Hércules CF

Hércules
Full name Hércules de Alicante Club de Fútbol, S.A.D.[1]
Nickname(s) Los Herculanos (The Herculeans)
Los Griegos (The Greeks)
Los Blanquiazules (The White and Blues)
Founded 1922
Ground José Rico Pérez, Alicante,
Valencia, Spain
Ground Capacity 29,500
Chairman Carlos Parodi García-Pertusa
Manager Vicente Mir
League 2ª B – Group 3
2014–15 Segunda División B, 4th

Hércules de Alicante Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈerkules]) is a Spanish football team based in Alicante, in the autonomous community of Valencian Community. Founded in 1922 it currently plays in Segunda División B, and holds home games at the Estadio José Rico Pérez, which seats 30,000 spectators.

History

After first appearing in La Liga in the 1935–36 season, Hércules would play sporadically in the category for the next forty years, playing mainly in the second division but going as low as the third. From 1961 to 1969, neighbours Alicante CF acted as its feeder club.

After a ten-year spell in the top flight, encompassing 12 seasons in the 1970s/80s, the club only returned again in the 1996–97 campaign: though eventually relegated it managed two remarkable comeback wins over FC Barcelona, which ultimately handed the league title to Real Madrid.

In 2004–05, after five years in the third level, Hércules finished second, being subsequently promoted to the "silver category". After posting three consecutive solid seasons, the club narrowly missed out on a return to the top division in 2009, finishing fourth three points behind last-promotee CD Tenerife.

Hércules celebrate in Alicante, after returning to La Liga in 2010

The 2009–10 campaign saw Hércules promoted back into the top flight after 13 years, in dramatic fashion: losing 0–1 at half-time at Rayo Vallecano, the team fought back to win 2–1 in the penultimate game of the season and leap frog Real Betis into third place. In the last round, a 2–0 away win against relegation-threatened Real Unión guaranteed promotion, with the 4–0 win of Betis over Levante UD eventually counting for nothing (all three teams – Levante, Hércules and Betis – ended with the same number of points).

First starting lineup of the season 2010/11, concerning the match between Hércules and Athletic Bilbao played at the José Rico Pérez Stadium.

Early into the 2010–11 season, one year, three months and 19 days after Barcelona's last home defeat in the league, Hércules recorded a shock 2–0 win at the Camp Nou, thanks to a brace from Nelson Valdez[2] Barça had won their last 11 home matches, scored at least three times in each of their last six league fixtures and were protecting a 17-game unbeaten streak. Amazingly, however, this was the Alicante outfit's third successive win over the Catalans, having won both meetings in their previous top flight campaign 14 years before;[3] after a solid first round of 19 games the team slumped in the table, eventually ranking in 19th position for an immediate relegation back.

In 2013-14 campaign they were relegated, now to Segunda División B, finishing in dead last.

Season to season

Season Division Place Copa del Rey
1929/30 5th
1931/32 1st
1932/33 1st
1933/34 4th
1934/35 1st
1935/36 6th
1939/40 6th
1940/41 9th
1941/42 13th
1942/43 4th
1943/44 10th
1944/45 2nd
1945/46 14th
1946/47 4th
1947/48 6th
1948/49 4th
1949/50 10th
1950/51 4th
1951/52 4th
1952/53 2nd
1953/54 2nd
1954/55 6th
1955/56 16th
1956/57 2nd
1957/58 5th
1958/59 13th
1959/60 1st
1960/61 3rd
1961/62 7th
1962/63 8th
1963/64 2nd
Season Division Place Copa del Rey
1964/65 4th
1965/66 1st
1966/67 15th
1967/68 15th
1968/69 1st
1969/70 1st
1970/71 11th
1971/72 14th
1972/73 9th
1973/74 2nd
1974/75 5th
1975/76 6th
1976/77 13th
1977/78 15th
1978/79 12th
1979/80 15th
1980/81 13th
1981/82 17th
1982/83 8th
1983/84 3rd
1984/85 15th
1985/86 17th
1986/87 5th
1987/88 18th
1988/89 2ªB 8th
1989/90 2ªB 13th
1990/91 2ªB 5th
1991/92 2ªB 5th Third Round
1992/93 2ªB 4th Third Round
1993/94 7th Fourth Round
1994/95 9th
Season Division Place Copa del Rey
1995/96 1st Round of 16
1996/97 21st Third Round
1997/98 11th Second Round
1998/99 21st
1999/00 2ªB 4th
2000/01 2ªB 11th Preliminary round
2001/02 2ªB 3rd
2002/03 2ªB 11th Second Round
2003/04 2ªB 9th
2004/05 2ªB 2nd
2005/06 17th First Round
2006/07 16th Round of 32
2007/08 6th Round of 32
2008/09 4th Round of 16
2009/10 2nd Round of 16
2010/11 19th Round of 32
2011/12 5th Second Round
2012/13 17th Second Round
2013/14 22nd Third round
2014/15 2ªB 4th First round
2015/16 2ªB - First round

Current squad

The numbers are established according to the official website:www.herculesdealicantecf.es and www.lfp.es

As of 14 August 2015

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
Spain GK Chema
Spain GK Iván Buigues
Spain DF Álex Muñoz
Spain DF Pichu Atienza
Spain DF Baldo Santana
England DF Connor Ruane
Spain DF Paco Peña (captain)
Spain DF Rafita
Spain DF José Manuel Rojas
Spain MF Adri Cuevas
No. Position Player
Spain MF Carlos Indiano
Spain MF Chechu Flores
Spain MF Juanma Espinosa
Spain MF José Luis Miñano
Spain MF Yeray González
Spain FW Alejandro Gallar
Spain FW Manuel Gato
Spain FW Mariano Sanz
Spain FW Miguel Ángel Nieto
Spain FW Javier Portillo

Notable players

see also Category:Hércules CF footballers

Former coaches

Rayo Vallecano vs. Hércules CF.

Relationships with other teams

See also

References

External links

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