CD Malilla’s five-decade journey arrives at the Villarreal Yellow Cup Easter
Club Deportivo Malilla stands as one of the great symbols of grassroots football in the city of Valencia. Its story dates back to July 1969, when a group of young football enthusiasts from the Malilla neighbourhood decided to formalise a project that would eventually grow into a well-established institution within Valencian youth football. Those early steps — wearing red and green striped shirts with white shorts — marked the beginning of a club that continues to embody the community spirit from which it was born.
Over the years, CD Malilla has undergone steady and determined growth. Key figures such as presidents José Hernández and Juan Cerdán shaped important chapters in the club’s development, while directors like Pedro Carot played a crucial role in strengthening its sporting structure. Since 2012, the club has managed the Malilla Municipal Football-8 ground, and from 2019 onwards, also the Football-11 facilities — infrastructure milestones that firmly positioned the club within the local development landscape.
Under the presidency of Gonzalo Vicente Esteve — himself a former player in the 1990s — and supported by a consolidated organisational structure led by professionals such as general director Gabriel Salinas and sporting director José Almiñana, CD Malilla has reached a prominent position within regional youth football. The club is now recognised as one of the largest football academies in the Valencian Community and the largest within the city of Valencia in terms of registered players.
Their second participation in the Villarreal Yellow Cup Easter reflects not only continuity, but also the ambition of a club that has successfully evolved without losing its identity. For CD Malilla, the experience in Vila-real represents another step forward — a valuable opportunity for its players to test their development against diverse competitive contexts while continuing to build upon a history spanning more than five decades.
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