The Spanish Football Federation is set to announce a final agreement on forming the five groups for the Second RFEF this Tuesday. Fitting the 90 clubs into the new season starting in September is no small feat. One certainty stands out: the distribution cannot mirror last season, as the quota for 18 clubs has already been exceeded.
Following the departure of Hercules’ sports management, the club faced competition from Catalan, Balearic, Aragon, and Valencia projects. Carmelo del Pozo no longer relishes that highly competitive landscape. The unusual alliance that has long existed between the Catalonia groups raises questions and suspicion.
Hercules is confident the market will rebound about a month after pre-season begins.
Pedro Rojas
The same distribution cannot be repeated since there are 21 teams due to promotion and relegation decisions. Three slots would remain open. While speculation about possible allocations is common, Hercules faces a formula that repeats patterns and pleases the blue and white faction, aligning their squads with the Community, Region of Murcia, Balearic Islands, and a nearby Castilian-La Mancha member, especially Manchego Ciudad Real.
The remaining three teams, Guadalajara, Talavera, and Illescas, would be grouped with squads from Madrid, Galicia, and León. If this plan succeeds, Lolo Escobar’s side could join Peña Deportiva, Formentera, Mestalla, Alzira, and Atlético Saguntino. They would face notable regional derbies against La Nucía and Orihuela, a region with Torrent, and many duels remembered from the season Sergio Mora coached, ending in promotion play-offs with Alicante.
Favorite lineup for the club
► VALENCIAN COMMUNITY
- Hercules
- La Nucia
- Orihuela
- Saguntino Athletic
- Alzira
- VCF Mestalla
- Flood
► BALEARIC ISLANDS
- Sport Club
- Formentera
- Andratx
- Penya Independent
► MURCIA REGION
- Eagles
- Little Sea
- Cartagena B.
- Single
- Athletic Association
- UCAM Murcia
► CASTILE-LA MANCHA
- Manchego from Ciudad Real
Hercules could break from the Catalan ties, bringing about two major changes in a single season. Travel would become more affordable and easier, with destinations like Águilas, San Javier, Cartagena, Yecla, La Unión, Murcia, and Ciudad Real outside the Community. The club would save miles and money on travel and lodging as many trips could be made in a single day.
Hercules intends to vote for this composition, but the plan must receive a simple majority of the 90 clubs in the consultation. The process remains telematic, as it was the previous year.
“The history of Hercules players mirrors Alicante’s history in the 20th century”
Caesar Hernandez
The reformulation of the championship for next year adds complexity since none of the five groups from the 23-24 cycle stay at 18 teams. The season, beginning in the second week of September, will include 20 players in the first group, 16 in the second, 21 in the third, 16 in the fourth, and 17 in the fifth. The final count remains to be confirmed.
Separating from the Catalan company would help with administrative and logistical matters, but true rivalry is expected to intensify outside of the traditional Group 3. Last year’s competition saw promotions and relegations with Teruel and several teams moving through the system, while Sant Andreu and Cerdanyola also faced changes. The entire Hercules group advanced with Mora on the bench, though none exited alongside Lolo Escobar.
FERNANDO OVIDIO
Sign as CEO of Intercity after interest in Hercules
Intercity relies on the experience of Fernando Ovidio to replace Toni Gallego as general manager after the former Alcoyano president was elected city councilor in Alicante. Thus, the last director of Alcoyano becomes CEO of the project led by Salvador Martí. Ovidio is a seasoned club executive in the province who was close to joining Hercules under Luis Castillo before stepping down. The new manager served as deputy at Alcoy for 12 years after a stint at the now-defunct CF Alicante, a business venture linked to Juan Antonio Iniesta, who partnered with Castillo during Lucentum’s troubled second term and its liquidation.
Notes: The restructuring reflects a broader move to balance competition, logistics, and regional travel while honoring the legacy of Alicante clubs and the evolving landscape of the Second Division B groups.