Lucena CF · History

Lucena Club de Fútbol, from the town of Lucena in the province of Córdoba, first reached the Spanish fourth tier, Tercera División, in 1983, fifteen years after it was founded. It was born in 1968 as Atlético Lucentino Industrial, succeeding UD Lucentina as the town's team, and played in sky blue, the colour behind one of its nicknames, Celeste, alongside Aracelitano and Lucentinista. Most of its life was spent between the Andalusian Regional Preferente and Tercera. It played eight seasons in Segunda División B between 2007 and 2015 and was dissolved in December 2015.

Atlético Lucentino Industrial (1968-2006)

The early seasons were played in the regional divisions. In 1972-73 the club won its Segunda Regional group, and a decade later came promotion to Tercera. That first spell lasted a single campaign: after 1983-84 the team dropped back to the Córdoba Preferente. The second promotion, as Preferente champions in 1989-90, proved sturdier. Lucentino held its place in Tercera until 1994-95, when an 18th-place finish sent it down. It bounced straight back, again as Preferente winners, and from 1996 put together a full decade in Tercera, finishing third in 2000-01 and 2002-03 and reaching the preliminary round of the Copa del Rey in 2001-02. In March 2006 president Juan Antonio Guardeño resigned and Jon Ander López took over.

Lucena CF and the step up to Segunda B (2006-2009)

In 2006-07 the club took the name Lucena Club de Fútbol, the same season it won its first promotion to Segunda División B, the Spanish third tier, after three attempts in the play-offs. José Antonio Pineda scored 17 goals that year and Izco got the promotion-winning goal. The third-tier debut came on 26 August 2007, a 1-1 draw at Écija with a goal from Sarmiento, and the first campaign ended in tenth place. Promotion also brought a reserve side, Lucena CF B. On 9 March 2008 the team played its last match at the old Municipal de Lucena, beating Talavera 2-0. The 2008-09 season was tighter: Antonio Montero, Antonio Gutiérrez and Alberto Monteagudo took turns in the dugout, and survival was not secured until the league closed on 10 May 2009.

The Estadio Ciudad de Lucena

Lucena finished sixth in Segunda B in 2009-10 and soon moved into a new home. The Estadio Ciudad de Lucena, built on the outskirts of town, opened on 16 January 2011 with a win over AD Ceuta. A footbridge linked the ground to the town centre, and free buses ran for supporters on matchdays. It was there that the club enjoyed its best seasons.

The promotion play-offs (2011-2013)

The 2011-12 season was the club's best league campaign. Lucena finished third in Segunda B and entered the play-offs for promotion to the Spanish second division, getting past Huracán Valencia in the first round before going out to SD Ponferradina. A year later, fourth in Group IV, the team made the play-offs again and once more drew Huracán Valencia. It won the home leg 1-0 and lost the return 3-0, played on 2 June 2013.

Decline and dissolution (2014-2015)

In June 2014 control passed to a Madrid investment group led by Eduardo Bouzón and Javier Martín Asensio. The 2014-15 season ended with the team 20th in its group and relegated to Tercera División, confirmed in May 2015 by a 2-0 defeat away to La Roda. During 2015-16 poor financial management forced out the coaching staff and the president, and on 29 December 2015 the club withdrew from the competition. It issued no statement and simply sent its withdrawal papers to the Andalusian Football Federation. Lucena CF was dissolved that same year, having spent 18 seasons in Tercera and eight in Segunda B.

The succession of CD Ciudad de Lucena

Football in the town carried on at the same stadium through Club Deportivo Ciudad de Lucena, registered on 18 September 2008 with players from CD Erisana and from Lucena CF's reserve side. In 2010-11 it signed an affiliation agreement with Lucena CF, which took over its entire sporting operation in 2011-12. After the older club folded, Ciudad de Lucena won promotion to Tercera División in 2017, finished second in 2019-20 and lost the play-off final for Segunda B 4-1 to Betis Deportivo. On 15 December 2020 it hosted Sevilla FC in the first round of the Copa del Rey and lost 3-0. In 2026 it won promotion to Segunda Federación as the top side in Group X of Tercera Federación.