Manager Aitor Orueta Founded 1960 | 2015–16 3ª – Group 4, 12th League Tercera División | |
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Nickname(s) Alavés Aficionados, Miniglorias Chairman Alfonso Fernández de Trocóniz | ||
Deportivo Alavés B, S.A.D., usually known as Alavés B, is a Spanish football club based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the autonomous community of Basque Country. Founded in 1961 it is the reserve team of Deportivo Alavés, and currently plays in Tercera División – Group 4, holding home at Instalaciones de Ibaia José Luis Compañon, the training facilities of Alavés.
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The team's home kit is blue and white-striped shirt, blue shorts and white socks.
League history
The league placings have largely mirrored the fortunes of the senior team. From their formation in the 1960s until the late 1990s, Alavés B competed only in the fourth (Tercera Grupo IV) or fifth (Preferente de Álava) tiers. They achieved promotion to Segunda División B in 1999, a year after the seniors climbed to La Liga. Alavés B remained in the third level for seven seasons, usually finishing mid-table, until demotion in 2005-06, the same year that the main side was relegated amid economic turmoil under Dmitry Piterman.
The decline of the club continued and the senior side themselves dropped into Segunda División B in 2009, while the B team were relegated back down to the fifth level. It took Alavés B only two seasons to regain fourth-level status whereas the seniors took four years to rise again to the second level, but they then gained promotion to La Liga after three further seasons while the B team stayed put in Tercera División from that point on.
Alavés C
During their spell in La Liga from 1998, Alavés decided to add a 'C' team to the club structure to help young players develop before moving up to Alavés B in Segunda División B.
Initially in 2000 a small club from Vitoria-Gasteiz, AD Zaldiaran (founded 1980) which had just been promoted to Tercera División was fully incorporated as Deportivo Alavés C and competed in the fourth tier for three seasons until 2002-03.
Thereafter a four-year partnership was agreed with another local team Club San Ignacio (previously associated with Real Sociedad and the formative club of Spain international forward Ernesto Valverde). The affiliate became known as Alavés C-San Ignacio. When this entity was relegated in 2004-05, the Alavés link was discontinued and the C team did not reform. San Ignacio continued operating independently and have since returned to the Tercera level twice (on each occasion their opponents included Alavés B, with both teams being relegated in 2008–09).
Current squad
As of 5 November 2016Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.