Mérida AD

Mérida
Full nameAsociación Deportiva Mérida, S.A.D.
Nickname(s)Romanos
Pecholatas
Founded19 February 2013; 11 years ago (19 February 2013)
as Mérida Asociación Deportiva
GroundEstadio Romano, Mérida,
Extremadura, Spain
Capacity14,600[1]
OwnerMark Heffernan
PresidentMark Heffernan
Head coachSergi Guilló
LeaguePrimera Federación – Group 2
2023–24Primera Federación – Group 2, 12th of 20
Websitehttp://admerida.es/

Asociación Deportiva Mérida, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Mérida, in the autonomous community of Extremadura. Founded in 2013 it is a successor club of CP Mérida, it currently plays in Primera División RFEF – Group 1.

History

The club was founded on 19 February 2013 and six days later, it was registered in General Registry of Sports Entities of Extremadura.[2] Mérida UD was dissolved later in 2013 and Mérida AD bought their place in Tercera División.[3]

On 30 May 2015, the club was promoted to Segunda División B after defeating CD Laredo 2–1 on aggregate in the playoffs.[4] On 27 August that year, the team competed in the Copa del Rey for the first time, losing 0–3 at home to Peña Sport FC in the opening round.[5]

In 2017–18, the club were given a bye to the second round of the cup, where they lost 2–0 at CF Fuenlabrada.[6] The season ended with relegation back to the fourth tier after a 2–2 aggregate defeat (away goals) to Coruxo FC in the relegation play-offs,[7] but the club bounced back a year later with a penalty shootout win against UD Socuéllamos.[8]

After a league restructuring in 2021, Mérida was placed in the new fourth-tier Segunda División RFEF. That season, they came runners-up in their group to Córdoba CF and achieved promotion via the play-offs with a 2–0 extra-time win over CD Teruel.[9]

Season to season

Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
2013–14 4 3ª 2nd
2014–15 4 3ª 1st
2015–16 3 2ª B 8th First round
2016–17 3 2ª B 5th
2017–18 3 2ª B 16th Second round
2018–19 4 3ª 1st
2019–20 3 2ª B 19th Second round
2020–21 3 2ª B 6th / 4th
2021–22 4 2ª Fed. 2nd
2022–23 3 1ª Fed. 8th Second round
2023–24 3 1ª Fed. 12th
2024–25 3 1ª Fed.

Current squad

As of 30 August 2024.[10]

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.

Stadium

Mérida plays its home games at Estadio Romano, with a capacity of 14,600 spectators.[11]

Managerial history

References

  1. ^ "Estadio Romano". www.admerida.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Asociación Deportiva Mérida, S.A.D" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  3. ^ Gallego, Fernando (11 May 2013). "La AD Mérida sustituirá al Mérida UD en Tercera" [AD Mérida will replace Mérida UD in Tercera]. Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  4. ^ Gallego, Fernando (31 May 2015). "Redímete, Mérida" [Redeem yourself, Mérida] (in Spanish). Hoy. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Frustración en el Romano" [Frustration in the Romano]. Hoy (in Spanish). 28 August 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  6. ^ "Fuenlabrada rompe el sueño copero" [Fuenlabrada break the cup dream]. Hoy (in Spanish). 7 September 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Fin de ciclo para el Mérida en Coruxo" [End of the cycle for Mérida in Coruxo]. Hoy (in Spanish). 26 May 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  8. ^ "El Mérida vuelve a ser de bronce" [Mérida returns to the third tier]. Hoy (in Spanish). 3 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  9. ^ "El CD Teruel cae contra el Mérida y no logra el ascenso a Primera RFEF" [CD Teruel fall against Mérida and do not achieve promotion to Primera RFEF]. Diario de Teruel (in Spanish). 29 May 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  10. ^ "PRIMER EQUIPO". AD Mérida (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Estadio Romano | Mérida AD". www.admerida.es. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  12. ^ "Mehdi Nafti, nuevo entrenador del Mérida" [Mehdi Nafti, Mérida's new manager]. Marca (in Spanish). 27 June 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  13. ^ F.G. (21 December 2017). "El adiós elegante de Nafti" [Nafti's elegant farewell]. Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  14. ^ Fernández, Menchu (12 March 2018). "Mehdi Nafti vuelve al Mérida tras ser despedido en diciembre" [Mehdi Nafti returns to Mérida after being dismissed in December]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  15. ^ E.P.E. (28 May 2018). "El Mérida vuelve a kilómetro 0" [Mérida back to square one]. El Periódico Extremadura (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 December 2018.