Granada CF

History

Foundation

Granada Club de Fútbol was founded on 6 April 1931, originally as Recreativo de Granada; the first president was Julio López Fernández. He registered the club in the Registry of Associations in the Civil Government and presented the first Board of Directors.

The first football match was played against the Deportivo Jaén on 6 December 1931, which resulted in a 2–1 victory. The first goal in the match, and in the club's history, was scored by Antonio Bombillar. The first home match was played against U.D. Andújar two weeks later. Granada won it 1–0. It took place at Campo de Las Tablas stadium. In the 1931–32 season, the club finished 2nd in the Tercera Regional – Región Sur championship. 4 wins in 6 matches helped Granada achieve promotion to the Segunda Regional. The club started the season in a new division with a new president, Gabriel Morcillo Raya. During the 1932–33 season the club had the biggest win in its history, 11–0 against Xerez on 23 April 1933.

La Liga entry and peak

After several promotions, in 1941–42 the club made its La Liga debut. It was the match against the Celta on 28 September 1941. The game ended up in 1–1 draw. The first Granada goal in the highest Spanish division was scored by César Rodríguez Álvarez. During that season the Granada had some historical home wins, among them 8–0 against Real Oviedo and 6–0 against Barcelona. Granada finished the season in the 10th position among 14 teams.

From 1942 until the 1980s, it alternated between the top flight and the Segunda División, with its golden age coming during the late 1960s and mid 70s, as the Andalusian club had eight consecutive top flight seasons between 1968–69 and 1975–76 and made the Copa del Rey semi and quarter-finals on 4 occasions. These seasons also included a best-ever sixth league places in the 1971–72 and 1973–74 seasons. Granada finished the 1971–72 season with 9 wins in the last 10 home games, with powerhouses Barcelona and Real Madrid being among those wins.

In 1959 Granada achieved its greatest landmark, being the runner-up of the Copa del Generalísimo (later Copa del Rey). In the final, played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the team lost to Barcelona 4–1. The only goal for Granada was scored by the Argentinian forward Ramón Carranza.

In the 1980s, Granada had some brief appearances in the second division. In 1983–84, they finished 8th among 20 teams in the Segunda División, just 10 points away from the champion the Real Madrid Castilla and the runner-up the Bilbao Athletic. In 1984–85, Granada finished 18th and were relegated to the Segunda División B; in the same season, the club was eliminated by fourth-tier club Estepona in the second round of the Copa del Rey. Although the club returned to the Segunda División after two years for the 1987–88 season, it was relegated again that same season after finishing 19th.

Decline and revival

Granada spent most of the following seasons in the Segunda División B, and were relegated to the fourth tier in 2002–03, due to failing to pay its players under the presidency of Francisco Jimena. After four seasons in the fourth division, former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz, along with his son Paco, arrived at the club. With their help, the Andalusian side was again promoted to the third category but got itself into serious financial trouble. In the 2005–06 season Granada won Group 9 of the Tercera División and qualified for the promotional play-offs, where the first rival was Linense. After the two games ended up in 1–1 draws, Granada won in the penalty shootout. After that they had to face Guadalajara, winning 3–1 on aggregate, which gave them promotion to the third tier.

In 2006–07, Granada played in Group IV of the third level after four seasons in the Tercera. The president Paco Sanz, with the massive support of the fans, continued to lead the project with the intention of bringing the team to the top division, but the lack of time after the promotion led to hasty actions. In July 2009, the club was in such financial difficulty that it was on the brink of dissolving. The solution to the crisis came with the signing of a partnership agreement between Granada and Udinese Calcio, with the Spaniards incorporating large numbers of players contracted to the Italian club as well as receiving its youth players and reserves as part of the agreement. At the end of the season, Granada won its group and then got promoted by beating Alcorcón in the play-offs, returning to the second division after 22 years.

In 2010–11, Granada finished in fifth position, with most of the players loaned by Udinese still on board. On 18 June 2011, the club became the first winner of the promotion play-offs – a different system was used from 1985 to 1999 – after successively defeating Celta de Vigo (1–1, penalty shootout) and Elche (1–1 on aggregate, away goals rule), thus returning to the top division after a 35-year absence.

In June 2016, Chinese businessman Jiang Lizhang became the new owner of the club, buying the Pozzo family's controlling stake. On 22 July 2016, Granada announced they had acquired Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa on a season-long loan, and during the season, Ochoa would break the record for the most saves in a single La Liga season. After surviving in the top flight for six seasons, the team was relegated in 2016–17 after being defeated by Real Sociedad.

Under new manager Diego Martínez, Granada returned to the top flight as runners-up to CA Osasuna in the 2018–19 Segunda División. The following season, the team finished 7th in the top flight, earning qualification for the UEFA Europa League, the first time the club qualified for any European competition. It also reached the Copa del Rey semi-finals for the first time in 50 years, narrowly losing to Athletic Bilbao on away goals after a 2–2 aggregate draw. They reached the quarter-finals in Europe, being eliminated by Manchester United. On 22 May 2022, the team was relegated after a draw against Espanyol. In the 2022–23 season, Granada returned to La Liga, by sealing a 1st position in the table on the very last match day of the season. However, in 2023–24 season, Granada was relegated back to the second division after finishing in last place.

Seasons

Main article: List of Granada CF seasons

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• 27 seasons in La Liga
• 36 seasons in the Segunda División
• 22 seasons in the Segunda División B
• 5 seasons in the Tercera División (1 on 3rd tier)
• 2 seasons in the Categorías Regionales

Players

Current squad

Reserve team

Main article: Club Recreativo Granada

Out on loan

Current technical staff

ESP Pacheta ESP Chema Monzón ESP Cristopher Urbano ESP Juan Carlos Fernández ESP Jorge Trigueros ESP Alejandro Gutiérrez ESP Guillem Galmés ESP Álvaro Martínez ESP Manuel Lucena ESP Paco Morales ESP Miguel García ESP Antonio Saúl Hidalgo ESP Pedro Rubio ESP Dioni González ESP Pablo Puertas ESP José Miguel Funes ESP Alberto Vera ESP Alberto Lara ESP Juan Sánchez ESP Manuel Dimas ESP José María Giménez

Honours

National

• Segunda División (4): 1940–41, 1956–57, 1967–68, 2022–23
• Segunda División B (3): 1982–83, 1999–00, 2009–10
• Tercera División (3): 1933–34, 2003–04, 2005–06
• Copa del Rey: runners-up (1): 1958–59

Regional tournaments

• Andalucia Cup (1): 1932–33
• Andalucia Championship reservations (1): 1971–72

Friendly

• Antonio Puerta Trophy (1): 2010

Individual

Pichichi Trophy

• La Liga: Enrique Porta (1971–72)
• Segunda División: Miguel (1964–65), Rafa (1955–56), Myrto Uzuni (2022–2023)

European record

Derby of eastern Andalusia

Main article: Derby of eastern Andalusia

The Eastern Andalusia Derby is played between Granada and Málaga.

Updated to derby #90 played on September 20, 2024.

Stadium

Main article: Nuevo Estadio de Los Cármenes

After its foundation, the team played its home matches at the Campo de Las Tablas, inaugurated on 20 December 1931. On that day Granada CF won the match against the U.D. Andújar 1–0 in the Tercera Regional. Granada's stay at this ground was a short one; on 23 December 1934, a new municipal stadium, Estadio Los Cármenes, was opened. The club played in this stadium until 1995 when they moved to the Nuevo Los Cármenes Stadium (also owned by the Ayuntamiento de Granada). It was inaugurated on 16 May 1995, with a friendly fixture between Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen, whereas Granada CF played for the first time in the Summer of 1995, playing a friendly fixture against Real Betis. The stadium featured an original capacity of 16,212 seats. This was expanded to 22,524 after Granada CF's promotion to La Liga in the summer of 2011.

After achieving promotion to the First Division in 2019, the stadium has been renovated, such as the replacement of the playing surface, the repairing and painting of seats plus the addition of white seats to form the words "Granada CF" across from the main stand and "1931" on the South Stand, the expansion of the official club store (now located on the corner where the old tickets office was located), and finally, the replacement of the illumination system in line with the lighting requirements of La Liga. In addition, the club is working with Granada's council to get a deal for a long-lasting tenancy with the aim of performing a series of investments like a re-build of the stadium corners (which had been previously dismantled), establish shopping and entertainment zones or the expansion and refurbishment of sponsor and advertising areas.

• Dimensions: 105 × 68 meters
• Address: C/ Pintor Manuel Maldonado s/n
• Inauguration date: 16 May 1995, Real Madrid–Bayer Leverkusen (1–0)
• First Granada CF match: 22 August 1995, Granada–Real Betis (4–1) XXIII Granada Trophy

Kit and colours

Upon its foundation, the club's kits were a shirt with blue and white vertical stripes and white shorts. After the Spanish Civil War the club owners went to Madrid to buy new ones, but they couldn't find other than red and white striped shirts. That became the official colour scheme from then on.

In the 1970s, the club changed the vertical stripes to horizontal. The kit alternated horizontal and vertical strip patterns until 2004–05, when a member assembly decided to settle for the horizontal pattern.

Shirt sponsors and manufacturers

Coaches

• Hungary Lippo Hertzka (1934–1935)
• Spain Gaspar Rubio (1939–1940)
• Spain Antonio Bonet Silvestre (1941–1943)
• Spain Francisco Bru (1941–1943)
• Hungary István Plattkó (1943–1945)
• Spain Gaspar Rubio (1950)
• Argentina Alejandro Scopelli (1957–1959)
• Hungary Jenő Kalmár (1958–1960)
• Spain Fernando Argila Pazzaglia (1960–1961)
• Spain Francisco Trinchant (1961)
• Paraguay Heriberto Herrera (1961–1962)
• Spain Ignacio Eizaguirre (1963–1964)
• Spain Francisco Antúnez (1963–1964)
• Hungary Jenő Kalmár (1965–1966)
• France Marcel Domingo (1968–1969)
• Spain Joseíto (1970–1972)
• Spain Pasieguito (1972–1973)
• Spain Joseíto (1973–1975)
• Spain Miguel Muñoz (1975–1976)
• Uruguay Héctor Núñez (1976)
• Brazil Vavá (1977–1978)
• Spain Francisco Gento (1980–1981)
• Spain José Mingorance (1981)
• Spain Antonio Ruiz (1981–1982)
• Spain Manuel Ruiz Sosa (1982–1983)
• Argentina Felipe Mesones (1983–1984)
• Spain Nando Yosu (1984)
• Spain Joaquín Peiró (1985–1988)
• Spain Manuel Ruiz Sosa (1988)
• Spain Pachín (1988–1989)
• Spain José Enrique Díaz (1989–1990)
• Spain Nando Yosu (1992–1994)
• Spain Lucas Alcaraz (1995–1998)
• Spain Paco Chaparro (1998–1999)
• Argentina Felipe Mesones (2000)
• Spain Ismael Díaz (2000)
• Spain José Ángel Moreno (2001)
• Spain Ramón Blanco (2001–2002)
• Serbia Josip Višnjić (2006–2007)
• Spain Óscar Cano (2007–2009)
• Spain Pedro Braojos (2008–2009)
• Spain Fabri (2010–2012)
• Spain Abel Resino (2012)
• Spain Juan Antonio Anquela (2012–2013)
• Spain Lucas Alcaraz (2013–2014)
• Spain Joaquín Caparrós (2014–2015)
• Spain Joseba Aguado (interim) (2015)
• Spain Abel Resino (2015)
• Spain José Ramón Sandoval (2015–2016)
• Spain José González (2016)
• Spain Paco Jémez (2016)
• Spain Lucas Alcaraz (2016–2017)
• England Tony Adams (2017)
• Spain José Luis Oltra (2017–2018)
• Spain Pedro Morilla Pineda (2018)
• Spain Miguel Ángel Portugal (2018)
• Spain Diego Martínez (2018–2021)
• Spain Robert Moreno (2021–2022)
• Spain Rubén Torrecilla (interim) (2022)
• Spain Aitor Karanka (2022)
• Spain Paco López (2022–2023)
• Uruguay Alexander Medina (2023–2024)
• Spain José Ramón Sandoval (2024)
• Spain Guille Abascal (2024)
• Spain Fran Escribá (2024–2025)
• Spain Pacheta (2025–)

References

References

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