UD Melilla

Melilla
logo
Full nameUnión Deportiva Melilla
Founded29 June 1976; 48 years ago (29 June 1976)
(as Gimnástico Melilla Club de Fútbol; re-founded)
GroundEstadio Municipal Álvarez Claro
Capacity8,000
PresidentLuis Manuel Rincón
Head coachMere
LeagueSegunda Federación – Group 5
2023–24Primera Federación – Group 2, 18th of 20 (relegated)
Current season

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

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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

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Other clubs from Melilla

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  • 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

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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

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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. 18th Second round
2024–25 4 2ª Fed.

Current squad

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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.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Spain ESP Adrián Romero
2 DF Spain ESP Diego Ceballos
3 DF Spain ESP Dani Hernández
4 DF Spain ESP Manuel Gálan
5 DF Spain ESP Isma Armenteros
7 MF Spain ESP Víctor Morillo
9 MF Spain ESP Ivan Fernandez
10 FW Spain ESP Carlos Bravo
11 MF Georgia (country) GEO Beka Kavtaradze
13 GK Spain ESP Eduardo Loscos
14 DF Spain ESP José Manuel Alonso
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 DF Spain ESP Adrián Tovar
17 MF Spain ESP Robert García
18 MF Spain ESP Adriá Arjona
19 FW Spain ESP Iván Ramos
20 FW Peru PER Jeisson Martínez
22 DF Spain ESP Sergio Mendinueta
23 MF Spain ESP Armando Corbalán
26 MF Spain ESP Abdel Lah Mohamed
30 GK Spain ESP Óscar Jiménez

Notable players

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See also: Category:UD Melilla footballers

Notable managers

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See also: Category:UD Melilla managers

Reserve team

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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

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  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.
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