Eldense Already in the Second Division
The past weekend saw promotions finalize as 22 teams completed the rosters for the 2023-2024 LaLiga SmartBank, Spain’s second tier. Two Alicante clubs will be returning to the silver division after a long absence: Elche Football Club and Eldense Sports Club. Their ascent marks a return to the second tier for Elche after 59 years away.
The upcoming Second Division will include three relegated sides from the First Division: Valladolid, Espanyol, and Elche. They will be joined by three teams that contested the play-offs and are on the cusp of reaching the elite: Levante, Eibar, and Albacete. Competing for promotion alongside these six are the established contenders Andorra, Oviedo, Cartagena, Tenerife, Burgos, Racing Santander, Real Zaragoza, Leganés, Huesca, Mirandés, Sporting de Gijón, and Villarreal B, all of whom secured their top-tier status. Also entering from the First RFEF are four newly promoted clubs: Racing de Ferrol, Amorebieta, Alcorcón, and Eldense.
The draw for the LaLiga SmartBank season is scheduled for Wednesday, June 28, and will shape the schedule for the Alicante province, which will boast two representatives in Elche and Eldense. This is a milestone not seen since the 2012-2013 season, when the Elche group and Hercules and Franjiverdes clubs both earned promotion. The upcoming campaign will feature a fresh derby between Elche and Eldense, a new chapter in their competitive history.
Both clubs will clash again in an official league match sixty-four years after their last encounter in the 1958-1959 season, when Elche swept Eldense with 4-1 at Elda and 3-1 at the Altabix stadium. Eldense spent the 1960s in the second tier, while Franjiverdes continued to flourish in the First Division. Following the Blaugrana’s rise, the two teams will meet once more in the Second Division. Eldense earned promotion last weekend, sealing their return to this level.
The Elche group will face Amorebieta and Andorra for the first official league clashes between these sides. While Andorra made their debut in the Second Division last year, Amorebieta has a recent history in the competition as well. Andorra had previously spent three seasons in the Second Division before returning to the top tier, while Amorebieta seeks to establish themselves among the established teams in this level.
The Valencian Community will be represented by four teams in total. If Castellón had prevailed in the draw to rise, that total would have been five. In addition to Elche and Eldense representing Alicante, Levante represents Valencia and Villarreal B represents Castellón. Fans of both Elche and Eldense will have several away games close to home, while Levante and Villarreal B will offer convenient travel for supporters. Cartagena and Albacete are also expected to draw large followings.
As a curiosity, Andalusia will not have a Second Division representative after Málaga dropped to the first RFEF. In contrast, Almería, Cádiz, Sevilla, Betis, and Granada will be active in the First Division this season. Córdoba, Recreativo de Huelva, and Jaén will compete in the First RFEF. Each season in LaLiga SmartBank delivers exciting, very even, and lengthy campaigns, often extending across 42 days. The objective for Elche is clear: pursue promotion to return to the elite of Spanish football, while Eldense will aim to establish themselves in professional competition and stabilize their status in the higher tier.