Welcome to…Andratx

A very modest Mallorcan club that’s exceeding its past

In western Mallorca, we find Andratx (pronounce: [ənˈdɾatʃ]), a club that used to play in the regional amateur leagues of Mallorca. Playing in the Tercera División meant the club was performing very well. However, this all changed in the 2020s, when Andratx achieved an unprecedented promotion and even played against Sevilla FC. Welcome to…Andratx.

The starting XII of Andratx against Real Oviedo in 2021. © CE Andratx.

A town that has it all

Andratx is located in the west of Mallorca, at the end of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range. Andratx is mainly known for the high percentage of foreign inhabitants, which can be explained by its climate and harbor, the latter facilitating more exclusive tourism. Finally, you can travel from the harbor of Andratx to the islet of Sa Dragonera, a natural park considered one of the most beautiful spots at or around Mallorca.

A view of Port d’Andratx, which translates to ‘Port of Andratx’. © xmallorca.com

A modest team

Club Esportiu Andratx was founded in 1957 to be the representative club of the village. Football was already practiced here by the 20s, but CE Andratx would be the only team to survive until the present. The andritxols would quickly reach the Tercera División but did not establish themselves in this division. The result was that Andratx became a team present most of the time in the amateur leagues. Playing in the Tercera was the highest reachable thing.

The Estadio Sa Plana only has one small stand. © Sports de Ca Nostra.

The 2019-20 appeared to be a turning point. In the summer of 2019, Andratx had achieved it eighth promotion to the Tercera but outperformed itself by ending sixth, a club record. One season later, Andratx even finished second, which gave the blue team a ticket for the first edition of the Segunda Federación.

Players, staff, and supporters of Andratx after the last match of the 2020-21 season, in which they had managed to achieve the unthinkable: climbing out of the Tercera. © futbolbalear.es

Even though the gallos could not believe it, 2021-22 would be an even more legendary season. Halfway the season, Andratx was sitting in the playoffs for promotion to the Primera Federación and participated in the Copa del Rey. In the first round, the Mallorcans beat the second-tier club Real Oviedo, which many fans could not believe. The next opponent would be Sevilla, one of the biggest clubs in Spain. Andratx played very well and managed to draw the game, after which a penalty shootout followed. Unfortunately, Andratx lost and was knocked out of the tournament. Nevertheless, the andritxols were incredibly proud of their team’s performances.

Miquel Llabrés celebrates his goal, which lifted the game to 2-0. Real Oviedo would not be able to realize a comeback. © Toni Ferrero.

After the Copa del Rey adventure, Andratx lost some more matches in the league and was finally relegated on the last matchday. However, after one season, the gallos were crowned champions of the Tercera for the first time and returned to the Segunda Federación.

The players and fans of Andratx lift their coach, José Contreras, in the air after the championship and promotion in 2023. © Laura Becerra.

An exemplary (ex-)player

The last years have not only been full of positive moments. In the summer of 2020, the entire town of Andratx was shocked after hearing that Andratx’s captain Rubén Nova suffered a motorcycle accident, after which he could not move any body parts under his waist. It was a tragic retirement but also knew its windfalls. As a matter of fact, Rubén Nova would stay close to the team, traveling to matches and being the 12th player. For example, he usually joined the prematch pictures of the starting XI, which made it a starting XII. Moreover, a summer tournament in Andratx has been named after him, and a big painting of him was revealed at the club. But most beautifully, Rubén Nova has shown to be an example of perserverance for many people with physical impairments, as he would always remain positive and adjust his life to his new reality.

The ex-captain Rubén Nova (left) in front of a painting of him. © José Lorente.

FUture

Rubén Nova was an indispensable part of the successes of Andratx and will continue to do so, which is good news for the andritxols. Besides, the club’s management has been working hard for years to achieve the goals that have been reached. The uncertainty seems to lie in what goals to set, considering that Andratx has performed very unregularly in the past years, but for now, the management is primarily focusing on establishing Andratx in the Segunda Federación. This was…Andratx.

Perhaps the most spectacular goal in the history of Andratx when looking at the circumstances. Against all odds, the fourth-tier team Andratx has scored against the Europa League record champions Sevilla. This image shows Miquel Llabrés and other players after having scored equalizer against Sevilla. © Cristian Trujillo.

Sources

• Borchers, L. (2021). GOLAZO. Self-published.
• Borchers, L. (2022). CARA O CRUZ. Self-published.
• https://www.futbolbalear.es/2022/09/01/i-trofeo-ruben-nova-ce-andratx/