Lugo ended relegation to the third category and completed the best period in its history

The year was 2006. The Sports club Lugo He was facing the promotion phase after finishing second in the regular Third League behind Fabril and ahead of Larach. That team, led by Juan Fidalgo, would succeed in Segovia, after a painful second leg in which the referee added 17 minutes. Rafa scored a goal for the promotion in the 90th minute, in the attack of the home team. Roberto, Suso Murado, Carril, Bardal, Germán, Óscar, Pablo Martínez, Moncho, Pablo Rodríguez, Cuéllar, Braulio, Josito, Marcos Suárez and the aforementioned Rafa put an end to three good campaigns, in Albivermellos worst years since 1986. None. from them they imagined that Lugo would begin the best years of its history. manage to play during eleven seasons, consecutively, in professional football. With this Sunday’s loss to Málaga (0-2) and Racing Santander’s win against Granada (1-0), relegation in Primer RFEF is already mathematical.

promotion to another

Manu’s penalty in Cádiz that started the feat

With Jose Bous as president, Lugo achieved their long-awaited promotion to Segunda B and cemented themselves in the bronze division with Fonsi Valverde on the bench. But it was in 2009, with the arrival of Quique Setién, when the Alibivermels entered another level. In 2011, they won the regular league; but they fell in the fatal final against Alcoyan; and in 2012 they finally got it. It was in Cádiz, in stoppage time. Heroes: Escalona, ​​​​​​​​Aitor, Belfortti, Garrido, Manu (decisive scorer), Pita, Rubén García, Luismi, Quero, Isma, Berodia, Monti, Zarandona and Belencoso.

debut

First win against Hercules, and Quique Setién gave stability

On August 18, 2012, Lugo made his debut in the silver category of Spanish football with a victory against Hércules (1-0), with another historic goal from Manu. That first track was exciting, and the team finished in eleventh place. The following year he was twelfth, then fifteenth, also with Setién on the bench, in all cases far from the relegation zone.

year 2015

Change in the presidency and on the bench

In 2015, there was a change of course in Lugo. Tino Saqués took control of the club, after becoming the largest shareholder in the US, and Quique Setién left the club, eventually joining Las Palmas (with the 2015-2016 league already underway).

dance coaches

Sixteen changes of coach in seven and a half years

Since the departure of Quique Setién, Lugo has lived through the years with many changes on the bench. 2015-2016 started by Luis Milla and finished by Jose Durán; Luis César took over in 2016-2017, and Francisco in 2017-2018. 2018-2019 shared by Javi López, Alberto Monteagudo and Eloy Jiménez; 2019-2020, Eloy Jiménez, Curro Torres and Juanfran; 2020-2021, Juanfran, Nafti, Luis César and Rubén Albés; 2021-22 she was completely for Albés; and the current 2022-23 for Hernán Pérez, Fran Just, Joan Carrillo and Iñigo Vélez. Sixteen changes of coach in the last seven and a half years.

The best year

Luis César won a creditable ninth place

The 2016-2017 campaign was the best in the history of the albivermello club. With Luis César Sampedra on the bench, Jose Juan in goal and Joselu top scorer (22 goals that season), Lugo finished the league in a remarkable ninth place, just eight points from the promotion stage to the First Division.

Hits

The art of living on the edge on a budget

Year after year, Lugo surprised locals and foreigners, entering better league positions than the places that would suit him due to salary restrictions. Fernando Seoane and Carlos Pita took over the core and the sports management was successful in signing the likes of Joselu, Iriome, Cristian Herrera, Jose Carlos Lazo, Dani Escriche, Yanis Rahmani, Ander Cantero and Chris Ramos among others who exploded in Angelo Car. That vision to capture hidden talent was one of the big keys to surviving so many years in the silver category.

Miracles

The magic of the last days

Lugo has already shown signs in recent seasons that it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to maintain himself. After the year of Francisco (2017-2018), he had to experience a series of miracles, with comebacks in the final days to achieve long-term durability. In the 2018-2019 season, he saved the voting with two points ahead of the eighteenth after connecting six games in a row without defeat, with Eloy Jiménez. The next season was even more complicated, that pandemic (2019-2020), in which Juanfran made a miracle, adding 14 of the last 18 points on the line. In the academic year 2020/2021. It was Albés who led the response with 10 points in the last four games. Last summer, with the relegation of Alcorcón, Lugo became the team with the most consecutive seasons in the category (11). An honor that didn’t last long.