Editing Sporting de Gijón (section)

==History==

===1905–1940: First years===
The club was established in 1905 with the name '''Sporting Gijonés''', Anselmo López being the first club president. The first game of the club is dated on 18 August 1907, against Sport Ovetense.<ref name="1900s">{{cite web|url=http://www.realsporting.com/webrsg/index.php/template/2015-01-31-10-14-40/2015-01-31-12-06-07/1900-1910|publisher=Sporting de Gijón|title=1900–1910|access-date=4 October 2016|language=es}}</ref> The decline of other local clubs like [[Gijón Sport Club]] (founded in 1903) and Sportiva Gijonesa allowed Sporting Gijonés to become the main team in the city.<ref name="1910s">{{cite web|url=http://www.realsporting.com/webrsg/index.php/template/2015-01-31-10-14-40/2015-01-31-12-06-07/1911-1920|publisher=Sporting de Gijón|title=1910–1920|access-date=4 October 2016|language=es}}</ref> In 1912, King [[Alfonso XIII]] accepted the Royal patronage of the club for the Spanish Crown, introducing the term "Real" (Spanish for ''Royal'') to its name, becoming '''Real Sporting Club Gijonés'''.<ref name="1910s" />

In 1914, Sporting Gijón won its first [[Regional Championship of Asturias]], success repeated two years later when the club started the first steps to buy [[El Molinón]], where Sporting started to play its games in 1915. On 2 April 1916, a new change took place to adopt today's denomination, '''Real Sporting de Gijón'''. Thanks to the win at the Regional Championship, on 24 April 1917 the club made its debut in the [[Copa del Rey]], but was eliminated in the first round by [[Arenas Club de Getxo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.realsporting.com/noticia/un-siglo-desde-el-debut-en-competicion-nacional-oficial|language=es|date=25 December 2017|access-date=25 December 2017|title=Un siglo desde el debut en competición nacional oficial|trans-title=One century of the debut in official national competition|publisher=Sporting de Gijón}}</ref> Sporting lost both games by 0–1 in Gijón and 0–7 at the Basque Country.

On 9 October 1921, Manolo Meana became the first Sporting Gijón player to be called up with the [[Spain men's national football team|Spanish national team]], for a friendly game against [[Belgium national football team|Belgium]]. In 1929, Sporting Gijón joined [[Segunda División]]. In its [[1929 Segunda División|first season]], the club finished in the fourth position.<ref name="1920s">{{cite web|url=http://www.realsporting.com/webrsg/index.php/template/2015-01-31-10-14-40/2015-01-31-12-06-07/1921-1930|publisher=Sporting de Gijón|title=1920–1930|access-date=4 October 2016|language=es}}</ref>

[[File:Real_Gijón.jpg|thumb|left|100px|Logo during Real Gijón era.]]

===1940–1970: Real Gijón era===
From 1940 until 1970, due to a temporary law forbidding the use of foreign words in football club names, the team's official denomination was '''Real Gijón'''.

In 1944, the club was promoted to [[La Liga]] for the first time as champion of the [[1943–44 Segunda División]]. The first game in the top tier was played on 24 September 1944, against [[RCD Español|Español]] at Sarriá. The game finished without goals. The first goal was scored in the next game against [[Deportivo de La Coruña]], by Gundemaro, but the first win did not arrive until the week 6, when the team beat [[Atlético Aviación]] by 2–0. Sporting Still is in remaining in La Liga Right now.

Until the 1970s, Sporting alternated both divisions, spending all the decade of the 1960s in Segunda División. At the end of the [[1960–61 Segunda División]] the club was relegated to [[Tercera División]] after losing the relegation playoffs against [[Burgos CF (I)|Burgos]], but the resignation of [[CD Condal|Condal]] to continue playing in the second tier allows Sporting to play a repechage playoff against [[Sevilla Atlético]] and [[CD Castellón|Castellón]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cihefe.es/cuadernosdefutbol/2009/11/el-torneo-relampago-de-mallorca-en-1961/|publisher=CIHEFE|language=es|date=17 October 2009|access-date=24 April 2017|title=El Torneo Relámpago de Mallorca en 1961}}</ref> In the first match, Sporting tied 3–3 against Castellón. The winner of the match would be decided by a [[coin toss]]. After winning the two previous coin tosses during the match, choosing tails in both, captain [[Pepe Ortiz]] decided to choose again tails, and Sporting became the winner of the game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lavozdeasturias.es/noticia/deportes/2016/05/11/seis-milagros-resucitaron-sporting/00031462958289221763503.htm|publisher=La Voz de Asturias|access-date=23 January 2017|date=11 May 2016|language=es|title=Los seis milagros que resucitaron al Sporting}}</ref> In the final for remaining in the category, Sporting defeated Sevilla Atlético by 2–1.

===1970–1992: The golden years and ''EuroSporting''===
[[File:Quini 1983.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Quini]], Sporting's all-time top scorer, was one of the club's best players during their golden years.]]
In 1970, with the name of "Sporting" recovered,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hemeroteca.elcomercio.es/cgi-bin/Pandora.exe?fn=select;query=id:0000356553;xslt=pagina;publication=El%20Comercio;place=Gij%C3%B3n;day=23;month=07;year=1970;page=017;filename=70L23;encoding=utf-8|publisher=El Comercio Hemerotec|date=23 July 1970|access-date=23 July 2017|title=Se autoriza al presidente rojiblanco para la enajenación de "Los Fresno"|language=es}}</ref> the club would start its consolidation in La Liga despite a relegation to Segunda División in 1975. This year would mean the start of the golden era of the club.

Just after promoting in 1976, Sporting Gijón started the [[1977–78 La Liga|1977–78 season]] by accumulating eight matches without losses. Finally, the ''Rojiblancos'' finished in the fifth position qualifying for the first time to the [[UEFA Cup]].

Players like [[Quini]], [[Cundi (footballer)|Cundi]], [[Enzo Ferrero]] or [[Antonio Maceda]] and others would make history in the [[1978–79 Sporting de Gijón season|1978–79 club's season]], considered the best one in the history of the club. The season started with the first round of the [[1978–79 UEFA Cup|UEFA Cup]], where on 13 September 1978, Sporting beat [[Torino F.C.|Torino]] 3–0 at El Molinón. In the second round, Sporting was eliminated by [[Red Star Belgrade]]. The club finished the first half of [[1978–79 La Liga|La Liga]] leading the table, tied in points with [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]], but a 0–1 loss to the ''Merengues'' completely ruined their title hopes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2010/11/14/mas_futbol/1289719631_850215.html|publisher=As|language=es|date=14 November 2010|title=¡Así, así gana el Madrid!}}</ref>

In 1981, the club played for the first time the Cup [[1981 Copa del Rey Final|Final]]. In the game played at [[Estadio Vicente Calderón]] on 18 June 1981, Sporting was defeated 1–3 by [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]]. Former Sporting Gijón player Quini, considered as the most important player in the club's history, scored two goals for the ''blaugranas''. Sporting repeated success in [[1982 Copa del Rey Final|1982]], but this time Real Madrid beat the ''rojiblancos'' 1–2. During the 1980s Sporting accumulated four more participations at UEFA Cup, but always was eliminated in the first round. On 16 September 1987, Sporting won the first leg game against [[Arrigo Sacchi]]'s [[A.C. Milan|AC Milan]], but a 0–3 defeat in Italy cut off Sporting's possibilities. In the previous [[1986–87 La Liga|1986–87 season]], Sporting beat Barcelona at [[Camp Nou]] by 0–4, the biggest win away in the club's history in La Liga. One year before, Manuel Vega-Arango, president since 1977, left office.

The last UEFA Cup participation was during the [[1991–92 Sporting de Gijón season|1991–92 season]]. Sporting Gijón eliminated [[FK Partizan|Partizan]] after a penalty shootout, but failed to defeat [[FC Steaua București|Steaua București]] in the second round.

On 6 October 1992, Sporting Gijón played its 1,000th game in La Liga.

===1992–2008: Decline of the club===
In 1992, following the law, Real Sporting de Gijón became a [[Sociedad Anónima Deportiva]]. Its official name since that moment is ''Real Sporting de Gijón, S.A.D.'' The internal financial crisis and the departure of important players triggers the decline of the club, pushing it to the lower positions in La Liga. In the [[1994–95 Sporting de Gijón season|1994–95 season]], Sporting remained in La Liga thanks to winning the relegation playoffs against [[UE Lleida|Lleida]], but three years later, following a disastrous [[1997–98 Sporting de Gijón season|1997–98 campaign]] where Sporting only earned 13 points (two wins and seven draws in 38 games), the club was relegated to [[Segunda División|Second Division]], finishing its 21-year continuous stretch in La Liga.

Due to the financial crisis during the 2000s, the club was menaced by its possible dissolution and was forced to sell the [[Escuela de Fútbol de Mareo]] to the Municipal Town Hall for €12m in August 2001. The [[2003–04 Sporting de Gijón season|2003–04 season]] started with several doubts after the transfer of [[David Villa]] to [[Real Zaragoza|Zaragoza]] and the election of [[Marcelino García Toral]] as head coach, who previously relegated the [[Sporting de Gijón B|reserve team]] to [[Tercera División]]. However, the club was close to promotion to La Liga, but failed to accomplish the goal, finishing in the fifth position. After accumulating €51m of debts in its worst years, Real Sporting was close to being administratively relegated at the end of the [[2004–05 Sporting de Gijón season|2004–05 season]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2005/07/29/mas_futbol/1122618459_850215.html|title=José Fernández pondrá los 1,5 millones de euros|date=29 June 2005|publisher=As|language=es|access-date=17 March 2017}}</ref>

===2008–2012: Return to La Liga with Manuel Preciado===
[[File:Sporting xixon.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Football players celebrate with their fans the club's return to top-flight, 15 June 2008]]
With [[Manuel Preciado Rebolledo|Manuel Preciado]] at the helm of the team since 2006, the [[2007–08 Sporting de Gijón season|2007–08 season]] started with the club unbeaten during the first nine games. Finally, on 15 June 2008, the club secured promotion back to La Liga after beating 2–0 [[SD Eibar|Eibar]] in the last round.

In its first season after the return, the [[2008–09 La Liga|2008–09]], Sporting conceded 20 goals in its first five games, but achieved important wins like the one at [[Mestalla]] against [[Valencia CF|Valencia]] by 3–2 or the 1–0 win against [[Sevilla FC|Sevilla]]. In a season where the team broke La Liga record of 29 consecutive games without any draw (a 1–1 finish with [[Athletic Bilbao]] on 3 May 2009), Sporting avoided relegation in the last round after a win by 2–1 against last qualified [[Recreativo de Huelva]].

On 2 April 2011, they beat [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]] 1–0 at [[Santiago Bernabéu Stadium]] to end Real manager [[José Mourinho]]'s nine-year home league unbeaten run.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/12948539.stm|title=Mourinho's unbeaten home run ends|publisher=BBC|date=2 April 2011 |access-date=2 April 2011 | location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2011/apr/04/jose-mourinho-madrid-la-liga|title=After nine years, 151 games and four clubs, José Mourinho's record ends|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=4 April 2011 |access-date=17 June 2012|location=London|first=Sid|last=Lowe}}</ref> This was the best [[2010–11 Sporting de Gijón season|season of the club]] since the last promotion, as it finished in the 10th position.

The [[2011–12 Sporting de Gijón season|2011–12 season]] started without wins in the first eight games and the team remained in the relegation positions almost all the season. On 31 January 2012, after a 5–1 loss against [[Real Sociedad]], Manolo Preciado was sacked.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.as.com/futbol/articulo/lamento-hice-algo-mal-sere/20120131dasdasftb_19/Tes|title=Lamento si hice algo mal, seré de este equipo siempre|trans-title="I'm sorry if i did something wrong, this will be my team for always"|newspaper=[[Diario AS]]|date=31 January 2012|language=es}}</ref> The Cantabrian coach ended his era after nearly six years in the club and being very appreciated by all the club supporters. [[Javier Clemente]] was hired for avoiding the relegation, but despite keeping the possibilities until the last round, failed and the club was condemned to a new relegation, that carried a new financial crisis in the club.

===2014–2022: ''Los guajes'' and a new decline===
[[File:Deportivosporting.jpg|thumb|[[Deportivo de La Coruña]] vs. Sporting de Gijón.]]
On 4 May 2014, [[Abelardo Fernández]] was appointed as head coach after [[José Ramón Sandoval]] was sacked. In his first season, he could not win Gijón promotion to La Liga after being eliminated in the semi-finals of the [[2014 Segunda División play-offs|play-offs]] by [[UD Las Palmas|Las Palmas]].

However, the manager extended his contract for two years. Sporting was not allowed to sign any player out from the reserve team during [[2014–15 Sporting de Gijón season|2014–15 season]] due to the non-payments, but despite this disadvantage, Sporting once again returned to La Liga with a squad where 17 players played before in the reserve team or any of the youth teams of the club. After only two losses in all the season, Sporting promoted in the last round by beating 3–0 [[Real Betis]] at [[Estadio Benito Villamarín|Benito Villamarín stadium]] and a late equaliser conceded by rival [[Girona FC|Girona]] in their separate match against [[CD Lugo]], when Sporting's game just finished.

During its [[2015–16 Sporting de Gijón season|comeback season]], Sporting had the same sanction due to a delay in payments to the players during the previous season. The club was only allowed to sign, by loan, three new under-23 players without experience in La Liga ([[Antonio Sanabria]] from [[A.S. Roma|Roma]], [[Alen Halilović]] from Barcelona and [[Omar Mascarell]] from Real Madrid).

The season started with a 0–0 draw against Real Madrid, managed by [[Rafa Benítez]], at [[El Molinón]]. Despite an irregular path, Sporting obtained very important wins like a 1–0 at [[Mestalla]], a 2–1 against [[Atlético Madrid]] or a 5–1 against [[Real Sociedad]]. After earning a 1–1 draw at [[Getafe CF|Getafe]], the club finally avoided relegation in the last round after beating [[Villarreal CF|Villarreal]] by 2–0 and taking advantage of the win of Real Betis against Getafe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.as.com/en/2016/05/15/football/1463343024_658570.html|title=Sporting Gijón escape drop as Getafe, Rayo Vallecano go down|publisher=As|date=15 May 2016|access-date=30 May 2016}}</ref> The era of Abelardo ended in January 2017, when he left the club after earning only five points in 15 matches and, despite changing the manager, the club was finally relegated again to Segunda División.

In the successive years, Sporting remained in Segunda División, only playing the promotion play-offs in 2018. The club continued a decline until 2022, where it narrowly avoided relegation to the third division. Abelardo came back to ensure the place in Segunda in the latest four rounds.

===2022–present: Grupo Orlegi as new owners===
On 28 June 2022, majority shareholder Javier Fernández sold the club to Mexican group Orlegi Sports by €43m, thus becoming the second highest sale of a club in Spain.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lne.es/sporting/2022/06/28/peter-lim-pago-43-millones-67734297.html|publisher=[[La Nueva España]]|date=28 June 2022|title=Solo Peter Lim pagó más que los 43 millones de Orlegi por el Sporting|language=es}}</ref> Alejandro Irarragorri became the first foreign President of the club.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elcomercio.es/sporting/sporting-orlegi-firma-venta-20220628090801-nt.html|publisher=[[El Comercio (Spain)|El Comercio]]|date=28 June 2022|title=Alejandro Irarragorri y Javier Fernández firman la venta del Sporting en una notaría de Madrid|language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lne.es/sporting/2022/06/28/orlegi-oficial-compra-sporting-compromiso-67753542.html|publisher=[[La Nueva España]]|language=es|date=28 June 2022|title=Orlegi hace oficial la compra del Sporting con el "compromiso de desarrollar su máximo potencial como club y cantera"}}</ref>

After two first seasons narrowly avoiding relegation to the third division, in 2024 Sporting Gijón qualified again to the promotion play-offs to La Liga. However, it was eliminated in the first round against [[RCD Espanyol|Espanyol]].