Real Club Recreativo de Huelva, S.A.D. (Spanish pronunciation: [reˈal ˈkluβ rekɾeaˈtiβo ðe ˈwelβa]) is a Spanish football club based in Huelva, Andalucia, Spain. Founded on 23 December 1889, they are the oldest football club in Spain, and currently play in Primera Federación – Group 2, holding home games at Estadio Nuevo Colombino, which has a 21,670 seating-capacity.

Recreativo de Huelva
Full nameReal Club Recreativo de Huelva, S.A.D.
Nickname(s)Recre
Decano (Dean)
Abuelo (Grandfather)
Los blanquiazules (The Blue and Whites)
Founded23 December 1889; 134 years ago (1889-12-23) as Huelva Recreation Club
GroundNuevo Colombino
Capacity21,670
PresidentJesús Vázquez
Head coachAbel Gómez
LeaguePrimera Federación – Group 2
2023–24Primera Federación – Group 2, 6th of 20
WebsiteClub website

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

History

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Foundation/Early years

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Two Scots, Alexander Mackay and Robert Russell Ross, overseas workers at the Rio Tinto mines, founded Huelva Recreation Club to provide their employees with physical recreation. Then they were invited by Sevilla F.C. to play their first football match.

During the 1910s, the club won three non-official Andalusian regional cups, 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

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

In 1999–2000, Recreativo were due to be relegated to the third division, but were redeemed when Atlético Madrid descended into the second and thus their reserves were ejected.[1] With a new stadium and the appointment of Luis Alcaraz as manager, and the club returned to the top flight for the first time in 23 years on 19 May 2002 with a 2–1 home win over fellow Andalusians Xerez CD.[2] After this one season at the top, the team was immediately relegated back. However, in the same campaign, it reached the final of the Copa del Rey for the first time, being defeated by Mallorca 0–3 in Elche.[2]

In 2005–06, after beating Numancia on 4 June 2006, Marcelino García Toral's Recreativo mathematically secured promotion with two matches left to be played. Ahead of the new season, the club bought players including France youth international striker Florent Sinama Pongolle from Liverpool,[3] and young winger Santi Cazorla from Villarreal CF, with a budget of only €15 million.[4] The club finished eighth in the table, at 54 points, a best-ever, and made headlines with a 3–0 win against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.[4] The club's leading goalscorer was Sinama Pongolle with 12 goals to his name, while García Toral left at its conclusion for Racing de Santander.[5]

 
Recre players greeting the fans before a 2008–09 La Liga fixture against Athletic.

Recre narrowly avoided relegation the following season, and in 2008–09, one win in its last 15 matches led to it coming in last place and returning to Segunda after three years. Overspending in aim of returning to the top flight led to debts.[2] At the end of the 2014–15 season, the team fell into Segunda B for the first time in 18 years.[1] A year later, the club was nearing extinction due to financial problems.[6] In May 2021, due to restructuring of the Spanish football league system, the club was relegated two tiers to the fifth level for the first time in its history.[7] Journalist Damián Ortiz of the Diario de Huelva called the entire squad "bastards without honour" and "a black mark on the history of Recreativo de Huelva".[8] In April 2022, Recre achieved promoted back to fourth division. In June 2023, Recre achieved second consecutive promoted to third division after beating Cacereño in last playoff.

Season-by-season record

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Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1939–40 2 6th
1940–41 3 2nd
1941–42 3 1ª Reg. 1st
1942–43 3 1ª Reg. 2nd
1943–44 3 6th
1944–45 3 6th
1945–46 3 6th
1946–47 3 1st
1947–48 3 2nd
1948–49 3 4th
1949–50 3 4th
1950–51 3 1st
1951–52 3 6th
1952–53 3 8th
1953–54 3 10th
1954–55 3 5th
1955–56 3 7th
1956–57 3 1st
1957–58 2 15th
1958–59 3 1st
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1959–60 2 13th
1960–61 3 1st
1961–62 2 5th
1962–63 2 5th
1963–64 2 11th
1964–65 2 9th
1965–66 2 11th
1966–67 2 11th
1967–68 2 13th
1968–69 3 1st
1969–70 3 4th
1970–71 3 3rd
1971–72 3 13th
1972–73 3 8th
1973–74 3 1st
1974–75 2 14th
1975–76 2 10th
1976–77 2 9th
1977–78 2 2nd
1978–79 1 18th
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1979–80 2 12th
1980–81 2 16th
1981–82 2 14th
1982–83 2 10th
1983–84 2 12th
1984–85 2 10th
1985–86 2 9th
1986–87 2 3rd
1987–88 2 15th
1988–89 2 5th
1989–90 2 19th
1990–91 3 2ª B 2nd
1991–92 3 2ª B 6th
1992–93 3 2ª B 8th
1993–94 3 2ª B 3rd
1994–95 3 2ª B 14th
1995–96 3 2ª B 8th
1996–97 3 2ª B 4th
1997–98 3 2ª B 2nd
1998–99 2 12th
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1999–2000 2 21st
2000–01 2 6th
2001–02 2 3rd Round of 32
2002–03 1 18th Runners-up
2003–04 2 6th Second round
2004–05 2 5th Round of 16
2005–06 2 1st Second round
2006–07 1 8th Round of 32
2007–08 1 16th Round of 16
2008–09 1 20th Round of 32
2009–10 2 9th Round of 16
2010–11 2 12th Second round
2011–12 2 17th Second round
2012–13 2 13th Second round
2013–14 2 8th Round of 32
2014–15 2 20th Third round
2015–16 3 2ª B 13th First round
2016–17 3 2ª B 12th
2017–18 3 2ª B 15th
2018–19 3 2ª B 1st
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
2019–20 3 2ª B 13th Round of 32
2020–21 3 2ª B 8th / 6th
2021–22 5 3ª RFEF 1st
2022–23 4 2ª Fed. 2nd First round
2023–24 3 1ª Fed. 6th First round
2024–25 3 1ª Fed.

Current squad

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As of 9 September 2024.[9]

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 Rubén Gálvez (captain)
2 DF   URU Juan Pablo Pereira
3 DF   ESP Alberto López
4 DF   ESP Rubén Serrano
5 DF   ESP Álex Gálvez
6 MF   SEN Boubacar Keita
7 MF   ESP Paolo Romero
8 MF   ESP Luis Alcalde
9 FW   ESP Caye Quintana
10 MF   ESP Antonio Domínguez
11 MF   ALG Chemseddine Bekkouche (loan from Levante)
12 MF   CMR Nico Njalla (loan from Cádiz)
13 GK   URU Guillermo Centurión
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 MF   ESP David del Pozo
15 FW   ESP Sergi Armero (loan from Huesca)
16 FW   ARG Pablo Caballero
17 MF   ARG Juan Cruz Cerrudo (loan from Rosario Central)
18 DF   ESP Dani Perejón
19 MF   ESP Zelu
20 DF   ESP Carlos Becken
21 MF   GNB Malam Camará
22 DF   ESP Raúl Navas
23 MF   ESP David Soto
24 MF   ESP César Moreno (loan from Hércules)
30 GK   FRA Theo Folgado (loan from Real Sociedad C)

Youth players in use 2024/25

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
26 DF   ESP Davinchi

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player

Youth players

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Honours

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International players

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References

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  1. ^ a b "El Decano se vuelve a estrellar en El Sadar como hace 15 años" ["The Dean" crashes again in El Sadar just like 15 years ago]. Marca (in Spanish). 1 June 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Stevens, Tom (23 February 2016). "'It's a real matter of faith:' Life as a Recreativo Huelva supporter". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Recreativo land Sinama-Pongolle". BBC Sport. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  4. ^ a b Lowe, Sid (21 December 2006). "Recreativo rip up the form book, and Real with it". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Marcelino, nuevo entrenador del Racing de Santander" [Marcelino, new Racing de Santander manager] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. 26 June 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  6. ^ Farni, Azi (23 March 2016). "Recreativo de Huelva: Spain's oldest club on the brink of extinction". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  7. ^ Núñez, Manuel S. (9 May 2021). "El Recreativo de Huelva desciende sin jugar" [Recreativo go down without playing] (in Spanish). Huelva Información. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  8. ^ Ortiz, Damián (9 May 2021). "¡Bajad, bastardos sin honor! (1-2)" [Go down, you bstards without honour!]. Diario de Huelva (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Plantilla" [Template]. Recreativo de Huelva. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
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