Elche CF

Club History

Elche Club de Fútbol was founded on August 28, 1923, in Elche, Alicante, by merging local clubs to compete in regional leagues, adopting green-and-white stripes inspired by the city’s palm groves. The club first reached La Liga in 1959, achieving its greatest success in the 1960s under coach César Rodríguez, finishing fifth in 1963–64 and reaching the 1969 Copa del Rey final. Known as the “Franjiverdes,” Elche has spent 24 seasons in the top flight, with notable returns in 2013–15 and 2020–23, and plays at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero (33,732 capacity), which hosted 1982 World Cup matches. Despite frequent promotions and relegations, including a 2023 Segunda División return, Elche remains a resilient symbol of Valencian football with one Copa del Rey runner-up and a passionate local following.