Lanzarote Football Club

For those of you who can't leave Football at home whilst you are in Lanzarote, why not take a trip over to Arrecifeto watch U.D. Lanzarote?

History of UD Lanzarote

Unión Deportiva Lanzarote was born in August 1970 with the purpose of representing Lanzarote away from the Island. In the early days the team played on a pitch with a surface of Volcanic Granules, but now plays on a FIFA approved artifical grass pitch.

In their first season, UD Lanzarote won the Championship of the Segunda Regional Insular and before making their 3rd division appearance in 1980, battled through the difficult Island and Canarian Leagues.

The 1998-99 Season concluded with the team finishing in 3rd Place and winning promotion to the Segunda Division B, which is the third tier of the Spanish Football ladder. Unfortunately they were relegated after their first season. However, what followed would create history never to be forgotten.

The 2001-01 season was one that would make Spanish football sit up and take notice of U.D. Lanzarote. The first season back in Segunda Division B concluded with a 8th place finish for Los Rojillos which resulted in qualification for the Copa Del Ray, the Spanish cup.

The Cup campaign began with a nearby Primera Liga opponent, Tenerife. To the astonishment of both sets of supporters Lanzarote inflicted the heaviest defeat on Tenerife in their history, putting 5 past them, to win the game 5-1!.

As if the result against Tenerife wasn't the result of a life time, what was to follow was a dream come true. Real Madrid were coming to town! That's right - one of the most famous football clubs in the history of football was coming to Lanzarote, packed with stars such as Luis Figo, Steve McManaman and Zinadine Zidane!

Luis Figo Unsuprisingly the game was a sell out and the first half would be written into the history books of Lanzarote Football Club. Vicente Del Bosque's Real Madrid went in front with 30 mins on the clock, but amazingly Lanzarote equalised before half time with local boy and part time waiter Oscar Vladamir netting for Los Rojillos. With second half substitues of Figo and Zidance introduced in the second half Real Madrid came out on top 3-1 - but to this day it remains a night never forgotten.

Taking strength from the cup run, the following year (2002-03) Lanzarote finished 3rd in the league to reach a play-off place to try and qualify for the 2nd tier of Spanish Football. The team also took on Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Ray where a Fernando Torres strike secured a win for the Primera Liga club.

Links of Interest

Mercancia Lanzarote (English)
This is the English site where you can find out when U.D. Lanzarote play and how to get to the home games, the latest updates and general information about Lanzarotes Premier football team in the fourth tier of Spanish football.

Official U.D. Lanzarote Website (Spanish)