Cádiz Club de Fútbol

History

The first documented game of Cádiz CF was played against Cádiz Sporting Club on Thursday, 8 September 1910. Cádiz CF won it 1–0. Two days later on 10 September 1910, several Cádiz citizens appealed to the Civil Government to register a club under the name Cádiz Foot-Ball Club. One of the founders was José Rivera y Lora, the first Cádiz president. A year later, in 1911, two other important events of Cádiz football took place: the foundation of the Español Foot-Ball Club and the inscription of Cádiz Foot-Ball Club to the Federación Sur (Southern Football Federation). The Civil War interrupted the organization of competitions and Cádiz CF only played friendly matches, among others, against teams such as Betis and Celta de Vigo.

Cádiz played the first complete season 1939–40 in Segunda División after the Spanish Civil War. The club finished 1st in the Group 5 with 11 wins in 14 games. That season the coach position was occupied by Santiago Núñez, who was also a player, and the key roles were played by Roldán, Díaz, Mateo, the goalkeeper Bueno, future Real Madrid player, and Camilo Liz, who decades later became the technical secretary of the club. During the following 3 seasons, Cádiz was far away from repeating that success. Cádiz first reached La Liga in 1977–78, after having spent two decades in the second division. The promoting materialized on 5 June 1977, with a 2–0 victory at Ramón de Carranza against Tarrasa. Relegated after just one season, the club returned in 1980, managing a further 13-year stay. In August 1981, before returning to La Liga, Cádiz won its first Ramón de Carranza Trophy. They beat Sevilla (led by coach Miguel Muñoz) 1–0 with the goal scored by Dieguito. Among them there were such important players in Cádiz history as Bocoya, Juan José, Hugo Vaca, Dos Santos, Amarillo, Luque, Linares, Pepe Mejías, Dieguito (Escobar), López (Choquet) and Mané.

Often led by the skills of Salvadoran Mágico González, the club managed to maintain its top flight status in the 1990–91 season, thanks to youth graduate Kiko (and 25 minutes of his inspiration against Real Zaragoza), who picked up the offensive burden after González left. During the late 1980s and early 1990s the club became known as "The Yellow Submarine", due to its capacity of "coming afloat" every year at the end of each season and remain in the top division, despite having been "sunk down" during most of the campaign.

However, in just two seasons, Cádiz dropped down two levels. In 1995 Cádiz was on the brink of extinction due to financial issues. The investment group no longer invested in the club and declared the suspension of payments. A group of cadistas, headed by Antonio Muñoz and Manuel García, had the negotiations with the creditors, reorganized the club and started managing it directly from the city of Cádiz. After a long spell in Segunda División B the club was finally promoted in 2003, spectacularly returning to the top level in 2005, after taking the championship with a last-day victory at neighbours Xerez CD. The match was played on 18 June 2005, and ended up with 2–0 Cádiz win in the presence of 8000 Cádiz fans, arrived in Xerez.

Culture

Supporters

Cádiz CF's supporter base has a well-documented history of left-wing political identity, though it is not monolithic. The most prominent organised fan group is the Brigadas Amarillas (Yellow Brigades), founded in the early 1980s. The group originated as a young anti-fascist collective called Frente Cadiz, which renamed itself Barra Ultra before settling on Brigadas Amarillas in 1982, partly to distance itself from the term "ultra," which carried right-wing connotations in Spain at the time. According to academic research, the Brigadas Amarillas identify anti-fascism and "Cadismo" (devotion to Cádiz FC) as their two foundational principles. A founding member named Guillermo, interviewed by the authors in 2005, described anti-fascism as central to the group's collective identity. Academics noted that solidarity among left-wing fan groups in Spanish football is built around three common causes: opposition to neo-fascism, opposition to racism, and opposition to the commercialisation of football. In the 1980s, the Brigadas grew substantially, becoming known for large away followings and political demonstrations, most notably against high unemployment in Cádiz province, which was among the most economically deprived areas in western Europe. This brought the group into violent conflict with local fascist factions, and arrests and fines reduced membership to between 20 and 30 people at points in the late 1980s. The group recovered in the 1990s, though the club's successive relegations in 1993 and 1994, which dropped it to the Spanish third division, complicated matters further. Around this period, the Brigadas developed a fraternal relationship with the Bukaneros, the organised left-wing fan group of Rayo Vallecano of Madrid. The bond was forged partly through encounters at the annual Ramón de Carranza pre-season tournament in Cádiz, where members of both groups found common ideological ground. The relationship has since become well known in Spanish football, described by the phrase "Sangre Gaditana en vena Vallecana" ("Cádiz blood in Vallecas veins").

The Brigadas have also engaged in formal anti-racism partnership work. From 2004 onwards, they collaborated with the NGO Colectivo de Prevención e Inserción Social Andalucía (CEPA) on initiatives including a 2006 project called "Cádiz against racism," which sought to promote intercultural awareness among supporters and local residents. CEPA representatives, interviewed in 2005, described left-wing fan groups as the most proactive partners in anti-racism work, while acknowledging that some of their methods involved violence. The Brigadas also participated in European anti-racism networks, including Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) action weeks and the Mondiali Antirazzisti tournament in Italy.

Individual records

Season to season

16 seasons in La Liga

44 seasons in Segunda División

16 seasons in Segunda División B

12 seasons in Tercera División

1 season in Categorías Regionales

Current squad

As of 3 September 2026

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

Reserve team

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

Other players under contract

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

Out on loan

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

Honours

Segunda División Champions (1): 2004–05

Copa del Rey Semi-finalists: 1989–90

Teide Trophy Winners (1): 2026

Promoted to La Liga: 1976–77, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1984–85, 2004–05, 2019–20

Promoted to Segunda División: 1935–36, 1954–55, 2002–03, 2008–09, 2015–16

Relegated to Segunda División: 1977–78, 1992–93, 2005–06, 2023–24

Relegated to Segunda División B: 1993–94, 2007–08, 2009–10

Relegated to Tercera División: 1942–43

Stadium information

Name: Nuevo Mirandilla

City: Cádiz

Capacity: 25,033

Inauguration: 1955

Pitch size: 106 x 68 m

Famous players

Note: this list includes players that have appeared in at least 100 league games and/or have reached international status.