Recreativo de Huelva

Recreativo Huelva

Full name	Real Club Recreativo de Huelva, S.A.D.
Nickname(s)	Recre El Decano (The Dean)
Founded	December 23, 1889 (as Huelva Recreation Club)
Ground	Nuevo Colombino, Huelva, Andalusia, Spain (Capacity: 21,600)
Chairman	Francisco Mendoza
Manager	Pablo Alfaro
League	Segunda División
2009-10	Segunda División, 9th
Home colours Away colours

Real Club Recreativo de Huelva, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Huelva, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 23 December 1889, it is the oldest football team in Spain, and currently plays in the second division, holding home games at the Estadio Nuevo Colombino, which has a 21,600 capacity.

Team colours are white shirts with blue vertical stripes and white shorts.

History

Foundation/Early years

It all began courtesy of two Scots, Dr. Alexander Mackay and Dr Robert Russell Ross overseas British workers at the Rio Tinto mines, and it was originally named Huelva Recreation Club. These doctors founded the club in order to provide the mine workers under their care with physical recreation. Due to its long-standing existence (it is the oldest surviving team of Spanish professional football), the team is often referred to as El Decano ("The Dean," i.e. the oldest one) of the Spanish football fraternity.

During the 1910s, the club won several Andalusian regional leagues, and became the first Spanish side to defeat a Portuguese team, winning against Sporting Clube de Portugal. In 1940, it first reached Segunda División, only lasting however one year and not returning until 1957. Since 1965, the team also began hosting the Trofeo Colombino.

Later years

In 1977–78, led by, amongst others, former Real Madrid youth graduate Hipólito Rincón, Recreativo first gained promotion to the topflight. After just one season, it returned to level two, staying there until 1990, the year of a Segunda División B relegation.

Recre would play again in the first division in 2002–03, in another short-lived experience. In 2005–06, after beating CD Numancia on 4 June 2006, it mathematically secured promotion with two matches left to be played.

The new season in the top level was one of overachievements. The club finished eighth in the table, at 54 points, a best-ever. Among the victories was a 3–0 win against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and a 2–0 success against Valencia CF. The club's leading goalscorer was Florent Sinama-Pongolle with 12 goals to his name. Coach Marcelino García Toral announced on 30 May 2007 that he would leave the club at the end of the season, subsequently joining Racing de Santander - he had also been the coach that previously achieved the 2006 promotion.

"Everything in life has a beginning and an end, and this is the moment to end my time at Recre," Marcelino told a news conference.

This fueled speculation in June 2007 that Recreativo had offered Danish legend Michael Laudrup a contract to coach the club in 2007–08. According to Laudrup's agent, the negotiations were ongoing and "very serious." However, Laudrup turned down the offer, and took the vacant manager's job at Getafe CF in July 2007. Recre' season was a rocky one, as they only achieved to maintain first division status in the very last matchday, drawing with Real Valladolid 1–1. Also, RCD Mallorca's 3–2 success against Real Zaragoza, contributed to Huelva's final 16th position.

In 2008–09, Recreativo de Huelva lived in the mid-table regions for the vast majority of the campaign. However, after just one win in its last 15 matches (this included losing the last four) and one draw, it was finally relegated back, ranking last.

Current squad

As of 22 August 2010 Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Bernardo 2 DF David Córcoles 3 DF Andrés Lamas 4 DF Pablo Gallardo 5 DF José Mora 6 MF Carlos Carmona 7 FW Kepa 8 FW Dani 9 FW Pablo Sánchez 10 MF Jesús Vázquez 11 MF Fidel 13 GK Fabricio (on loan from Real Valladolid) 14 MF Álex Quillo

No. Position Player 15 MF Emilio Sánchez 16 MF Aarón Ñíguez (on loan from FC Valencia) 17 DF Leandro Cabrera (on loan from Atlético Madrid) 18 DF Manolo Martínez 20 DF Poli 21 MF Aitor (captain) 22 MF Jordi Matamala 23 DF Raúl Cámara 24 DF Rafita 27 FW Juan Villar 30 GK Ángel 31 MF Chus Hevia

Notable coaches

• Joaquín Caparrós
• Víctor Muñoz
• Manuel Zambrano
• Lucas Alcaraz
• Marcelino García Toral

Honours/promotions

• Andalusia champions: 1903–14
• First Division: promotion in 1977–78 (under coach Eusébio Ríos), 2001–02 (Lucas Alcaraz) and 2005–06 (Marcelino García Toral).
• Spanish Cup: Runners-up 2002–03

Season to season

• As Recreativo de Huelva

• 5 seasons in La Liga
• 34 seasons in Segunda División
• 8 seasons in Segunda División B
• 23 seasons in Tercera División
• 2 seasons in Categorías Regionales

External links

• Official website (Spanish)
• Futbolme.com profile