Club Deportivo Atlético Baleares, S.A.D. () is a
Spanish football team based in
Palma, the capital of the
island of Mallorca, in the autonomous community of the
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a Provinces of Spain, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain, ...
. Founded in 1920, its first men's team currently plays in
Segunda Federación
Segunda Federación, previously called Segunda RFEF, also officially known as Segunda B, is the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system containing 90 teams divided into five groups. It is administered by the Royal Spanish Football Fede ...
, the fourth tier of
Spanish football
Football is the most popular sport in Spain, with 61% of the population interested in it. Spain has some of the most influential teams in Europe (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia, and others) as well as many playe ...
, hosting games at the ''
Estadi Balear'' with a capacity of 6,000 seats. Its
first women's team is active in the
Primera Federación
The Primera Federación, officially the Primera Federación Versus e-Learning for sponsorship reasons (formerly known as Primera RFEF). is the third tier of the Spanish football league system beginning with the 2021–22 season. It is administe ...
, the second division, playing at
Son Malferit. Besides, its youth academy has around a dozen of teams.
Atlético Baleares reached the
Segunda División
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, commonly known as Segunda División or La Liga 2, and officially known as LaLiga HyperMotion for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spa ...
, the second tier, on two occasions, participating for a total four seasons in the 1950s and 1960s. Moreover, it disputed 16 seasons of the extinct
Segunda División B
Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...
, claiming the title on three occasions, and 3 seasons of the
Primera Federación
The Primera Federación, officially the Primera Federación Versus e-Learning for sponsorship reasons (formerly known as Primera RFEF). is the third tier of the Spanish football league system beginning with the 2021–22 season. It is administe ...
. Still, Atlético Baleares has most often been present in the
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
.
Its origins are related to the working class of Palma, and already in the 1920s, Atlético Baleares became the main rival of
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (, , ''Royal Sporting Club Mallorca''), commonly known as Real Mallorca or RCD Mallorca, is a Spanish professional association football, football club based in Palma de Mallorca, ...
, the island's most successful club.
This rivalry, commonly dubbed the
Palma derby, has stayed alive until the present, despite the low number of direct confrontations during the last decades.
Atlético Baleares was known as ''Baleares FC'' until 1942, when it adopted its current name after a fusion with Athletic FC. Still, many fans call the club by its old name.
Name
Development
* ''Baleares Football Club (1920–1940)''
* ''Club de Fútbol Baleares (1940–1942)''
* ''Club Deportivo Atlético-Baleares (1942–1943)''
* ''Club Deportivo Atlético Baleares (1943–2012)''
* ''Club Deportivo Atlético Baleares, SAD (2012–present)''
Current usage
For decades, there have colloquially been two ways to refer to the club: ''Atlético Baleares'', the club's complete name, and ''Baleares'', the club name until the fusion with Athletic FC in 1942. The usage of the latter name can be explained with an important nuance regarding that fusion: the identity of Baleares was maintained, which meant that the fusion was popularly experienced as an absorption process of Athletic by Baleares. This is also why Atlético Baleares is widely acknowledged as a continuation of Baleares.
Moreover, there exists a second nuance when it comes to the choice of which name to use for the club. Mallorca is an island where two languages coexist: the
local variety of
Catalan, the original language, and Spanish, the dominant language. Still, Catalan is the vernacular language among many inhabitants and the most used language among supporters of Atlético Baleares. In Catalan, the club is referred to as ''Atlètic Balears'' or simply ''Balears'', while ''Atlético Baleares'' and ''Baleares'' are the Spanish denominations. The most used name among the supporters is ''Atlètic Balears''.
Symbols
Hymn
The music and lyrics of the hymn of Atlético Baleares are composed by Pere Cladera. Originally sung in Spanish, the Catalan version (1996) is made by Rafel Pericàs Ballester and is the version that is still used by the club before matches and official acts.
The lyrics of the hymn are the following:
''L’equip nostre s’anomena com les Illes, amb elles s’identifica i representa amb honor. Són els nostres els colors de la mar blava com també el de la llum clara de la nostra tradició. És aposta que els grans amb els infants junts suport els hi donam i tots plegats els animam. I així totes les grans gestes recordam per això plegats cantam. L’Atlètic és el més gran. Atlètic, Atlètic, oe, oe, oe. Atlètic, Atlètic, oe, oe, oe. És l’escut que portam damunt el cor allò que més ens motiva a lluitar pel més bo. Entre noltros no hi ha classes socials, l’amor a n’el Balears és l’única condició. Atlètic, Atlètic, oe, oe, oe. Atlètic, Atlètic, oe, oe, oe. Atlètic, Atlètic, oe, oe, oe. Atlètic, Atlètic, l’Atlètic és el millor!''
Translation to English:
''Our team is named like the Islands; it identifies with these and represents them with honor. Our colors are of the blue sea and the bright light of our tradition. It’s a bet that the adults, together with the children, give support to the players and that everyone encourages them. And this way, we remember all the big gestures, which is why we sing together. Atlètic is the greatest. Atlètic, Atlètic, oe, oe, oe. Atlètic, Atlètic, oe, oe, oe. It’s the crest that we wear on our hearts that motivates us most to fight for the most beautiful. Between us, there are no social classes; our love for Balears is the only condition. Atlètic, Atlètic, oe, oe, oe. Atlètic, Atlètic, oe, oe, oe. Atlètic, Atlètic, oe, oe, oe. Atlètic, Atlètic, Atlètic is the best!''
Crest
The crest used since the fusion between Baleares FC and Athletic FC in 1942 has remained much the same, only undergoing small aesthetic changes over time. Before that moment, Atlético Baleares used a completely different crest.
The superior part is round and has two spikes at the sides. The middle part of the exterior is vertical, and when going down, the sides come together before ending in a point. During the first decades of its existence, the crest had a slightly different shape.
The inside of the crest, laying over a brown ball at the top, consists of three parts that can be divided horizontally:
* The upper part includes a castle or fortification surrounded by a blue sea, white clouds, and a blue sky. This part has undergone some changes over the years, including small changes of colour and shape.
* The middle part consists of a white background with the official name of the club, ''CD Atlético Baleares'', in the middle. This part has also undergone slight variations, from the handwritten name in 1942 to the current font.
* The lower part consists of three blue vertical stripes on a white background, a reference to the club's colours. This part has not undergone any change over the years.
In the 21st century, different versions of the crest with the club's name in
Catalan been designed by supporters, but these have never been accepted as official.
Kit
Since its foundation in 1920, Atlético Baleares has always played in a kit that consists of blue and white vertical stripes. The number, width, and tone of the blue stripes have varied over the years. The colours refer to the logo of
Isleña Marítima, the employer of the founding members of Mecánico FC, one of the clubs from which Atlético Baleares was born.
Mascot
The mascot of Atlético Baleares is Ferreret, an endemic
Majorcan midwife toad
The Majorcan midwife toad (''Alytes muletensis'') (also Mallorcan midwife toad or ferreret in Balearic Catalan and Spanish) is a frog in the family Alytidae (formerly Discoglossidae). It is endemic to the Balearic Island of Majorca in the Medite ...
, named after the Catalan word for the toad. The mascot has been designed by the artist
Antoni Bibiloni Palmer, known in the artistic world as Bibi, in the 1990s. Currently, he handed the rights to the mascot to the
Atlético Baleares Foundation, which is responsible for administrating and managing its image.
In 2009–10, a new version of Ferreret was presented, which introduced the presence of the mascot at the home matches and official acts. In the 2020s, Ferreret stopped appearing often.
History
For a long time, the history of the club had not been researched, which has only happened in the 21st century. That is why many still trace the origin of the club back to 1942, even though it has been proven and widely accepted that 1920 is the actual foundational year of Atlético Baleares.
The origins (1920)
Mecánico FC
On 3 April 1920, an article about the foundation of new football teams in
Palma appeared in the local newspaper
Última Hora. The following sentence stood out in the text:
While football used to be a sport for the middle or upper class, this was the first time a working-class group created a football team, concretely a group of workers at
Isleña Marítima, complemented by naval machinists that were doing an internship at the company.
This team adopted the name of ''Mecánico FC'' (in Catalan: ''Mecànic FC'').
Their shirts were based on the colours of the company: three vertical blue stripes on a white background, inspired by the initials ''I-M'' on the blue background of the original logo of Isleña Marítima. The workers did not have to spend money on elaborating shorts, as they were able to cut their blue overalls. The members gathered in the café ''Can Rasca'' (Carrer de Sant Miquel, 67, which used to be 187, right next to the Carrer dels Oms) in Palma. The team lacked a field and played on an
esplanade
An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...
at the Moll de Palma, very close to the former offices of Isleña Marítima.
Fundición Carbonell (or Mallorca FC)
In the same edition of the newspaper cited earlier, another phrase stood out:
A team founded by workers of the ''Fundición Carbonell'', a small metalworking company in the city.
The team initially used the same name of the company and subsequently adopted the name ''Mallorca FC''. The team colors consisted of a totally white T-shirt and pants. Mallorca FC had its club house in café ''Can Meca'' (Carrer Arxiduc Lluís Salvador, at cornering the ''Avingudes'') in
Palma and Carbonell played its games in a field called ''sa Síquia Reial'', located between Avinguda del Comte de Sallent and Carrer Blanquerna in the same city.
Birth of Baleares FC (1920)
Later in 1920, Mallorca FC left its social premises and moved to ''Can Rasca'', the clubhouse of Mecánico FC. Given their similar work and social class, the members of both clubs got along well and decided to merge to form a more powerful club. Thus, on 14 November or 20 November (depending on the source), a constitutional assembly was held, in which the fusion of Mecánico FC and Mallorca FC was approved under the name Baleares Football Club''.'' The name was unanimously accepted by the attendees, who considered it representative of the social profile of the club. The club house of Baleares remained in the café ''Can Rasca''. The pitch that the new club would use would be that of Mallorca FC,
sa Síquia Reial. As for the kit, the white and blue striped T-shirt of Mecánico FC and the white pants of the Mallorca FC were adopted.
The new club debuted on 21 November 1920, winning 5–0 in the
Tirador velodrome against
Veloz Sport Balear, which was one of the most potent teams at the time.
The 1920s and 1930s. Growth and consolidation
In 1921, Baleares played its first major tournament: the
Copa Ayuntamiento, organized by the
Municipality of Palma, and finished second behind
RS Alfonso XIII FC (currently known as ''RCD Mallorca''). Afterward, Baleares has been a regular in local competitions.
Soon, a fierce rivalry between those two teams developed, a rivalry that transcended sports. On the one hand,
RS Alfonso XIII FC was a team followed and supported by the most well-off classes, as well as by the
Spanish monarchists
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
** Spanish history
**Spanish culture ...
, while on the other hand, Baleares has its origins in the humblest estates and in
Republicanism
Republicanism is a political ideology that encompasses a range of ideas from civic virtue, political participation, harms of corruption, positives of mixed constitution, rule of law, and others. Historically, it emphasizes the idea of self ...
. The rivalry between these teams still exists and is called the
Palma derby.
Due to the growth of the club, Baleares moved to the
Son Canals Stadium, which opened in 1923 and remained its home for decades. Meanwhile, the club participated in the
Regional Balearic Championship, first organized in 1923 by the
Catalan Football Federation
The Catalan Football Federation (, ; FCF) is the Association football, football association responsible for administering football in Catalonia. It was formed on 11 November 1900 as the Football Associació de Catalunya (). It was the first footb ...
and since 1926 by the
Balearic Islands Football Federation until its disappearance in 1940. Baleares was always in the front line of the competition: it finished as runner-up of the Mallorcan Championship on nine occasions, only surpassed by
RS Alfonso XIII FC or
CE Constància
Club Esportiu Constància is a Spanish football team based in Inca, Mallorca, in the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. Founded in 1922, its first men's team currently plays in the , the fifth division. Its first women's team is active ...
from
Inca
The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...
. It won the Mallorcan Championship in the 1927–28 season but lost the Balearic Championship final to
UD Mahón
Unión Deportiva Mahón is a Spanish football team based in Mahón, Menorca, in the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. Founded in 1922, they currently play in , holding home matches at the '' Campo de San Carlo'', with a capacity of ...
, the champion of
Menorca
Menorca or Minorca (from , later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Mallorca. Its capital is Maó, situated on the isl ...
, by 1–0.
In other competitions, one of the highlights of Baleares was the triumph in the President of the Republic Cup, a tournament played by the top-tier teams of the Mallorcan Championship during the 1933–34, 1934–35, and 1935–36 seasons, with a trophy in dispute awarded by the then-president
Niceto Alcalá Zamora. Baleares won the second and third editions and, consequently, the cup in dispute, as teams could obtain the cup if they would win two editions.
Some days later, the club was about to participate in the
People's Olympiad
The People's Olympiad ( Catalan: ''Olimpíada Popular'', Spanish: ''Olimpiada Popular'') was a planned international multi-sport event that was intended to take place in 1936 in Barcelona, Catalonia within the Spanish Republic. It was conceived a ...
in Barcelona, which was supposed to be held from 19 to 26 July 1936, but the military uprising by the
Francoists
Francoist Spain (), also known as the Francoist dictatorship (), or Nationalist Spain () was the period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death i ...
impeded the tournament's start and led the players to meet for a friendly in the Republican zone at the start of the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
.
In 1940, the name ''Baleares Football Club'' was changed to ''Club de Fútbol Baleares'', according to the guidelines of the
Francoist regime
Francoist Spain (), also known as the Francoist dictatorship (), or Nationalist Spain () was the period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in ...
that prohibited the use of other languages besides Spanish, including in names of football clubs.
Baleares played in
Primera Regional de Mallorca when, in 1940, the
Regional Balearic Championship was transformed into a part of the lower divisions of the
Spanish football league system
The Spanish football league system consists of several professional, semi-professional, amateur and non-professional leagues bound together hierarchically by promotion and relegation.
The top two tiers of the male league pyramid — Primera Di ...
. This, together with other factors, caused the decline of Baleares and almost led to relegation to the
Segunda Regional de Mallorca.
Fusion with Athletic FC (1942)
In 1942, the
Palma Council approved an urban planning change that forced another club from
Palma, CD Atlético (until 1940 called ''Athletic FC''), to leave its stadium,
Sa Punta. The club lacked the resources to build a new stadium and contacted other clubs to discuss a possible merger. First, its directors approached
CD Mallorca, but the negotiations failed because CD Atlético wanted the future club to be called ''CD Atlético-Mallorca'', while
CD Mallorca did not want any name change.
Then, CD Atlético contacted Baleares, with whom they reached an agreement. The fusion agreement was signed on 27 May 1942 and consisted of the following points:
* Modification of the club's name from ''Club de Fútbol Baleares'' to ''Club Deportivo Atlético-Baleares''.
* Maintaining the colours of Baleares (blue and white) without any variation of design.
* Maintaining the headquarters and pitch of Baleares, both located in the
Son Canals Stadium.
* Assuring equality of members regarding the club of origin, as well as parity in the board of directors.
The agreement was legally embodied as a merger with equality of clubs, but in practice, it was an absorption of CD Atlético by Baleares. Baleares had a much more numerous fanbase, and its working-class essence was imposed on the middle-class origins of CD Atlético. Besides, the new club inherited the rivalry of Baleares with
CD Mallorca, even though CD Atlético maintained a more cordial relationship with the city's most potent club. The name ''CD Atlético'' was incorporated into the name of the new entity, but the rest of its hallmarks (colours, stadium, and badge) disappeared.
Pere Serra Cladera, president of Baleares, was invested president of Atlético-Baleares (called ''CD Atlético Baleares'' by 1943) and Francesc Riera Rigo, president of CD Atlético, was appointed vice president.
The 1940s. Promotion to the Tercera División
The first season of Atlético-Baleares was 1942–43, during which the club played in the Primera Regional. It only was surpassed by
CD Mallorca, but both teams still achieved promotion to the
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
. For the first time, Atlético Baleares would have to compete with clubs from the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
, which caused logistical and financial problems. During those years, the league results of Atlético Baleares were mediocre, with the exception of the third place achieved in the
1945–46 and
1946–47 seasons, which gave them access to the playoffs for promotion to
Segunda División
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, commonly known as Segunda División or La Liga 2, and officially known as LaLiga HyperMotion for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spa ...
for the first time.
The 1950s. Years of growth
In the
1950–51 season, Atlético Baleares was crowned champion of the
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
. The club participated in the promotion play-off, finished on top, and achieved promotion to the
Segunda División
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, commonly known as Segunda División or La Liga 2, and officially known as LaLiga HyperMotion for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spa ...
for the first time in its history. Atlético Baleares participated two consecutive seasons in the second division and returned to the Tercera División in 1953. In the third division, the team achieved strong results, was league champion in
1955–56, and participated in the playoffs for promotion in 1956,
1957
Events January
* January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany.
* January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch.
* January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...
, and
1958
Events
January
* January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being.
* January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed.
* January 4
** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the thir ...
, but without returning to the second tier.
Atlético Baleares was flourishing, both regarding the league and the social dimension and decided to construct a new stadium. The capacity of the old
Son Canals was not sufficient anymore, and its owners threatened to evict the club, which is why the club approved the project for a new stadium in 1958. The
Estadi Balear was inaugurated on 8 May 1960 with a match against
Birmingham City FC, which the home team won by 2–0.
The 1960s. Years of splendour
In
1960–61, Atlético Baleares was crowned champion of the Tercera División again and achieved promotion to the
Segunda División
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, commonly known as Segunda División or La Liga 2, and officially known as LaLiga HyperMotion for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spa ...
. Again, the club stayed two seasons in the second division before dropping to the third tier in
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
. Despite this relegation, Atlético Baleares maintained its considerable potential, given that it consistently finished in the top positions and qualified for the promotion playoffs in 1964, 1965, 1966, and 1968, without success.
The 1970s. Institutional and sportive crisis
Since the end of the 1960s, the club was economically declining and experienced gradually worse results in the
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
, until the
1972–73
Year 197 ( CXCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magius and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 950 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 197 for this y ...
season, when the club got relegated to the
Regional Preferente. Atlético Baleares recovered its place in the
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
in 1974–75, but the subsequent classifications continued to be mediocre.
In 1977, the
Segunda Division B, the new third tier, was created, and Atlético Baleares qualified for its first edition. But
that season, Atlético Baleares finished bottom of the league and returned to the
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
(the new fourth tier), in which it repeated poor classifications. This relegation and the following decline in results led to the disappearance of direct confrontations with
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (, , ''Royal Sporting Club Mallorca''), commonly known as Real Mallorca or RCD Mallorca, is a Spanish professional association football, football club based in Palma de Mallorca, ...
. The last editions of the
Palma derby in the 20th century include numerous friendlies in the
Nicolau Brondo Trophy and a match in the
1986–87 Copa del Rey
The 1986–87 Copa del Rey was the 85th staging of the Copa del Rey. The winners, Real Sociedad, qualified for the 1987–88 European Cup Winners' Cup. The competition began on 17 September 1986 and concluded on 27 June 1987 with the final.
First ...
.
The 1980s. Flying low and high
Disappointing results in the
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
continued until a new relegation to the
Regional Preferente in the
1980–81 season. Socially and economically, there was chaos at Atlético Baleares, leading the club to remain two seasons in the amateur competition.
After returning to the Tercera División in the
1983–84 season, Atlético Baleares improved substantially and participated in the
1985–86 Tercera División play-off. Despite failing to achieve promotion, the restructuring of the
Segunda División B
Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...
helped the club go up a tier, being its second promotion to this competition.
The team remained three seasons in
Segunda Division B:
1987–88,
1988–89 and
1989–90. During the 1988–89 season, the team was very close to finishing on top, a place that would have provided direct promotion to the
Segunda División
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, commonly known as Segunda División or La Liga 2, and officially known as LaLiga HyperMotion for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spa ...
. However, the following season, Atlético Baleares dropped to the Tercera División. Moreover, economic and institutional problems, added to the bad state of the
Estadi Balear and the poor assistance to home matches, left Atlético Baleares in crisis.
The 1990s. Deceptive stability
After returning to the
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
in 1990, Atlético Baleares entered a bittersweet dynamic that lasted for more than a decade. The club consistently performed well in the league: between 1990 and 2002, Atlético Baleares qualified in the top four except for one season. Such classifications allowed the club to participate in playoffs for promotion to the
Segunda División B
Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...
. Besides, Atlético Baleares was crowned champions four times, of which three in a row (
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
,
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
,
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, and
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
).
However, the playoffs always ended unsuccessfully. The club disputed it in
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
,
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
,
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
,
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
,
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
,
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
,
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
,
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
,
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
,
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, and
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
(eleven times in twelve seasons), but failed every year. In those years, all
Balearic teams ended with the same fate when facing teams from the
Peninsula
A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula.
Etymology
The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...
because the Balearic group of the
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
had a lower level in comparison to other groups, and Atlético Baleares was no exception. This demoralized both the club and the fanbase, which took its toll.
The 2000s (I). Sinking and almost disappearing
After many failed playoffs, Atlético Baleares entered into a crisis again, fueled by institutional and economic problems. The institutional instability worsened: the relations between the club and
Procampo, the community of co-owners of
Estadi Balear, worsened. Moreover, players and managers were often let go quickly.
In
2002–03 and
2003–04, the classifications of Atlético Baleares were disappointing, and in
2004–05, the club collapsed. Players did not receive their salaries, and during some matches, there were only eleven players available. The club's youth academy was dismantled, and the institutional friction caused Procampo to prohibit Atlético Baleares from using the
Estadi Balear. Atlético Baleares moved to the nearby
Germans Escales complex and suffered an inevitable relegation to the
Regional Preferente. 2005 is considered one of the darkest years in the history of the club since the entity was about to disappear after 85 years.
The 2000s (II). Recovery at all levels
Atlético Baleares managed to survive, after which the club entered a dynamic of economic and sportive regeneration. The team was crowned champion of the
Regional Preferente in the 2005–06 season and returned to
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
. The
2006–07 season was designed as a year of consolidation in this competition, but the team performed well and was close to playing the play-off for promotion to the
Segunda División B
Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...
In the
2007–08 season, Atlético Baleares aimed for promotion and qualified for the
promotion play-off to the Segunda División B. First,
AD Universidad de Oviedo was beaten (1–1 in
Oviedo
Oviedo () or Uviéu (Asturian language, Asturian: ) is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains th ...
and 2–1 in
Palma). Then, Atlético Baleares won against
SD Gernika Club (0–0 in
Gernika
Guernica (, ), officially Gernika () in Basque, is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. The town of Guernica is one part (along with neighbouring Lumo) of the municipality of Gernika-Lumo ...
and 2–0 in
Palma) and achieved promotion to the
Segunda División B
Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...
after 18 years of absence.
The
2008–09 season was a failure, and Atlético Baleares finished bottom of the league and returned to the
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
. The
2009–10 season started with again the aim to finish on top and achieve promotion, which it did. In the
play-off
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eith ...
, Atlético Baleares played
CD Tudelano
Club Deportivo Tudelano is a Spanish football team based in Tudela, in the autonomous community of Navarre. Founded in 1935 it plays in , holding home matches at '' Estadio Ciudad de Tudela'', with a capacity of 11,000 seats.
History
Early His ...
, champion of the
Navarre
Navarre ( ; ; ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and New Aquitaine in France. ...
se group of the
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
, and won in the
Estadi Balear (1–0). Despite losing in the return in
Tudela (2–1), the double value of away goals led the club to return to the
Segunda División B
Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...
.
The decade of 2010s (I). Consolidation in the league and conversion into SAD
Upon returning to the
Segunda División B
Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...
in the
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
season, Atlético Baleares avoided relegation. Another highlight of the season occurred on an institutional level, with the beginning of the club's transformation into a
public limited sports company (SAD).
On 5 May 2011, an extraordinary assembly of members approved the conversion of Atlético Baleares into a
SAD by a vast majority, with the aim of lifting the club to the
Segunda División
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, commonly known as Segunda División or La Liga 2, and officially known as LaLiga HyperMotion for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spa ...
on short term. During the assembly, the club also announced the purchase of terrains that would accommodate a future
sports complex
A sports complex is a group of sports facilities. For example, there are track and field stadiums, football stadiums, baseball stadiums, swimming pools, Olympic Parks, and indoor arenas.
Asia
* Azadi Sport Complex
* Cebu City Sports Com ...
, a project that was never realized. The conversion process in SAD culminated on 27 September 2012 with the first general meeting of shareholders and the election of its first board of directors.
The
2011–12 season was marked by the objective of obtaining promotion to the
Segunda División
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, commonly known as Segunda División or La Liga 2, and officially known as LaLiga HyperMotion for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spa ...
. After an excellent year, Atlético Baleares was proclaimed champion of its group of the
Segunda División B
Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...
. The team disputed the
play-off
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eith ...
with
CD Mirandés
Club Deportivo Mirandés is a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football team based in Miranda de Ebro, Province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Founded on 3 May 1927, the club competes in the Segunda División ...
for direct promotion but lost the tie (1–0 in
Miranda de Ebro
Miranda de Ebro () is a Spanish municipality belonging to the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Straddling the Ebro river, near its confluence with the Bayas, the city is located on the northern watershed of the ...
and 1–2 in
Palma) and entered the
second round
The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of Un ...
. Then, the club played
CD Lugo
Club Deportivo Lugo is a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football team based in Lugo, in the autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia. Founded on 8 July 1953, it plays in Primera Federación, holding home games at ''Estadio Anxo ...
, which it could not overcome either (3–1 in
Lugo
Lugo (, ) is a city in northwestern Spain in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia. It is the capital of the Lugo (province), province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 100,060 in 2024, ...
and 0–0 in
Palma), amb was eliminated from the play-off.
In
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
, Atlético Baleares would continue to strive to reach the
Segunda División
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, commonly known as Segunda División or La Liga 2, and officially known as LaLiga HyperMotion for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spa ...
, but the team played a mediocre season and barely escaped relegation, after which the directors left the club.
The
2013–14 season was planned very differently. The institutional crisis, the departure of the main investors, and the decline in the league table forced Atlético Baleares to reduce its objective, which was to maintain the category. However, the team played a brilliant season and almost qualified for the play-off.
The decade of 2010s (II). The Volckmann era, the Copa RFEF, and many playoffs
After the main shareholders of Atlético Baleares left the club in 2013, it entered an institutional and economic crisis that even led to its judicial intervention. The situation worsened, and in April 2014, the club entered bankruptcy proceedings. On 5 May, the club faced a decisive shareholders meeting, in which a board of directors consisting of long-time members was elected, who saved the club from disappearing in extremis.
By June 2014, the club came under the control of
Ingo Volckmann, a German businessman based in
Mallorca
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...
, after he acquired 51% of the shareholding package. Thanks to his investments, the club left the bankruptcy proceedings in October of the same year. Since then, the economic stability of the club has been consistent, unlike previous times.
In
2014–15 and
2015–16, with the institutional crisis already resolved and the survival of the club guaranteed, Atlético Baleares finished mid-table without approaching the playoffs. In the latter season, the team performed well in another competition: the
Copa RFEF
Copa or COPA may refer to:
COPA
COPA may refer to:
* Child Online Protection Act, a former U.S. law to protect minors from certain material on the internet
* Canadian Owners and Pilots Association
* Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association
* Parlia ...
, in which it won the title. After beating many clubs, Atlético Baleares faced
CF Rayo Majadahonda
Club de Fútbol Rayo Majadahonda () is a Spanish professional football club in Majadahonda, in the autonomous community of Madrid. Founded in 1976 it plays in , holding home games at '' Estadio Cerro del Espino'', with a capacity of 3,800 seats.
...
in the final and won (2–2 in
Majadahonda
Majadahonda () is a municipality in Spain, situated northwest of Madrid, in the Community of Madrid.
It lies alongside the motorway A6 Madrid- A Coruña.
The Puerta de Hierro university (public) hospital was relocated to Majadahonda from the ...
and 1–0 in
Palma), providing the club with the first absolute Spanish title in its history.
The
2016–17 season finished in qualification of Atlético Baleares for the
play-off for promotion to the Segunda División. In the first round, Atlético Baleares beat
CD Toledo
Club Deportivo Toledo, S.A.D. is a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football team based in Toledo, Spain, Toledo, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. Founded in 1928 it plays in , holding home games at ''Estadio Salto del Cab ...
(1–1 in
Palma and 1–2 in
Toledo
Toledo most commonly refers to:
* Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain
* Province of Toledo, Spain
* Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States
Toledo may also refer to:
Places Belize
* Toledo District
* Toledo Settlement
Bolivia
* Toledo, Or ...
), but lost in the second round to
Albacete Balompié
Albacete Balompié is a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football team based in Albacete, in the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. Founded on 5 July 1939, it currently plays in Segunda División, the second tier of Spanish foo ...
(1–1 in
Palma and 2–1 in
Albacete
Albacete ( , , ) is a city and municipality in the Spanish autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha, and capital of the province of Albacete.
Lying in the south-east of the Iberian Peninsula, the area around the city is known as Los Llan ...
). During the same season, several commemorative events of the 75th anniversary of the merger-absorption of Baleares FC and Athletic FC took place. The main act was a historical exhibition in
CaixaForum Palma
CaixaForum is a series of museums, galleries and exhibition centres sponsored by Catalan bank and not-for-profit La Caixa
La Caixa (), also known as the "La Caixa" Foundation (), is a not-for-profit banking foundation based in Spain, with its h ...
with a collection of photographs, objects, and trophies of Atlético Baleares, as well as references to the origin of the club in 1920.
During the
2017–18 season, Atlético Baleares could not repeat the results of the previous campaign and avoided relegation on the final matchday. The great incentive of this season was that the main rival,
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (, , ''Royal Sporting Club Mallorca''), commonly known as Real Mallorca or RCD Mallorca, is a Spanish professional association football, football club based in Palma de Mallorca, ...
, had dropped down to the
Segunda División B
Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...
, which meant the return of the
Palma derby after 38 years without league derbies. In
Son Malferit, both teams tied (0–0), and in
Son Moix, RCD Mallorca won (3–2).
In
2018–19, Atlético Baleares performed better and finished on top of its group. The team disputed the
play-off
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eith ...
against
Racing de Santander
Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. (), also known as Racing de Santander () or simply Racing, is a football club based in Santander, Spain, Santander, Cantabria, Spain, that currently competes in Segunda División, the second tier of the Spani ...
, with direct promotion at stake, but lost (0–0 in
El Sardinero and 1–1 in
Son Malferit) and was forced to play the
second round
The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of Un ...
. Atlético Baleares first beat
UD Melilla
Unión Deportiva Melilla is a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football team based in the autonomous city of Melilla. Founded in 1976, it currently plays in , holding home matches at ''Estadio Municipal Álvarez Claro'', with an 8,000 capac ...
(0–0 in
Melilla
Melilla (, ; ) is an autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was part of the Province of Málaga un ...
and 1–0 in
Palma) and then lost the final round against
CD Mirandés
Club Deportivo Mirandés is a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football team based in Miranda de Ebro, Province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Founded on 3 May 1927, the club competes in the Segunda División ...
(2–0 in
Miranda de Ebro
Miranda de Ebro () is a Spanish municipality belonging to the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Straddling the Ebro river, near its confluence with the Bayas, the city is located on the northern watershed of the ...
and 3–1 in
Palma).
The
2019–20 was promising and started well again. But after matchday 28, on 11 March 2020, the
RFEF
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (; RFEF) is the governing body of football in Spain. Founded on 29 September 1913, it is based in La Ciudad del Fútbol of Las Rozas, a municipality near Madrid.
RFEF organizes the national cup competitio ...
suspended the competition due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, first for two weeks and then indefinitely. On 6 May, the Federation confirmed the completion of the regular league and the dispute of a
simplified play-off phase. Atlético Baleares had finished first in the regular league and played the play-off against
FC Cartagena
Fútbol Club Cartagena, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Cartagena, in the Region of Murcia, Spain. Founded in 1995 it currently plays in Segunda División, holding home games at '' Estadio Cartagonova'', with a capacity of 15,105 sp ...
, another group champion, in a single match with direct promotion at stake. However, the club lost (0–0 and 4–3 loss after penalties). In the second round,
UE Cornellà
Unió Esportiva Cornellà, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S. A. D. is a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football team based in Cornellà de Llobregat, in the autonomous community of Catalonia. Founded in 1951 it plays in , holding home gam ...
eliminated Atlético Baleares from the play-off (0–1).
The decade of 2020s. Sportive and institutional crisis
In 2020, the
RFEF
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (; RFEF) is the governing body of football in Spain. Founded on 29 September 1913, it is based in La Ciudad del Fútbol of Las Rozas, a municipality near Madrid.
RFEF organizes the national cup competitio ...
announced a restructuring of the Spanish football pyramid due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
and its consequences. The clubs would be divided into new leagues in the summer of 2021 based on their classifications in the
2020–21
The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...
season. The champions of the
Segunda División B
Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...
would achieve promotion to the
Segunda División
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, commonly known as Segunda División or La Liga 2, and officially known as LaLiga HyperMotion for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spa ...
, while the other teams would be divided into two new categories: the
Primera Federación
The Primera Federación, officially the Primera Federación Versus e-Learning for sponsorship reasons (formerly known as Primera RFEF). is the third tier of the Spanish football league system beginning with the 2021–22 season. It is administe ...
(third tier) and the
Segunda Federación
Segunda Federación, previously called Segunda RFEF, also officially known as Segunda B, is the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system containing 90 teams divided into five groups. It is administered by the Royal Spanish Football Fede ...
(fourth tier). The last-placed teams would drop down to the
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
, now named the
Tercera Federación
Tercera Federación, previously known as Tercera RFEF, is the fifth tier of the Spanish football league system. It is below the ''La Liga'', ''Segunda División'', and its fellow semi-professional divisions '' Primera Federación'' and ''Segunda F ...
(fifth tier).
Even though the
2020–21
The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...
season was designed for promotion to the Segunda División, Atlético Baleares qualified for the new third division, the
Primera Federación
The Primera Federación, officially the Primera Federación Versus e-Learning for sponsorship reasons (formerly known as Primera RFEF). is the third tier of the Spanish football league system beginning with the 2021–22 season. It is administe ...
. During the following season, the
first edition of the Primera Federación, the club aimed for promotion again but failed again and finished mid-table.
Besides the regular league, Atlético Baleares performed extraordinarily well in the
2021–22 Copa del Rey
The 2021–22 Copa del Rey was the 120th staging of the Copa del Rey (including two seasons where two rival editions were played). The winners were assured a place in the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League group stage. Both the winners and the runners- ...
. After beating
CD Calahorra (1–1 after penalties), Atlético Baleares beat two clubs from the
Primera División:
Getafe CF
Getafe Club de Fútbol S.A.D. () is a Spanish professional association football, football club based in Getafe, a city in the Community of Madrid. They compete in La Liga, the top tier of the Football in Spain, Spanish football. The team has pla ...
(5–0) in the round of 32 and
RC Celta de Vigo
Real Club Celta de Vigo (; ), commonly known as Celta Vigo, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, that competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football. Nicknamed ''Os Celestes'' (The Sky Blues), the club was fou ...
(2–1) in the round of 16.
Finally, the team was knocked out of the tournament in the last 16 by
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol, S. A. D. (; ), commonly referred to as Valencia CF or simply Valencia, is a Spanish professional Association football, football club based in Valencia, Spain, that currently plays in La Liga, the top tier of the Spani ...
(0–1). This was the furthest Atlético Baleares had ever progressed in the
Copa del Rey
The , commonly known as , or (in English) the Spanish Cup or King's Cup, and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–1936) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–1976), is an annual knockout football competition in Spanis ...
.
The
2022–23
The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...
season was planned with less budget and, therefore, a theoretically weaker team. The results worsened and led to a total of four different coaches who had led the team during the season. On the last matchday of a chaotic season, Atlético Baleares avoided relegation.
In
2023–24, the club announced a budget reduction again, which was reflected in the quality of the squad. Atlético Baleares experienced a tough season and was relegated to the
Segunda Federación
Segunda Federación, previously called Segunda RFEF, also officially known as Segunda B, is the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system containing 90 teams divided into five groups. It is administered by the Royal Spanish Football Fede ...
five matches before the competition's end.
Parallel to the results of the first team, which were disappointing compared to those obtained during the previous decade, the fanbase of Atlético Baleares decreased, mainly due to the scarce relationship between the ownership of the club and the supporters and the lack of participation of the latter group in the operation of Atlético Baleares. This is a common consequence of transforming a football club into a
public sports limited company. These circumstances led to a gradual disaffection and lack of public in the
Estadi Balear.
Season to season
Mallorca Regional Championship
Spanish football league
----
*4 seasons in
Segunda División
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, commonly known as Segunda División or La Liga 2, and officially known as LaLiga HyperMotion for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spa ...
*3 seasons in
Primera Federación
The Primera Federación, officially the Primera Federación Versus e-Learning for sponsorship reasons (formerly known as Primera RFEF). is the third tier of the Spanish football league system beginning with the 2021–22 season. It is administe ...
/Primera División RFEF
*16 seasons in
Segunda División B
Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...
*1 season in
Segunda Federación
Segunda Federación, previously called Segunda RFEF, also officially known as Segunda B, is the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system containing 90 teams divided into five groups. It is administered by the Royal Spanish Football Fede ...
*53 seasons in
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
*8 seasons in
Regional divisions
Current squad
.
Reserve team
Staff
Technical staff
Source: CD Atlético Baleares
Notable coaches
*
Manuel Cros Grau
*
Gaspar Rubio
*
Gustavo Siviero
Gustavo Lionel Siviero (born 13 September 1969) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a central defender, currently the manager of RCD Mallorca B.
He made 98 La Liga appearances, mainly for Mallorca but also Albacete, a ...
*
Ignacio Martín-Esperanza
*
Manix Mandiola
Presidents
* Bartomeu Llabrés Albertí (1920–22)
* Jaume Llabrés Morey (1922–23)
* Gabriel Viñas Morant (1923–24)
* Cristòfol Lliteras Tous (1924–25)
* Antoni Miquel Puig (1925–26)
* Josep Jordà Alós (1926)
* Jaume Guasp (1926–28)
* Jaume Perotti Trulls (1928–29)
* Lluís Fiol Alorda (1929–30)
* Jaume Perotti Trulls (1930)
* Antoni Estarellas (1930)
* Jaume Perotti Trulls (1930–31)
* Rafel Estarellas Perelló (1931)
* Josep Ensenyat Alemany (1931–33)
* Damià Adrover PIcornell (1933–36?)
* Joan Serra Mulet (1938?–40)
* Damià Adrover Picornell (1940)
* Pere Serra Cladera (1940–43)
* Josep Ramon Serra (1943–44)
* Francesc Tomàs Cañellas (1944–47)
* Josep Móra Grisol (1947–49)
* Josep Roses Rovira (1949–49)
* Antoni Castelló Salas (1949–52)
* Joan Roca Rubicós (1952–53)
* Gabriel Ferrer Homar (1953–54)
* Gabriel Genovart Riera (1954–58)
* Rafel Vaquer Julià (1958–59)
* Salvador Llopis Lorenzón (1959–60)
* Joan Blascos Serra (1960–62)
* Sebastià Grimalt Riera (1962–64)
* Antoni Mestres Moll (1964–65)
* Fernando Gómez Gómez (1965–66)
* Jaume Planas Ferrer (1966–69)
* Joan Morro Albertí (1969–70)
* Gabriel Genovart Riera (1970–71)
* Jeroni Petro Alemany (1971–72)
* ''Management commission (1972–73)''
* Antoni Mestres Moll (1973–74)
* ''Management commission (1974)''
* Jeroni Petro Alemany (1974–80)
* Modest Subirana Cobos (1980–81)
* ''Management commission (1981)''
* Joan Morro Albertí (1981–84)
* Andreu Amer (1984–85)
* ''Management commission (1985)''
* Damià Estelrich Dalmau (1985–86)
* Bartomeu Planisi Pons (1986–88)
* Ramón Galante Roig (1988–89)
* ''Management commission (1989–93)''
* Josep de la Torre (1993–96)
* Tomàs Cano Pascual (1996–98)
* Miguel Ángel Gómez (1998–2002)
* Josep Jurado (2002–03)
* Miguel Ángel Gómez (2003–05)
* ''Management commission (2005)''
* Damià Estelrich Dalmau (2005–07)
* Fernando Crespí Luque (2007–13)
* Daniel Fiol Lustenberger (2013–14)
* Fernando Crespí Luque (2014)
* Joan Palmer Llabrés (2014)
* Antoni Garau Bonnín (2014–15)
*
Ingo Volckmann (2015–)
Women's team
The
first women's team of Atlético Baleares plays in the
Primera Federación
The Primera Federación, officially the Primera Federación Versus e-Learning for sponsorship reasons (formerly known as Primera RFEF). is the third tier of the Spanish football league system beginning with the 2021–22 season. It is administe ...
, the second tier of
Spanish football
Football is the most popular sport in Spain, with 61% of the population interested in it. Spain has some of the most influential teams in Europe (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia, and others) as well as many playe ...
. The team plays its matches at
Son Malferit. Currently, Atlético Baleares is the leading Balearic women's team.
Atlético Baleares already had a women's team in 1984–85, but that team did not continue after the season. In 2018, the current section was created. Over the years, reserve teams and more youth teams have been created.
Reserve team and youth academy
Reserve team
Atlético Baleares has had different reserve teams throughout the years. From the 1920s to the 1950s, the club had its own reserve team. In the 1960s, the club had a collaboration with
CE Sant Xavier, converting the latter team in the second team of Atlético Baleares. This club had a yellow kit, which is the reason why Atlético Baleares still often picks a yellow kit for its second kit.
Between 1990 and 2000, Atlético Baleares had its own reserve team:
Atlético Baleares B, which played in regional categories.
During recent years, the club established collaborations with different Mallorcan teams from the
Tercera Federación
Tercera Federación, previously known as Tercera RFEF, is the fifth tier of the Spanish football league system. It is below the ''La Liga'', ''Segunda División'', and its fellow semi-professional divisions '' Primera Federación'' and ''Segunda F ...
, first with
CE Montuïri (2011) and later with
CE Santanyí (2018). The latter club was the reserve team of Atlético Baleares until 2023–24.
Youth academy
Atlético Baleares maintains a wide youth academy with teams of all ages, of which some are called ''Atlético Baleares'' and some ''Balears FC''. The latter is an entity related with and completely integrated into the structure of Atlético Baleares. Moreover, despite the high number of teams, further development of the youth academy has always been impeded by the lack of a sports complex.
Veterans
The Veteran Footballers of Atlético Baleares Association (''Associació de Futbolistes Veterans de l'Atlètic Balears'') was created on 14 May 2014. The team played its first official game at the
Estadi Balear against the veterans of
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly known as FC Barcelona and colloquially as Barça (), is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of ...
(1–2) and played more matches ever since.
Stadium
The
Estadi Balear is the home stadium of Atlético Baleares, located in
Palma. It was inaugurated in 1960 and closed in 2013 because of its poor maintenance. It was reopened in 2019, has 6,000 seats, and the pitch's dimensions are 102×67 metres. The improvement works of the stadium are still in progress.
Previously, the home stadium was the
Tirador velodrome (1920–21),
Unión-Baleares (1921–23) and
Son Canals (1923–60). During the closing of
Estadi Balear, the team played in
Magaluf
Magaluf (, , ) is a town on the western coast of the island of Majorca. Known as a major tourist destination and holiday resort town, Magaluf is in the municipality of Calvià, which is likewise a popular package tour destination.
Resort
Maga ...
(2013–14) and
Son Malferit (2014–19).
Honours
National tournaments
*
Segunda División B
Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...
** Winners (3):
2011–12,
2018–19,
2019–20
*
Tercera División
Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...
** Winners (11): 1950–51, 1955–56, 1960–61, 1964–65, 1967–68, 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2007–08, 2009–10
** ''Runners-up (10):'' 1956–57, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97
*
Regional Preferente
** Winners (3): 1974–75, 1982–83, 2005–06
*
Primera Regional
Primera may refer to
* Nissan Primera, a car
* Primera Air, a former airline
* Primera división (disambiguation), multiple top division football leagues
* Primera, Texas, a town in Cameron County, Texas
* Alí Primera
Ely Rafael Primera Ros ...
** ''Runners-up (1):'' 1942–43
*
Copa Federación de España
The Copa Real Federación Española de Fútbol, popularly known as the Copa Federación (Federation Cup) or Copa RFEF, is a Spanish football competition organised by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). It has been held since the 1993−9 ...
** Winners (1):
2015–16
*
Copa Federación de España
The Copa Real Federación Española de Fútbol, popularly known as the Copa Federación (Federation Cup) or Copa RFEF, is a Spanish football competition organised by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). It has been held since the 1993−9 ...
(autonomic phase)
** Winners (2):
2009–10,
2015–16
** ''Runners-up (1):''
2003–04
Regional tournaments
* Baleares Regional Championship
** ''Runners-up (1): '' 1927–28
* Mallorca Regional Championship
** Winners (1): 1927–28
** ''Runners-up (9): '' 1924–25, 1925–26, 1929–30, 1931–32, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1938–39
* Copa Presidente de la República
** Winners (2): 1935, 1936
* Liga Mallorca
** Winners (2): 1939, 1943
** ''Runners-up (1):'' 1936
Other tournaments
* Trofeu s’Agricultura
** Winners (4): 2007, 2008, 2011, 2014
** ''Runners-up (1):'' 2010
*
Uruguay Cup
** Winners (4): 1959, 1966, 1967, 1968
** ''Runners-up (2):'' 1964, 1965
* Copa Ayuntamiento de Palma
** ''Runners-up (1):'' 1921
Friendly tournament
Since 1966, the club hosts the ''Trofeu Nicolau Brondo'', the oldest summer tournament in the
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a Provinces of Spain, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain, ...
. Atlético Baleares has won the competition on 29 occasions.
Rivalries
The main rival of Atlético Baleares is
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (, , ''Royal Sporting Club Mallorca''), commonly known as Real Mallorca or RCD Mallorca, is a Spanish professional association football, football club based in Palma de Mallorca, ...
, the most potent club from
Palma. The clubs meet in the
Palma derby.
The rivalry stems from the 1920s when Atlético Baleares (then called ''Baleares FC'') was created by members of the working class of Palma, while RCD Mallorca (then called ''Real Sociedad Alfonso XIII FC'') was created by politically and economically powerful social sectors. Nowadays, though, both clubs are much more heterogeneous than before, but the original identity clash is still very present.
The rivalry has been maintained since the 1920s despite the clubs competing in different categories for many years. From the 1960s onwards and especially since the 1980s,
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (, , ''Royal Sporting Club Mallorca''), commonly known as Real Mallorca or RCD Mallorca, is a Spanish professional association football, football club based in Palma de Mallorca, ...
has often been present in the
Primera División, a competition that Atlético Baleares has never reached.
Supporter groups and fanbase
''Peñas'' (Spanish) or ''penyes'' (
Catalan) are official supporter groups that promote the support of Atlético Baleares, keep the fanbase together, and organize social initiatives in relation to the club. Since its foundation, Atlético Baleares has always had supporter groups, which were located in different bars throughout
Palma. The most popular fan group of the club in the 20th century was Peña Pasaje, located in the homonymous bar (Carrer del Sindicat, 57), active from 1943 to 1971 when the bar shut down. Other important supporter groups were located in the Bar Avenida (in the Avingudes), Bar Vidal (Carrer d'Aragó, 89), Bar Gomila (Plaça de Pere Garau), and Bar Baleares (Carrer d'Aragó, 73). There were also fan groups established in the neighbourhoods of
Santa Catalina and
El Vivero.
As of September 2024, Atlético Baleares has 2,062 members.
Fan Group Federation
The Fan Group Federation of Atlético Baleares (''Federació de Penyes de l'Atlètic Balears'', FPATB), created in 2010, is the federation that unifies most of the current fan groups of Atlético Baleares. The organization functions completely independent from the club. Its main objectives are the following:
* Coordinate the activities of different fan groups.
* Defend the interests of the fan groups and supporters.
* Exchange information about different activities.
* Foment brotherhood between the fan groups and other close organizations.
* Organize and participate in cultural, sports, or recreative activities.
* Plan the cheering during the home and away matches.
In short, the federation aims to promote and maintain the celebration of different club-related activities, as well as help supporters and fan group members with different needs.
Fan groups
As of 2024, Atlético Baleares has 16 official fan groups, of which 10 form part of the Fan Group Federation. Generally, the fan groups can be divided into three groups: those from
Palma, those from
Part Forana (the rest of
Mallorca
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...
), and those from outside the island.
Fan groups from Palma
* Penya Balearica Marga Fullana
* Penya Balearica Tolo Capellà
* Penya Blanc-i-blava ATB 1942
* Penya blanc-i-blava Blanquerna 65 (to be renamed ''Penya Blanc-i-blava Bernat Vallori'')
* Penya Fanàtiks
* Penya Jogo Bonito
* Penya Komuna Balearika
* Penya Los Tigres
* Penya Peter
Other fan groups from Mallorca
* Penya Balearica de Cardiff (
Santa Ponça
Santa Ponsa ( Catalan and officially: ''Santa Ponça'') is a small town in the southwest of Mallorca. Located in the municipality of Calvià, it is 18 kilometres from the capital Palma.
History
It was long believed that the name Santa Ponsa w ...
)
* Penya Balearica de Llucmajor (
Llucmajor
Llucmajor (; ) is the largest municipality (in terms of surface area) of the Balearic Island of Mallorca.
There are sixteen urban settlements in the municipality, including the town of Llucmajor and the coastal areas of s'Arenal, Cala Blava ...
)
* Penya Balearica Es Pla (
Sencelles)
* Penya Balearica d'Artà – Xavi Ginard (
Artà
Artà () is one of the 53 independent municipalities on the Spain, Spanish Balearic Islands, Balearic island of Majorca. The small town of the same name is the administrative seat of this municipality in the region (''Comarca'') of Llevant.
Pop ...
)
* Penya Blanc-i-blava de Llevant (
Manacor
Manacor () is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality on the island of Mallorca, part of the Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is the second-largest town in Mallorca, after the capi ...
)
Fan groups from outside Mallorca
* Peña Balearicos de Corazón (
Cartagena)
* Penya Ferreret (
Logroño
Logroño ( , , ) is the capital of the autonomous community of La Rioja (Spain), La Rioja, Spain. Located in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, primarily in the right (South) bank of the Ebro River, Logroño has historically been a place of pa ...
)
Atlético Baleares Foundation
The Atlético Baleares Foundation (''Fundació Atlètic Balears'') is a non-profit organization related with the club created in 2007. Some years before, there had been several attempts of creating a foundation related to Atlético Baleares, but this was only realized in 2007. Still, the organization has been relatively inactive since its foundation. The most visible and consistent activity has been the visit to sick children in the
Son Llàtzer Hospital in
Palma during Christmas.
In 2017, the foundation was absorbed by the club and Ingo Volckmann, the club's owner, became its president. The foundation acquired the rights over the
Estadi Balear, which allowed the club to start its rebuilding.
See also
*
CD Atlético Baleares (women)
*
Palma derby
*
Estadi Balear
*
Nicolau Brondo Trophy
*
Margarita Miranda Trophy
References
Bibliography
*
*
* DL PM 393–1959.
*
** Previous edition:
*
*
*
*
External links
*
Soccerway team profileEstadios de España
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atletico Baleares
Football clubs in the Balearic Islands
Association football clubs established in 1920
Sport in Palma de Mallorca
1920 establishments in Spain
Segunda División clubs
Primera Federación clubs