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Club Deportivo Tenerife was founded in 1912, as Sporting Club Tenerife which had come about as a merger between two or more previous football clubs on the island. The club changed its name to Club Deportivo Tenerife in 1922. La Liga started in 1928, but the team played in regional divisions until it was promoted to Segunda División in 1953. It first reached the top flight in 1961, being immediately relegated back and, in the following 27 years, played almost exclusively in the second level, also spending three years in Tercera División and six – five in a row – in Segunda División B, the newly created division three (in 1978).

In 1985, when Tenerife were relegated to the third division for a second time, Javier Pérez became president of the club. The side was promoted this year to the second level and, two years later, returned to the first, after winning the promotion playoff against Real Betis (4–1 on aggregate).

In 1991, Jorge Valdano took charge of the club as manager, and the Argentine would help rob former side Real Madrid of two consecutive league titles in the last round, to the benefit of Barcelona. In the first season, the Canary Islands outfit barely avoided relegation, but would finish in a best-ever fifth position in the following year, eventually reaching the round of 16 in the subsequent UEFA Cup, losing to Juventus 2–4 on aggregate.

German Jupp Heynckes became coach of Tenerife in 1995, leading the club to another fifth position and the quarter-finals of the domestic cup. In the 1996–97 UEFA Cup the islanders fared better, reaching the last-four after defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv, Lazio, Feyenoord and Brøndby (the winner coming late in extra time from an Antonio Mata free kick), only bowing out to eventual winners Schalke 04.

Tenerife then went on a downward spiral which eventually led to relegation to the "silver category" in 1999, prompting various managerial changes within the club. In 2001, the club was again promoted, led by Rafael Benítez, who promptly left to take up the manager's job at Valencia; the promotion was achieved in the last match of the campaign thanks to a goal from Hugo Morales.

Pepe Mel became the new trainer but the first division season never took off, as Tenerife were beaten heavily at home by Barcelona 0–6, which cost the manager his job. Javier Clemente, formerly with the Spain national team, took the reins, but could not help prevent the eventual immediate relegation.

Tenerife suffered from serious economic problems in the following years, owing more than €40 million. President Pérez was replaced with Víctor Perez de Ascanio, who resigned due to bad management, leaving his position to Miguel Concepción, who negotiated with local politicians and businessmen, also creating a construction company as a subsidiary of the side.

On 13 June 2009, Tenerife secured a top flight return after a seven-year absence after a 1–0 win at Girona. In the following season, even though the team held on until the last round, another relegation befell, after the 0–1 loss at third-placed Valencia.

2010–11 brought with it three coaching changes, as Tenerife eventually suffered another relegation, returning to the third division after 24 years. On 2 June 2013, the club, led by Álvaro Cervera, returned to the second level after winning the promotion play-off against Hospitalet (3–2 on aggregate).