Real Unión

Real Unión Club, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Irun, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the province of Gipuzkoa, near the border with France. Founded on 15 May 1915 it currently plays in Primera División RFEF – Group 2, holding home matches at the 5,000-seater Stadium Gal.[2] Real Unión was one of the founding members of La Liga in 1929. The club spent four seasons in the Spanish elite, suffering relegation in 1932. Real is yet to return to the top tier, spending the rest of its history bouncing between the second and fourth tiers of Spanish football.

Real Unión
logo
Full nameReal Unión Club, S.A.D.
Nickname(s)Txuri-beltz (White-black)
Founded15 May 1915 (1915-05-15)
GroundGal, Irun,
Basque Country, Spain
Capacity5,000[1]
OwnerUnai Emery
PresidentRicardo García
Head coachFran Justo
LeaguePrimera Federación – Group 1
2022–23Primera Federación – Group 2, 13th of 20

History

Real Unión squad of 1916.

Real Unión were among the early pioneering Spanish football teams and, along with fellow Basque clubs Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad and Arenas Club de Getxo were founding members of La Liga, in 1928. The club was formed in 1915 following the merger of Irún Sporting Club and Racing Club de Irún. The former was founded in 1902 as Irún Foot-Ball Club, changing its name in 1907. The latter, formed in 1908, had already won the 1913 Copa del Rey, beating Athletic Bilbao 1–0 in a replayed final. The club was briefly known as Unión Club Irún before Alfonso XIII gave the club royal approval, but during the Second Spanish Republic the club reverted to this name.

Real Unión then won the Copa del Rey a further three times, beating Real Madrid in 1918[3] and again in 1924 (with former Derby County and England striker Steve Bloomer acting as their coach). In 1927 they defeated Arenas Getxo in the first all-Basque final. The latter two finals both ended in 1–0 victories, with José Echeveste netting the winner on both occasions. In 1922 they were runners-up, losing 5–1 to FC Barcelona. In 1930 they participated in the Coupe des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, a predecessor of the UEFA Champions League since the champions of all major European football nations were invited, although it has never been entirely clear why Unión was invited as they had finished sixth in the 1929–30 La Liga. Nonetheless, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Slavia Prague.[4] The club was relegated from La Liga in 1932.

In 1920, when Spain made their international debut at the Olympic Games, the club provided the squad with two players—Eguiazábal and Patricio, the latter scoring Spain's first-ever goal in international football in a 1–0 victory over Denmark on 28 August 1920.[5] Another Real Unión player, René Petit, took part in the same Olympic Games with France. In the 70s and 80s, Spanish internationals Javier Irureta and Roberto López Ufarte began their career with the club.

On 11 November 2008, in the 2008–09 Copa del Rey against Real Madrid, Real Unión lost 3–4 at the Santiago Bernabéu, but secured a famous aggregate victory following a 3–2 home victory in the first leg (away goals rule). It was the first time in history that Real Madrid were eliminated by a Segunda División B team at home.[6]

The club finally returned to the Segunda División in 2009 after a 44-year absence, successively defeating CE Sabadell FC (2–1 aggregate) and AD Alcorcón (3–1) in the 2008–09 promotion play-offs. However, it would be a short-lived return, as the team was immediately relegated, after ranking 21st.

Season to season

Real Unión squad of 1931
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1929 1 9th
1929–30 1 6th
1930–31 1 7th
1931–32 1 10th
1932–33 2 10th
1933–34 2 8th
1934–35 2 5th
1935–36 2 8th
1939–40 2 3rd
1940–41 2 9th
1941–42 2 8th
1942–43 3 1ª Reg. 7th
1943–44 3 10th
1944–45 3 9th
1945–46 3 10th
1946–47 3 5th
1947–48 3 5th
1948–49 3 10th
1949–50 3 17th
1950–51 3 17th
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1951–52 4 1ª Reg. 12th
1952–53 4 1ª Reg. 3rd
1953–54 4 1ª Reg. 6th
1954–55 4 1ª Reg. 5th
1955–56 4 1ª Reg. 4th
1956–57 3 12th
1957–58 3 1st
1958–59 2 16th
1959–60 3 2nd
1960–61 3 5th
1961–62 3 4th
1962–63 3 2nd
1963–64 3 1st
1964–65 2 16th
1965–66 3 7th
1966–67 3 2nd
1967–68 3 4th
1968–69 3 2nd
1969–70 3 6th
1970–71 3 14th
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1971–72 3 19th
1972–73 4 1ª Reg. 2nd
1973–74 4 1ª Reg. 3rd
1974–75 3 12th
1975–76 3 4th
1976–77 3 7th
1977–78 3 2ª B 10th
1978–79 3 2ª B 17th
1979–80 4 14th
1980–81 4 9th
1981–82 4 6th
1982–83 4 8th
1983–84 4 4th
1984–85 4 8th
1985–86 4 12th
1986–87 4 8th
1987–88 4 5th
1988–89 4 6th
1989–90 4 5th
1990–91 4 16th
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1991–92 4 1st
1992–93 4 1st
1993–94 3 2ª B 14th
1994–95 3 2ª B 5th
1995–96 3 2ª B 5th
1996–97 3 2ª B 11th
1997–98 3 2ª B 18th
1998–99 4 3rd
1999–2000 3 2ª B 16th
2000–01 3 2ª B 9th
2001–02 3 2ª B 6th
2002–03 3 2ª B 1st
2003–04 3 2ª B 12th Second round
2004–05 3 2ª B 2nd
2005–06 3 2ª B 5th Third round
2006–07 3 2ª B 4th Second round
2007–08 3 2ª B 5th Round of 32
2008–09 3 2ª B 1st Round of 16
2009–10 2 21st
2010–11 3 2ª B 4th Round of 32
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
2011–12 3 2ª B 14th First round
2012–13 3 2ª B 8th
2013–14 3 2ª B 15th
2014–15 3 2ª B 4th
2015–16 3 2ª B 5th First round
2016–17 3 2ª B 7th First round
2017–18 3 2ª B 13th First round
2018–19 3 2ª B 16th
2019–20 3 2ª B 17th
2020–21 3 2ª B 5th / 1st
2021–22 3 1ª RFEF 8th
2022–23 3 1ª Fed. 13th Second round
2023–24 3 1ª Fed.

    Current squad

    As of 6 September 2023.[7]

    Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

    No. Pos. Nation Player
    1 GK Spain ESP Txusta (captain)
    3 DF Spain ESP Roger Riera
    4 DF Spain ESP Antonio Montoro
    5 DF Spain ESP Iván Pérez
    6 MF Spain ESP Jagoba Beobide
    7 FW Spain ESP Antón Escobar
    8 MF Spain ESP Julen Azkue
    9 FW Spain ESP Asier Benito
    10 MF Spain ESP Quique Rivero
    11 FW Spain ESP Alain Oyarzun
    12 FW Spain ESP Peru Ruiz (on loan from Cádiz Mirandilla)
    13 GK Spain ESP Unai Agirre
    No. Pos. Nation Player
    14 MF Spain ESP Iñigo Muñoz
    15 DF Spain ESP Imanol Baz
    16 MF Spain ESP Ander Vidorreta
    17 DF Spain ESP José Carlos Márquez
    18 DF Spain ESP Miguel Santos
    19 DF Spain ESP Victor Eimil
    20 MF Spain ESP Alberto Solís
    21 MF Spain ESP Asier Córdoba
    22 DF Spain ESP Julio Martínez
    23 MF Spain ESP Alex Cerdá (on loan from Atlético Levante)
    24 FW Spain ESP Andoni Arzak (on loan from Real Sociedad B)

    Reserve team

    Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

    No. Pos. Nation Player
    26 MF Spain ESP Ander Herrero
    27 MF Spain ESP Erik Arregi
    No. Pos. Nation Player
    29 FW Spain ESP Aimar Blanco

    Out of loan

    Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

    No. Pos. Nation Player

    Honours

    International

    • Tournoi de Pâques de l'Olympique de Pantin
    Winners: 1922[12]
    • Tournoi de Pentecôte de Paris Football Latin
    Winners: 1923[12]
    • Tournoi "Stade Buffalo" de Paris
    Runners-up: 1930[13]

    Notes

    1. Four titles counting the trophy won by Racing Club de Irún in 1913
    2. Third tier
    3. Not promoted in play-offs
    4. Promoted in play-offs
    5. Third tier
    6. Promoted in play-offs
    7. Promoted in play-offs
    8. Fourth tier
    9. Not promoted in play-offs
    10. Promoted in play-offs

    Notable former players

    Category:Real Unión footballers

    Former coaches

    References

    1. "Stadium Gal – Real Unión – Irun – The Stadium Guide". Retrieved 2020-01-19.
    2. "Stadium Gal". Real Unión Club (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-11-05.
    3. Diego García (6 November 2017). "El Real Unión campeón de 1918: histórico por una renuncia" [Real Unión champion of 1918: historic for a resignation] (in Spanish). Marca. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
    4. "1930 Coupe des Nations". RSSSF. 20 February 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
    5. "Denmark 0 Spain 1". eu-football.info. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
    6. "El Real Unión de Irún elimina al Real Madrid de la Copa del Rey pese a Raúl (4–3)" [Real Unión of Irún ousts Real Madrid from the Spanish Cup in spite of Raúl (4–3)] (in Spanish). 20 Minutos. 11 November 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
    7. "Primer equipo". Real Unión Club (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 October 2022.
    8. "TRACK RECORD - The team in white win their 20th Copa trophy. - LIST OF WINNERS OF THE SPANISH CHAMPIONSHIP - COPA DE SM EL REY". RFEF.es (RFEF official website). 7 May 2023. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
    9. Real Federación Española de Fútbol (March 2011). "Historial" (PDF). Revista Oficial de la R.F.E.F. p. 70. Archived from the original (pdf) on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
    10. Félix Martialay (2000). ¡¡¡Amberes!!! Allí nació la furia española [Antwerp!!! There the Spanish fury was born] (in Spanish). CIHEFE. p. 168. ISBN 9788492109777. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
    11. "Spain – List of Champions of Norte". RSSSF. 21 January 2000. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
    12. "International Tournaments (Paris) 1904-1935". RSSSF.
    13. "Tournoi "Stade Buffalo" de Paris 1931". RSSSF.
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