The Lleida CF, the spiritual successor to UE Lleida, began a new chapter this past Sunday in Quarta Catalana, restarting at the base of Catalonia’s regional football pyramid after a crippling million-euro debt forced its second reformation in 13 years, following a prior rebirth in 2011.

Backed by over 4,000 members, the club’s revival echoes the resurgence of Unió Esportiva Figueres in 2007, a model now being cited by Lleida’s leadership as a blueprint for sustainable growth. At that time, Figueres was forced to restart in Tercera Regional, the lowest regional tier, after businessman Enric Flix relocated the then Segona B club to Castelldefels, dissolving the original entity.

“We have the example of Figueres, who also started from the bottom and achieved record seasons to climb up,” Lleida CF head coach Roger Lamesa said in a recent interview with RAC1, following a 5–2 defeat to Sunyer. “People are really eager. The Figueres model shows it’s possible.”

Figueres’ rebirth began on 15 September 2007 with a 3–0 win over Porqueres B, drawing a crowd that surpassed attendance figures seen at the departing Miapuesta team’s matches the previous season. The club quickly regained its footing, achieving five consecutive promotions to reach Tercera División within five years.

“We had nothing: no youth structure, no first team, not even stadium access,” recalled José Antonio Revilla, who joined the board during the 2007 revival and later became president. “The foundation still held the rights to the old club and occupied the same league spot. We had to coordinate with the then-mayor, Santi Vila, just to secure use of Vilatenim Stadium.”

Revilla, now officially listed as president on the club’s website (uefigueres.net), described how community backing was vital. “We were putting 1,000 people in the stands even in Tercera Regional. The support was massive. That’s what we need again today,” he said, noting that the club now competes in Tercera División and has expanded to include men’s, women’s, and disability-inclusive teams.

The Figueres model, documented on viki.cat and the club’s official history page (uefigueres.net), highlights a path forward for Lleida CF, which aims to rebuild not just a team, but a footballing identity rooted in local engagement.

Reported by diaridegirona.cat, viki.cat, uefigueres.net, Diari de Girona.