Melilla
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Full nameUnión Deportiva Melilla
Founded29 June 1976; 47 years ago (29 June 1976)
(as Gimnástico Melilla Club de Fútbol; re-founded)
GroundEstadio Municipal Álvarez Claro
Capacity8,000
PresidentLuis Manuel Rincón
Head coachJuan Sabas
LeaguePrimera Federación – Group 2
2022–23Segunda Federación – Group 5, 1st of 18 (champions)
Current season

Unión Deportiva Melilla is a Spanish football team based in the autonomous city of Melilla. Founded in 1976, it currently plays in Primera Federación – Group 2, holding home matches at Estadio Municipal Álvarez Claro, with an 8,000 capacity venue.[1]

History

Founded in 1976 as Gimnástico Melilla Club de Fútbol after a merger of Melilla CF and Club Gimnástico de Cabrerizas,[2] the club immediately took Cabrerizas' place in Tercera División. Renamed Unión Deportiva Melilla (as an honour to the club founded in the 1940s) in 1980, it reached Segunda División B in 1987.

Melilla reached the last 32 of the Copa del Rey in 2012–13 where they were eliminated 4–2 on aggregate by La Liga side Levante UD, having won the first leg 1–0 at home via a Fernando Velasco penalty.[3] Six years later, at the same stage, the team were beaten 10–1 on aggregate by Real Madrid.[4]

Melilla's 34-year run in the third tier ended following the 2020–21 Segunda División B, when the team were put in the new fourth-level Segunda Federación after a league restructuring. In April 2023, following two years at that level, the team won automatic promotion as champions.[5]

Club background

Other clubs from Melilla

Rivalry

The Ceuta-Melilla derby was between Melilla and AD Ceuta, who were dissolved in 2012. The two clubs travelled to face each other via the Spanish mainland to avoid entering Morocco.[6]

Season to season

Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1976–77 3 3ª 16th 1st round
1977–78 4 3ª 4th 1st round
1978–79 4 3ª 2nd 1st round
1979–80 4 3ª 10th 1st round
1980–81 4 3ª 3rd 1st round
1981–82 4 3ª 8th 1st round
1982–83 4 3ª 4th
1983–84 4 3ª 10th 1st round
1984–85 4 3ª 3rd
1985–86 4 3ª 8th 1st round
1986–87 4 3ª 3rd
1987–88 3 2ª B 7th 2nd round
1988–89 3 2ª B 15th 1st round
1989–90 3 2ª B 2nd
1990–91 3 2ª B 6th 2nd round
1991–92 3 2ª B 14th 1st round
1992–93 3 2ª B 15th 3rd round
1993–94 3 2ª B 15th 2nd round
1994–95 3 2ª B 12th 1st round
1995–96 3 2ª B 12th
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1996–97 3 2ª B 11th
1997–98 3 2ª B 5th
1998–99 3 2ª B 1st
1999–2000 3 2ª B 9th 1st round
2000–01 3 2ª B 8th
2001–02 3 2ª B 16th
2002–03 3 2ª B 14th
2003–04 3 2ª B 7th
2004–05 3 2ª B 8th First round
2005–06 3 2ª B 8th
2006–07 3 2ª B 9th
2007–08 3 2ª B 7th
2008–09 3 2ª B 6th Third round
2009–10 3 2ª B 2nd Second round
2010–11 3 2ª B 3rd Third round
2011–12 3 2ª B 5th First round
2012–13 3 2ª B 9th Round of 32
2013–14 3 2ª B 8th
2014–15 3 2ª B 7th
2015–16 3 2ª B 9th First round
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
2016–17 3 2ª B 6th
2017–18 3 2ª B 5th First round
2018–19 3 2ª B 3rd Round of 32
2019–20 3 2ª B 13th First round
2020–21 3 2ª B 7th / 1st
2021–22 4 2ª Fed. 9th
2022–23 4 2ª Fed. 1st
2023–24 3 1ª Fed. Second round

Current squad

As of 1 October 2023[7]

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 Javi Montoya
2 DF Spain ESP Pepe (captain)
3 DF Spain ESP Álvaro Yuste (on loan from Alcorcón)
4 DF Spain ESP David Suárez
5 MF Spain ESP Álex Masogo (on loan from Leganés)
6 MF Spain ESP Alberto Martín
7 MF Spain ESP Migue García
8 MF Spain ESP Antonio Cotán
9 FW Spain ESP José Enrique
10 MF Spain ESP José Antonio González
11 FW Brazil BRA Vinícius Tanque
12 DF Spain ESP David Hernández
13 GK Spain ESP José Salcedo
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 MF Spain ESP Antonio Marchena
15 DF Spain ESP Dani Martín
16 MF Spain ESP José Antonio Caro
17 FW Spain ESP Sergio Pérez
18 FW Morocco MAR Ousama Siddiki
19 DF Spain ESP Moisés Rodríguez
20 FW Spain ESP Dani García
21 DF Spain ESP Juanjo Mateo
22 DF France FRA Jérémie Gnali
23 FW Spain ESP Óscar Cantarero
24 GK Spain ESP José Serrano
— DF Spain ESP Isma Armenteros (on loan from Leganés)

Notable players

See also: Category:UD Melilla footballers

Notable managers

See also: Category:UD Melilla managers

Reserve team

Main article: UD Melilla B

Their reserve team, UD Melilla B, played for several years in Primera Autonómica Melilla and in Tercera División before ceasing activities in 2012. In 2013, Casino del Real CF became their reserve side, and was subsequently renamed to Melilla B in 2014.

References

  1. ^ Patricio, Cynthia (6 April 2020). "El estadio Álvarez Claro pasa a convertirse en un complejo polideportivo municipal" [Estadio Álvarez Claro will become a municipal multisports complex]. El Faro de Melilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Historial de la Unión Deportiva Melilla" [History of Unión Deportiva Melilla] (in Spanish). La Futbolteca. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  3. ^ Jáuregui, Antonio G. (28 August 2018). "En el año 2012 el Melilla le ganó a un Primera División" [In the year 2012 Melilla won against a Primera División side] (in Spanish). Melilla es Deporte. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Real Madrid complete 10–1 aggregate thrashing of Melilla". Euronews. 9 December 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  5. ^ Baez, Rafa (1 May 2023). "La UD Melilla asciende a Primera Federación" [UD Melilla promoted to Primera Federación] (in Spanish). Ceuta TV. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  6. ^ Hawkey, Ian (2009). Feet of the chameleon : the story of African football. London: Portico. ISBN 978-1-906032-71-5.
  7. ^ "Plantilla". UD Melilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 April 2021.

External links

Primera Federación
Melilla
Authority control databases
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