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Unión Deportiva Almeria, known across Spanish football simply as UD Almeria, is a professional football club based in the port city of Almeria, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Despite being one of the youngest clubs in Spanish top-flight history, UD Almeria has constantly oscillated between La Liga and the Segunda División while slowly carving out a reputation as one of the league's most well-run projects.
The club was established in 1989 before being reshaped by a 2001 merger with local rivals Polideportivo Almeria. UD Almeria spent its early years grinding through the lower tiers until Unai Emery, the legendary Spanish manager, guided them to La Liga in 2007. This success, however, brought with it a wave of turbulence, with financial uncertainty and boardroom upheaval, punctuated by the saving grace of a memorable run to the Copa del Rey semi-finals in 2011.
The club has since been owned by Saudi entrepreneur Turki Al-Sheikh, and is now controlled by the SMC Group, a consortium under Mohammed Al-Khereiji, with Cristiano Ronaldo's sports investment brand reserving a 25 per cent stake in the aspirational project since February 2026.
UD Almeria, quite disproportionate to its size and stature, has produced a fair share of recognisable players. From Alvaro Negredo, the top scorer for the club in its maiden La Liga campaign, to Darwin Nunez, who spent a loan season in Almeria colours, and more recently the Colombian Luis Suarez, El Bilal Toure and Marc Pubill, all of whom moved on to bigger European destinations, have graced the field for the red and white stripes.
UD Almeria was founded on 26 July 1989 as Almeria Club de Fútbol, becoming Unión Deportiva Almeria in 2001 after merging with Polideportivo Almeria. The 2005 Mediterranean Games gave the city a new stadium, and with Unai Emery on the touchline, UD Almeria secured a historic first promotion to La Liga as runners-up in 2006-07, finishing a club-best 8th the following season with Álvaro Negredo as top scorer. However, after being relegated in 2010-11, in the same campaign they reached their first-ever Copa del Rey semi-final, losing to FC Barcelona. Almeria returned to La Liga in 2013 via the play-offs, before another relegation in 2014-15 sent the club into a longer rebuilding period.
Turki Al-Sheikh's 2019 takeover reignited the club's ambitions, and after two play-off near-misses, UD Almeria won the Segunda División title outright in 2021-22, claiming its third promotion to La Liga. This return, however, was short-lived and humiliating simultaneously after a club-record 28-match winless run in 2023-24 ended in relegation. In May 2025, SMC Group acquired the club from Al-Sheikh for a figure reported at around €100 million, and in February 2026 Cristiano Ronaldo's CR7 Sports Investments bought a 25 per cent stake. UD Almeria, after this ownership boost, valiantly fought to finish 3rd in the 2025-26 Segunda División and reached the promotion final, before losing to Malaga in June 2026.
| Founded | 26 July 1989 (renamed UD Almeria in 2001) |
|---|---|
| Current Owner | SMC Group (75%) and CR7 Sports Investments (25%) |
| President | Mohammed Al-Khereiji |
| League | Segunda División (LaLiga Hypermotion) |
| Home Ground | UD Almeria Stadium |
| Capacity | 17,400 |
| Head Coach | Rubi |
UD Almeria's home ground, currently known as the UD Almeria Stadium, has been the club's base since it opened on 31 July 2004, built at a modest cost of around €21 million ahead of the Mediterranean Games. Originally christened Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos, it later carried the Power Horse Stadium name between 2022 and 2024 before reverting to its club-branded identity. With a capacity of around 17,400, the stadium produces an atmosphere visiting sides find difficult to handle. In June 2026, the club announced an €18 million redevelopment that will lower the pitch by six metres and bring the stands closer to the action, with completion expected by September 2027.
UD Almeria's financial profile has shifted dramatically since the 2019 Al-Sheikh takeover. SMC Group's 2025 acquisition was reportedly worth around €100 million, according to figures cited by Infobae, while Ronaldo's CR7 Sports Investments bought its 25 percent stake in February 2026 on undisclosed terms, as confirmed by Bloomberg and ESPN. The club has otherwise operated with competitive budgets by second-division standards, approving a squad budget of around €90 million during its 2023-24 La Liga campaign, with player-trading income continuing to offset the swings of moving between divisions.
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Being a young club, UD Almeria's trophy cabinet is light compared to Spain's historic institutions, and it is yet to lift a major national honour. Its achievements instead lie in the milestones reached along a turbulent but thrilling journey through Spanish football's various divisions
| Achievement | Number | Season(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Segunda División Champions | 1 | 2021-22 |
| La Liga Promotions | 3 | 2006-07, 2012-13, 2021-22 |
| Best La Liga Finish (8th) | 1 | 2007-08 |
| Copa del Rey | Semi-final | 2010-11 |
UD Almeria fans, often called Almeriensistas or Indalicos, have earned a reputation for loyalty through difficult seasons, including relegation battles, a 28-match winless run, and repeated ownership changes. Supporters regularly push the compact UD Almeria stadium close to capacity during promotion pushes, and Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival as co-owner in 2026 has brought a new wave of global attention to a club traditionally followed almost exclusively within Almeria province.
UD Almeria enters the second half of the 2020s with more genuine ambition than at any point in its history. With SMC Group's financial backing, Cristiano Ronaldo's commercial pull, and a redeveloped stadium on the way, the club's stated aim is a swift return to La Liga. Head coach Rubi has been tasked with building a squad capable of surviving the tight Segunda División promotion race, and subsequently setting the course for La Liga glory in the coming years.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns UD Almería?
UD Almería is owned by the Saudi-backed SMC Group (75%), led by Mohammed Al-Khereiji, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo's CR7 Sports Investments (25%), which acquired its stake in February 2026.
What is UD Almería's nickname?
UD Almería are commonly known as Los Rojiblancos, Los Indálicos, and occasionally the "Cowboys," a nod to the Tabernas desert near Almería, famously used as a filming location for Spaghetti Westerns.
Has UD Almería won any major trophies?
UD Almería has not yet won a major national trophy. Its biggest achievements remain its three La Liga promotions (2006-07, 2012-13, and 2021-22), most recently as Segunda División champions.
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