Pepe Contreras has been appointed as the new head coach of Elche CF Women, confirmed by Elche CF sources. A technician from La Mancha, Contreras guided Córdoba CF Femenino last season and led the team to a spot in the First Division of the RFEF Women after an impressive campaign. His extensive background in women’s football includes a significant stint with the Albacete Foundation in earlier years. Now he takes charge of the franchise team with a clear objective: secure promotion and advance an ambitious project at Elche CF. The Franiverde club welcomed him through its official channels and extended best wishes for success.
This is a bold move for a project that aims to place the Elche women’s team among Spain’s elite. Elche CF has unveiled a reorganization of the women’s football structure to reinforce a high-impact initiative that has elevated the club’s status. It is a personal and decisive commitment from owner Christian Bragarnik, who believes Elche CF can become a benchmark in national women’s football.
As part of the new sports organization, Enrique Cano, who coached the first team during its initial season, has been named sporting director of Women’s Football. Cano is a central figure in the women’s project since its launch and will oversee this newly launched department, signaling the momentum the club intends to generate in women’s football.
The club is actively building a squad capable of challenging for promotion, hiring an experienced coach and assembling players who will uphold Elche CF values, with dedication, sacrifice, and high football standards.
Last season, the Elche Women’s team managed to win their final game, but other results elsewhere prevented them from staying in the league, resulting in relegation to the National League. The joy of securing a dramatic win over Córdoba was soon tempered by the outcomes of direct rivals in the bid for relegation avoidance.
Franjiverdes concluded the campaign near the bottom of the standings. After the restructuring planned for next season, the team will compete across multiple divisions, including the Iberdrola First Division and the Iberdrola Second Division, moving from the higher tier of Spanish women’s football to the Fourth Division, the Tercera División and the National League, with more regional team representation. This shift signals a broader strategy to broaden participation and strengthen regional development within the sport.
Although the objective of immediate promotion remained unmet, the players of Elche CF Women pushed hard until the end. As stated by owner Christian Bragarnik, the club remains committed to investing in women’s football and supporting its ongoing growth and development. [attribution: Elche CF official communications]