Hércules CF facts for kids
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| Full name | Hércules de Alicante Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Los Herculanos / Els Herculans (The Herculeans) Los Griegos / Els Grecs (The Greeks) Los Blanquiazules / Els Blanc-i-blaus (The White and Blues) |
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| Founded | 25 October 1922 as Hércules Foot-ball Club |
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| Ground | José Rico Pérez, Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain |
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| Capacity | 29,500 | |||
| Owner | Enrique Ortiz | |||
| President | Carlos Parodi García-Pertusa | |||
| Head coach | Rubén Torrecilla | |||
| League | Segunda Federación – Group 3 | |||
| 2022–23 | Segunda Federación – Group 5, 7th of 18 | |||
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Hércules de Alicante Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team. It is located in Alicante, a city in the Valencian Community. The club was started on October 25, 1922. Hércules currently plays in Primera Federación. Their home games are played at the Estadio José Rico Pérez, which can hold 29,500 fans.
Contents
Club History
How Hércules Started
Hércules CF has been around since 1914. However, it officially registered on September 26, 1922. The club's founder was Vicente Pastor Alfosea. People called him "El Chepa." He named the club after the strong Greek hero, Hercules. Pastor wanted his team to be just as strong and unbeatable.
In the beginning, Hércules played in different places. They wore white and red striped shirts with black pants. The team slowly became more organized. They won a children's tournament in 1918. By 1919, they had a senior team. On June 22, 1919, Hércules played its first official game. They won 2–1 against Athletic Club Benaluense in the Copa Excelsior. Hércules went on to win that tournament too. The club grew and became a part of Club Natación Alicante. This was the most important football team in Alicante at the time.
The Golden Age of Hércules
After Natación stopped playing, Hércules changed its colors to blue and white. They also welcomed Natación's players and fans. This made Hércules the best team in Alicante. On June 1, 1930, they reached the final of the Spanish Amateur Championship. They lost 3–2 to Club Gijón.
A club director named Renato Bardín helped build a new stadium. It was called Estadio Bardín. The stadium opened on September 18, 1932. The first game there was a friendly match against Real Madrid.
In the mid-1930s, Hércules won two Tercera División titles in a row. They moved up to the Segunda División in 1934. They won that league in their first try (1934–35). This meant they won three league titles in just four years. They also got promoted to Spain's top league, La Liga, for the first time. In their first season in La Liga (1935–36), Hércules finished sixth. A big highlight was beating the champions, Athletic Bilbao, 1–0 at home.
For the next 40 years, Hércules played in the top league sometimes. They mostly played in the second division. Sometimes, they even played in the third division.
Recent Club History
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Hércules played in the top league for ten years in the 1970s and 80s. They returned to La Liga in the 1996–97 season. Even though they were relegated, they had two amazing comeback wins against Barcelona. These wins helped Real Madrid win the league title that year.
In 2004–05, Hércules finished second in the third level. They were then promoted to the "silver category." After a few good seasons, they almost returned to the top division in 2009. They finished fourth, just missing out.
The 2009–10 season was exciting. Hércules got promoted back to the top league after 14 years. In a key game against Rayo Vallecano, they were losing 0–1 at half-time. But they fought back to win 2–1. This put them in third place. In the last game, a 2–0 away win against Real Unión secured their promotion.
At the start of the 2010–11 season, Hércules had a surprising 2–0 win at Camp Nou. This was Barcelona's home stadium. Nelson Valdez scored both goals. Barcelona had not lost at home in the league for a long time. This was Hércules' third win in a row against Barcelona. They had won both games 14 years earlier.
In the 2013–14 season, Hércules finished last in the Segunda División. They were relegated to the Segunda División B.
In the 2016–17 Copa del Rey, Hércules tied 1–1 with Barcelona. But in the second match at Camp Nou, Barcelona won 7–0.
After the 2016–17 season, the club faced financial problems. Their accounts were frozen. This made it hard to sign new players. A businessman named Juan Carlos Ramírez helped the club. He worked to make an agreement with the tax authorities. This helped the club survive. Javier Portillo, a former Hércules player, became the sporting director. He helped build the team.
Hércules signed Argentine coach Gustavo Siviero for the 2017–18 season. But he was replaced by Claudio Barragán due to poor results. Barragán was also replaced by Josip Višnjić. Hércules finished 10th that season. They did not qualify for the Copa del Rey.
In the 2018–19 season, Hércules finished second in their league. They won two play-off games. But they lost in the final to Ponferradina. This meant they did not get promoted.
In 2020, David Cubillo became the head coach. The goal was to get promoted. However, the COVID-19 pandemic changed things. Hércules avoided relegation that season. The league system was reorganized.
The 2020–21 season was the last for the Segunda División B. A new league, Primera División RFEF, became the third tier. Hércules finished 4th in their group. They then competed to qualify for the Primera RFEF. But they finished third in that stage. This meant the club played in the fourth tier, Segunda RFEF, for the 2021–22 season. This was a big change for the club.
In the 2021–2022 Segunda RFEF season, Hércules finished fifth. They qualified for the promotion play-offs. The play-offs were held in Alicante. Hércules played Unión Adarve at their home stadium. The game ended 1–1 after extra time. Unión Adarve advanced because they had a higher ranking. So, Hércules stayed in Spain's fourth tier during their 100th year.
After finishing 7th in Segunda RFEF in 2022–23, Hércules started the 2023–24 season very well. Coach Rubén Torrecilla led them to win their first three games. They were at the top of the table halfway through the season. They had a tough period with six games without a win. But the team recovered. On May 5, 2024, Hércules secured promotion to Primera RFEF. They beat Lleida 2–1. They finished first in their group with 65 points.
Current Players
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Players on Loan
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Club Rivalries and Friendships
Rival Teams
Hércules has several rival teams. One main rival is Elche Club de Fútbol. These two teams are from the two biggest cities in the Alicante province. The cities are only 21 kilometers apart. Their matches are called the Alicante Province Derby or the Costa Blanca Derby.
Another big rival is Valencia. This is a regional derby. Games between Hércules and Valencia are often very intense.
For many years, Alicante CF was a main rival. They shared the same stadium and division. This led to strong feelings between fans and players. Alicante CF stopped playing in 2012. But their traditions are carried on by CFI Alicante.
Hércules also has a rivalry with Castellón. This team is from another provincial capital in the Valencian Community.
Finally, Real Murcia Club de Fútbol is another rival. This is because the two cities are close to each other.
Club Friendships
Hércules fans have a special friendship with fans of Iraklis from Greece. This friendship started in 2003 through the internet. "Iraklis" is the Greek name for "Hercules". Hercules is the Greek god of strength. There is even a Hércules fan club named Iraklis to honor this friendship.
Hércules also has a new partnership with St Johnstone F.C. from Scotland.
See also
In Spanish: Hércules de Alicante Club de Fútbol para niños
- Hércules CF B
- Ciudad de Alicante Trophy
Images for kids
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Rayo Vallecano vs. Hércules
