Atlético Nacional facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Atlético Nacional

Full name	Atlético Nacional S. A.
Nickname(s)	Los Verdolagas (The Purslanes), El Verde (The Green), Rey de Copas (King of Cups), El Verde de la Montaña (The Green from the Mountain), El Verde Paisa (The Paisa Green), El Siempre Verde (The Evergreen)
Founded	7 March 1947; 78 years ago (1947-03-07)
Ground	Estadio Atanasio Girardot
Ground Capacity	45,043
Owner	Organización Ardila Lülle
Chairman	Sebastián Arango Botero
Manager	Efraín Juárez
League	Categoría Primera A
2023	Primera A, 3rd of 20
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Atlético Nacional S. A., usually called Atlético Nacional, is a professional football club from Medellín, Colombia. It is one of only three clubs that have played in every top-division tournament in Colombia's history. The other two are Millonarios and Santa Fe.

Atlético Nacional was started in 1947 as Club Atlético Municipal de Medellín. It was founded by Luis Alberto Villegas López, who used to be the president of the football league in Antioquia. Since 1996, the team has been owned by Organización Ardila Lülle. According to CONMEBOL, Atlético Nacional has the most fans in Colombia, with over 15 million supporters.

The team plays its home games at the Atanasio Girardot stadium. This stadium can hold 40,043 people. They share the stadium with their local rivals, Independiente Medellín. Their matches against each other are called El Clásico Paisa, which is a very important local derby. Atlético Nacional also has big rivalries with Millonarios and América de Cali. These are some of the most important rivalries in Colombian and South American football.

Atlético Nacional is known as one of the strongest and most consistent clubs in Colombia. It is the only Colombian club to have won both the Apertura and Finalización tournaments in the same year since 2002. They achieved this in 2007 and 2013. The club has won 17 league titles, six Copa Colombia titles, and three Superliga Colombiana titles. This makes them the most successful team in Colombia with a total of 26 domestic titles. They were also the first Colombian club to win the Copa Libertadores in 1989. After winning it again in 2016, they became the most successful Colombian team in that tournament. They also have the most international titles of any Colombian club, with seven trophies in total. These include two Copa Merconorte titles, two Copa Interamericana titles, and one Recopa Sudamericana title.

In 2016, the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) named Atlético Nacional the best football club in the world. This was the first time a South American club, or any club outside Europe, received this honor. They are ranked 58th in the world's best clubs of all time by IFFHS. They are also considered the second-best Colombian club of the 20th century and the best so far in the 21st century. Nacional is also seen as the best Colombian team in CONMEBOL club tournaments and ranks 17th in the official Copa Libertadores club ranking.

History of Atlético Nacional

Starting the Club

Atlético Nacional began as Club Atlético Municipal de Medellín on March 7, 1947. It was started by Luis Alberto Villegas López and others. Their goal was to promote sports, especially football and basketball, in Medellín. The club was built on an amateur team called Unión Indulana Foot-Ball Club.

Atlético Nacional joined Colombia's first professional football league in 1948. They played the very first match of the tournament, winning 2-0 against Universidad. In their first season, they finished 6th out of ten teams.

New Name and First Big Win

In 1951, the club changed its name to Atlético Nacional. This new name showed the club's main idea: to support Colombian athletes. For a while, they only signed Colombian players. This was special during a time when most Colombian clubs were signing many foreign players. However, in 1953, they signed their first foreign player, Atilio Miotti from Argentina.

Atlético Nacional won its first league title in 1954. Their manager, Fernando Paternoster, led the team to a great season where they only lost one game. The star player was Carlos Gambina, who scored 21 goals.

Ups and Downs

The team faced money problems in the late 1950s. For a short time in 1958, they even had to join with their rivals, Independiente Medellín. These financial issues and sometimes only signing Colombian players made it hard to win. They didn't win another title for 19 years.

Things started to get better in 1973. With new manager José Curti and player Jorge Hugo Fernández, Nacional won its second league title. They continued to play well, finishing as runners-up in 1974.

A new era began in 1976 when Argentine manager Osvaldo Zubeldia joined. He focused on strong training and physical play. Under him, the club won two more titles in 1976 and 1981. César Cueto, a central midfielder, was a key player during this time. This successful period ended when Zubeldia sadly passed away in 1982.

The Golden Era and Copa Libertadores Win

In 1987, the club made a big change by hiring Francisco Maturana as manager. He was also managing the Colombian national team at the same time. Atlético Nacional's focus on Colombian players made it a perfect place for Maturana to build his national team. The club also received significant financial support, which helped them become very strong and keep their best players.

By 1987, the team had many talented Colombian international players. These included the famous goalkeeper René Higuita, defenders Andrés Escobar and Luis Fernando Herrera, midfielders Leonel Álvarez and Alexis García, and top goal-scorer John Jairo Tréllez. This strong team finished second in the league in 1988, which qualified them for the 1989 Copa Libertadores.

The main goal for 1989 was to win the Copa Libertadores. Nacional wanted to be the first Colombian club to achieve this. They played well in the group stage and advanced. In the knockout rounds, they beat teams like Racing Club and Millonarios. In the semifinals, they defeated Danubio with a huge 6-0 win.

In the finals, they faced Olimpia from Paraguay. Olimpia won the first game 2-0. Nacional won the second game 2-0, sending the match to penalty kicks. Nacional won the shootout 5-4, becoming the first Colombian club to win the Copa Libertadores!

Sadly, the domestic league season in 1989 was cancelled due to safety concerns. After their big win, Nacional also played in the 1989 Intercontinental Cup against European champions Milan, losing 1-0. However, they won the 1989 Copa Interamericana against Pumas UNAM.

Due to some past issues, Colombian clubs faced restrictions on playing home matches in the Copa Libertadores in 1990 and 1991. Nacional had to play its home games in Chile. They were eliminated in the semifinals in both 1990 and 1991 by Olimpia.

Nacional continued to be strong in the 1990s. They won their fifth league title in 1991, their sixth in 1994, and their seventh in 1999. In 1995, they reached the Copa Libertadores finals again but lost to Gremio. In 1996, Organización Ardila Lülle bought Atlético Nacional, making it the first Colombian football club to have corporate ownership.

21st Century Success

In 2002, Nacional reached the Copa Sudamericana finals but lost to San Lorenzo. In 2004, the team started signing foreign players again. That year, they reached both the Apertura and Finalización finals but lost both.

In 2007, Nacional had a fantastic year, winning both the Apertura and Finalización tournaments. This was a big achievement!

The year 2009 was tough for Nacional, as they had their worst season, finishing 17th in the Torneo Apertura. However, they improved in the Torneo Finalización.

In 2011, Atlético Nacional won its eleventh championship. They also won their first Copa Colombia title in 2012 and the first edition of the Superliga Colombiana.

The next year, 2013, was another amazing year for Nacional. They won both the Apertura and Finalización tournaments again! They also won their second Copa Colombia title, completing a "domestic double" (winning two major national trophies in one season).

In 2014, Nacional won its third consecutive league title, becoming the first Colombian club to do so. They also had a great run in the 2014 Copa Sudamericana, reaching the finals but losing to River Plate.

In 2015, Reinaldo Rueda became the new manager. Nacional won the Torneo Finalización, making them the team with the most league titles (fifteen) and a total of twenty-five titles.

More International Glory

The year 2016 started with Nacional winning its second Superliga Colombiana title. In the 2016 Copa Libertadores, Nacional was incredibly strong. They won their group without letting in any goals! They continued to win in the knockout stages, often with exciting comebacks. In the semifinals, they beat São Paulo. This meant Nacional reached the Copa Libertadores finals for the first time since 1995. In the finals, they defeated Independiente del Valle 2-1, winning their second Copa Libertadores title! This made them the first Colombian club to win the competition more than once. In 2016, Nacional also won its third Copa Colombia title.

Nacional also played in the 2016 Copa Sudamericana. They reached the finals, where they were set to play against the Brazilian team Chapecoense. However, a tragic plane crash happened on November 28, 2016, carrying the Chapecoense team. Many people, including 19 players, sadly passed away. The finals were suspended. Atlético Nacional then asked CONMEBOL to award the title to Chapecoense as a sign of respect and sportsmanship. CONMEBOL agreed, and Atlético Nacional received the "CONMEBOL Centenario Fair Play" award for their amazing gesture.

Nacional also played in the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup as the Copa Libertadores champions. They finished in third place after beating Club América.

In 2017, Atlético Nacional won its first title of the year by beating Chapecoense in the 2017 Recopa Sudamericana. They won the second leg 4-1, securing a 5-3 win overall.

Later in 2017, Nacional won its sixteenth league championship in the 2017 Apertura. After losing the first game, they made an amazing comeback in the second game, winning 5-1!

Rivalries

Atlético Nacional has several big rivalries in Colombian football.

El Clásico Paisa

Nacional has a long-standing rivalry with local team Independiente Medellín. This match is called El Clásico Paisa, because "Paisa" refers to things from the Antioquia Department. It is one of the most important rivalries in Colombia, known for its intense matches. Nacional has won more games and more titles in this rivalry.

Nacional vs. Millonarios

The rivalry between Atlético Nacional and Millonarios is another huge match in Colombia. These two clubs have won the most league titles in the country. This rivalry is often called a "superclásico" of Colombian football. It is fueled by the historical competition between two important regions of Colombia: Antioquia (Medellín) and Bogotá.

Nacional vs. América de Cali

Atlético Nacional also has a strong rivalry with América de Cali. These are the two Colombian clubs with the largest fan bases. This rivalry is also considered a "superclásico." It reflects the historical competition between the Antioquia and Valle del Cauca regions. This rivalry became very important in the 1980s when both teams started to do very well in national and international tournaments. They have played each other in 15 final stages, including five league title deciders. Nacional won three of these league finals (1981, 1991, 1999), and América won two.

Badge and Colors

Atlético Nacional's current badge was adopted in 2000. It has the letters A and N inside a rectangle. Above them is a castle tower, which stands for "grandeur, tradition, strength, and hierarchy." This is similar to the city's coat of arms. The team's colors, green and white, come from the flags of the Antioquia Department and the city of Medellín.

The club's main nickname, Verdolagas (which means purslanes), was given in the 1950s when the club started wearing green uniforms. The purslane plant is common in the Paisa region and often has white flowers, which matches the team's colors. Antioquia is also famous for its flower cultivation, celebrated yearly during the Festival of Flowers.

• Evolution of Atlético Nacional's badge
• 

  1935–1946
• 

  1947–1949

Stadium

Atlético Nacional plays its home games at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot. This stadium is part of the Atanasio Girardot Sports Complex and is owned by the city of Medellín. It is located in the northwestern part of the city and can hold 45,087 fans. The stadium opened on March 19, 1953, with a game between Nacional and Alianza Lima, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

Before 1948, when the team was called Unión Indulana Foot-Ball Club, they played at Los Libertadores Racecourse. When the professional league started, they moved to San Fernando Racecourse until the Atanasio Girardot stadium was ready in 1953.

Honours

•      record
• ^s shared record

Runner-up Finishes

• Categoría Primera A
  • Runners-up (12): 1955, 1965, 1971, 1974, 1988, 1990, 1992, 2002–I, 2004–I, 2004–II, 2018–I, 2023–I

• Superliga Colombiana
  • Runners-up (3): 2014, 2015, 2018

• Copa Libertadores
  • Runners-up (1): 1995
  • Semifinals (2): 1990, 1991

• Copa Sudamericana
  • Runners-up (3): 2002, 2014, 2016
  • Semifinals (1): 2003

• Recopa Sudamericana
  • Runners-up (1): 1990

• Intercontinental Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1989

• Copa Simón Bolívar
  • Runners-up (1): 1971

• FIFA Club World Cup
  • Third Place (1): 2016

Women's Team

Atlético Nacional Femenino is the women's football team of Atlético Nacional. They play in the Colombian Women's Football League, which is the top women's league in Colombia. The women's team started as a youth academy in 2009. They joined the professional women's league in 2018 and finished as runners-up in their first season. They also placed third in the 2023 Copa Libertadores Femenina.

Images for kids

• 

  The squad that won the club's first league title in 1954.

See also

In Spanish: Atlético Nacional para niños