Atlas F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Atlas Fútbol Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | "Los Rojinegros" (The Red and Blacks) "Los Zorros" (The Foxes) "La Academia" (The Academy) "La Furia" (The Fury) "Las Margaritas" (The Daisy Flowers) |
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| Short name | ATS | ||
| Founded | 15 August 1916 | ||
| Ground | Estadio Jalisco | ||
| Capacity | 56,713 | ||
| Owner | Grupo Orlegi | ||
| Chairman | José Riestra | ||
| Manager | Beñat San José | ||
| League | Liga MX | ||
| Clausura 2023 | Regular phase: 9th Final phase: Quarter-finals |
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Atlas Fútbol Club is a professional football team from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. They play in Liga MX, which is the top football league in Mexico. Their home games are played at the Estadio Jalisco.
Atlas was started in 1916. The team has won three league titles and four national cups. They had a great time in the 1950s and 60s. More recently, they became one of the few teams to win two championships in a row in Mexican football.
Atlas has a big rivalry with another team from their city, Chivas. This rivalry is called "Clasico Tapatio."
Contents
History of Atlas F.C.
Atlas was founded in a bar in Guadalajara, Mexico. Some friends remembered their time studying at Ampleforth College in England. In August 1916, they decided to create a football team. They chose the name "Atlas" from the Titan in Greek mythology.
The team picked red and black as their colors. These colors were like those of Ampleforth College. St. Lawrence, the college's patron saint, also became Atlas's patron saint. The red color stands for St. Lawrence's blood. The black color means his martyrdom.
Early Wins and First League Title
Atlas won their first trophy, the Copa MX, in the 1945–46 season. They beat Atlante in the final. That same year, they won the Supercup against Veracruz.
Four years later, Atlas won their second Copa MX in 1949–50. The very next year, in 1950–51 Mexican Primera División season, Atlas won their first league title! They won twelve games out of 22. However, just two years later, Atlas was moved down to a lower league. But they quickly returned to the top league the next season.
The Golden Age and Copa Libertadores Adventures
Atlas had a very good period in the late 1990s. This was when Ricardo La Volpe was their manager. They had many talented young players. Some of these players were Rafael Márquez, Daniel Osorno, and Pavel Pardo. Even with so much talent, they lost the Verano 1999 final. They lost to Deportivo Toluca in a penalty shootout after a 5–5 tie.
In 2000, Atlas played in the Copa Libertadores for the first time. This is a big international tournament. They played against tough teams like River Plate from Argentina. Atlas did well, even beating Club America 6–3 in one game. They reached the quarter-finals. Their journey ended when they lost to Palmeiras.
Atlas played in the Copa Libertadores again in 2008. They won a coin toss to get into the tournament! They finished first in their group. They even had big wins against Boca Juniors and Colo-Colo. Atlas made it to the quarter-finals once more. But they were eliminated by Boca Juniors.
They also played in the 2015 Copa Libertadores. They had a historic 1–0 win against Atletico Mineiro in Brazil. This ended a 37-year undefeated home streak for that club. Even with this big win, Atlas finished last in their group and left the competition.
Recent Success and Challenges
On December 12, 2021, Atlas won their second league title. This ended a 70-year wait! They beat Club León in a penalty shootout at their home stadium.
On March 5, 2022, during a match, a serious incident occurred between fans. Many people were injured. As a result, the league punished the other team, Querétaro. Atlas was given a 3–0 win for that game.
Atlas won its third league championship on May 29, 2022, against Pachuca. They won the first game 2–0. Even though they lost the second game 2–1, they won 3–2 overall. This made them only the third team in league history to win two titles in a row!
Youth Academy
Atlas is very famous for its successful youth academy. This is where young players learn and train. Over the past few decades, Atlas has helped many players become professionals. Many of them have played for the Mexico national football team.
Young players join the Atlas academy hoping to play for the main team. This is because the club believes in giving young players a chance. Even though Atlas has only won three league championships, their academy is well-known. It has developed many great players like Rafael Márquez, Andrés Guardado, and Jeremy Márquez. The club's younger teams have also won many titles.
Estadio Jalisco
Atlas plays its home games at the Estadio Jalisco. This stadium is the third largest in Mexico. It was built on January 31, 1960. Many important games have been played here.
The stadium hosted games for the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Pelé's Brazil team, a very famous team, played there in 1970. It also hosted games for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
Supporters and Rivalry
Atlas fans are known as La Fiel, which means "The Faithful." Their main fan group is called La Barra 51. The name "Barra 51" remembers Atlas's first championship in 1951. Fans are called "The Faithful" because they supported the team for 70 years without many big wins.
Clásico Tapatío: The Big Rivalry
Atlas has a strong rivalry with their city neighbors, Chivas. This derby is called the Clásico Tapatío. It is said to be the oldest football rivalry in Mexico, starting in 1916.
The first game between the two teams was a friendly match. It ended in a 0–0 tie. The first official game was in 1917. Atlas won that game 2–1. Chivas was very upset about the referee's performance. They even refused to play in the next tournament because of it.
Chivas has won more of these derby matches. They have won 16 out of 35 official games. Atlas has won 9, and 8 games have ended in a tie.
Personnel
Atlas F.C. has a team of people who manage the club and coach the players. This includes a chairman, directors, and a manager like Beñat San José. They also have assistant managers, a fitness coach, a goalkeeper coach, a team doctor, and a physiotherapist.
Players
Atlas F.C. has a first-team squad made up of many talented players from different countries. These players work together to compete in the Liga MX. Some players are also loaned out to other teams to gain more experience.
Honours
- Liga MX
- Winners (3): 1950–51, Apertura 2021, Clausura 2022
- Runners-up (3): 1948–49, 1965–66, Verano 1999
- Copa MX
- Winners (4): 1945–46, 1949–50, 1961–62, 1967–68
- Runners-up (2): 1995–96, Apertura 2013
- Campeón de Campeones
- Winners (5): 1946, 1950, 1951, 1962, 2022
- Runners-up (1): 1968
- Segunda División de México
- Winners (3): 1954–55, 1971–72, 1978–79
Images for kids
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Atlas 1916 first team
See also
In Spanish: Atlas Fútbol Club para niños
