kids encyclopedia robot

Atlético Junior facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Junior
Escudo de Atlético Junior.png
Full name Club Deportivo Popular Junior Fútbol Club S.A.
Nickname(s)
  • Los Tiburones (The Sharks)
  • El Equipo Tiburón (The Shark Team)
  • Los Rojiblancos (The Red-and-Whites)
  • Los Quilleros (The Quilleros)
  • Los Reyes de la Costa (The Kings of the Coast)
  • Los Curramberos (The Curramberos)
  • Tu Papá (Your Dad)
Founded 7 August 1924; 100 years ago (1924-08-07) (as Juventud Infantil)
Ground Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez
Ground Capacity 46,692
Owner Fuad Char
President Antonio Char
Manager Alfredo Arias
League Categoría Primera A
2023 Primera A, 6th of 20 (Finalización champions)
Third colours

Junior F.C. S.A. is a professional football team from Barranquilla, Colombia. People often call them Junior de Barranquilla or just Junior. They play in the top Colombian football league, Categoría Primera A. Junior is known as the main team from the Caribbean part of Colombia.

The club was started on August 7, 1924. Their nicknames include Los Tiburones (The Sharks) and Los Rojiblancos (The Red-and-Whites). Junior has won the Colombian championship ten times. They won in 1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004 (Finalización), 2010 (Apertura), 2011 (Finalización), 2018 (Finalización), 2019 (Apertura), and 2023 (Finalización). Many famous players have played for Junior, like Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama, Iván Valenciano, Teófilo Gutiérrez, Carlos Bacca, and Luis Díaz.

Club History: Junior's Journey

In the early 1920s, a team called Juventus started in Barranquilla. It was mostly made up of Italian immigrants. In August 1924, some younger players from Juventus and other young men created a new team. They called it Juventud Infantil.

Around the 1940s, the club's name became simply Junior. They quickly became one of the best football clubs in Colombia. In 1945, Junior's players were chosen to represent Colombia. They played in the South American Championship, which is now called the Copa América. They finished in a good fifth place.

In 1948, Junior was one of the founding teams of the División Mayor del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano (Dimayor). This was the start of professional football in Colombia. Junior played their first professional match on August 15, 1948. They won 2-0 against Deportivo Cali.

The late 1940s and early 1950s were a special time for Colombian football. It was called El Dorado. During this time, many famous players from around the world came to play in Colombia. Junior also brought in great players from Brazil, Argentina, and other countries.

Junior won their first Colombian championship in 1977. They have continued to win many titles since then. They also won the Copa Colombia in 2015 and 2017. Junior has played in important international tournaments. They have been in the Copa Libertadores eighteen times. In 1994, they reached the semi-finals of that competition. They also reached the final of the Copa Sudamericana in 2018.

Team Symbols: Badge and Flag

A badge
Current badge with 10 stars
A flag
Flag of Atlético Junior (2011–2018)
Each star represents a league championships the team has won

Junior's Badge: What It Means

Junior's team badge is shaped like a shield. It has two main parts. The bottom part has nine red and white stripes that go up and down. The top part is a dark blue stripe. On this blue stripe, you can see white five-pointed stars. Each star shows a championship that the team has won. The word "JUNIOR" is written in white across the middle of the badge.

Junior's Flag: Colors and Stars

The flag of Junior has nine stripes. Five of these stripes are red, and four are white. They alternate, with red stripes at the very top and bottom. On the left side of the flag, there is a blue triangle. This triangle goes all the way from the top to the bottom of the flag. White five-pointed stars are placed on the blue triangle. These stars also represent the Colombian championships the team has won.

Team Achievements: Junior's Trophies

National Championships

  • Categoría Primera A (Top League)
    • Winners (10): 1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004–II, 2010–I, 2011–II, 2018–II, 2019–I, 2023–II
  • Copa Colombia (Colombian Cup)
    • Winners (2): 2015, 2017
  • Superliga Colombiana (Superliga)
    • Winners (2): 2019, 2020

International Competitions

Junior in CONMEBOL Tournaments

Junior has played in several big South American football tournaments.

  • Copa CONMEBOL: 1 time
  • 1992: Quarter-finals

Junior's Players

Current Team Squad

No. Position Player
1 Uruguay GK Mauro Silveira
3 Colombia DF Edwin Herrera
4 Colombia DF José Cuenú
5 Colombia DF Daniel Rivera
6 Colombia MF Didier Moreno (vice-captain)
8 Colombia FW Yimmi Chará
9 Paraguay FW Guillermo Paiva
13 Colombia MF Jhon Vélez
15 Colombia DF Yeferson Moreno
16 Colombia MF Carlos Esparragoza
17 Colombia MF John Fredy Salazar
19 Colombia FW Stiwart Acuña
20 Colombia FW Déiber Caicedo
21 Colombia FW Joel Canchimbo
22 Colombia MF Jesús Rivas
23 Colombia FW Stiven Rodríguez
24 Colombia MF Miguel Agámez
26 Colombia DF Yeison Suárez
No. Position Player
27 Colombia DF Jhon Navia
28 Colombia MF Guillermo Celis
29 Colombia FW Teófilo Gutiérrez
30 Colombia GK Jefersson Martínez
31 Colombia GK Jaime Acosta
32 Colombia GK Giorfrank Martínez
33 Uruguay DF Lucas Monzón
34 Colombia DF Jhomier Guerrero
35 Colombia DF José Caicedo
66 Paraguay DF Javier Báez
70 Colombia FW Carlos Bacca (captain)
77 Colombia MF Diego Mendoza
80 Colombia MF Fabián Ángel
88 Colombia FW Bryan Castrillón
90 Colombia FW Jesús Díaz
98 Colombia DF Jermein Peña
99 Colombia FW José Enamorado
Colombia MF Harold Rivera

Players on Loan

These players are currently playing for other teams.

No. Position Player
Colombia DF Howell Mena (at Llaneros)
Colombia MF Kevin Padilla (at Fortaleza CEIF)
Colombia FW Ferlys García (at Barranquilla)

Junior's World Cup Players

These players were part of their country's team for the FIFA World Cup while playing for Junior.

  • Colombia Carlos Hoyos (1990)
  • Colombia Alexis Mendoza (1994)
  • Colombia José María Pazo (1994)
  • Colombia Luis Carlos Perea (1994)
  • Colombia Carlos Valderrama (1994)
  • Colombia Iván René Valenciano (1994)
  • Colombia Jorge Bolaño (1998)
  • Peru Alberto Rodríguez (2018)

Team Captains Through the Years

  • Colombia Hermenegildo Segrera (1966–1971)
  • Colombia Dulio Miranda (1972–1973)
  • Colombia Gabriel Berdugo (1974–1982)
  • Colombia Dulio Miranda (1983–1985)
  • Colombia Alexis Mendoza (1985–1990)
  • Colombia Gabriel Martínez (1990–1992)
  • Colombia Carlos Valderrama (1993–1995)
  • Colombia Jorge Bolaño (1996–1999)
  • Brazil Marquinho (1999–2004)
  • Colombia Roberto Peñaloza (2004–2005)
  • Colombia Hayder Palacio (2005–2007)
  • Colombia Giovanni Hernández (2008–2012)
  • Uruguay Sebastián Viera (2012–2023)
  • Colombia Carlos Bacca (2023–present)

Team Staff

Coaching and Support Staff

Position Staff
Manager Uruguay Alfredo Arias
Assistant manager Argentina Juan Manuel López
Fitness coach Uruguay Ignacio Berriel

Source:

Notable Players: Junior's Legends

Players with Most Appearances

These players have played the most games for Junior.

Rank Player Games Played
1. Uruguay Sebastián Viera 627
2. Colombia Dulio Miranda 445
3. Colombia Hayder Palacio 432
4. Colombia Alexis Mendoza 417
5. Colombia José María Pazo 392
6. Colombia Gabriel Berdugo 379
7. Colombia Víctor Pacheco 367
8. Colombia Jesús Rubio 363
9. Colombia Luis Grau 341
10. Brazil Othon Dacunha 333

Players with Most Goals

These players have scored the most goals for Junior.

Rank Player Goals Scored
1. Colombia Ivan Valenciano 180
2. Colombia Carlos Bacca 131
3. Colombia Teófilo Gutiérrez 94
4. Brazil Víctor Ephanor 86
5. Uruguay Nelson Silva Pacheco 81
6. Colombia Víctor Pacheco 78
7. Colombia Martín Arzuaga 70
8. Colombia Vladimir Hernández 65
9. Colombia Orlando Ballesteros 56
10. Brazil Marcos Cardoso 55

Famous Players from Junior's History

Many great players have been part of Junior's team over the years.

International Players Who Played for Junior

These players also played for their national teams while at Junior.

  • Argentina Daniel Carnevali
  • Colombia René Higuita
  • Colombia Juan Fernando Quintero
  • Chile Matías Fernández
  • Peru Alberto Rodríguez

Affiliated Clubs

  • Colombia Barranquilla - This club is currently in the second division of Colombian football.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Junior de Barranquilla para niños

kids search engine
Atlético Junior Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.