FC Andorra
Full name | Futbol Club Andorra | ||
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Nickname(s) | Els Tricolors (The Tricolours) | ||
Founded | 15 October 1942 | ||
Ground | Estadi Nacional, Andorra la Vella | ||
Capacity | 3,306 | ||
Owner | Gerard Piqué | ||
Head coach | Eder Sarabia[1] | ||
League | 1ª RFEF – Group 2 | ||
2020–21 | 2ª B – Group 3 (A), 3rd of 11 2ª B – Group 3 (C), 3rd of 6 | ||
Website | https://www.fcandorra.com/ | ||
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Futbol Club Andorra is a professional football club based in Encamp, Andorra, established in 1942. Although based in Andorra, they have competed in the Spanish football league system since 1948. They currently play in Primera División RFEF – Group 2, the third tier.
History
Futbol Club Andorra has historically been the biggest football club in the country. The club was founded on 15 October 1942 in the College of Our Lady of Meritxell and was the first football club to be founded in Andorra.[2] The club joined the categories of the Catalan Football Federation, contesting the Spanish League and Spanish Cup. In the 1963–64 season FC Andorra debuted in the Segunda Regional, finishing in the 11th position.[3]
After several years in regional categories, the Andorran club climbed in 1981 to Segunda División B (third level of the Spanish league system), where they remained for 17 years, with a break in the 1986–87 season when the team played in Tercera División. In the 1988–89 and 1989–90 seasons FC Andorra was close to promotion to Segunda División.
The club's greatest success came in 1994 when FC Andorra won the Copa Catalunya. The Andorran team eliminated FC Barcelona in the semi-finals (aggregate 2–1) and defeated RCD Espanyol in the final played in the Municipal Stadium of Vilassar de Mar, winning 4–2 on penalties after no goals were scored during ordinary and extra time.[4]
At the end of the 1997–98 season the team was relegated to Tercera División (fourth tier).
Their best performance to date in the Copa del Rey was in the 1995–96 edition, beating Palamós CF and Getafe CF before being eliminated by Celta Vigo in Round 16.
From 1986 to 2013 the club also had a futsal section (FC Andorra Futsal) that played in División de Honor and División de Plata.
The Andorran club was bought in December 2018 by Gerard Piqué's Kosmos Holding Group,[5][6] and in April 2019 presented its main sponsor MoraBanc;[7] known as a strong and a benchmark bank in Andorra. Weeks later they achieved promotion to Tercera División, after a streak of 22 matches unbeaten.[8] In July 2019, the club paid a €452,022 fee to replace CF Reus Deportiu in the Segunda División B after Reus were relegated to the Tercera División for failing to pay its players.[9][10]
On 20 February 2020, head coach Gabri Garcia was fired from the club.[11] The reason was poor results with 3 consecutive losses and 7 matches without a single victory.[12] On the same day Nacho Castro was appointed as the club's new head coach.[13] On 27 February 2020, one of the biggest business groups in Andorra Pyrénées signed an agreement with the club, becoming its "premium partner".[14]
In 2021 the team qualified for the promotion play-offs to Segunda División for the first time, however, the club was eliminated in the first round by Real Sociedad B.[15] Although, despite this result the team achieved a place in the Primera División RFEF, new league of the third level of Spanish football.[16]
On 7 July 2021, the team announced the change of its logo, going to use a new one in blue with a white pattern that represents the name of the club, the country and the mountains that characterize this nation, in addition, the circle is surrounded by the colors of the national flag of Andorra.[17]
Stadium
FC Andorra have historically hosted their matches at the Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella in the capital city of Andorra la Vella. The club also hosted their home matches in the Camp d'Esports d'Aixovall (also named DEKV-Arena due to an sponsorship arrangement) located in the parish of Sant Julià de Lòria, with a capacity of 1,000 spectators.
From 2015 to 2019, they played their games at reformed Camp de la Borda Mateu. Since then they play their local matches at Camp de Fútbol de Prada de Moles, located at Encamp. The stadium has a capacity of 500.[18][19]
In 2021, the club and the Government of Andorra reached an agreement for using the Estadi Nacional.[20]
Crest and shirt
FC Andorra take the colours and icons of the country. The club crest represents the coat of arms of Andorra with some minor variations. Their first kit has been historically blue, yellow and red, the national colours of Andorra. Due to their colours the club have been nicknamed Els Tricolors (The Tricolours).
Honours
- Champions (1): 2018–19
- Winners (1): 1993–94
Seasons
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- 1 season in Primera División RFEF
- 18 seasons in Segunda División B
- 6 seasons in Tercera División
Players
Current squad
As of 2 September 2021
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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See also
References
- ^ Solé, Sergi (18 January 2021). "Piqué ficha a Eder Sarabia para ser el entrenador del Andorra". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- ^ RTVA, Andorra Difusió. "Lluís España vol recuperar la memòria històrica de l'FC Andorra - Andorra Difusió". www.andorradifusio.ad.
- ^ "Futbol Club Andorrà :: La Futbolteca. Enciclopedia del Fútbol Español" (in European Spanish). Retrieved 3 February 2020.
- ^ La ilusiófl del Andorra le lleva’ hásta el título
- ^ Sport (29 December 2018). "Gerard Pique is now the owner of FC Andorra". sport.
- ^ RTVA, Andorra Difusió. "L'acord de l'FC Andorra amb el grup Kosmos preveu construir dos camps de futbol - Andorra Difusió". www.andorradifusio.ad.
- ^ "Gerard Pique presents new FC Andorra sponsor MoraBanc Photos". epa.eu. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ Schouten, Gina (25 April 2019), "A Neutral Case for Autonomy Promotion", Liberalism, Neutrality, and the Gendered Division of Labor, Oxford University Press, pp. 170–197, doi:10.1093/oso/9780198813071.003.0006, ISBN 9780198813071
- ^ "Gerard Pique's FC Andorra take final Segunda B place". Football Espana. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ^ "FC Andorra: Gerard Pique's team pay £411,000 for promotion to Spanish third tier". BBC Sport. 29 July 2019.
- ^ colin (25 February 2020). "Former Barcelona player Gabri sacked by Gerard Pique's FC Andorra". Football Espana. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
- ^ "El Andorra de Piqué destituye a Gabri como entrenador". Marca.com (in Spanish). 25 February 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
- ^ Sport (27 February 2020). "Piqué viaja a Andorra para dar la bienvenida a Nacho Castro". sport (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 March 2020.
- ^ "Pyrénées se convierte en socio prémium del proyecto de Piqué para el FC Andorra". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 13 March 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
- ^ "La Real Sociedad B hace valer su puesto y luchará por el ascenso (2-1)". rfef.es (in Spanish). 15 May 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- ^ Abizanda, Jorge (15 September 2020). "La Federación desvela el misterio: La nueva Segunda B se denominará Primera División RFEF" [The Federation reveals the mystery: The new Second B will be called First Division RFEF]. ABC (Spain) (in Spanish).
- ^ "Nuevo escudo para el FC Andorra de Piqué". sport.es (in Spanish). 7 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- ^ DiariAndorra (12 December 2014). "Comencen les obres per fer el camp a la Borda Mateu". DiariAndorra.ad.
- ^ "El Periòdic d'Andorra - Actualitat Andorra, Notícies Andorra". El Periòdic d'Andorra.
- ^ "L' Andorra jugarà al Nacional" (in Catalan). Diari d'Andorra. 8 July 2021.
External links
- Official website
- FCF team profile (in Catalan)
- BDFútbol profile
- Club & stadium history (in English)