Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa facts for kids
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| Full name | Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa | ||
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| Nickname(s) | La Cultu La Leonesa |
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| Founded | 5 August 1923 | ||
| Ground | Estadio Reino de León | ||
| Capacity | 13,346 | ||
| Owner | Aspire Academy (more than 99.74%) 4 minority stockholders (less than 0.26%) |
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| President | Mohd Khalifa Al Suwadi | ||
| Head coach | Raúl Llona | ||
| League | Primera Federación – Group 1 | ||
| 2022–23 | Primera Federación – Group 1, 10th of 20 | ||
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Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa, often called Cultural Leonesa or La Cultu, is a Spanish football team. They are based in León, a city in the region of Castile and Leon. The club was started on August 5, 1923. They play their home games at the Estadio Reino de León, which can hold 13,346 fans.
In the 2014–15 season, the club wore a special uniform that looked like a tuxedo. This unique kit got a lot of attention online and in the news. They wore it in a friendly match to help raise money for local charities that support mining families.
Contents
Club History
Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa was founded on August 5, 1923. Just a few years later, in 1926, they won the Regional championship. In 1929, they moved up to the second division of Spanish football.
After a short break in the early 1930s, the club returned to playing after the Spanish Civil War. A big moment came in 1955 when Cultural Leonesa was promoted to La Liga for the first time. La Liga is the top football league in Spain! However, they only played one season there before moving back down.
In 2011, the club faced some tough times and was moved down to Tercera División because they had unpaid debts. It took them two years to get back to the third tier. In 2015, a group called Aspire Academy from Qatar bought most of the club's shares. This helped save the club from closing down.
On May 28, 2017, Cultural Leonesa was promoted back to the Segunda División after 42 years! They achieved this by winning their promotion play-off against Barcelona B. In 2018, Leeds United also partnered with Aspire Academy. This partnership allowed some Leeds players, like Yosuke Ideguchi and Ouasim Bouy, to play for Cultural Leonesa on loan.
On June 2, 2018, the team was moved back down to the third level after losing their last game of the season to Numancia. In the 2019–2020 season, they had a great run in the Copa del Rey (a big Spanish cup competition). They even managed to beat the famous team Atletico de Madrid in the Round of 32!
On May 24, 2025, Cultural Leonesa earned promotion back to the Segunda División after a 1-1 draw against Andorra. This was a big achievement, bringing them back to the second division after seven years.
Club Management
The club has a team of people who help run everything behind the scenes. The President is Mohd Khalifa Al Suwadi. Other important roles include the Managing Director, Felipe Llamazares Díez, and the Sports Management team, led by Ricardo Pozo Álvarez. These people work together to make sure the club runs smoothly.
Player Squads
Current Team Players
- Miguel Bañuz (Goalkeeper)
- Víctor García (Defender)
- Eneko Satrústegui (Defender)
- Rodri Suárez (Defender)
- Quique Fornos (Defender)
- Manu Justo (Forward)
- Guzmán Ortega (Defender)
- Bicho (Midfielder)
- Sergi Maestre (Midfielder)
- Pibe (Forward)
- Arnau Rafús (Goalkeeper)
- Edgar Badia (Goalkeeper)
- Juan Larios (Defender, on loan from Southampton)
- Thiago Ojeda (Midfielder, on loan from Villarreal)
- David López (Forward)
- Rafa Tresaco (Forward)
Reserve Team Players
The club also has a reserve team called Júpiter Leonés. These are younger players who are developing their skills.
- Adrián Ruiz (Midfielder)
- Adri Álvarez (Forward)
Players Returning from Loan
Sometimes players go to other teams for a while to get more playing time.
- Nico Toca (Midfielder)
Coaching Staff
The coaching staff helps the players train and get ready for games.
- Head coach: Raúl Llona
- Assistant Coach: Odei Calzón
- Fitness coach: David Madurga
- Goalkeeper coach: Javier Pérez
- Material Manager: Carlos Gómez Carballo, Manuel Martínez Sela, Rubén Álvarez
- Doctor: Salustiano López-Contreras
- Analyst: Pedro Gómez
- Re-trainer: Álex Bienzobas
- Physiotherapist: Pedro Vicente
- Team Delegate: Eduardo Álvarez
Famous Former Players
Many talented players have played for Cultural Leonesa over the years. Here are a few who played in at least 100 league games or played for their national teams:
- César (Spain)
- Chema (Spain)
- Iván Casquero (Spain)
- Sergio Fernández (Spain)
- Santi Santos (Spain)
- Yosuke Ideguchi (Japan)
- Almoez Ali (Qatar)
Home Stadium
Cultural Leonesa plays its home games at the Estadio Reino de León. This stadium is a very important place for the team and its fans.
Reserve Team: Júpiter Leonés
Júpiter Leonés is the reserve team for Cultural Leonesa. It was founded in 1929. The team helps younger players develop their skills and get ready to play for the main club. After being dissolved for a few years due to the main club's financial issues, it was re-established in 2014. As of 2025, Júpiter Leonés plays in the Tercera División, which is the fourth tier of Spanish football.
See also
In Spanish: Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa para niños
