Europa FC is a football club from
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
which plays in the
Gibraltar National League
The Gibraltar Football League is the only senior tier of association football in Gibraltar, founded in 2019 as the Gibraltar National League after a merger of the Gibraltar Premier Division, which served as the top division of football on the ...
. As with all other clubs in the territory, Europa FC currently shares the
Victoria Stadium on
Winston Churchill Avenue. The club also operates a
women's team which competes in the
Gibraltar Women's Football League.
History
The club was founded in 1925. It was continuously active up to 1970. The club merged with College in the 1980s, going by College Cosmos until 2013, and in 2015 split again from College, changing from College Europa back to Europa FC, while
College 1975 entered the
Gibraltar Second Division. The name change was cleared by UEFA and the Gibraltar Football Association has granted back the honours the club lost when it folded initially.
The club saw considerable success in the late 1920s and early 1930s, where it won 4 of its 7 titles. However, against the likes of
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
, the club struggled to become a major force and won its 6th and final title in the 1951–52. After further declining fortunes, the club merged with College in 1970, although it failed to see a revival in fortunes as it would continue to move between the top two divisions of Gibraltar football for the next 40 years, last being out of the top flight in 2012–13.
Despite a 4th-place finish in the
2013–14 Gibraltar Premier Division, 2014 they were the first team from Gibraltar to play the
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
after they finished runners-up in the Rock Cup. They lost the first match 0–3 against
FC Vaduz
FC may refer to:
Businesses, organisations, and schools
* Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India
* Finncomm Airlines (IATA code)
* FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC
* Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Paki ...
from Liechtenstein. In the second leg they lost 1–0 at home, resulting in a 4–0 aggregate defeat. In 2015 the club had Gibraltar's first player to appear at a major international tournament, with Charly representing
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea ( es, Guinea Ecuatorial; french: Guinée équatoriale; pt, Guiné Equatorial), officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea ( es, link=no, República de Guinea Ecuatorial, french: link=no, République de Guinée équatoria ...
at the
2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
In 2015 the club was renamed to their original name Europa FC. The side entered the UEFA Europa League once again, without a manager as Dimas Carrasco had not yet been appointed. The side lost 9–0 on aggregate to
SK Slovan Bratislava SK may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* SK Foods, an American agribusiness company
* SK Hand Tools, an American tool manufacturer
* Sangguniang Kabataan, Philippines youth councils
* SK Group, South Korean conglomerate
* Scandinavian Air ...
with a new look side that received criticism from fans due to the lack of Gibraltarian players and large number of Spanish signings. Another season in 2nd place followed, although July 2016 did see Europa win their first continental cup tie, winning 3–2 on aggregate against
FC Pyunik in the
2016-17 UEFA Europa League.
Further investment in the side under Juan Jose Gallardo saw an influx of young Gibraltarians join the Greens to align them with the league's new Home Grown Player Rule, including eventual international
Sykes Garro and, most notably, key player
Liam Walker
Liam Walker (born 13 April 1988) is a Gibraltarian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Lincoln Red Imps and the Gibraltar national team.
He spent most of his career with lower-league Spanish clubs and in the Gibraltar Premier Division. ...
from title rivals
Lincoln Red Imps. The investment in the side drew dividends as the title race between Lincoln and Europa went down to the final round of games. Victory against
Glacis United on 21 May, thanks to goals from
Liam Walker
Liam Walker (born 13 April 1988) is a Gibraltarian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Lincoln Red Imps and the Gibraltar national team.
He spent most of his career with lower-league Spanish clubs and in the Gibraltar Premier Division. ...
and Kike Gómez, saw the club win their first title since 1952. A week later, the Greens won the
2017 Rock Cup, completing a domestic treble of
Pepe Reyes Cup,
Gibraltar Premier Division
The Gibraltar Premier Division was a football league established by the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) in 1905, and the top tier of football in Gibraltar. It originally contained eight member clubs, but it has grown over the years. In 19 ...
and
Rock Cup
The Rock Cup is Gibraltar's premier cup association football, football competition, and is organised annually by the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA).
From 1894/95 Gibraltar's Cup Competition was known as "The Senior Merchant's Cup". In 1935 ...
for the first time in their history. However, after their extra-time defeat to
The New Saints
The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club, also known as The New Saints ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed y Seintiau Newydd) or TNS, are a professional football club that currently play in the Cymru Premier. They are the most successfu ...
in the
2017–18 UEFA Champions League in July 2017, Gallardo stepped down from his managerial position to focus on his role as sporting director. Jonathan Parrado was brought in to take over management of the team.
Notable managers
The following manager(s) made at least one major accomplishment while in charge of Europa:
Honours
![Europa FC squad 25 June 2015](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Europa_FC_squad_25_June_2015.jpg)
*
Gibraltar Premier Division
The Gibraltar Premier Division was a football league established by the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) in 1905, and the top tier of football in Gibraltar. It originally contained eight member clubs, but it has grown over the years. In 19 ...
::Winners (7): 1928–29, 1929–30, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1937–38, 1951–52,
2016–17
*
Gibraltar Second Division
::Winners: 2012–13
*
Rock Cup
The Rock Cup is Gibraltar's premier cup association football, football competition, and is organised annually by the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA).
From 1894/95 Gibraltar's Cup Competition was known as "The Senior Merchant's Cup". In 1935 ...
::Winners (8): 1938, 1946, 1950, 1951, 1952,
2017,
2017–18,
2019
*
Gibraltar Premier Cup
::Winners:
2014–15
*
Pepe Reyes Cup
::Winners (4): 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021
European record
;Notes
* 1Q: First qualifying round
* 2Q: Second qualifying round
* PR: Preliminary round
Current squad
First team
Europa - Squad
UEFA.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
Intermediate League squad
The following players are registered to play in the Gibraltar Intermediate League. Players in the senior squad may also appear for the Intermediate team.
Club staff
References
External links
Official Website
*
{{Football in Gibraltar
Football clubs in Gibraltar
Gibraltar National League clubs
Association football clubs established in 1925
1925 establishments in Gibraltar