Deportivo Eldense has carved out a notable chapter in its history, celebrating a solid season upon returning to the Segunda division after a 59-year journey through Spain’s lower tiers. The club, anchored in a town known for its shoemaking heritage, has spent six seasons in this tier, with early stints spanning 1956 to 1959 and again from 1962 to 1964. Since those years, football has evolved in tandem with the city’s economic and social growth, yet Eldense’s ambition has endured: to achieve lasting stability in the second tier, a goal that has been pursued with an increasing sense of purpose and resilience.
Times have changed dramatically since those earlier campaigns. The league structure once split into north and south groups, and Eldense played home matches at El Parque, a stadium that no longer exists in a city that has transformed around football and industry. What persists is a certain stubborn optimism—the belief that a club born from a shoemaker’s workshop can compete at a higher level and maintain its place there. Today, Eldense continues to chase permanence in the league with a pragmatic approach rooted in budgeting, scouting, and steady development.
first round
Fernando Estévez’s coaching group steered the team to a 15th-place finish after the first round, collecting 26 points. That tally left them four points above the relegation zone and set up a narrative of progress given the club’s budget and the recent signings. Even so, the shoemaker’s club finished the half-season in a strong position within the larger group, sitting as high as second place at different points and ultimately ranking third in the best-case scenario. The campaign thus far shows a credible step forward compared with the 57-58 and 62-63 seasons, when Eldense faced tougher competition and heavier demands.
Eleventh
In the 1957-1958 campaign, Eldense wrapped up the first round in eleventh place in a league of 18 teams. Guided by Valencia CF legend Juan Ramón Santiago, a figure who had enjoyed success as a player with three league titles and two cups, the team adopted a practical, disciplined style from the dugout. By matchday 24, Eldense had climbed to third place—an achievement that remains a high-water mark for the club in its long history, underscoring how a measured game plan can yield surprising results even when resources are modest.
Two starting elevens across 21 matches illustrate the squad’s turnover and the coach’s willingness to adapt. The effort reflected a broader strategy: to maximize reliability and grit over flash and spectacle, forging a path through a demanding schedule while building team cohesion.
Eldense made only two starting 11 appearances in 21 matches
VL Deltell
best numbers
The most successful era for the club to date within this championship cycle was the 1962-63 season, which also marked a recent promotion to the second division. Eldense finished the first lap in seventh place, a testament to a more competitive southern group that year. The squad recorded six defeats, two draws, and seven wins, with memorable results against San Fernando and Cádiz CF, illustrating the potential of a team punching above its weight with the right mix of talent and grit.
Behind this peak sits Eldense’s 1956-57 campaign, where despite finishing the first round in 18th, the club managed to survive and secure promotion in a tense finish. The seasons that followed, around 1958-59, did not offer the same margin of safety, with the first half of the championship leaving Eldense in 14th place among 16 teams, and the campaign ending with a last-place finish after securing only three wins and two draws in 15 matches. The 63-64 period saw Eldense relegated from League Two on two occasions, underscoring the instability that has punctuated much of the club’s earlier decades.
Now Eldense faces the second half of the season with a clear plan and ongoing work ahead. With 26 points—roughly half of the typical 50-points target for persistence—the team remains on course but understands that sustained improvement is essential to cement a longer stay in the division.