After 95 years and an unprecedented 12-year lasting episode of criminal activities within the club management, the disappearance of the historic club C.D. Castellón was looming. Despite entering the abyss the club from Castellón de la Plana, who have begun their seventh consecutive season in 4^th division, can see pale light at the end of the tunnel. Chefutbol has scrutinized the processes since 2005.

In June C.D. Castellón suffered a familiar dramatic failure in the promotion for 3^rd league, through a conceded goal in the 96^th minute against Pena Sport de Tafalla, a town of 10,000 inhabitants, The Spanish sports journalist Enrique Ballester summed up the melancholic recent history of the club:

“Sometimes one asks himself, how many more quests football has prepared for C.D. Castellón, which has had enough moral victories, which is tired of untouchable medals, that oblige him to be something that he is not: An epic loser, a subscriber to drama with bad ending. Unimportant trophies which force him to live on, and to stage boredom. He has suffered so much to survive, that he forgot to win.”

 

A veces uno se pregunta cuánto más va a poner a prueba el fútbol al Castellón, cansado de victorias morales, aburrido de medallas intangibles que le obligan a ser algo que no es, un épico perdedor, un desgraciado socio del drama, recompensas vacías que le obligan a sobrevivir, estirando hasta el hastío la pose en escenitas. Tanto ha sufrido por sobrevivir, que ha olvidado ganar. )http://www.levante-emv.com/castello/2017/06/10/cd-castellon-ahoga-tafalla/1578946.html)

The conceded last-minute goal meant the seventh consecutive season in 4^th league (Tercera Division) for the historic club, which has gathered 11 seasons in 1^st division and 41 seasons in 2^nd division (2ª División) in his 95-year long history. Furthermore in 1973 the club reached the Cup Final, but lost 2:0 to Athletic Bilbao. In 2010, C.D. Castellón was relegated to 3^rd division (2ªB) as bottom of the table, and the free-fall has not ceased since. Financially the club came agonisingly close to bankruptcy, that continues to hang like a sword of Damocles over the club, and on the sporting side almost to 5^th division.

Castellnou 2005 SL – Beginning of the end

In 2005 the albinegros acheived promotion to  2^nd division for the final time which coincided with the consortium Castellnou 2005 SL becaming majority shareholder, and in the process redirecting the fate of the club. A transaction that still is affecting the club, that bears features of a business crime novel, is still an ongoing court issue. Castellnou had bought the financially healthy club, with 12.000 sold season tickets, only to accumulate €5.4 million debts within the next six years. After five seasons in 2^nd division, they were relegated to 3^rd division for sporting reasons, and the year after the enforced relegation to 4^th division, due to unpaid salary payments of the players. Both relegations however were promoted by questionable decisions which led to the multiple investigations.

Relegation to 3^rd Division (2ªB)

At the top of Castellnou operated among others FIFA-player agent José Manuel García Osuna, the ex-president of UD Levante Antonio Blasco, as well as the businessman José Laparra (Ex-president). In the summer of 2008 the Club had just come off the back of a very respectable 5th place finish in the second tier (now Liga Adelante). However afterwards the number of dubious transfer decisions increased, respectively many players that had drawn the sale of star players most of whom leaving the club for little money or for free, while lesser performers saw their contracts extended for several years. Key players such as Manuel Arana, Mario Rosas and Pepe Mora left the club, without adequate replacements being signed. As a consequence of this transfer policy the relatively successful coach Paco Herrera shortly after, and in 2009/10 the club were relegated to 3^rd division as bottom of the table. That is why today in particular the ex-shareholder and player agent Osuna is villified, because according to federation statutes it was forbidden for him to exercise both functions at the same time. During his term 20 of his players wore the black and white jersey.

Relegation to 4^th Division (Tercera División)

As aforementioned, relegation was far away from being the lowest point of the tragic fall from grace. Instead of fighting for the instant promotion, the club finished the season 2010/11 on a disappointing 10^th place, before being relegated to 4^th division due to non-payment of staff and player salaries totalling €300.000. In between the players even went on strike, sitting down on the pitch during the match against Benidorm while receiving applause from their own fans who had travelled with them.

The enforced relegation could have probably been avoided, if the club had asked the Comunitat Valenciana (Valencian Government) for financial aid, because in total it stepped in with over €400 million to help other Valencian clubs (e.g. Valencia CF, Hércules Alicante, FC Elche). Despite of concessions made on behalf of the federation the club managers let expire several deadlines to pay the debts which would have averted relegation. Moreover, it came out in the current lawsuit that the club received in the same period a payment totalling €432.000 from U.D. Almería (2^nd instalment of the Ulloa sale), with which the salaries could have been paid and the relegation been prevented. But instead of using the money for salvation, the money went amongst others into companies of which Osuna and Blasco were shareholders, so that 89 years after its foundation the club was close to disappear.

4^th Division – Horror goes on

As if the nightmare in the 3rd division wasn’t bad enough, not even in 4^th division one could they compete for promotion. Instead they were relegation candidates however after after three sacked coaches and almost 40 used players, they managed to fend off relegation to the 5th tier of Spanish football. In September 2012 the businessman David Cruz superseded Castellnou as chairman, whereas a group of small shareholders (Sentimiento Albinegro) brought a charge against the old owners for systematic embezzlement and enrichment.

Current lawsuit – Horror without ending

With the leg process far from over, at present over 20 persons have to stand trial, while the club hopes it will still exist at the end of the process. The findings from trials so far have been that Castellnou systematically diverted money away from the club, by faking invoices or by paying above market price. The most shameless cases were two receipts for sports clothing for €99.660 and €408.325, even though both should have been provided by the then kit supplier Hummels. Further questions were raised by the transfer of the Argentinian Leandro Ulloa, who moved after his time at Castellón via U.D. Almería to Leicester City. In the meantime, it turned out that the albinegros had paid for 100% of the transfer rights, of which they only received 50%. The remaining 50% stayed in the hands of player agent Osuna. The documents of this transfer, as well as all other player contracts from the Castellnou-era have disappeared, which complicates the investigation.

Era Cruz – Horror ending

As Cruz continued as head of the club nothing changed: Salaries were not paid either, the debts increased further, and the club failed again and again in the promotional playoffs for 3^rd division. At the end, the mountain of debt of the 4^th division club accumulated was over €7 million, and it grew €50.000 per month; technically impossible in 4^th division! For this reason, now there are charges of embezzlement, falsification of documents, money laundering and corruption brought against Cruz. Furthermore, he and his Councillors are accused of having deliberately delayed, through lies and deliberate deceit, both the possible sale of the club and a lifesaving capital increase. In addition, last December he fired coach Frank Castelló for “disciplinary reasons”, after an unbeaten run of 16 games and occupying second place in the league. The dismissed coach declared to the press “he had never worked with such a bad president, and that this one did not care at all about the well being of the club”. On 12 June of this year terminated also the second dark chapter.

Fresh start – #AraSí

Before the start of the current, seventh consecutive season in 4^th division a merger of local employers under the name of “Capital Albinegro” took the helm of the club, whereby still being in a transition period. They reached an agreement with Cruz, saying that he temporarily continues to be majority shareholder, but that he hands over management tasks and presidency already. As soon as possible Capital Albinegro wants to do a capital write-down, with the goal that Cruz sells his shares. The only thing that could endanger the fresh start retrospectively is the current lawsuit. Especially if it would come out, that Cruz is not majority shareholder, but possibly still Osuna. Admittedly this is very unlikely, though after so many criminal actions in the case C.D. Castellón, it would be naïve to rule it out.

Siempre sale el sol en Castalia, el resurgir en blanco y negro⚪️⚫️, ¡¡ya despertó el gigante!!.#PPO pic.twitter.com/lnt1g1LkB7

— kiko Ramírez ?⚪️? (@enkikos) September 4, 2017

New president now is Vicente Montesinos, who is supported by the players Pablo Hernández (Leeds United) from distance, and Ángel Dealbert on-site. Further important personalities of the new board are Alfonso Hernández (father of Pablo and new vice-president), Pepe Mascarell (former head of Antena 3 sport desk) and Jordi Bruixola (inter alia former head of communications of Valencia CF and Real Zaragoza). The finances remain tentative the and the balance sheet is far from stable, but it has gone to acheiving a re-newed euphoria among the sorely afflicted supporters. In the first home match of the seasons against Buñol, over 8.000 fans found their way to Nuevo Estadio Castalia, and the club is confident about breaking the season card record in 4^th division established by Real Oviedo (12.700) during the season 2005/06. The reason for this is in first place the trust in the new management. Its priorities, after a financial analysis, are the financial recovery of the club, the payback of all salary debts, the strengthening of the youth departments, and the promotion to 3^rd division. Moreover, against all the odds, in five years the club hope to celebrate it’s centenary, something unimaginable on it’s 90th birthday just five years ago.