Mons Calpe S.C.

Last updated
Mons Calpe
Mons Calpe S.C. logo.svg
Full nameMons Calpe Sports Club
Nickname(s)The Calpeans
Founded2013;11 years ago (2013)
Ground Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar
Capacity2,000
OwnerReygadas Sports Group
ManagerJuan Mari Sánchez
League Gibraltar Football League
2023–24 5th
Website Club website

Mons Calpe S.C. is a professional football and sporting club in Gibraltar. Founded in 2013, the club's first team competes in the Gibraltar Football League. [1] Mons Calpe also has a U-23 squad, futsal teams and darts.

Contents

History

Mons Calpe S.C. was formed by Kieran Alman, James Read, Phillip Debono, Richard Lavagna and Adrian Ballestero in 2013 after Gibraltar's admittance into UEFA sparked a boom in interest in football on the Rock. After an impressive maiden season in the 2013–14 Gibraltar Second Division, the club finished second in the league. However, the club succumbed to a 2–0 defeat to St Joseph's in the promotion/relegation playoff that year. The following season saw the club struggle to emulate the same form, against much stronger promotion contenders, which saw the club lingering in mid-table for much of the season and eventually finishing 8th.

After a significant rebuild over the summer of 2015, Mons Calpe had a second chance at promotion through the end-of-season playoff against Premier Division side FC Britannia. A victory in that game saw the young club seal their first-ever season in the top-flight of Gibraltarian football.

The summer after gaining promotion, Mons Calpe's football structure went through a total reconstruction to further professionalise the club, highlighted by a majority-share investment by a US-based group led by Jose Alfredo Reygadas. The Calpeans then appointed Brazilian/Portuguese coach William Amaral de Andrade as first team head coach and former Gibraltar U19 Manager Terrence Jolley as his assistant manager for the 2016–17 season. After a bad run of form in winter saw them slip from 3rd to 5th, William was sacked on 16 January and replaced by Jolley on an interim basis. On 17 March, Italian manager Mauro Ardizzone was appointed head coach, with Jolley returning to his role as assistant. Ardizzone eventually saw the Calpeans to a 5th-place finish in their maiden Premier Division season, including a notable 2–2 draw with Lincoln Red Imps in the penultimate round.

At the start of the 2017–18 season, the Calpeans named Albert Ferri as their new manager. However, poor results led to his dismissal in December 2017, and renowned Argentinean manager Luis Manuel Blanco replaced him as first team head coach. After Blanco's arrival, the club won 14 of their next 22 matches in all competitions, finishing with a club-high 44 points in the top-flight and reaching the Rock Cup final, losing 2–1 to Europa.

The 2018–19 season started slowly, but Mons Calpe put together a serious challenge for a European spot, putting together the best season in its short history in the Premier Division. The club ended with its highest point total (49) and best position in the league table (4th), only 6 points behind St. Joe's for the last UEFA Europa League berth, despite beating the Saints twice and drawing once in their 3 regular season match-ups. The Calpeans also made a deep run in the Rock Cup, beating St. Joseph's again 4–1 in the quarterfinal, but falling short of a second consecutive Cup final after losing 1–0 to Gibraltar United in the semifinal. Manager Blanco left his role at the club on 28 May 2019. [2]

In the 2020–21 season, Mons Calpe qualified for European competition for the first time. In 2022, the club also established a farm team in the fourth tier Liga TDP in Mexico, with Mons Calpe S.C. Yucatán entering the league.

In 2023, Mons Calpe entered into an agreement with Gibraltar Wave which would make Gibraltar Wave the affiliate women's team of the Calpeans.

Seasons

SeasonDivisionLeague record Rock Cup Europe
PWDLGFGAPtsPosCompetitionResult
2013–14 Second 2213365029422nd [lower-alpha 1] First round Did not qualify
2014–15 Second 26103136263338th First round Did not qualify
2015–16 Second 2217238212532nd [lower-alpha 2] Second round Did not qualify
2016–17 Premier 27133114435425th Second round Did not qualify
2017–18 Premier 27142114835445th Runners-up Did not qualify
2018–19 Premier 2715486329494th Semi-final Did not qualify
2019–20 National 1810354929337th [lower-alpha 3] Abandoned [lower-alpha 3] Did not qualify
2020–21 National 2010283635324th Quarter-final Did not qualify
2021–22 National 2062123436206th Quarter-final Europa Conference League First qualifying round
2022–23 GFL 189182626287th Semi-final Did not qualify
2023–24 GFL 2596103739335th Quarter-final Did not qualify
  1. Lost in the Promotion/relegation play-off 2–0 to St Joseph's.
  2. Promoted via the Promotion/relegation play-off beating Britannia XI 2–1.
  3. 1 2 The 2019–20 Gibraltar National League season, and the 2020 Rock Cup, were abandoned with results declared null and void and results expunged due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

European record

As of match played 15 July 2021

SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAway Agg.
2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League 1QR Flag of Andorra.svg FC Santa Coloma 1–10–41–5
Notes

Current squad

As of 21 October 2023

First Team squad

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

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of Argentina.svg  ARG Christian Fraiz
2 DF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Alex Oñate
3 DF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Ethan Llambias
4 DF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Ezequiel Rojas
5 DF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Esteban Montes
6 DF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Domingo Utrera
7 FW Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Jesús Ayala (captain)
8 MF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Sykes Garro
9 FW Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Alberto Valdivia
10 MF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Leon Clinton
17 FW Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Juanca Olmedo
21 DF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB James Parkinson
No.Pos.NationPlayer
22 MF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Aiden Mansfield
23 MF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Antonio González
24 FW Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Mark Chichon
25 GK Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Dean Penfold
27 GK Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Francisco Paulino
30 MF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Jayce Consigliero
31 MF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Fernando Cosano
61 FW Flag of Poland.svg  POL Hugo Bartkowiak
70 MF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Chico Rubio
77 DF Flag of the Netherlands.svg  NED Jelaino Fonsesca
MF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB Giles Lopez

Club staff

PositionName
Club Management
Head coach Flag of Spain.svg Juan Mari Sánchez
Assistant Coach
U23 Coach
Flag of Spain.svg Manolo Muiño
Goalkeeper Coach Flag of Argentina.svg Christian Fraiz
Physical Trainer Flag of Spain.svg Ismael Chico
Analyst Flag of Spain.svg Dani Quiñones
Board
Chairman Flag of Mexico.svg José Reygadas

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References

  1. "Gibraltar Football Association".
  2. Statement re: Luis Blanco Mons Calpe on Twitter. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.