UD Melilla

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.

Melilla

Full name	Unión Deportiva Melilla
Founded	29 June 1976 (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)
Home colours Away colours Third colours

History

Founded in 1976 as Gimnástico Melilla Club de Fútbol after a merger of Melilla CF and Club Gimnástico de Cabrerizas, 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. Six years later, at the same stage, the team were beaten 10–1 on aggregate by Real Madrid.

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.

Club background

• 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

• 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

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.

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. 18th Second round 2024–25 4 2ª Fed.

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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

As of 15 August 2024

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	ESP	Adrián Romero
2	DF	ESP	Diego Ceballos
3	DF	ESP	Dani Hernández
4	DF	ESP	Manuel Gálan
5	DF	ESP	Isma Armenteros
7	MF	ESP	Víctor Morillo
9	MF	ESP	Ivan Fernandez
10	FW	ESP	Carlos Bravo
11	MF	GEO	Beka Kavtaradze
13	GK	ESP	Eduardo Loscos
14	DF	ESP	José Manuel Alonso

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
16	DF	ESP	Adrián Tovar
17	MF	ESP	Robert García
18	MF	ESP	Adriá Arjona
19	FW	ESP	Iván Ramos
20	FW	PER	Jeisson Martínez
22	DF	ESP	Sergio Mendinueta
23	MF	ESP	Armando Corbalán
26	MF	ESP	Abdel Lah Mohamed
30	GK	ESP	Óscar Jiménez

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.

External links

• Official website (in Spanish)
• Futbolme team profile (in Spanish)