Elche FC

Spain is not only known for its beautiful weather, its picturesque landscape and its tasty cuisine. When you think of Spain, you also think of football. The best clubs in the world come from the country of the bull. Think of blood, sweat and tears, but especially of immense passion for the sport. And combining all these elements is Elche FC!

History

Elche FC was founded in the summer of 1923, after a merger of various football teams from the city. The club played for the first time in the third division during the 1929-1930 season. Shortly after, it was promoted to the second division.

1950 was a turbulent year for the football club and the fans. The club was relegated to the third level, but that year also battled back to the first division.

This was also the start of 12 years of football at the highest level, with the competition of ’63 -’64 (5th place) and in 1969 the semi-final of the Copa del Rey being real highlights.

In 1971, Elche FC was relegated back to the second division, only to return to 5 seasons of first-class football two years later. From ’78, things became difficult for the club on a sporting level. The following 35 seasons have seen “Los Franjiverdes” (the team’s nickname), mainly playing in the 2nd division (7x third division & 2x first division). In addition, the club had its fair share of financial problems.

To the delight of the supporters, Elche FC returned to the top tier during the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons. The team, however, struggled again with financial difficulties and the goals could not be reached on a sporting level.

Elche FC then became the first team ever in the history of the Spanish First Division to be relegated to the second division. This was a consequence of new regulations by the Spanish Football Association, which looks more closely at excessive debts and economic mismanagement.

The Manuel Martínez Valero Stadium

The home stadium of Elche FC is the “Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero”. It is a stadium with a great tradition and a lot of history, but fully adapted with modern infrastructure. It has a modern surveillance system, a network of speakers, offices, a VIP room, 27 boxes, etc …

Well-thought-out extensions to the stadium and the infrastructure, led in 2013-2014 to it receiving the prize of the AFEPE as the best stadium of the BBVA liga.