Unión Deportiva Melilla is a Spanish football team based in the autonomous city of Melilla. Founded in 1976, it currently plays in, holding home matches at Estadio Municipal Álvarez Claro, with an 8,000 capacity venue.

History

Founded in 1976 as Gimnástico Melilla Club de Fútbol after a merger of Melilla CF and Club Gimnástico de Cabrerizas, the club immediately took Cabrerizas' place in Tercera División. Renamed Unión Deportiva Melilla (as an honour to the club founded in the 1940s) in 1980, it reached Segunda División B in 1987. Melilla reached the last 32 of the Copa del Rey in 2012–13 where they were eliminated 4–2 on aggregate by La Liga side Levante UD, having won the first leg 1–0 at home via a Fernando Velasco penalty. Six years later, at the same stage, the team were beaten 10–1 on aggregate by Real Madrid. Melilla's 34-year run in the third tier ended following the 2020–21 Segunda División B, when the team were put in the new fourth-level Segunda Federación after a league restructuring. In April 2023, following two years at that level, the team won automatic promotion as champions.

Club background

Other clubs from Melilla

Rivalry

The Ceuta-Melilla derby was between Melilla and AD Ceuta, who were dissolved in 2012. The two clubs travelled to face each other via the Spanish mainland to avoid entering Morocco.

Season to season

Current squad

Notable players

Notable managers

Reserve team

Their reserve team, UD Melilla B, played for several years in Primera Autonómica Melilla and in Tercera División before ceasing activities in 2012. In 2013, Casino del Real CF became their reserve side, and was subsequently renamed to Melilla B in 2014.