Atlético Junior facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Junior

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)
Home colours Away colours 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

Current badge with 10 stars

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

• Copa Sudamericana
  • Runners-up (1): 2018 (They reached the final but didn't win)

Junior in CONMEBOL Tournaments

Junior has played in several big South American football tournaments.

• Copa Libertadores: 18 times

• Copa Sudamericana: 10 times

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

Junior's Players

Current Team Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Mauro Silveira 3 DF Edwin Herrera 4 DF José Cuenú 5 DF Daniel Rivera 6 MF Didier Moreno (vice-captain) 8 FW Yimmi Chará 9 FW Guillermo Paiva 13 MF Jhon Vélez 15 DF Yeferson Moreno 16 MF Carlos Esparragoza 17 MF John Fredy Salazar 19 FW Stiwart Acuña 20 FW Déiber Caicedo 21 FW Joel Canchimbo 22 MF Jesús Rivas 23 FW Stiven Rodríguez 24 MF Miguel Agámez 26 DF Yeison Suárez

No. Position Player 27 DF Jhon Navia 28 MF Guillermo Celis 29 FW Teófilo Gutiérrez 30 GK Jefersson Martínez 31 GK Jaime Acosta 32 GK Giorfrank Martínez 33 DF Lucas Monzón 34 DF Jhomier Guerrero 35 DF José Caicedo 66 DF Javier Báez 70 FW Carlos Bacca (captain) 77 MF Diego Mendoza 80 MF Fabián Ángel 88 FW Bryan Castrillón 90 FW Jesús Díaz 98 DF Jermein Peña 99 FW José Enamorado MF Harold Rivera

Players on Loan

These players are currently playing for other teams.

No. Position Player DF Howell Mena (at Llaneros) MF Kevin Padilla (at Fortaleza CEIF) 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.

Team Captains Through the Years

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

Team Staff

Coaching and Support Staff

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

Notable Players: Junior's Legends

Players with Most Appearances

These players have played the most games for Junior.

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

Players with Most Goals

These players have scored the most goals for Junior.

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

Affiliated Clubs

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

See also

In Spanish: Junior de Barranquilla para niños