Chart of Albacete Balompié league performance 1929–presentDeportivo de La Coruña vs. Albacete Balompié.
After years of amateur and regional development of football, it would not appear formally until the end of theSpanish Civil War, due to the merger of 'Club Deportivo Nacional' and 'Albacete Foot-Ball Club'. The club was founded in 1939 under the nameSociedad Deportiva Albacete Foot-ball Association, being later changed due to the forced castellanization of all football names imposed byFrancoist Spain in 1941. Albacete debuted inSegunda División in1949, being relegated due to economic problems, but returning ten years later.
After years in the second division facing serious economic and sporting difficulties, Albacete returned to the top flight in the2002–03 campaign, led by César Ferrando (later ofAtlético Madrid). However, Albacete dropped in2004–05 after posting just 6 wins from 38 matches, going on to stabilize in the subsequent seasons in the second level.
The2010–11 season brought two coaching changes, with bothAntonio Calderón andDavid 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.[3] On 6 December 2011,Andrés Iniesta – who played for the club in his youth before joiningBarcelona – became the club's major shareholder, donating€420,000 to the cash-strapped club.[4] The club managed to reach the round of 16 of the2011–12 Copa del Rey, notably beating Atlético Madrid 3–1 on aggregate.[5]
In March 2013, Agustín Lázaro, chief executive officer (CEO) of Andrés Iniesta'swinery enterprise, was appointed as Albacete's chairman.[6] In June, Iniesta loaned the club a further €240,000 to cover unpaid wages, thus preventing its administrative relegation to the fourth tier.[7]
In 2014, Albacete returned to the Segunda División, but was relegated two seasons later after finishing theseason in the 21st position. The club again returned to the Segunda División in the2016–17 season after winning againstValencia Mestalla in the last round of thepromotion play-offs. Albacete finished the 2018–19 season in 4th position of the Segunda División, but then lost toRCD Mallorca in the La Liga play-offs and remained in Segunda División for the 2019–20 season.[8] On next season, Albacete finished last in second division and were relegated to the third division. Thus ending their four-years stay in the second division.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
The club plays its home matches at theEstadio 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.
Current season
Alberto González
Óscar Dertycia
Andy Bernal
Vali Gasimov
Ronny Gaspercic
Marco Etcheverry
Zago
Ivaylo Andonov
Albert Meyong
Mark González
Danny Carvajal
Nenad Bjelica
Trésor Kandol
Javier Balboa
Rachid Rokki
Moussa Yahaya
Abass Lawal
Rommel Fernández
Nelson Cuevas
Cătălin Munteanu
Roman Zozulya
Joe Bizera
Luigi Maifredi (1998–99)
César Ferrando (2002–04)
