Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa

Spanish professional football club
Football club
Cultural Leonesa
Full nameCultural y Deportiva Leonesa
Nickname(s)La Cultu
La Leonesa
Founded5 August 1923; 100 years ago (5 August 1923)
GroundEstadio Reino de León
Capacity13,346
OwnerAspire Academy (more than 99.74%)
4 minority stockholders (less than 0.26%)
PresidentMohd Khalifa Al Suwadi
Head coachRaúl Llona
LeaguePrimera Federación – Group 1
2022–23Primera Federación – Group 1, 10th of 20
WebsiteClub website
Home colours
Away colours

Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa (Spanish pronunciation: [kultuˈɾal i ðepoɾˈtiβa leoˈnesa]), better known as Cultural Leonesa or La Cultural, is a Spanish football team based in León, in the autonomous community of Castile and Leon. Founded on 5 August 1923, it currently plays in Primera División RFEF – Group 1, holding home games at Estadio Reino de León, with a capacity of 13,346 seats.[1]

Ahead of the 2014–15 season, the club released a kit designed to look like a tuxedo. The kit, which attracted huge attention in the media and social networking sites, was worn in a pre-season charity match in support of local charities for mining families.

History

Deportivo de La Coruña vs. Cultural Leonesa.

Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa was founded on 5 August 1923.[2]

In 1926, Cultural Leonesa won the Regional championship and in 1929 Cultural played the Segunda División B and promoted to the second division.

In 1931, the club ceased activity and several teams were created in the city with the aim to replace them, but after the Spanish Civil War, Cultural Leonesa came back to the competition.

In 1955, Cultural was promoted for the first time to La Liga, but they could only play one season in the Spanish top tier.

In 2011, the club was relegated to Tercera División due to unpaid debts to the players[3] and took two years to recover the place in the third tier. In 2015, the Qatari Aspire Academy bought a controlling 99% of the shares of the club, thus avoiding its dissolution.[4]

On 28 May 2017, Cultural was promoted to Segunda División after 42 years by defeating Barcelona B in the promotion play-offs. On 3 January 2018, Leeds United announced an official partnership with Cultural Leonesa's owners Aspire Academy in Qatar.[5] The link up saw Leeds players Yosuke Ideguchi and Ouasim Bouy both join Cultural Leonesa on loan as part of the unique partnership.[6]

On 2 June 2018, Cultural was relegated to the third level, after being defeated by Numancia on the last matchday. In the 2018–19 season the club played in Segunda División B, Group 1 and fought to be promoted back to the second tier. But it finished only in the 5th position.[7] The club had a good start on the 2019–20 season, being in the 2nd position after first 16 games.[8] In the 2019–2020 season, they upset Atletico de Madrid in the Copa del Rey Round of 32.[9]

On 2 December 2020, Cultural hired Iñigo Idiakez as Head Coach who came from Luton Town in EFL Championship and previously Leicester City and Derby County.

Club structure

Position Name
President Mohd Khalifa Al Suwadi
Vice-President
Managing Director Felipe Llamazares Díez
Sports management Ricardo Pozo Álvarez
Director Delegate Ignacio Álvarez Martínez
Advisory Board Antonio Martín Espina
José Lasa
Jassim Mohammed AA Al-Ansari
Fundation culturalista Manuel Carnero
Diego Calzado
Technical secretary Santi Santos
Juan Carlos Valiño (adjunto)
César Villafañe (adjunto)
Social area Juan Luis Diez Mata

Season to season

Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1929 3 3ª 1st Round of 32
1929–30 2 2ª 10th Round of 32
1930–31 3 3ª 6th Round of 32
1931–32 3 3ª (W)
1932–1939 DNP
1939–40 3 Reg. Pref. 2nd
1940–41 4 Reg. Pref. 2nd
1941–42 3 Reg. Pref. 1st
1942–43 2 2ª 3rd
1943–44 2 2ª 9th Round of 32
1944–45 2 2ª 13th First round
1945–46 3 3ª 3rd
1946–47 3 3ª 2nd
1947–48 3 3ª 8th Fifth round
1948–49 3 3ª 7th Second round
1949–50 3 3ª 5th
1950–51 3 3ª 5th
1951–52 3 3ª 3rd
1952–53 3 3ª 2nd
1953–54 2 2ª 4th
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1954–55 2 2ª 1st Round of 16
1955–56 1 1ª 15th Round of 16
1956–57 2 2ª 6th
1957–58 2 2ª 16th
1958–59 2 2ª 16th
1959–60 3 3ª 1st Round of 16
1960–61 2 2ª 12th First round
1961–62 2 2ª 16th First round
1962–63 3 3ª 4th
1963–64 3 3ª 3rd
1964–65 3 3ª 7th
1965–66 3 3ª 2nd
1966–67 3 3ª 3rd
1967–68 3 3ª 1st
1968–69 3 3ª 4th
1969–70 3 3ª 2nd Second round
1970–71 3 3ª 1st Fourth round
1971–72 2 2ª 5th Fifth round
1972–73 2 2ª 19th Fourth round
1973–74 3 3ª 1st Third round
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1974–75 2 2ª 20th Fifth round
1975–76 3 3ª 6th Second round
1976–77 3 3ª 2nd First round
1977–78 3 2ª B 6th Second round
1978–79 3 2ª B 5th Second round
1979–80 3 2ª B 4th Second round
1980–81 3 2ª B 4th First round
1981–82 3 2ª B 19th Second round
1982–83 3 2ª B 19th
1983–84 4 3ª 2nd
1984–85 4 3ª 2nd First round
1985–86 4 3ª 1st First round
1986–87 4 3ª 2nd Third round
1987–88 3 2ª B 14th First round
1988–89 3 2ª B 8th First round
1989–90 3 2ª B 7th
1990–91 3 2ª B 9th Second round
1991–92 3 2ª B 6th Second round
1992–93 3 2ª B 10th Second round
1993–94 3 2ª B 17th Third round
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1994–95 4 3ª 1st Third round
1995–96 3 2ª B 4th Second round
1996–97 3 2ª B 8th First round
1997–98 3 2ª B 4th
1998–99 3 2ª B 1st First round
1999–2000 3 2ª B 9th Preliminary
2000–01 3 2ª B 2nd
2001–02 3 2ª B 2nd Round of 32
2002–03 3 2ª B 5th Round of 32
2003–04 3 2ª B 4th Round of 32
2004–05 3 2ª B 10th Round of 32
2005–06 3 2ª B 14th
2006–07 3 2ª B 11th
2007–08 3 2ª B 11th
2008–09 3 2ª B 2nd
2009–10 3 2ª B 12th Round of 32
2010–11 3 2ª B 14th
2011–12 4 3ª 3rd
2012–13 4 3ª 2nd
2013–14 3 2ª B 14th
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
2014–15 3 2ª B 7th
2015–16 3 2ª B 7th Second round
2016–17 3 2ª B 1st Round of 32
2017–18 2 2ª 19th Third round
2018–19 3 2ª B 5th Round of 32
2019–20 3 2ª B 2nd Round of 16
2020–21 3 2ª B 2nd / 6th Second round
2021–22 3 1ª RFEF 12th Second round
2022–23 3 1ª Fed. 10th
2023–24 3 1ª Fed.

Players

Current squad

As of 22 January 2024.[10]

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 Spain ESP Miguel Bañuz
2 DF Venezuela VEN Víctor García
3 DF Spain ESP Jaume Pol
4 DF Spain ESP Aleix Coch
5 DF Spain ESP Alberto Guitián
6 MF Spain ESP Kevin Presa
7 FW Spain ESP Carlos Calderón
8 MF Spain ESP Diego Barri
9 FW Spain ESP Guillermo Fernández
10 MF Spain ESP Aarón Rey
11 FW Spain ESP Luis Bilbao (on loan from Athletic Bilbao)
12 MF Spain ESP Nico Toca
No. Pos. Nation Player
13 GK Spain ESP Alejandro Amigo
14 MF Spain ESP Bicho
15 DF Spain ESP Quique Fornos
16 FW Spain ESP Berto González
17 DF Spain ESP Álvaro Martínez
18 MF Spain ESP Martín Solar
19 FW Equatorial Guinea EQG Dorian Hanza
20 DF Spain ESP Rodri Suárez
21 FW Spain ESP Rodrigo Escudero
22 DF Spain ESP Joseba Muguruza
23 FW Spain ESP Fabio Blanco (on loan from Villarreal B)
— FW Spain ESP Santi Samanes

Reserve team

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
25 GK Spain ESP Diego Rodríguez
27 FW Spain ESP David López
No. Pos. Nation Player
28 DF Spain ESP Guzmán Ortega

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF Spain ESP Marcos González (at CD Toledo until 30 June 2024)

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach Raúl Llona
Assistant Coach Odei Calzón
Fitness coach David Madurga
Goalkeeper coach Javier Pérez
Material Manager Carlos Gómez Carballo
Material Manager Manuel Martínez Sela
Doctor Salustiano López-Contreras
Analyst Pedro Gómez
Re-trainer Álex Bienzobas
Physiotherapist Pedro Vicente
Team Delegate Eduardo Álvarez
Material Manager Rubén Álvarez

Notable former players

Note: this list includes players that have appeared in at least 100 league games and/or have reached international status.

Famous coaches

Stadium

C. Leonesa vs. Sabadell, in the 2008–09 Segunda División promotion playoffs

Reserve team

Júpiter Leonés is the reserve team of the club.

Founded in 1929, later known as Cultural de León and finally changed to its current name Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa "B" Jupiter Leonés. After the 2009–10, the team was dissolved after Cultural was relegated to Tercera División due to its debts. In 2014, it was re-founded as the reserve team and after three promotions it currently plays in Tercera División, the fourth tier, after gaining promotion in the Primera División Regional de Aficionados 2017–18 season.

References

  1. ^ "Estadio Reino de León". Football Tripper. October 5, 2017. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  2. ^ "Historia de la Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa" (in Spanish). Nos Gusta León. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  3. ^ "Doce equipos descienden por impagos a futbolistas" (in Spanish). ABC.es. June 30, 2011. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  4. ^ "Aspire compra la Cultural Leonesa y evita su desaparición" (in Spanish). As.com. September 16, 2015. Archived from the original on June 4, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  5. ^ "LEEDS UNITED LAUNCH ASPIRE ACADEMY PARTNERSHIP". www.leedsunited.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  6. ^ "Aspire-owned Cultural Leonesa hope to shock Real". gulf-times.com. October 25, 2016. Archived from the original on December 7, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  7. ^ "Histórico Cultural Leonesa - Segunda División B G 1 2018/2019". www.resultados-futbol.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  8. ^ "Resultados de Fútbol: Segunda División B Grupo 2". Mundo Deportivo. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  9. ^ "Cultural Leonesa 2 Atlético Madrid 1". ESPN FC. Archived from the original on January 23, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  10. ^ "PLANTILLA | Cultural Leonesa - Web Oficial". Archived from the original on January 30, 2018.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa.
  • Official website (in Spanish)
  • Futbolme team profile (in Spanish)
  • Unofficial website (in Spanish)
  • Club & Stadium History at Estadios de España Archived January 13, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (in English)
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