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Atlante
Atlante FC 2022 Logo.svg
Full name Atlante Fútbol Club S.A. de C.V.
Nickname(s) Los Potros de Hierro (The Iron Colts)
Los Azulgranas (The Blue-and-Garnets)
El Equipo del Pueblo (The People's Team)
Los Prietitos
Short name ATL
Founded 18 April 1916; 109 years ago (1916-04-18), as Sinaloa
1921; 104 years ago (1921), as Atlante
Ground Estadio Agustín "Coruco" Díaz,
Zacatepec, Mexico
Ground Capacity 24,313
Owner Emilio Escalante
Chairman Jorge Santillana
Manager Miguel de Jesús Fuentes
League Liga de Expansión MX
Clausura 2025 Regular phase: 2nd
Final phase: Quarterfinals
Third colours

Atlante Fútbol Club is a professional football team from Mexico City, Mexico. They play in the Liga de Expansión MX, which is the second-highest football league in Mexico.

The club started in 1916 as Sinaloa. It changed names a few times, including Lusitania and U-53. In 1921, it became Atlante, named after the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1943, Atlante was one of the first teams in the Liga Mayor, Mexico's top league. The team has won three national league championships. Two of these wins were when they were based in Mexico City. Their most recent win was in 2007, after they moved to Cancún. They later returned to Mexico City.

Atlante has also won the Copa México twice and the Campeón de Campeones once. They have won the CONCACAF Champions Cup/Champions League two times. In 2009, Atlante FC reached the semifinals of the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup.

Club History

Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

How Atlante Started

Placa conmemorativa de la fundación del Atlante Fútbol Club
Commemorative plaque from 2016 about Atlante Fútbol Club's founding on April 18, 1916. It's in colonia Roma, Mexico City.

Atlante was founded on April 18, 1916. A group of young Mexican football fans started the team. Their leader was Refugio "El Vaquero" Martínez. The team first played in the La Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City.

After changing names a few times, Refugio Martínez suggested "Atlante". This name honored the big battles fought in the Atlantic Ocean during World War I.

In the 1920s, players like the Rosas brothers, Manuel "Chaquetas" and Felipe "Diente", became famous. Juan "El Trompo" Carreño also helped Atlante become very popular. They were especially loved by working-class people. This led to their famous nickname, El Equipo del Pueblo, meaning "The People's Team".

Juan Carreño made history by scoring Mexico's first goal in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. He also scored Mexico's first goal ever in a FIFA World Cup. This happened during the first match against France in the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay.

Joining the Top League

Even though Atlante was popular, the Mexican Federation did not let them join the top league, the Liga Mayor. To join, Atlante had to win special matches. They played against strong teams like Toluca and América. Atlante won these games 7–2 and 2–1.

After joining the Liga Mayor, Atlante started a big rivalry with Necaxa. This became the first major rivalry in Mexican football. Their games were very intense. In the 1931–32 tournament, they even finished with the same points.

In the early days of Mexican football, foreign teams often beat local clubs. But Atlante was different. They were the first Mexican team to become famous for beating these "giants". In 1929, Atlante defeated Sabaria from Hungary 3–1. In 1930, they beat Sportivo from Buenos Aires twice. One of their most remembered wins was in 1931. They beat Bella Vista from Uruguay 3–2. That Uruguayan team had three players who won the first World Cup a year before.

In the 1940s, during World War II, Atlante's player Horacio Casarín became very skilled. He also became a key player for the Mexico national team. Atlante's popularity grew even more. The team was shown in many Mexican films from that era. Players Horacio Casarín and Martí Ventolrà even appeared in some of these movies.

Becoming Professional and First Championship

In 1943, the Mexican Federation created the Professional League. Atlante was one of the first six clubs from Mexico City to join. This league is now known as the Mexican Primera División.

Four tournaments later, Atlante won its first championship. This was in the 1946–47 season. The team was helped by its owner, General Jose Manuel Nuñez, and its amazing player Horacio Casarín. The final match against León had 48,622 fans. The President, Miguel Alemán Valdés, even joined the team on the field after their win.

Before that, in 1945, Atlante set a Latin American record. They scored 121 goals in 30 matches in one season. That's more than four goals per game! Atlante was also the first Mexican team to win the Campeón de Campeones cup in the 1941–42 season.

After their first title, other teams started winning championships. But Atlante remained a strong team. They were still very popular with working-class fans. They also won runner-up, Mexican Cup, and Champion of Champions titles in the early 1950s. In 1966, General Jose Manuel Nuñez sold the team. After this, Atlante had some tough years. In 1976, they were moved down from the Primera División to the Segunda División.

The IMSS Era

The team returned to the Primera División for the 1977–78 season. In October 1978, the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) bought the team. They wanted to make it the biggest football club in the world. With government support, the team had successful seasons. Old idol Horacio Casarín became the coach. Cabinho, Mexico's all-time top goalscorer, joined the team. He became a three-time champion striker with Atlante in 1980, 1981, and 1982.

Their good performance led them to the 1981–82 final championship match against Tigres UANL. Atlante finished as runner-up after a penalty shootout. However, a year later, Atlante won its first international title. They won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup against Suriname's Robinhood.

Even though the government owned the team, another group managed it. This group, the Departamento del Distrito Federal (DDF), tried to boost the team. But they had little success. After playing for years at the Estadio Azteca, the team had to move. Their new home was the Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes.

In 1989, the DDF sold the team to Jose Antonio García. He owned the sports company Garcis. After a difficult season at a new stadium in Querétaro, the team was moved down again. They went back to the Segunda División.

Second Championship Title

Atlante made an amazing comeback to the Primera División. They played three great games against Pachuca in the Segunda División Championship final. The series went to extra time and then penalty kicks. Atlante's goalkeeper, Félix Fernández, scored the winning penalty kick. The final score was 9–8.

In the 1992–93 season, Atlante won its second championship title. They were led by coach Ricardo La Volpe. The final match was played at Monterrey's stadium against Monterrey. New Atlante stars from that championship included Raúl Gutiérrez, Félix Fernández, and famous strikers Luis Miguel Salvador and Daniel Guzmán. The team won its second title in 45 years.

By winning, Atlante qualified for the Concacaf Champions Cup again. They lost in the final match to Cartaginés from Costa Rica. After this win, Atlante was eliminated from the playoffs for several years. This happened even with new important players like Hugo Sánchez, Jorge Campos, and Gabriel Miranda.

The team faced relegation issues again. So, Grupo Televisa decided to buy Atlante. They moved the team back to the Estadio Azteca. With this boost, Atlante got strong new players. These included Zague, Martín Felix Ubaldi, and Luis García. They also got a new coach, Miguel Mejía Barón. He had just coached the National team well in the 1994 World Cup.

Atlante had some memorable seasons. They were the first team to lead an entire short tournament (Invierno 1996). They also made it to the playoffs in Verano 1997 and Invierno 1997. However, they didn't win any major titles. They even had a tough playoff series against Toros Neza in Verano 1997, losing 9–2 overall.

The Third "Relegation" Era

Many problems happened in Atlante's history in the late 1990s. These issues shaped the team's future. New coaches without much experience joined the team. Players were not strong or committed. The team even changed its main uniform colors from red and blue to orange. This made the team and its fans feel like they had lost their identity.

Fans started supporting other successful teams. Atlante's home matches became empty. Bad and boring games, poor skill, and players who didn't care led Atlante to face relegation again. They were about to move down to the Segunda División, which was now called Primera División A.

Manuel Lapuente, who had coached the National team successfully in the 1998 World Cup, was given the job to save the team. He coached them in the Verano 2001 tournament. But Lapuente and his players could not reach the goal.

However, there was a chance for Atlante. The Mexican Federation wanted to add two new teams to the Primera División. Atlante paid $5 million and got to play a special series of matches. They played against Veracruz, the runner-up of Primera A. Atlante won the series 4–1. This allowed them to stay in the top division as one of the new expansion teams.

The Rebirth of Atlantismo

After this, the team's directors made a serious commitment. They ended their partnership with Televisa. Alejandro Burillo Azcárraga became the sole owner. The club focused on developing young players. Atlante became the team with the most youth players making their debut in the Primera División since 2000.

First Carlos Reinoso, then Miguel Herrera, helped build a new team. This team had its own spirit and great players. Popular players like Sebastián "Chamagol" González, Luis Gabriel Rey, and goalie Federico Vilar brought the team back into the spotlight. They reached three quarter-finals and two semi-finals in the playoffs. The team tried moving to a different stadium, the Estadio Azulgrana Neza 86, but then moved back to Estadio Azteca.

Former players who became coaches, René Isidoro García and José Guadalupe Cruz, worked hard. They tried to keep the team's spirit and skill strong. But low attendance at home matches remained a big problem. This was due to Mexico City teams often having low attendance. Also, the team's football level was inconsistent, and it lacked a clear identity.

The Third Championship in Quintana Roo

On May 14, 2007, Atlante officially left the Estadio Azteca. Their games there were not making money because not enough fans showed up. They hoped that moving to Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo in Cancún, Quintana Roo, would bring back their popularity and improve attendance.

Atlante quickly adjusted to their new home. They started winning important matches, both at home and away. After tough playoff games against Cruz Azul and Guadalajara, Atlante faced Pumas UNAM in the final.

On December 9, 2007, just five months after moving, Atlante won its third championship. Goalie Federico Vilar played great. Players like Giancarlo Maldonado, Gabriel Pereyra, Javier Muñoz, José Joel "El Chicharo" González, and Clemente Ovalle also played key roles. Ovalle scored the winning goal four minutes before the game ended. This win brought back Atlante's popularity across the country, especially in Cancún.

By winning the Apertura 2007 Championship, Atlante qualified for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2008. They were eliminated by Costa Rican team Saprissa in the quarter-finals. Atlante also qualified for the SuperLiga 2008. They were eliminated by the New England Revolution in the semi-finals.

Atlante joined the CONCACAF Champions League in its first season, 2008–09. They reached the final match against Cruz Azul. Atlante won the series 2–0. This made them CONCACAF Club Champions. They earned the right to play in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Return to International Spotlight

Atlante was invited to the Peace Cup in Spain. They replaced Celtic and played against Málaga and Aston Villa. Atlante was eliminated by Aston Villa, who later won the tournament.

Atlante signed Santiago Solari to make the team stronger. He was a major player, like Hugo Sanchez in 1995. He joined a special group of international players who played for the club. These included Grzegorz Lato, Ruben "Ratón" Ayala, Ricardo La Volpe, Cabinho, and Faustino Asprilla.

At the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup, Atlante beat Auckland City 3–0 in the quarter-finals. In the semifinals, they faced Barcelona. It was an interesting match because both teams had players named Rafael Márquez. FIFA decided Barcelona would play in different colors. Atlante scored first, but Barcelona won 3–1. In the third-place match, Atlante lost to Pohang Steelers in a penalty shootout. They finished in fourth place.

Shirt Sponsors and Manufacturers

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt partner
1988–89 Garcis
1989–90 Garcis Tok's
1990–91 Garcis
1991–96 Garcis Peñafiel
1996–97 Garcis DeWalt/Serfin/Herdez
1997–98 Garcis Pegaso/Serfin/Herdez
1998–99 Garcis Aerolíneas Internacionales/Pegaso/Herdez
1999–00 Garcis Pepsi/Pegaso/3 Hermanos
2000–02 Garcis Pegaso/Corona/Peñafiel
2002–03 Garcis Coca-Cola/Pegaso/Corona/PriceShoes
2003–04 Garcis Coca-Cola/Movistar/Corona/PriceShoes
2004–05 Garcis Pegaso/Coca-Cola/Corona
2005–06 Garcis Pegaso/Miami Life/Coca-Cola/Toyota/Corona
2006–07 Garcis Pegaso/Vavito/DuPont/Corona/AztraZéneca
2007–08 Garcis Pegaso/Garcis/ADO/SARE/Mexicana/Carrier/Meridian/Corona/Losec-A
2008–09 Atletica Pegaso/ADO/SARE/Cancún/Mexicana/Corona/Coca-Cola
2009–10 Garcis Pegaso/Cancún/Riviera Maya/Corona
2010–11 Kelme Pegaso/ADO/SARE/Cancún/Riviera Maya/Corona
2011–12 Garcis Pegaso/ADO/OfficeMax/Cancún/Riviera Maya/Volaris/Corona
2013–20 Kappa Pegaso/ADO/Cancún/Riviera Maya/Hard-Rock Hotel/Volaris/Corona/Coca-Cola/OMPP WOFP/Caliente/Mediotiempo.com
2020–22 Uln Betcris/Pinturas Acuario/Electrolit
2022–23 Keuka Betcris/Kosako/Pinturas Acuario/Electrolit/Megacable/Carl's Jr./Mediotiempo.com
2023–current Joma Betcris/Kosako/Jack Link's/Electrolit/Megacable/Carl's Jr./Krispy Kreme/Sportsworld/Passline/Heroes NFT Club/Mediotiempo.com/MCA/Waterloo Coyame

Honours

National Titles

Atlante FC honours
Type Competition Titles Winning editions Runners-up
Flag of Mexico.svg
Top division
Liga Mayor/Primera División/Liga MX 3 1946–47, 1992–93, Apertura 2007 1945–46, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1981–82
Copa México/Copa MX 2 1950–51, 1951–52 1942–43, 1943–44, 1945–46, 1948–49, 1962–63, Clausura 2013
Campeón de Campeones 1 1952 1947, 1951
Promotion divisions Liga de Expansión MX 3 Apertura 2021, Apertura 2022, Clausura 2024 Guardianes 2020, Apertura 2023
Campeón de Campeones de la Liga de Expansión MX 1 2022 2023, 2024
Ascenso MX 0 Apertura 2015, Apertura 2016
Segunda División 2 1976–77, 1990–91

International Titles

Type Competition Titles Winning editions Runners-up
Concacaf logo.svg
Continental CONCACAF
CONCACAF Champions Cup/Champions League 2 1983, 2008–09 1994
Notes
  •      record
  • s shared record

Amateur Titles

  • Campeonato de Primera Fuerza/Liga Mayor: 1931–32, 1940–41
  • Copa México: 1941–42
  • Campeón de Campeones: 1942

International Record

Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
1983 CONCACAF Champions' Cup First Round Guatemala Comunicaciones 2–0 2–2 4–2
Second Round United States New York Pancyprian-Freedoms 3–2 1–1 4–3
Third Round Guatemala Suchitepéquez 6–0 2–2 8–2
Final Suriname Robinhood 5–0 1–1 6–1
1994 CONCACAF Champions' Cup First Round El Salvador Firpo 2–1 4–1 6–2
Second Round Costa Rica Herediano 3–1 3–3 6–4
Semi-finals El Salvador Alianza 2–1
Final Costa Rica Cartaginés 2–3
2008 CONCACAF Champions' Cup Quarter-finals Costa Rica Saprissa 2–1 0–3 2–4
SuperLiga Group A United States Houston Dynamo 0–4 2nd
United States D.C. United 3–2
Mexico Guadalajara 2–0
Semi-finals United States New England Revolution 0–1
2009 CONCACAF Champions League Group C Honduras Olimpia 1–0 1–1 1st
Canada Montreal Impact 2–1 0–0
Trinidad and Tobago Joe Public 2–0 0–1
Quarter-finals United States Houston Dynamo 3–0 1–1 4–1
Semi-finals Mexico Santos Laguna 3–1 1–2 4–3
Final Mexico Cruz Azul 0–0 2–0 2–0
2009 FIFA Club World Cup Quarter-finals New Zealand Auckland City 3–0
Semi-finals Spain Barcelona 1–3
Third Place South Korea Pohang Steelers 1–1 (3–4 p)

Team Personnel

Management

Position Staff
Chairman Mexico Emilio Escalante
Sporting president Mexico Jorge Santillana
Director of academy Mexico Pascual Sandoval

Source: Liga MX

Coaching Staff

Position Staff
Manager Mexico Miguel de Jesús Fuentes
Assistant managers Mexico Horacio Moreno
Mexico Alfonso Rippa
Fitness coach Mexico Marco Hideroa
Physiotherapist Mexico Sergio Rojas
Team doctors Mexico Ramón Gómez
Mexico Jesús González

Players

First-team Squad

No. Position Player
1 Mexico GK Víctor Mendoza
2 Mexico DF Francisco Reyes
3 Mexico DF Diego Cruz
5 Mexico MF Hardy Meza
6 Mexico MF Paul Galván
8 Mexico MF Ronaldo González
11 Mexico FW Rafael Durán (on loan from Puebla)
13 Mexico MF Maximiliano García
15 Mexico MF Éric Cantú
17 Mexico MF Leonardo Mejía
18 Mexico MF Christian Bermúdez
20 Mexico MF Jesús Hernández
21 Mexico MF Javier Ibarra
23 Mexico GK Marco Millán
No. Position Player
24 Mexico DF Jorge Santillana
26 Mexico DF Mateo Espinosa
27 Mexico DF Armando Escobar
28 Brazil DF Elbis
29 Mexico MF Rodrigo de Dios
30 Mexico DF Emiliano Espinoza
31 Argentina GK Nicolás Forastiero
32 Mexico GK Alfredo Cabañas
33 Mexico DF Agustín Wences
34 Mexico MF Édgar Jiménez
35 United States MF Adrián Sánchez
37 Mexico DF Benedit Bello
38 Colombia MF Jefferson Tenorio

Retired Numbers

  • 12 – Mexico Félix Fernández, Goalkeeper (1989–98, 1999–01, 2002–03)

Reserve Teams

  • Atlante Xalapa
    • This is a reserve team that plays in the Liga TDP. This is the fourth level of the Mexican league system.
  • Atlante Chalco
    • This is another reserve team that plays in the Liga TDP.

Top Goalscorers

Mexico Dionisio "Nicho" Mejía 1927–28
Mexico Juan Carreño 1931–32
Mexico Alberto "Caballo" Mendoza 1939–40
Spain Martí Ventolrà 1941–42
Mexico Bernardo "Manolete" Hernández 1967–68
Brazil Cabinho 1979–80
Brazil Cabinho 1980–81
Brazil Cabinho 1981–82
Mexico Luis García 1997 Invierno
Colombia Luis Gabriel Rey 2003 Apertura
Peru Johan Fano 2010 Bicentenario
Chile Esteban Paredes 2012 Apertura
Venezuela Giancarlo Maldonado 2014 Apertura
Ecuador Carlos Garcés 2015 Apertura

Coaches

  • Hungary Árpád Fekete (1978–79)
  • Mexico Horacio Casarín (1981–84)
  • Argentina Juan Carlos Lorenzo (1982), (1983)
  • Mexico Ignacio Trelles (1983–85)
  • Mexico José Antonio Roca (1985–87)
  • Argentina Ricardo La Volpe (1988–89)
  • Mexico Rafael Puente (1989–90)
  • Argentina Ricardo La Volpe (July 1, 1991 – Jan 28, 1996)
  • Mexico Javier Aguirre (Feb 1, 1996 – June 30, 1996)
  • Mexico Miguel Mejía Barón (1996–98)
  • Argentina Juan Andrés Sarulyte (1998–99)
  • Argentina Ángel Cappa (Jan 1, 1999 – June 30, 1999)
  • Mexico Eduardo Rergis (2000)
  • Argentina Roberto Saporiti (Sept 21, 2000 – Dec 31, 2000)
  • Mexico Manuel Lapuente (Jan 1, 2001 – June 30, 2001)
  • Chile Carlos Reinoso (2001–02)
  • Mexico Miguel Herrera (Feb 16, 2002 – June 30, 2004)
  • Mexico José Guadalupe Cruz (July 1, 2004 – Sept 18, 2005)
  • Argentina Pedro Monzón (Jan 1, 2005 – June 30, 2005)
  • Mexico Sergio Bueno (Sept 24, 2005 – Dec 31, 2005)
  • Mexico René Isidoro García (Jan 1, 2006 – Dec 31, 2006)
  • Mexico José Guadalupe Cruz (Jan 1, 2007 – June 30, 2010)
  • Mexico René Isidoro García (July 1, 2010 – Sept 13, 2010)
  • Argentina Eduardo Bacas (Sept 13, 2010 – Dec 31, 2010)
  • Mexico Miguel Herrera (Jan 1, 2011 – Dec 31, 2011)
  • Mexico Mario García (Jan 1, 2012 – April 17, 2012)
  • Mexico José Luis González (interim) (April 17, 2012 – May 7, 2012)
  • Argentina Ricardo La Volpe (July 1, 2012 – Jan 28, 2013)
  • Mexico Daniel Guzmán (Jan 30, 2013 – June 30, 2013)
  • Uruguay Wilson Graniolatti (July 1, 2013 – Sept 2, 2013)
  • Argentina Andrés Carevic (interim) (Sept 3, 2013 – Sept 8, 2013)
  • Uruguay Rubén Israel (Sept 9, 2013 – Jan 12, 2014)
  • Argentina Pablo Marini (Jan 13, 2014)
  • Argentina Gabriel Pereyra / Mexico Gaston Obeledo (2014–2015)
  • Uruguay Wilson Graniolatti (2015)
  • Mexico Eduardo Fentanes (2015–2017)
  • Mexico Raúl Gutiérrez (2017)
  • Mexico Eduardo Rergis (interim) (2017)
  • Mexico Sergio Bueno (2017–2018)
  • Argentina Gabriel Pereyra (2018–2019)
  • Mexico Alex Diego (2019–2020)
  •  Mexico Mario García (2020–2023)
  • Mexico Daniel Alcántar (2023–2024)
  • Mexico Miguel de Jesús Fuentes (2025–)

Champion Coaches

  • Hungary Luis Grocz (1946–47)
  • Argentina Ricardo La Volpe (1992–93)
  • Mexico José Guadalupe Cruz (Apertura 2007)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Atlante Fútbol Club para niños

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