Adrian Ortolá returns to Spain to join CE Sabadell

Friday 3rd February 2023
Mike Smith

After just five months playing in Belgium for Challenger Pro League side KMSK Deinze, goalkeeper Adrián Ortolá has returned to Spain to join Primera Federación side CE Sabadell. The 29-year-old has played more than 100 games in the Segunda División, the level above, and has arrived in Cataluña to help his new side by providing the experience and security between the sticks.

Speaking to the club’s media team during the announcement of his arrival, Ortolá said “I’m not joining just any team. Sabadell is a historic side and I want to help the project and the club to be where it needs to be. I come with the mentality of helping and adding as minutes as possible to achieve this goal we have set for ourselves.”

The past few years have been tough for CE Sabadell. They last played in the top flight of Spanish football in the mid-80s but have spent much of their recent history playing in the Segunda División ‘B’. At the end of the 2019-20 season, they finished third in Group III and won promotion through the play-offs after beating FC Barcelona ‘B’. But the glory was short-lived and their finished in 19th spot the following season and suffered immediate relegation.

CE Sabadell now play in Group 2 of the recently-formed Primera Federación which the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) created in 2020 to replace the Segunda División ‘B’ and beginning with the 2021-22 season. It is tier 3 of the Spanish football league system with four teams promoted to the Segunda División, the champions of each group and the winners of the play-offs for those teams finished 2nd to 5th. Most clubs in the two groups are semi-professional.

At the time of writing, CE Sabadell sit in 15th spot in group 2 with 26 points from 21 games. They are just one position and one point above the drop zone; the bottom five teams are relegated to the Segunda Federación at the end of the season.

The Spanish Football Pyramid

1 – Primera División (LaLiga Santander)
2 – Segunda División (LaLiga SmartBank)
3 – Primera Federación – Two Groups
4 – Segunda Federación – Five Groups
5 – Tercera Federación – 18 Regional Groups (Comunidad Valenciana – Group 6)
6 – División Regional 1 (Comunidad Valenciana – Regional Preferente (4 groups))
7 – División Regional 2 (Comunidad Valenciana – Primera Regional (8 groups))
8 – División Regional 3 (Comunidad Valenciana – Segunda Regional (17 groups))
9 – División Regional 4
10 – División Regional 5

CD Jávea play in Tier 6 – Regional Preferente Group III.