elche were relegated to third level after 18 years in professional league.

One year later, Elche promoted back to second level after defeating Villarreal B in the final play-off promotion to second level.

In the 2018–19 season, Elche finished right in the middle, on 11th place among 22 teams.[16]

In the 2019–20 season, Elche were promoted to La Liga by beating Girona in the promotion play-off final 1–0 on aggregate. They were promoted back to La Liga after five years in the second and third divisions.[17]

In the 2022–23 season, Elche were relegated to the second division after three years in La Liga.[18]

Seasons

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Season-by-season

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  • As Elche Football Club
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1929–30 3 3ª 2nd Did Not Play
1931–32 3 3ª 5th DNP
1932–33 3 3ª 2nd DNP
1933–34 3 3ª 2nd DNP
1934–35 2 2ª 4th Sixth round
1935–36 2 2ª 8th First round
1939–40 2 2ª 7th DNP
  • As Elche Club de Fútbol
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1940–41 3 3ª 1st Second round
1941–42 2 2ª 6th First round
1942–43 2 2ª 6th DNP
1943–44 3 3ª 1st DNP
1944–45 3 3ª 1st DNP
1945–46 3 3ª 2nd DNP
1946–47 3 3ª 2nd DNP
1947–48 3 3ª 1st Third round
1948–49 3 3ª 2nd Second round
1949–50 2 2ª 14th First round
1950–51 3 3ª 6th DNP
1951–52 3 3ª 13th DNP
1952–53 3 3ª 16th DNP
1953–54 3 3ª 3rd DNP
1954–55 3 3ª 1st DNP
1955–56 3 3ª 3rd DNP
1956–57 3 3ª 1st DNP
1957–58 3 3ª 1st DNP
1958–59 2 2ª 1st Round of 32
1959–60 1 1ª 10th Semi-finals
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1960–61 1 1ª 14th Round of 32
1961–62 1 1ª 8th Round of 16
1962–63 1 1ª 8th Round of 16
1963–64 1 1ª 5th Round of 32
1964–65 1 1ª 8th Round of 32
1965–66 1 1ª 6th Quarter-finals
1966–67 1 1ª 9th Semi-finals
1967–68 1 1ª 11th Quarter-finals
1968–69 1 1ª 9th Runner-up
1969–70 1 1ª 11th Round of 32
1970–71 1 1ª 15th Round of 16
1971–72 2 2ª 4th Fourth round
1972–73 2 2ª 2nd Fourth round
1973–74 1 1ª 14th Round of 32
1974–75 1 1ª 8th Fourth round
1975–76 1 1ª 15th Round of 32
1976–77 1 1ª 11th Round of 16
1977–78 1 1ª 17th Third round
1978–79 2 2ª 5th Round of 16
1979–80 2 2ª 4th Fifth round
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1980–81 2 2ª 4th Third round
1981–82 2 2ª 4th Round of 16
1982–83 2 2ª 7th Third round
1983–84 2 2ª 5th Second round
1984–85 1 1ª 17th Second round
1985–86 2 2ª 4th Second round
1986–87 2 2ª 4th First round
1987–88 2 2ª 2nd Round of 32
1988–89 1 1ª 20th Round of 32
1989–90 2 2ª 14th Second round
1990–91 2 2ª 17th Round of 16
1991–92 3 2ª B 4th Second round
1992–93 3 2ª B 3rd Second round
1993–94 3 2ª B 12th Fourth round
1994–95 3 2ª B 6th First round
1995–96 3 2ª B 3rd First round
1996–97 3 2ª B 2nd First round
1997–98 2 2ª 19th Second round
1998–99 3 2ª B 3rd Second round
1999–2000 2 2ª 15th Prelim. round
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
2000–01 2 2ª 18th Round of 64
2001–02 2 2ª 5th Round of 64
2002–03 2 2ª 16th Round of 64
2003–04 2 2ª 14th Round of 64
2004–05 2 2ª 10th Round of 16
2005–06 2 2ª 14th First round
2006–07 2 2ª 10th Third round
2007–08 2 2ª 10th Round of 32
2008–09 2 2ª 12th Round of 32
2009–10 2 2ª 6th Second round
2010–11 2 2ª 4th Third round
2011–12 2 2ª 11th Third round
2012–13 2 2ª 1st Second round
2013–14 1 1ª 16th Round of 32
2014–15 1 1ª 13th Round of 16
2015–16 2 2ª 11th Second round
2016–17 2 2ª 21st Third round
2017–18 3 2ª B 3rd Round of 32
2018–19 2 2ª 11th Third round
2019–20 2 2ª 6th Round of 32
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
2020–21 1 1ª 17th Round of 32
2021–22 1 1ª 13th Round of 16
2022–23 1 1ª 20th Round of 32
2023–24 2 2ª 11th Round of 32
2024–25 2 2ª

Current squad

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As of 9 September 2024[19]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Spain ESP Miguel San Román
2 DF Spain ESP Mario Gaspar
4 DF Spain ESP Bambo Diaby
5 DF Spain ESP John Donald
6 DF Spain ESP Pedro Bigas
7 FW Spain ESP Óscar Plano
8 MF Spain ESP Raúl Guti
9 FW Uruguay URU Agustín Álvarez (on loan from Sassuolo)
10 MF Argentina ARG Nico Fernández Mercau
11 MF Kosovo KOS Elbasan Rashani
12 DF Spain ESP José Salinas
13 GK Argentina ARG Matías Dituro
14 MF Spain ESP Aleix Febas
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 DF Spain ESP Álvaro Núñez
16 DF Spain ESP Álex Martín
17 MF Spain ESP Josan
18 FW Guinea GUI Sory Kaba (on loan from Las Palmas)
19 FW Morocco MAR Mourad El Ghezouani
20 MF Spain ESP Cristian Salvador
21 MF Argentina ARG Nicolás Castro
22 DF Austria AUT David Affengruber
23 DF Spain ESP Carlos Clerc
24 MF Spain ESP Yago Santiago
30 MF Spain ESP Rodrigo Mendoza
31 MF Spain ESP Gerard Hernández (on loan from Villarreal)

Reserve team

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Main article: Elche CF Ilicitano

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
26 DF Croatia CRO Matía Barzić
28 FW Spain ESP Didac Castellá
29 MF Spain ESP Luis Roldán
32 MF Morocco MAR Adam Boayar
33 MF Spain ESP Nico González
No. Pos. Nation Player
35 MF Morocco MAR Ali Houary
36 FW Dominican Republic DOM Rafa Nuñez
37 MF Spain ESP Mario Guilabert
40 GK Spain ESP Owen Bosch
41 DF Romania ROU Albert Niculăesei

Out on loan

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Argentina ARG Axel Werner (at Rosario Central until 30 June 2025)

Coaching staff

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Position Staff
Head coach Spain Eder Sarabia
Assistant head coach Spain Jon López
Goalkeeping coach Spain Javi Roda
Fitness coach Spain Xavi Moñino
Spain Aitor Soler
Analyst Spain Andrés Paz
Kit man Spain Greg Beranger
Spain Pepito
Delegate Spain Juan Sánchez
Physiotherapist Spain Sergio Tur
Spain Carlos Valero
Doctor Spain Francisco Sánchez
Nutritionist Spain Alejandro Martínez
Chief of medical services Spain Paco Martínez
Rehab fitness coach Spain Marcelo Peñaranda

Last updated: September 2022
Source: Elche CF

Honours

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Segunda División

Copa del Rey

International players

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See also: Category:Elche CF footballers

Coaches

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See also: Category:Elche CF managers

Reserve team

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Elche's reserve team, Elche Ilicitano, was founded in 1932. It managed to spend two seasons in the second division, when the main squad was in the top flight.

Rivalries

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Elche CF and Hércules CF have been fierce rivals for a long time. Their rivalry, known as the Derbi de la provincia de Alicante, began way back in the 1925/26 season when Elche CF joined the official regional league.  Since then, these teams have clashed over a hundred times.[20] The rivalry between Elche CF and Real Murcia CF is a historical one. Their first official match was during the 1928–29 season. Their frequent meetings, known as the Derbi del Sureste (Southeast Derby), make this fixture the most played in the history of the Segunda División.[21]

Another of the most notable rivalries is with Levante UD. These teams have a long history of intense regional competition across various divisions, including Primera, Segunda, and Segunda B, creating a fierce atmosphere both on the pitch and in the stands.[22] Elche CF's rivalries with Hércules and Real Murcia stem from regional proximity, while their rivalry with Levante developed over numerous competitive clashes. The rivalry with Granada CF ignited during the tense 2010-11 Segunda División season, culminating in the Play-off final.[23][24][25]

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

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Period Kit manufacterer Shirt sponsors
1997-1998 Kelme None
2001-2002 Puma Terra Mítica
2004-2006 Ciudad de la Luz
2010-2011 Rasan Valencian Community
2011-2012 Acerbis
2012-2014 Gioseppo
2014-2015 Kelme
2015-2017 None
2017-2018 TM Real Estate Group
2018-2019 None
2019-2021 Hummel TM Real Estate Group
2021- Nike

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Elche CF – History". archive.org/web/20230202181438/http://lafutbolteca.com/elche-club-de-futbol-s-a-d/ Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  2. ^ "ESTADIO MARTÍNEZ VALERO | Elche". Archived from the original on December 22, 2015.
  3. ^ "ESTADIO MARTÍNEZ VALERO | Elche". www.elchecf.es. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015.
  4. ^ "La historia del Club | Elche - Web Oficial". La historia del Club | Elche - Web Oficial (in Spanish). Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  5. ^ "Spain, Final Tables 1959–1969". Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  6. ^ Spain 1963/64 Archived March 31, 2023, at the Wayback Machine; at RSSSF
  7. ^ Spain – Cup 1969 Archived April 7, 2023, at the Wayback Machine; at RSSSF
  8. ^ Spain 1970/71 Archived February 10, 2023, at the Wayback Machine; at RSSSF
  9. ^ Spain 1977/78 Archived February 10, 2023, at the Wayback Machine; at RSSSF
  10. ^ El Elche está en la final contra el Granada (3–1) (Elche is in the final against Granada (3–1)) Archived August 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine; Info Expres, June 12, 2011 (in Spanish)
  11. ^ El Granada asciende a Primera a costa del Elche (Granada promotes to Primera at Elche's expense) Archived June 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine; RTVE, June 18, 2011 (in Spanish)
  12. ^ "¡El Elche ya es de Primera!" [Elche already a Primera team!] (in Spanish). Marca. May 18, 2013. Archived from the original on June 8, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  13. ^ "Ascenso del Elche en MARCA.com – Un líder de principio a fin". Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  14. ^ "La afición del Elche, la tercera que más crece del mundo". Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  15. ^ a b Cudeiro, Juan L. (June 5, 2015). "El Elche desciende a Segunda; el Eibar mantiene la categoría". El País. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  16. ^ "Jornada 42 de Segunda División, Temporada 2018/2019 - liga smartbank, segunda division, campeonato nacional de liga de segunda división, segunda division española, laliga 2 española". www.resultados-futbol.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  17. ^ "Elche win playoff to return to La Liga after long saga". ESPN. August 24, 2020. Archived from the original on September 2, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  18. ^ Menzies, John (May 2, 2023). "Elche's relegation to LaLiga2 confirmed after falling to defeat against Almeria". Football España. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  19. ^ "Plantilla Elche CF" (in Spanish). Elche CF. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  20. ^ "HISTORIA | Hércules - Elche: 92 años de derbis". www.elchecf.es (in Spanish). Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  21. ^ Redacción. "Historia de los Elche-Real Murcia". www.goldelmurcia.es (in European Spanish). Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  22. ^ "Elche - Levante, vuelve una rivalidad histórica | Deporte Valenciano". Deportevalenciano (in Spanish). Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  23. ^ RODRÍGUEZ, FRAN (August 15, 2018). "Elche-Granada, historia de una rivalidad que nació en 2011". Ideal (in Spanish). Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  24. ^ Kantha, Sami (November 7, 2022). "99ok". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  25. ^ Hernández, Monserrate (November 7, 2022). "El Elche despide a Almirón y Mantecón toma el mando". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved March 24, 2024.
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