Meet Flat Earth FC – the Spanish club named after a conspiracy theory
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When a football team chooses their name, it generally follows closely to the region or city the side are located in.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule – Celtic, based in Glasgow, chose their name to pay homage to the common roots of the Scots and Irish in the area.
But no team can claim to have a name as unique as Fuenlabrada Promesas, who spent two years of their existence called Flat Earth FC.
The bubble burst over the summer, when Flat Earth changed their name, as the side were relegated to the fifth tier of Spanish football.
"We are born to unite the voices of millions of flat earth movement followers and all those people who are looking for answers," Club President Javi Poves said in an announcement.
"Football is the most popular sport and has the most impact worldwide, so creating a club dedicated to the flat earth movement is the best way to have a constant presence in the media.
"This will also be the first football club associated with a cause and an idea, without having a specific location.
"Professional football clubs are subject not only to a nation, but also to a city.
"Flat Earth FC is the first football club whose followers are united by the most important thing, which is an idea."
What do you think of the name Flat Earth FC? Let us know in the comments section…
Flat Earth looked to capitalise on this constant media presence, and their crest was changed to the earth where it was pressed, flat, onto the kits.
The mascot was also changed to an astronaut.
However, their name change was met with local controversy at first, before it snowballed into national, and then international, debate.
Players themselves were questioned on the debate only for Poves to bat away the question quipping: "What I want for the club is that Christian [Martin Villar] does more investigation.
"I don't want him to say 'The Earth is flat' because I said it."
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Proves had once been a promising young footballer, and he had risen through the ranks of Sporting Gijon.
He made his sole La Liga appearance in the 10/11 season, but he retired that summer at 23-years-old.
“What I’ve seen from within makes it clear: professional football is only money and corruption. It’s capitalism, and capitalism is death,” Poves told The Guardian.
“I don’t want to be part of a system based on people earning money at the expense of the deaths of others in South America, Africa and Asia. To put it simply, my conscience will not let me continue with this.”
Poves' reign at Flat Earth FC was short, and he resigned as the club's president in December 2020.
Flat Earth was bought out by CF Fuenlabrada over the summer, and the parent club renamed the side CF Fuenlabrada Promesas, making them their reserve side.
- Flat Earth
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