Asturias autonomous football team

History

Cantabric Federation

The Regional Cantabric Federation of Football Clubs was founded on 9 December 1915 with the aim to represent all the clubs in the Province of Oviedo. On 22 November 1916, the Spanish Football Federation allowed the clubs of Cantabria to leave the Northern Regional Championship and join the newly created Cantabrian Regional Federation, along with clubs from Oviedo, soon to be renamed Asturias.

The Cantabrians joined forces with the Asturian clubs to form the 'Cantabric Team' and played four official matches between 1917 and 1918 in the defunct Copa Príncipe de Asturias, an inter-regional competition organized by the Spanish Federation. This Cantabric side had the likes of the Villaverde brothers (Fernando and Senén), Manuel Argüelles and Manuel Meana, with the latter two going on to represent the Asturias national team in the 1920s.

Asturian Federation

On 28 May 1918, the Cantabrian clubs returned to the Northern Federation, so the Spanish Federation agreed to change the name of the Cantabric Federation to Regional Asturian Federation of Football Clubs. Their first game as the Asturias autonomous football team was a friendly against St Mirren F.C. which ended in a 3–7 loss, with the Asturian goalscorers being José Luis Zabala, Manuel Argüelles and Domingo. The Regional Asturian team then played seven official games between 1922 and 1926 in the Prince of Asturias Cup, winning the 1922–23 edition, largely thanks to their main player Zabala, who scored twice in their thrilling 4-3 extra-time win over Biscay in the quarter-finals, followed by a last-minute winner against Catalonia in the semi-finals and to seal the title in style, a second-half brace in the final to give his side a 3-1 win over Galicia, with the Asturian equaliser coming from Manuel Meana. The year before, in 1925, they had faced Cantabria in another two-legged affair, at El Sardinero in Santander and at the El Molinón in Gijón, and after a 3–3 draw away, they lost 0–1 at home thanks to an own goal from what had been a Cantabric international in 1918: Manuel Meana. During the 1930s, the Asturian team continued playing several friendly games until the Spanish Civil War.

Revival in the 2000s

On 23 December 2000 the Royal Asturian Football Federation revived the Regional team for the first time since 1936, to play a friendly game against Macedonia at Estadio Carlos Tartiere in Oviedo. Their starters included Asturian-born players Luis Enrique, Esteban, and Miguel Ángel Angulo, as well as Antón and Tinín who both played in the last Asturias game in 1936. 30,000 attended to see Asturias win 1–0, with Juanele scoring the only goal of the match.

Asturias played two more games over the next two years, beating Lithuania 6–1 in Gijón on 30 December 2001, and winning 5–3 against Honduras in Avilés on 29 December 2003.

In December 2008, a friendly game against Sporting de Gijón legends was going to be organized, but in the end, it was canceled.

Competitive record

Results

Cantabric

Agüero Villaverde Pascual Gomar Rey Villaverde I Olalquiaga

Notes

Asturias

Argüelles Domingo Gillies quarter-finals quarter-finals replay Barril Acedo Careaga semi-finals Zabala quarter-finals Laca Travieso Zabala ? Domingo Trucha Report2 Report2 Pellicer Alcántara Herrera Gallart Inciarte Report 2 Lángara Gallart Herrerita Casuco Mejía Meana
Summary Pablo Lago Juanele José Manuel César Mario Oli Villa Miguel

Statistics since 2000

Selected former coaches

• José Manuel Díaz Novoa (2000–2002)
• Marcelino García Toral

Honours

Prince of Asturias Cup:

• Champions (1): 1922–23
• Runners-up (2): 1918 and 1926

Amateur team (UEFA Regions' Cup)

Main article: Asturias amateur football team

The Asturias amateur football team is mostly composed of players in Tercera División and lower, and plays biannually in the Spanish stage of the UEFA Regions' Cup. This distinguishes it from the Asturias autonomous football team, which is not UEFA- or FIFA-affiliated and only plays friendlies, therefore having no restrictions on players being professional.

The amateur teams' biggest achievement was to qualify for the Final tournament of the 2003 UEFA Regions' Cup, after winning the Spanish stage.

Women's team

(Santa Cruz de Bezana, Spain; 19 May 2019) (Santa Cruz de Bezana, Spain; 19 May 2019)

0–1 (Avilés, Spain; 23 December 2025) The women's team made its debut on 19 May 2019 in Santa Cruz de Bezana, Cantabria. They were defeated 2–3 by Cantabria.

On 4 December 2025, the Royal Football Federation of the Principality of Asturias announced a friendly match against Navarre, that was played in Avilés on 23 December 2025.

Head coaches

• Javier Martino (2019)
• Montse Tomé (2025–present)

Current squad

• The following players were called up for the friendly against Navarre. Caps and goals are correct, as of 23 December 2025.

Matches played

Jimena Athenea Moro

Notable players

• María Méndez
• Lucía García

References

References

1. "La Copa Príncipe de Asturias".
2. "HISTORIC ASTURIAS RETURN MARKED BY WIN". Sky Sports.
3. (28 December 2002). "Asturias mantiene su racha de triunfos". AS.
4. Vicente Martínez Calatrava. (17 August 2009). "La Copa Príncipe de Asturias". [[:es:Centro de Investigaciones de Historia y Estadística del Fútbol Español.
5. "Squad of Cantabria 1918 Copa del Príncipe de Asturias".
6. (6 June 1922). "El Comercio (Gijón) 06/06/1922". El Comercio.
7. (23 June 1925). "El Comercio (Gijón) 23/06/1925". El Comercio.
8. (30 December 2001). "Asturias golea a una floja Lituania". AS.
9. (29 December 2002). "Asturias se recrea con el dúo Ania-Villa frente a Honduras". La Voz de Asturias.
10. (12 December 2013). "La "manzana mecánica"". [[La Nueva España]].
11. (19 May 2019). "Debut con victoria de la selección femenina". Cantabrian Football Federation.
12. (4 December 2025). "La Selección Asturiana Absoluta Femenina, se estrenará en el Suárez Puerta". [[Royal Football Federation of the Principality of Asturias]].
13. (18 December 2025). "Lista de convocadas para el Asturias-Navarra femenino". [[Royal Football Federation of the Principality of Asturias]].