Albacete Balompié

This team is from Albacete a city from Castilla -La Mancha. It's been reported in at least three sources that football was first taught in Albacete by John Hulse, an English Engineer of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railways Company, establishing the foundation of Locomotoras Albacete, after the same-named steam locomotive factory in the city, owned by the Goicoechea family, owners of Talgo[3]. Thus, like in Swindon, football in Albacete is originally linked to the railway industry.[4] Hulse introduces the Sheffield Rules in Albacete, and some of the first matches to be reported are against recreational clubs from Murcia (1897), Alcázar de San Juan (1899), and Villarrobledo (1899).[5]

After years of amateur and regional development of football, it would not appear formally in the shape we know until the end of the Spanish Civil War. The club was founded in 1940 under the name Albacete Foot-ball Association, being later changed in an attempt to make it sound "more Spanish". At the second division in 1985–86, repeating the feat five seasons later.

In 1989, Benito Floro consecutively promoted the club from the third division to La Liga, overachieving for a seventh place in the first season in the top level. Floro would later coach Real Madrid, returning to Alba two seasons later as the club was relegated in 1995–96.

After years in the second division facing serious economic and sporting difficulties, Albacete returned to the top flight in the 2002–03 campaign, led by César Ferrando (later of Atlético Madrid). However, Albacete dropped in 2004–05 after posting just 6 wins from 38 matches, going on to stabilize in the subsequent seasons in the second level.

The 2010–11 season brought two coaching changes, with both Antonio Calderón and David Vidal (who returned to the club only a few months after leaving) being fired, as Albacete returned to the third division after 21 years. That season the club finished last in Segunda División with only 32 points in 42 matches.[6] On 6 December 2011, Andrés Iniesta – who played for the club in his youth before joining Barcelona – became the club's major shareholder, donating €420,000 to the cash-strapped club.[7] The club managed to reach the round of 16 of the 2011–12 Copa del Rey, notably beating Atlético Madrid 3–1 on aggregate.[8]

In March 2013, Agustín Lázaro, chief executive officer (CEO) of Andrés Iniesta's winery enterprise, was appointed as Albacete's chairman.[9] In June, Iniesta loaned the club a further €240,000 to cover unpaid wages, thus preventing its administrative relegation to the fourth tier.[10]

In 2014, Albacete returned to the Segunda División, but was relegated two seasons later after finishing the season in the 21st position. The club again returned to the Segunda División in the 2016–17 season after winning against Valencia Mestalla in the last round of the promotion play-offs. Albacete finished the 2018-19 season in 4th position of the Segunda División, but then lost to RCD Mallorca in the La Liga play-offs and remained in Segunda División for the 2019-20 season.[11]

The numbers are established according to the official website: www.albacete-bp.es and www.lfp.es

As of 7 February 2021

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 Bernabé Barragán 2 DF  ESP Álvaro Arroyo 3 DF  ESP Fran García 4 DF  ARG Nico Gorosito 6 DF  ESP Alberto Benito 8 FW  ESP Manu Fuster 10 FW  UKR Roman Zozulya 11 MF  ESP Álvaro Jiménez 12 MF  ESP Tana 13 GK  ESP Tomeu Nadal (captain) 14 DF  ESP Diego Caballo 16 MF  SEN Pape Maly Diamanka (on loan from Girona)

No. Pos. Nation Player 18 DF  ESP Javi Jiménez (on loan from Valencia) 19 FW  ESP Alfredo Ortuño 20 MF  AZE Eddi İsrafilov 21 MF  ESP Álvaro Peña 23 DF  MNE Ivan Kecojević 24 MF  CMR Jean Jules 26 DF  ESP Carlos Isaac (on loan from Alavés) 27 MF  ESP Cedric Teguia (on loan from Atlético Madrid) 29 FW  ESP Diego Vargas 35 FW  URU Emiliano Gómez (on loan from Sassuolo) 37 DF  FRA Flavien Enzo Boyomo — MF  COL Dani Torres

Reserve team

Main article: Atlético Albacete

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 28 MF  ESP Víctor Segura 30 MF  GHA Abdul Awudu 32 FW  ESP Samu Vázquez 33 GK  ESP Ismael de Andrés

No. Pos. Nation Player 34 FW  ESP Javi Verdú 38 MF  ESP Jesús Parada 39 MF  ECU Emerson Espinoza (on loan from Boston River)

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  ESP Fer Navarro (on loan at Villarrobledo until 30 June 2021) — MF  ESP David del Pozo (on loan at Las Rozas until 30 June 2021) — MF  ESP Liberto Beltrán (on loan at UCAM Murcia until 30 June 2021) — MF  ESP Pedro Sánchez (on loan at Hércules until 30 June 2021)

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ESP Chema Núñez (on loan at Real Betis B until 30 June 2021) — MF  VEN Yaimil Medina (on loan at Recreativo until 30 June 2021) — FW  ESP Miguel Ángel (on loan at Getafe B until 30 June 2021) — FW  ESP Alfon (on loan at Celta B until 30 June 2021)

Current technical staff

Position	Staff
Head coach	Alejandro Menéndez
Assistant coach	Juanma Barrero
Assistant coach	Fran Noguerol
Fitness coach	José Luis Ibáñez
Goalkeeping coach	Carlos Cano

Last updated: December 2020
Source: Albacete Balompié

• Segunda División: (1) 1990–91
• Segunda División B: (2) 1989–90, 2013–14, 2016–17
• Tercera División: (8) 1945–46, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1958–59, 1960–61, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1981–82
• La Liga promotion: (2) 1990–91, 2002–03
• Segunda División promotion: (2) 1984–85, 1989–90

Estadio Carlos Belmonte

The club plays its home matches at the Estadio Carlos Belmonte, which has an all-seated capacity of 17,524. Originally built in 1960, the stadium underwent two major redevelopments, the last being in 1998.

• Atlético Albacete, Albacete Balompié's reserve team
• Fundación Albacete, Albacete Balompié's women's team.
• Albacete FS, a futsal club from the same city.

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