History

On 3 April 1920, the newspaper “Última Hora” published an article about the formation of new football clubs in Palma, which until then had been founded by members of the city’s middle and upper classes. One sentence in particular stood out:

“En los talleres de la Isleña hay noticias que se Hacen preparativos para formar un team.”

This meant that, for the first time, a team with working-class roots was being formed. It had been set up by employees of the Isleña Marítima shipping company, although trainee marine engineers and students pursuing the same profession also took part. The team adopted the name Mecánico.

The shirt featured the colours of Isleña Marítima: three white stripes on a blue background, inspired by the company’s initials painted on the funnels of its steamships. The blue shorts, meanwhile, were simply a matter of economy. They were made by suitably cutting down the workers’ old overalls that were no longer in use.

The club’s headquarters were at Can Rasca bar on Calle San Miguel, no. 67 (formerly 187), on the corner of Calle Olmos in Palma. With no ground of its own, the team played on an open area at the Muelle Viejo, next to the former offices of Isleña Marítima. Its president was Gabriel Cifré Borràs (1894-1993), a worker at the Isleña workshops.

Another sentence also stood out in the aforementioned article:

“En la Fundición de los señores Carbonell, se organiza otro once, que prometió ser un terrible rival por la corpulencia de la gente obrera que se alista.”

The team was formed by workers from Fundición Carbonell (popularly known as Can Salí), a small metalworking company located at 39 Calle Protectora (formerly Hort d’en Moranta, now Calle Jaume III). The team initially took the company’s name before later adopting the more generic name Mallorca as players from other companies began to join.

The team played in an all-white kit, with both shirt and shorts in white. They played their matches on a piece of land known as “Sa Síquia Reial”, located between the Avenidas (Avenida Conde de Sallent) and Calle Blanquerna in Palma. The club’s first leading figure was Bartolomé Llabrés Albertí (1886-1951). Its headquarters were at Can Meca bar, on the corner of Calle Arxiduc Lluís Salvador and the Avenidas in Palma. The team later moved its headquarters to Can Rasca, where Mallorca supporters shared the premises with those of Mecánico.

As soon as Mecánico and Mallorca began sharing Can Rasca, the idea arose of joining forces to create a stronger team. Following a joint assembly, the two clubs merged on 14 November 1920 under the name Baleares Foot-Ball Club.

The new club retained Can Rasca as its headquarters, while Mallorca’s ground (sa Síquia Reial) became its home pitch. A compromise was reached over the kit: the club adopted Mecánico’s blue-and-white shirt and Mallorca’s white shorts. Bartolomé Llabrés Albertí (1886-1951), who until then had been associated with Mallorca, was elected president.

Baleares FC made its debut on 21 November 1920, defeating Veloz Sport Balear 5-0 at their Velòdrom del Tirador ground. At the time, Veloz were one of the strongest teams around. From then on, the Club became a regular participant in competitions held across the Islands. As the new club continued to grow, it built a new ground at Son Canals (next to the Los Hostalets neighbourhood), which was officially opened on 24 July 1924. The club’s headquarters moved to Bar Triquet in 1922 and later, in 1928, to the premises of Asistencia Palmesana (Plaza de la Paja, 2).

It was not long before the team established itself as one of the strongest sides in the Islands and the main sporting rival of RCD Mallorca (known as Real Sociedad Alfonso XIII FC until 1931). From the very beginning, matches between the two sides aroused intense passions that went far beyond football itself.

A third predecessor of the present-day club was Balear Foot-Ball Club. The first known reference to its existence appeared in a letter published in the Palma newspaper El Día on 17 May 1922, in which the team captain challenged Baleares FC to play a friendly match.

The first recorded Balear FC match was played on 9 July that same year. The club took its name from the Teatro Balear, a theatre located directly opposite its headquarters, the Café Can Martí, at 13 Calle Zanoguera. The team wore blue shirts and white shorts. Initially, the club did not have a ground of its own, and it was not until early 1923 that it opened one in the Palma neighbourhood of El Molinar. At the beginning of 1925, the club suddenly ceased its activities and disappeared altogether by the middle of that year.

The Athletic Foot-Ball Club was founded on 13 September 1922, when a group of Balear FC members broke away to establish a new club. Its headquarters were set up at the Cafè Reñidero, at 3-4 Plaza del Olivar. Initially, the club had no ground of its own until the sa Punta ground opened in 1929. The team wore shirts with broad red and green stripes and black shorts.

In 1933, the club introduced several changes: it moved its headquarters to the Bar Palermo, at 27 Avenida Alexandre Rosselló (formerly 107), and replaced its red-and-green shirt with a red-and-white one featuring narrow stripes, similar to that worn by Athletic Club de Bilbao. Its first president was Antoni Forteza Piña (1901-1969), who had also been president and a founding member of Balear FC. Athletic was a much smaller club than Baleares and, unlike the latter, enjoyed a very cordial relationship with RCD Mallorca (formerly Alfonso XIII FC).

The club’s most successful period came in the 1939-40 season, when it won no fewer than three official titles: the Mallorca Championship, the Mallorca League and the Balearic League. In 1942, the city’s urban expansion forced the club to leave its ground. This ultimately led, just a few months later, to its merger with Balears FC.

The city’s urban expansion forced Athletic FC to leave its sa Punta ground. As the club lacked the financial resources to secure a new ground, it was facing the threat of disappearing. In an effort to survive, it approached other clubs in search of an agreement. Negotiations were initially held with RCD Mallorca, but despite reaching a preliminary agreement, talks eventually broke down: Athletic FC wanted the new club’s name to incorporate the names of both clubs (Atlético-Mallorca or Mallorca-Atlético), whereas Mallorca did not want any change to their name.

Shortly afterwards, the club entered into negotiations with Balears FC and this time an agreement was reached. As a result, Club Deportivo Atlético Baleares was founded on 27 May 1942, with Pere Serra Cladera (president of Baleares FC) as its first president and Francesc Riera Rigo (president of Athletic FC) as vice-president.

The agreement was legally formalised as a merger, although in practice the Baleares side incorporated the defining features of Athletic, almost all of which were carried over into the new club. Baleares retained their kit unchanged (blue and white), the same headquarters (then at Asistencia Palmesana) and the same ground (Son Canals). Their club infrastructure and supporter base were also considerably stronger than Athletic’s. In addition, Baleares brought with them their fierce rivalry with RCD Mallorca, something Athletic had never shared.

For its part, Athletic FC succeeded in having its name placed first in the new club’s name (Atlético-Baleares rather than Baleares-Atlético).

This means the origins of the present-day club can be traced back to 1920, the year Mecánico, Mallorca and Baleares Foot-Ball Club were founded.

Source: “Los orígenes del Atlético Baleares (1920 hasta 1942). De los inicios a la fusión”. (Lulú, 2013), by Manuel García Gargallo.

The new Atlético Baleares made its debut in the 1942/43 season with the following line-up: Pericàs, Amengual, Gil, Sureda, Pont, Matas, Mulet, Homar, Brondo, Albella and Riera. The team finished second in the Mallorca Championship and runners-up in the Balearic Islands tournament, earning direct promotion to the national Third Division. In the 1945/46 season, Atlético Baleares finished third and contested the intermediate promotion stage for a place in the Second Division, but were beaten by Levante, who ultimately went on to win promotion.

Five years later, in the 1950/51 season, Atlético Baleares reached the second tier of Spanish football. Promotion was achieved with the following side: Calpe, Soler, Germán, Duel, Simonet, Pueyo, Brondo, Alorda, Álvarez, Miguelin and Tomàs. Two seasons later, the club returned to the Third Division.

In 1960, the club left Son Canals, which had a capacity of 4,000, and moved to the Estadio Balear, a stadium capable of holding five times as many spectators. The new ground, designed by architect José Obrador, was inaugurated with a match between Atlético Baleares and Birmingham, which the home side won 2-0. The following season, 1960/61, Atlético Baleares won the Third Division championship, earning a place in the promotion play-offs. They first faced Olímpic de Xàtiva and then Amistad de Zaragoza. After winning both ties, the team secured promotion. The line-up for the final, decisive match was: García, Felipe, Pastor, Navarro, Dot, Villar, García II, Ricardito, Morro, Villarrubia and Villamide.

The club remained in the Second Division for two seasons (1961/62 and 1962/63). They finished tenth in the first and fourteenth in the second, which meant having to contest a play-off against a Third Division side. Their opponents were Algeciras, who defeated Atlético Baleares in a deciding match played at the Vallejo ground in Valencia. Atlético Baleares have not returned to the Second Division since.

During the 1960s, in 1965 and 1968, the club had two further opportunities to reach the Second Division, but on both occasions promotion eluded them.

In the 1972/73 season, Atlético Baleares were relegated to Primera Regional Preferente, where they remained for two seasons. After returning to the Third Division, they finished sixth in 1976/77, earning a place in the newly created Second Division B for the following campaign. At the end of the 1977/78 season, the club dropped back into the Third Division before suffering a second relegation to Primera Regional Preferente in 1980/81, where they remained for two seasons.

In 1987, with Damián Estelrich as president and Ignacio Martín Esperanza as coach, Atlético Baleares won promotion to Second Division B. Their second spell at this level lasted three years, slightly longer than their previous stay. The highlight was a sixth-place finish in the 1988/89 season, which left the club within touching distance of the long-awaited promotion to the Second Division. The following season, however, the team returned to the Third Division.

This marked the beginning of one of the most turbulent periods in the blue-and-white club’s history, with significant highs and lows. Atlético Baleares took part in promotion play-offs for a place in Second Division B on eleven occasions, but there were also difficult periods, particularly in 2002/03, 2003/04 and 2004/05, when a series of painful events left the club on the brink of disappearing and ultimately led to a third relegation to Primera Regional Preferente.

In the 2007/08 season, a board chaired by Fernando Crespí Luque, supported by a number of collaborators with financial backing and a strong commitment to the club, finally made a long-awaited dream come true. Eighteen years later, on 15 June 2008, at the Estadio Balear and after overcoming Gernika in the play-offs, Atlético Baleares were back in Second Division B. The joy was short-lived, as the team returned to the Third Division at the end of the following 2008/09 season. This time, however, things were different. Fernando Crespí remained president and, one year later, on 23 May 2010 in Tudela, Atlético Baleares regained their place in the division after a nail-biting match under coach Ángel Pedraza (RIP).

Atlético Baleares’ directors believed that if the club wanted to pursue greater ambitions, it needed to become a SAD (Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, a public limited sports company). A general meeting of members was therefore called, as they alone had the authority to decide the club’s future. The vote took place on 5 May 2011 at the former Cine Metropol. Amid an atmosphere of excitement and optimism, the result was overwhelming: of the 292 members who took part, 285 voted in favour, and Fernando Crespí was elected provisional president of the future company.

Against this backdrop of excitement and optimism, the 2011/12 season began. A squad had been assembled to challenge at the very top of the table, and it duly delivered. Atlético Baleares were crowned champions of Group 3 of Second Division B.

Under the promotion system, the champions could secure direct promotion to the Second Division by winning their first play-off tie. Their first opponents were Mirandés, with the opening match played in Miranda de Ebro. A 1-0 defeat still left plenty of room for hope. The following Sunday in Palma, amid levels of anticipation not seen for many years, Atlético Baleares lost 2-1. The club then entered a second promotion round, this time against Lugo, but once again failed to progress.

On 27 September 2012, the process of creating the SAD was completed. Fernando Crespí Luque remained president and the share capital was distributed as follows: Bartolomé Cursach Mas became the majority shareholder with 66.43%, Fernando Crespí Luque held 12.14%, the Horrach family 5.14%, and other shareholders the remaining 16.29%.

Despite the disappointment of the previous campaign, the 2012/13 season was again planned with promotion in mind, albeit with a considerably smaller budget. Expectations were not met, however, and the team spent most of the campaign in mid-table, at times dangerously close to the relegation places. Safety was not secured until two matches remained. The most positive development of the season was the youth team’s promotion to the División de Honor.

At the end of the season, the two main shareholders, Bartolomé Cursach Mas and Fernando Crespí Luque, announced that they would no longer provide further financial support to Atlético Baleares. They did, however, state that they would place no obstacles in the way of any individual or group interested in acquiring their shares.

But the bad news did not end there. At the same time, a creditor filed a claim over an old debt, resulting in judicial intervention in the company. As if that were not enough, another setback made matters worse. On 3 June 2013, a wall at the stadium collapsed and, a few days later, on 15 June, Palma City Council ordered the closure of the Estadio Balear.

Members and supporters were left asking: where would the team play now? History seemed to be repeating itself, with the ghosts of sa Punta and Son Canals returning to haunt the club. However, the directors, now led by lawyer Daniel Fiol Lustenberger, acted quickly and, after several rounds of negotiations, secured the use of the Municipal Sports Centre in Magaluf from Calvià Town Council.

The club’s financial situation left little room for manoeuvre, so the decision was made to sign players based on the Island, together with a small number of loanees, including Florin Anone from Villareal.

One coach who shared this philosophy was Nicolás López Vidal, Nico López, who had previously managed the club in the 2002/03 season. He was entrusted with leading the team. Atlético Baleares occupied the play-off positions for almost the entire campaign, but lost momentum towards the end and eventually finished fifth.

Shortly before the end of the season, the club entered insolvency proceedings and Demetrio Madrid Alonso was appointed insolvency administrator.

The arrival of Ingo Volckmann

With the club in insolvency proceedings, 2 June 2014 saw the confirmation of Ingo Volckmann as the new owner of Atlético Baleares. A German-born businessman with ties to Mallorca through his interests in the hospitality industry, he initially acquired 51% of the club’s share capital and ushered in a new era in its history.

One of the first issues the new ownership had to address was the team’s home ground. In June 2014, Atlético Baleares reached an agreement with the Football Federation of the Balearic Islands (FFIB) to lease the Son Malferit ground, with the club itself covering the necessary refurbishment and improvement works. Son Malferit thus became the first team’s new home.

At the same time, the new ownership worked to resolve the club’s precarious financial situation. The process moved remarkably quickly and, by the end of October 2014, just a few months after Volckmann’s arrival, Atlético Baleares emerged from insolvency proceedings in what became one of the fastest such processes recorded in Spanish football.

Once the club’s finances had been stabilised, work could begin on its sporting and structural development. At the beginning of 2015, the youth academy was restored and reorganised, beginning this new phase with twelve teams. The club’s commitment to youth development grew steadily over the following years, reaching 16 youth teams and three women’s teams by 2024.

Another decisive step in consolidating this new institutional era came in March 2015, when the club carried out a three-million-euro share capital increase. The operation reinforced the new ownership’s control and further strengthened the club financially.

2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons

On the pitch, the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons saw squads assembled with enough quality to generate optimism and raise hopes of another promotion campaign. That objective was not achieved, but the latter season did produce one of the major successes of this era.

Atlético Baleares reached the final of the Copa de la Real Federación Española de Fútbol, where they faced Rayo Majadahonda. The first leg in Madrid ended in a 2-2 draw. One week later, on 13 April 2016, Son Malferit hosted the return leg. A 1-0 victory saw Atlético Baleares crowned Copa Federación champions, one of the most significant trophies in the club’s recent history.

2016/17 season

For the 2016/17 season, the club once again assembled a squad with high ambitions. Former Germany international Christian Ziege was appointed head coach. However, as the season progressed, performances fell short of expectations and Ziege was dismissed in March 2017. He was replaced by José Joaquín Moreno, “Josico”.

The change proved decisive. The team produced a remarkable late-season surge and qualified for the promotion play-offs. Atlético Baleares overcame Toledo in the first round before facing Albacete, who eventually knocked them out after a tie in which the Balearic side came very close to progressing.

That same year, in 2017, Atlético Baleares and Palma City Council reached an agreement to renovate the historic Estadio Balear, with the cost of the work covered by the club. This marked the beginning of one of the most important projects of the new institutional era: restoring and modernising the club’s historic home.

2017/18 season

The 2017/18 season, by contrast, was a disappointing one. Josico did not continue and his replacement, Armando de la Morena, was unable to get the expected performances from the squad. Around a third of the way into the campaign, the team sat 14th and the coach was dismissed.

He was replaced by Horacio Melgarejo, whose spell was also short-lived. Manix Mandiola then took charge. The change in the team’s attitude was clear, although it took time to translate into results. By matchday 32, Atlético Baleares were second from bottom, but improved performances, several crucial victories and a favourable combination of other results allowed the blue-and-whites to secure a dramatic escape from relegation.

2018/19 season

The 2018/19 season brought a spectacular turnaround. With Manix Mandiola in charge, Atlético Baleares were crowned champions of their Segunda División B group. In the promotion play-offs they faced Racing de Santander, then Melilla and finally Mirandés. Once again, the team came agonisingly close to securing the long-awaited promotion to the Second Division.

2019/20 season

The 2019/20 season was marked by two historic events. The first came in September 2019, when Atlético Baleares returned to the Estadio Balear, completely refurbished after two years of work. The homecoming was celebrated with a 1-0 victory over Las Palmas Atlético, the reserve side of UD Las Palmas, in a Segunda División B fixture.

The restoration of the Estadio Balear was made possible by the generosity of the Junta Pro-Campo and the major financial commitment made by Ingo Volckmann and the club’s ownership. Atlético Baleares thus regained its historic home, now transformed into a modern venue adapted to the club’s new requirements.

On the pitch, Mandiola’s side produced another outstanding season. The regular competition could not be completed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Atlético Baleares were once again declared champions of their Segunda B group, for the second consecutive season. In the promotion play-offs, held under an exceptional format, the team faced Cartagena and then Cornellà, once again coming very close to reaching the Second Division.

2020/21 season

The 2020/21 season was equally unusual because of the restructuring of Spanish football’s league system. With the campaign sitting between the old Segunda División B and the new federation structure, Atlético Baleares entered the season with a heavily revamped squad. Jordi Roger began the season as head coach before Xavi Calm replaced him in March 2021. The club achieved one of its key objectives by securing a place in the newly created Primera RFEF, which became the third tier of Spanish football. In fact, under Calm, the team came close to qualifying for the play-offs for promotion to Segunda División A.

2021/22 season

The 2021/22 season therefore marked Atlético Baleares’ debut in Primera RFEF. The blue-and-whites spent much of the campaign inside the top five, the positions that granted access to the promotion play-offs. However, two unexpected draws in decisive fixtures against Atlético Sanluqueño and UCAM Murcia ultimately pushed the team out of those places.

The situation prompted another change in the dugout. Eloy Jiménez stepped down and Jordi Roger returned to take charge for the final match of the season. Atlético Baleares ended the league campaign with an emphatic 4-0 victory, although it was not enough to secure a play-off place.

The season was also particularly memorable for the club’s outstanding Copa del Rey run. Under Xavi Calm, ATB knocked out two LaLiga sides, Getafe and Celta. On 16 December 2021, the blue-and-whites enjoyed one of the most memorable nights in their history with a stunning 5-0 win over Getafe. At the beginning of 2022, the team gave the supporters another night to remember by beating Celta 2-1 and advancing to the Copa del Rey round of 32. There, another top-flight side, Valencia, ended the Balearic dream with a narrow 1-0 win at the Estadio Balear. It was an outstanding cup campaign.

2022/23 season

The 2022/23 season proved far more difficult. The team had no fewer than four different coaches: Jordi Roger, David Sierra, Onésimo Sánchez and Tato García. Atlético Baleares spent much of the campaign in the Segunda RFEF relegation places, but secured survival on the final day thanks to an away victory against Logroñés.

2023/24 season

The situation worsened in the 2023/24 season. The team remained in the relegation places for almost the entire campaign, from the second matchday through to the end. Neither Tato García nor his successor Juanma Barrero managed to turn things around.

Mallorcan coach Jaume Mut took charge for the final ten matches, with one eye already on planning for the following season as avoiding relegation had become an extremely difficult task. Atlético Baleares were eventually relegated to Segunda RFEF.

The major positives that season came from other sporting areas of the club. The men’s youth team and Balears FC, representing the club’s women’s football project, both achieved promotion, reflecting the growth of the youth and women’s sections during those years.

2024/25 season

Now competing in Segunda RFEF in the 2024/25 season, the club assembled a squad with the objective of immediately regaining the lost category. Jaume Mut kept the team near the top of the table, albeit with some inconsistencies. After four consecutive draws and with the team on matchday 22, the club decided to make a change in the dugout.

Luis Blanco took charge and quickly got the team back on track. Atlético Baleares returned to the play-off positions and steadily improved their performances before finishing second in the regular season.

Atlético Baleares had home advantage in the promotion play-offs, but Teruel ended their hopes. The tie concluded with a frantic match at the Estadio Balear. The Aragonese side took the lead twice and Atlético Baleares fought back to equalise on both occasions, but the visitors exploited the spaces on the counter-attack late on to win 5-2 and bring the promotion dream to an end.

2025/26 season

For the 2025/26 season, the ownership retained its confidence in Luis Blanco as head coach. Another highly competitive squad was assembled and finished second in the Segunda RFEF regular season, level on points with the champions.

In the promotion play-offs, Atlético Baleares overcame Galician side Coruxo in the first round and reached the decisive tie, where they were beaten by Real Jaén, leaving the club just short of promotion for the second consecutive season.

That campaign also featured another impressive run in the Copa del Rey. Luis Blanco’s side knocked out LaLiga club RCD Espanyol before coming very close to causing another major upset against Atlético de Madrid.

Another event of particular institutional significance took place in November 2025. The main stand at the Estadio Balear was officially inaugurated under the name “Grada Ingo Volckmann”, in recognition of the owner’s contribution to the restoration of the stadium and the transformation undergone by the club since his arrival.

2026/27 season

In the 2026/27 season, Atlético Baleares continues to make progress in its drive for growth and improvement across all areas of the club. On the sporting side, it has assembled a competitive squad with the aim of challenging for promotion once again and has appointed Óscar Troya, one of the most highly regarded coaches in Balearic football, as head coach.

This new phase retains the club’s sporting ambition while also deepening its development off the pitch, with improvements in the institutional, communications and marketing departments aimed at strengthening Atlético Baleares’ structure, image and social presence.

At the same time, the club has increased its commitment to talent from the Balearic Islands, with a greater presence of Mallorcan players and coaches within the sporting project.

Atlético Baleares continues to place special emphasis on youth football and the development of young players, complementing the work of its academy teams with the organisation of football camps and a football school. This commitment to development also extends to women’s football, with Balears FC as its leading team and a further three girls’ youth teams, consolidating a structure that now covers every stage from grassroots development through to senior football.

All of this forms part of a project designed to continue strengthening the club in every area, while never losing sight of one of its main sporting objectives: returning the first team to the higher divisions.

A new chapter in the club’s history

The arrival of Ingo Volckmann in June 2014 marked a turning point in the recent history of Atlético Baleares. He joined the club at one of the most difficult financial moments in its history and, within a matter of months, helped resolve the insolvency proceedings, stabilise the accounts and lay the foundations for a more professional structure.

From then on, the transformation extended far beyond the first team. The youth academy was restored and strengthened, women’s football was developed, the club’s professional structure was reinforced and essential investments were made to help secure its future.

One of the most visible symbols of this era was the restoration of the Estadio Balear. After decades of history and years of gradual deterioration, the ground was completely refurbished and reopened in September 2019, allowing Atlético Baleares to return to its historic home in a fully renovated stadium.

On the sporting side, since 2014 the first team has enjoyed some of the most competitive periods in its recent history: it won the Copa Federación in 2016, contested several promotion play-offs, claimed two consecutive Segunda División B championships, competed in the new Primera RFEF and enjoyed notable runs in the Copa del Rey.

Relegation to Segunda RFEF in 2024 brought a new sporting challenge. In the following two seasons, Atlético Baleares once again established itself among the main promotion contenders and reached the play-offs in consecutive campaigns as it sought to regain its place in the third tier.

More than a decade after that 2 June 2014, the era that began with the arrival of Ingo Volckmann is defined not only by the first team’s results, but also by a profound financial, infrastructural, structural and sporting transformation of Atlético Baleares.

Source: Antonio Salas Fuster and CD Atlético Baleares.