A modest club from a historic town
Located in the province of Zaragoza, Tarazona is a club with modest origins but became ‘the next big thing’ after achieving promotion to the Primera Federación in 2023. However, the supporters will always see Tarazona as the club representing the homonymous Aragonese team, a club that used to play in lower divisions. Welcome to…Tarazona.
Tarazona
Next to the Moncayo Mountain, we find Tarazona, in the far west of Aragón. The town has around 10,000 inhabitants, but is important in another way: its strategic location. Turiaso, as it was previously known, used to be the place where the borders of the Kingdoms of Aragón, Navarre, and Castile met. Therefore, it was a town where many cultures came together.
This mix of cultures can still be seen today through architecture. For example, Tarazona has a cathedral, church, and palace, all in different styles. The town is also known for its many small streets, leading to the nickname ‘Aragonese Toledo’. Besides, Moorish influences are present in the form of buildings with the characteristic Mudéjar art style.
Football in Tarazona
The first club in Tarazona would be SD Turiaso, founded in 1924. The team would be very modest but managed to reach the Tercera División in the 1950s. By the way, this club used to play in a red shirt and blue shorts – just like the current Tarazona – because of the success of the Spanish national team. Sadly, the Tercera turned out to be a challenging competition from an economic point of view, leading to the disappearance of the club.
In 1969, a successor presented itself: CF Eureka, a club that we know today as Sociedad Deportiva Tarazona. The 1970s were vital years, growing both as a club, becoming the representative football club of the town, and as a team, returning to the Tercera División. Moreover, the club inaugurated a new stadium.
The following decades would not be characterized in the same way. Tarazona did not develop into a bigger club but returned to the Regional Preferente. Playing in the Tercera would be a luxury for a long time. This would only change in the 2010s, a decade in which Tarazona only played in the fourth tier. Especially the stability in the prestigious Tercera was seen as a highlight of the club’s history.
However, Tarazona’s consistency ended in 2020, as the rojillos achieved promotion to the Segunda División B. This historic moment was even more special as 2020-21 was the last edition of this competition, meaning that the results during this season would determine if Tarazona would continue in the second, third, fourth, or fifth tier of Spanish football. It turned out to be the fourth tier: the Segunda RFEF.
The new goal was to stay as long as possible in the new division, as it was way above the standards of the turiasonenses. But yet again, the supporters of Tarazona were delighted that their side failed to do so by achieving promotion. It was in 2023 that the Aragonese team beat Compostela and Navalcarnero to make it to the Primera Federación, which was, without a doubt, the highest achievement in the history of football in Tarazona.
The future
Even though their debut in the third tier is a dream come true, the rojillos heard the sad news that their stadium was not sufficient, meaning they have to play their home matches in the Ciudad de Tudela, in the Navarrese city of Tudela. This, together with composing a practically brand-new squad, will contribute to the difficulty for Tarazona to maintain the division. However, this team has proven to be able to defy all odds, and it’s not unthinkable that Tarazona will continue becoming a stronger team in the future. This was…Tarazona.
Sources
- http://lafutbolteca.com/sociedad-deportiva-tarazona/
- Borchers, L. (2021). GOLAZO. Self-published.
- Borchers, L. (2022). CARA O CRUZ. Selfpublished.
Modest Spanish Football 
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