FC Santa Coloma explained

Clubname:FC Santa Coloma
Upright:0.8
Fullname:Fútbol Club Santa Coloma
Nickname:FCSC
Colomencs
Coloma (Dove)
El Don (The Lord or Sir)
Blues
Ground:Andorra Football Federation stadiums
Chairman:Daniel Milstein
Manager:Dmitri Cheryshev
League:Primera Divisió
Season:2023–24
Position:Primera Divisió, 4th of 10
Website:http://www.fclubsantacoloma.net/?lang=ca
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FC Santa Coloma is an Andorran professional football club based in Santa Coloma, parish of Andorra la Vella, that competes in the Primera Divisió. It is the most successful team in both Primera Divisió and Copa Constitució, having won both titles thirteen and ten times respectively.

History

See also: List of FC Santa Coloma seasons. Fútbol Club Santa Coloma was founded in 1986 through the efforts of a group of football enthusiasts who represented the village of the same name that belongs to Andorra la Vella in the National Football Tournament (the former amateur league of Andorra).[1] Later on FC Santa Coloma became one of the founder members of Primera Divisió in 1995.[2] Since 2001 the club has enjoyed a great success in all Andorran competitions standing with all the records in the Premier Andorran League (13) and Andorran Cup (10).[3]

At the end of 2017, the Spanish La Liga Villarreal CF team announced a collaboration agreement with the Andorran club at grassroots football level.[4]

In July 2022, Gold Star Sports Management Group, led by Ukrainian-American entrepreneur, Daniel Milstein, completed the acquisition of the club. With Milstein as chairman, he announced Alex Lubyansky as CEO and Annabel Llevot as the General Manager. [5] FC Santa Coloma and Gold Star FC Detroit are both under the Gold Star Football Club group of clubs.[6]

FC Santa Coloma in Europe

FC Santa Coloma has two unique achievements for an Andorran team in European competitions: it was both the first team from Andorra to win a match in any European competition and the first team from Andorra that did not concede a goal in a match in a European competition.

Both of these feats were achieved on three occasions: the first match in the 2007–08 UEFA Cup qualifying round against the Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv, in which FC Santa Coloma won 1–0 at home with a goal scored by Juli Fernandez, then in the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League First qualifying round when they beat Banants of Armenia 1–0, and in the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League Second qualifying, in which FC Santa Coloma won 1–0 at home against Valur of Iceland. On the first and last occasion, in the return leg they lost 4–0 to Maccabi and 3–0 to Valur, thus FC Santa Coloma were eliminated from the tournament.

Against Banants, they lost the second leg away in Armenia 3–2, however the game finished 3–3 on aggregate and FC Santa Coloma won by the away goals rule, thanks to a last minute goal by goalkeeper Eloy Casals.[7] It was the second time an Andorran club won a two-legged tie in Europe after Sant Julià.

The 2023–24 season saw FC Santa Coloma claim another first - becoming the first Andorran team to navigate two European two-legged ties in the same season. Entering at the first qualifying round of the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League, they eliminated Welsh club Penybont F.C., then Montenegrin club FK Sutjeska Nikšić, to reach the third qualifying round against Dutch club AZ.

Colours and badge

FC Santa Coloma dressed in all white all the seasons since the creation of the Andorran Premier League, alternating the home kit with red or blue. Traditionally, the away kit has been all blue and third kit all red. However the original first kit at the beginning of the foundation of the club was blue and gives the nickname of Blues. In the club crest feature the colours of Andorra and the Holy Dove that gives the name of the Santa Coloma d'Andorra town[8] and therefore the name of the club.

Period *KitmakerKit sponsor
1994–10JomaDon Pernil
2010–13Pidasa
2013–15None
2015–17Don Denis
2017–presentVall Banc

Club rivalries

El Clàssic

The main rival of FC Santa Coloma in Primera Divisió has been always Sant Julià playing in a derby called El Clàssic. Both teams are strong in the Andorran Premier League and since the creation of the championship the clubs have been competing for being the champion of the top flight.[9] [10] [11]

El Derbi Colomenc

The local rival of FC Santa Coloma is actually their neighbour's hometown football team UE Santa Coloma. The rivalry between these two teams has increased since the 2009/10 season when those teams were competing for winning the Premier Andorran League.[12]

Honours

League history

SeasonDivisionPos.Pl.WDLGSGAP
2011–12Primera Divisió2201154561738
2012–13Primera Divisió2201091301539
2013–14Primera Divisió1201334501242
2014–15Primera Divisió1201334641442
2015–16Primera Divisió120145144847
2016–17Primera Divisió1271863572160
2017–18Primera Divisió1271845622058
2018–19Primera Divisió1271593411854
2019–20Primera Divisió2241573481251
2020–21Primera Divisió320884281932
2021–22Primera Divisió5271575643452
2022–23Primera Divisió3281585551953

European results

In 2014, Santa Coloma advanced for the first time in a knock-out round after beating FC Banants on the away goals rule. The deciding goal was scored by Coloma's goalkeeper in the 4th minute of added time.[13]

SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAggregate
2001–02UEFA CupQR Partizan0–11–71–8
2003–04UEFA CupQR Esbjerg fB1–40–51–9
2004–05UEFA Cup1Q Modriča0–10–30–4
2007–08UEFA Cup1Q Maccabi Tel Aviv1–00–41–4
2008–09UEFA Champions League1Q FBK Kaunas1–41–32–7
2009–10UEFA Europa League2Q Basel1–40–31–7
2010–11UEFA Champions League1Q Birkirkara0–33–43–7
2011–12UEFA Champions League1Q F91 Dudelange0–20–20–4
2012–13UEFA Europa League1Q Osijek0–11–31–4
2013–14UEFA Europa League1Q Breiðablik0–00–40–4
2014–15UEFA Champions League1Q Banants1–02–33–3(a)
2Q Maccabi Tel Aviv0–10–20–3
2015–16UEFA Champions League1Q Lincoln Red Imps1–20–01–2
2016–17UEFA Champions League1Q Alashkert0–00–30–3
2017–18UEFA Champions League1Q Alashkert1–10–11–2
2018–19UEFA Champions LeaguePR Drita0–2 (aet)style="text-align:center;"
UEFA Europa League2Q Valur1–00–31–3
2019–20UEFA Champions LeaguePR Tre Penne1–0 style="text-align:center;"
Feronikeli1−2style="text-align:center;"
UEFA Europa League2Q Astana0–01–41–4
2020–21UEFA Europa LeaguePR Iskra Danilovgrad0–0 (3–4 p)
2021–22UEFA Europa Conference League1Q Mons Calpe4–01–15–1
2Q Hibernian1–20–31–5
2023–24UEFA Europa Conference League1Q Penybont2–0 1–13–1
2Q Sutjeska Nikšić3–0 0–23−2
3Q AZ0–10–20–3
Notes

Current squad

As of 1 March 2024

Managers

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: HISTÒRIA – F. C. Santa coloma. 2020-09-17. 2019-12-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20191223090451/http://www.fclubsantacoloma.net/ca/48-2/storia/. live.
  2. Web site: Competicions : Lliga Nacional de Futbol (1ª divisió) . Faf.ad . 2016-07-18.
  3. Web site: Competicions : Copa Constitució (futbol) . Faf.ad . 2016-07-18 . 2020-04-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200413133616/http://www.faf.ad/pnfg/NNws_ShwNewDup?codigo=1003689&cod_primaria=3000321&cod_secundaria=3000321#.U_eCxEim9_0 . live .
  4. Web site: Fútbol base, amistosos, prioridad en fichajes…éstas son las claves del acuerdo entre Villarreal CF y Vallbanc FC Santa Coloma – la Jugada Financiera. 2020-09-17. 2018-03-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20180304222138/http://lajugadafinanciera.com/villarreal-cf-fc-santa-coloma-andorra/. live.
  5. Web site: Club . Gold Star Football . GOLD STAR SPORTS MANAGEMENT GROUP COMPLETES ACQUISITION . 2023-02-04 . Gold Star Football Club . en-US . 2023-02-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230204150704/https://goldstarfootballclub.com/f/gold-star-sports-management-group-completes-acquisition . live .
  6. Web site: Club . Gold Star Football . Gold Star FC announces the acquisition of FC Santa Coloma . 2023-02-04 . Gold Star Football Club . en-US . 2023-02-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230204150703/https://goldstarfootballclub.com/f/gold-star-fc-announces-the-acquisition-of-fc-santa-coloma . live .
  7. Web site: Europe's goalscoring goalkeepers. 9 July 2014. 5 November 2017. 8 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171108195419/http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2009682.html. live.
  8. Web site: Iglesia de Santa Coloma – Hotel Andorra Patagonia. Andorrapatagonia.net. 2016-07-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304120703/http://www.andorrapatagonia.net/2013/07/18/iglesia-de-santa-coloma/. 2016-03-04. dead.
  9. Web site: Andorran Football Federation-News. Fedandfut.com. 2016-07-18. 2015-09-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924011411/http://www.fedandfut.com/default.asp?idioma=ang&navpage=news&idnews=535. live.
  10. Web site: Diari digital d'Andorra BonDia – Notícies d'última hora, cartellera, meteorologia, horòscop, informació.... Bondia.ad. 2016-07-18. 2016-03-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20160328053309/http://www.bondia.ad/index.php?catid=47:esports&id=22034:el-lusitans-goleja-i-aprofita-lempat-en-el-classic-per-ampliar-distancies&option=com_content&view=article. live.
  11. Web site: Notícies Futbol . Faf.ad . 2016-07-18.
  12. Web site: Diari digital d'Andorra BonDia – Notícies d'última hora, cartellera, meteorologia, horòscop, informació.... Bondia.ad. 2016-07-18. 2013-08-20. https://archive.today/20130820124607/http://www.bondia.ad/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12334:els-gols-de-juli-sanchez-decideixen-el-derbi-colomenc-a-favor-del-pidasa-&catid=47:esports. live.
  13. Web site: Keeper Casals edges Santa Coloma past Banants. UEFA. 8 July 2014. 8 July 2014. 23 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171023230941/http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2015/matches/round=2000544/match=2014130/postmatch/report/index.html. live.