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Full name | Unión Deportiva Melilla | |||
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Founded | 29 June 1976 (as Gimnástico Melilla Club de Fútbol; re-founded) | |||
Ground | Estadio Municipal Álvarez Claro | |||
Capacity | 8,000 | |||
President | Luis Manuel Rincón | |||
Head coach | Mere | |||
League | Segunda Federación – Group 5 | |||
2023–24 | Primera Federación – Group 2, 18th of 20 (relegated) | |||
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Unión Deportiva Melilla is a Spanish football team based in the autonomous city of Melilla. Founded in 1976, it currently plays in Segunda Federación – Group 5, holding home matches at Estadio Municipal Álvarez Claro, with an 8,000 capacity venue.[1]
History
[edit]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
[edit]- Juventud Español — (1940–43)
- Melilla Fútbol Club — (1921–43)
- Unión Deportiva Melilla — (1943–56)
- Club Deportivo Tesorillo — (1940–56)
- Melilla Club de Fútbol – (1956–76)
- Club Gimnástico de Cabrerizas – (1973–76)
- Sociedad Deportiva Melilla – (1970–76)
- Gimnástico Melilla Club de Fútbol – (1976–80)
- Unión Deportiva Melilla – (1980–)
Other clubs from Melilla
[edit]- Club Deportivo Real Melilla — (1939–)
- Club de Fútbol Melilla Industrial – (1968–74)
- Club de Fútbol Industrial Melilla – (1975–85)
- Melilla Fútbol Club — (1985–91)
Rivalry
[edit]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
[edit]
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- 1 season in Primera Federación
- 34 seasons in Segunda División B
- 3 seasons in Segunda Federación/Segunda División RFEF
- 11 seasons in Tercera División
Current squad
[edit]- As of 15 August 2024[7]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable players
[edit]Notable managers
[edit]Reserve team
[edit]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
[edit]- ^ 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.
- ^ "Historial de la Unión Deportiva Melilla" [History of Unión Deportiva Melilla] (in Spanish). La Futbolteca. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Real Madrid complete 10–1 aggregate thrashing of Melilla". Euronews. 9 December 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Hawkey, Ian (2009). Feet of the chameleon : the story of African football. London: Portico. ISBN 978-1-906032-71-5.
- ^ "Plantilla". UD Melilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 April 2021.
External links
[edit]- Official website (in Spanish)
- Futbolme team profile (in Spanish)