CP Mérida

Club Polideportivo Mérida was a Spanish football team based in Mérida, in the autonomous community of Extremadura.

Mérida

Full name	Club Polideportivo Mérida
Nickname(s)	Romanos Pecholatas
Founded	1912
Dissolved	2000
Ground	Romano, Mérida
Capacity	14,600
1999–2000	Segunda División, 6th
Home colours Away colours

Having played twice in La Liga (1995–96 and 1997–98), the club was dissolved in 2000,^[1][2] due to serious economic debts. Its successor was renamed Mérida UD.^[3]

History

The team founded in 1912 under the name Sportiva Emeritense. It became one of the first teams from Extremadura to play professional football. The club first began playing football in 1943, when it was admitted to Tercera Division. They spent four years there, after which the team was relegated to regional leagues for two years. Merida returned to Tercera division in 1949. Following 12 years in the third tier, Merida was again demoted to the fourth tier in 1961, but only for one year. Until 1980, the team kept bouncing between the third and fourth tiers.

In 1980, Merida first promoted to the newly created Spanish third tier - the Segunda Division B. They returned to Segunda B in 1989, where they stayed for two seasons. The period from 1990 is generally considered the "golden age" in Merida's history.

The team was promoted to Segunda Division for the first time ever in 1991, when they finished fourth in Segunda B. Three strong seasons were followed by another, even better, when the team managed to win Segunda Division and promote to La Liga for the first time in 1995. The 1995-96 La Liga season was difficult and ended in relegation for Merida. They, however returned to the elite one season later, for the 1997-98 La Liga season. However, the team could not avoid relegation again, and were demoted to Segunda once more.

Following two decent seasons in Segunda, the owners of Merida declared bankruptcy and the team folded in 2000. A successor club, named Merida UD. This was mainly done by fans of the original club, who wanted to preserve the legacy and traditions of the old club, since the city was left without a professional club.

As of 2023, CP Merida and CF Extremadura are the only two teams from Extremadura to have played football in La Liga.

Club background

• Sportiva Emeritense — (1912–20)
• Club Catalanes — Club MZA — (1920–21)
• Club Emerita — (1921–36)
• Spanish Civil War – No team — (1936–39)
• SD Emeritense — (1939–66)
• Mérida Industrial CF — (1966–85)
• CP Mérida — (1985–2000)
• Mérida UD — (1990–2013)
• Mérida AD — (2013–present)

Seasons

Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey 1943–44 3 3ª 4th 1944–45 3 3ª 8th 1945–46 3 3ª 10th 1946–47 3 3ª 7th 1947–48 4 Regional — 1948–49 4 Regional — 1949–50 3 3ª 16th 1950–51 3 3ª 9th 1951–52 3 3ª 4th 1952–53 3 3ª 9th 1953–54 3 3ª 4th 1954–55 3 3ª 2nd 1955–56 3 3ª 3rd 1956–57 3 3ª 1st 1957–58 3 3ª 4th 1958–59 3 3ª 11th

Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey 1959–60 3 3ª 4th 1960–61 3 3ª 15th 1961–62 4 Regional — 1962–63 3 3ª 9th 1963–64 3 3ª 11th 1964–65 3 3ª 9th 1965–66 3 3ª 9th 1966–67 3 3ª 6th 1967–68 3 3ª 4th 1968–69 3 3ª 10th 1969–70 3 3ª 7th 1970–71 3 3ª 17th from 71 to 76 4 Regional — 1976–77 3 3ª 15th 1977–78 4 3ª 8th 1978–79 4 3ª 4th

Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey 1979–80 4 3ª 1st 1980–81 3 2ªB 18th 1981–82 4 3ª 2nd 1982–83 4 3ª 6th 1983–84 4 3ª 6th 1984–85 4 3ª 4th 1985–86 4 3ª 7th 1986–87 4 3ª 12th 1987–88 4 3ª 2nd 1988–89 4 3ª 1st 1989–90 3 2ªB 8th

Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey 1990–91 3 2ªB 4th 1991–92 2 2ª 7th 1992–93 2 2ª 9th 1993–94 2 2ª 9th 1994–95 2 2ª 1st 1995–96 1 1ª 21st 1996–97 2 2ª 1st 1997–98 1 1ª 19th 1998–99 2 2ª 10th 1999–2000 2 2ª 6th

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• 2 seasons in La Liga
• 7 seasons in Segunda División
• 3 seasons in Segunda División B
• 37 seasons in Tercera División

References

1. Los extremeños le dan la plaza al Recreativo
2. En peligro
3. La UD Mérida, en busca del terreno perdido