Elche has attracted crowds of more than 20,000 for each home game this season, a noticeable lift from the prior campaign. The rise matters because the club has faced a rough start to the season and results that did not always mirror its high ambitions.
JA Galvanized
24,000 subscribers
Substantial growth came from gaining over 24,000 subscribers during the Centenary year, a move that helped lift attendance levels. At home, the Martínez Valero stadium has welcomed an average of 20,350 fans this season. In 2021/2022, the figure hovered around 15,414 per match, a drop tied largely to pandemic restrictions that limited stadium access across Spanish football. While the venue’s capacity helps Elche, the lingering effects of public restrictions from the previous year also played a role in the lower numbers. Data for the year before the pandemic is unavailable due to stadium shutdowns across the country.
Elche CF fans [MATÍAS SEGARRA]
totals
Overall, more than 325,000 spectators have attended home matches up to the current round, higher than the roughly 293,000 recorded over the entire previous season.
The Martínez Valero stadium ranks as the eleventh most attended venue in Spain, behind the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Betis, Athletic Bilbao, Valencia, Sevilla, Real Sociedad, Espanyol, and Real Valladolid.
The stadium’s capacity is 31,388, meaning it fills about 65% of its stands on average.
The standout attendance day of the season occurred on October 19 when Elche hosted Real Madrid at 21:00 on a Wednesday and nearly sold out the venue with over 30,000 spectators. FC Barcelona drew more than 27,500 tickets on that day. Both clubs represented high-demand matchups, with subscribers contributing to the crowd, albeit at a slightly lower rate than the general public.
least crowded
The smallest crowd arrived a week later on Saturday, April 29, with a 4:15 pm kickoff in hot conditions. Elche, already relegated on paper, did not have anything on the line. Just 11,259 fans attended the clash with Rayo Vallecano, though visiting supporters formed a sizable share of the crowd. Other matches, such as Almería in August and Real Sociedad in the same summer week, attracted higher totals, with Atlético Madrid drawing 24,176 and Athletic Bilbao 24,176 as notable figures. A dip occurred in January when Almirón left the bench and Machín’s first game against Celta produced a rebound. The 20,000-point mark was surpassed again in matchups against Betis and Valencia, the latter drawing the most visiting fans to Martínez Valero.
Missed opportunity by Elche CF
VL Deltel
what’s left
With only three home games remaining, Elche has already been mathematically relegated. Still, the club looks to keep the atmosphere alive as the next two opponents typically draw large crowds. Atlético de Madrid and Sevilla usually bring bigger turnouts, while Cádiz is expected to echo a quieter day on the final matchday. The club hopes to maintain an average near 20,000 spectators despite the outcome and the remaining schedule.