The Galician club is still under eight decades old and hopes to leave a mark against Valencia in a match that promises drama.
Valencia CF visits Arosa SC this Tuesday for the second round of the 2023-24 Copa del Rey. Rubén Baraja’s squad has just fallen to Girona in Montilivi and must bounce back in Villagarcía de Arosa, where they meet a team from the RFEF Third Division. Arosan squad from Galicia is set for a day that could become unforgettable from the opening whistle.
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History of Arosa SC, Valencia’s Cup rival: founding date and current league
It’s a familiar scene when a small club reaches the Copa del Rey: the occasion feels like a world final, especially with a heavyweight like Valencia on the other side. This is the scenario for Arosa Cultural Society, based in Vilagarcía de Arousa, in Pontevedra province.
Founded in 1945, the club currently competes in the RFEF Third Division and stands as the Galician club with the most appearances in the Third Division. It also counts roughly 2,000 members. The team led by Miguez Iglesias earned a 1-0 victory over Ourense in its latest match (Saturday, February 12) and sits on 20 points from 13 fixtures, occupying sixth place in the standings.
Less than eight decades old, the club’s history is succinctly chronicled on its official site. The name Arosa comes from a group of friends who aimed to compete in the Southern Group of the Regional Series between 1941 and 1943, until Galician authorities blocked the project due to insufficient field and club records. The promoters adopted the title Cultural Society and, on December 23, 1945, at noon, gathered in Vilagarcía de Arousa to launch what would become the Harlequinados’ club.
Manuel Porto served as the first president, supported by Celso Callón, who later took over the presidency in the following decade. The longest-serving president was Manuel Gallego, a board member who also played for the team.
The founding statutes noted the October 1945 resolutions, the administrative steps needed to create the club, and the lease agreement with Doña María de los Desamparados for the farm at To Lomba, set at about 5,000 pesetas. In that document, the current harlequin shirt design was approved, and new members were admitted with a fee of up to 5 pesetas.
The first match as Arosa SC was played at A Lomba on January 27, 1946, a friendly against Santiago that finished 1-1.
In its early months, Arosa SC took part in the Galicia Amateur Cup. With the club fully operational, the next step was its official debut in a competitive setting. A 3-1 victory against Cultural de Pontevedra helped inaugurate the Galician Regional Series A on November 3, 1946.
Within three seasons, the team earned promotion to the national league and played in the Second Division during the 1949-50 season, in Group I, the northern group. A challenging year led to relegation to the third tier, where the club has competed for the majority of its history. As of today, more than 800 players have featured for the Harlequin shirt, and the club has seen over 60 first-team coaches. In total, 23 presidents and more than 300 managers have contributed to its long arc.
What capacity does A Lomba Stadium have and how many spectators can it host?
A Lomba Stadium serves as the home for Arosa SC and for Atlético Arousana. This municipal arena in Vilagarcía de Arosa, Pontevedra, Galicia, was opened in 1946 and has a seating capacity of 4,800. The venue is a local stronghold for the Harlequin squad and hosts a range of regional fixtures besides league play. The ground hosted its inaugural official match on November 3, 1946, when Arosa faced Sociedad Cultural de Pontevedra and won 3-1 after an earlier 1-1 result against Santiago in the first encounter on January 27, 1946.
Why Arosa SC advanced to the Copa del Rey second round after a 0-3 defeat to Granada
Arosa SC played in the current Copa del Rey at the A Lomba Stadium and was defeated 0-3 by Granada. Nonetheless, the Galician club advanced to the next round. On November 7, Granada were eliminated from the competition despite the win on the pitch because a line-up error involved goalkeeper Adri López, who was listed as a participating player while ineligible under the competition rules. López, aged over 23 and registered with Recreativo Granada, was part of the non-professional tournament but not eligible for Cup duties, per the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). The Cup is considered a national, non-professional contest, distinct from the professional leagues, and the federation governs the competition rules, with ownership vested in the RFEF. Granada faced scrutiny for similar issues in the past, but this instance triggered sanctions due to the lineup mistake.
The mismatch between player eligibility and Cup rules is a notable reminder that the Copa del Rey follows its own governance framework, separate from professional league classifications. Granada’s earlier decision to field López raised questions about line-up compliance, and the matter was adjudicated within regulatory guidelines.
A questionable route
On the sporting side, Granada defeated Arosa 0-3 with goals from José Callejón, Shon Weissman and Famara Diédhiou. The result, however, did not prevent Arosa from moving forward in the competition.
Citation: Goal