C.S.D. Municipal facts for kids
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| Full name | Club Social y Deportivo Municipal | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Los Rojos (The Reds) El Equipo del Pueblo (The People's Team) El Mimado de la Afición (Fans' Pampered Team) Diablos Rojos (Red Devils) Los Ediles (The Aediles) |
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| Founded | 17 May 1936 | ||
| Ground | Estadio El Trébol | ||
| Capacity | 8,000 | ||
| Chairman | Gerardo Villa | ||
| Manager | Sebastián Bini | ||
| League | Liga Nacional | ||
| Apertura 2024 | 2nd (Quarterfinals) | ||
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Club Social y Deportivo Municipal, often called Municipal or Los Rojos (which means "The Reds"), is a professional football club from Guatemala City.
They play in the Liga Nacional, which is the top football league in Guatemala. Their home games are held at the Estadio El Trébol. Municipal has been in Guatemala's top league since it started in 1942. They have won the national league 32 times, most recently in the 2024 Clausura tournament. In 1974, they also won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, a big international tournament.
Municipal is the most popular football club in Guatemala. They have a big rivalry with Comunicaciones, another team from Guatemala City. Both teams have won 32 league titles, making them the most successful clubs in the country.
Contents
Club History
The club was started on May 17, 1936. It was founded by workers from the city hall of Guatemala City. This is why they are called Municipal. In 1938, they moved up to the top division, which was then called Liga Capitalina. They finished second in their first season and have stayed in the top division ever since.
Early Wins (1940s–1960s)
Municipal won their first national league title in the 1942–43 season. This was the first official national league championship in Guatemala. They won three more titles in the next six tournaments. The other three were won by Tipografía Nacional, which became their first rival. Manuel Felipe Carrera, one of the club's founders, coached Municipal during this time. The team's training stadium is now named after him.
During the 1940s and early 1950s, Carlos "Pepino" Toledo was a very important player for Municipal. He was a forward and played his whole career with the club. He helped the team win their first four league titles. His last title was in the 1954–55 season, which was also the year he retired. Toledo scored 129 goals for the club, which is still the fourth-highest total. He also played for the national team and later became Municipal's coach.
In 1948, Municipal won their first international trophy. This was at a friendly tournament in Havana, Cuba, celebrating Cuban Independence. Famous players like Carlos Toledo, Mario Camposeco, and goalkeeper José Pedro "Tarzán" Segura were part of that team.
The late 1950s were tough for Municipal. Toledo had retired, and Comunicaciones became the top team, winning the league three times in a row. Municipal did not win a title for eight years. They finally won three championships in the 1960s (1963–64, 1965–66, and 1969–70). However, Comunicaciones was still very strong, winning seven titles between 1956 and 1972. The matches between Comunicaciones and Municipal became the biggest local derby in Guatemala. Another rivalry grew with Aurora, another Guatemala City club, which also won three titles during this time.
1970s: International Glory
In 1973, Uruguayan coach Rubén Amorín joined Municipal. He coached a strong group of players, including defender Alberto López Oliva, midfielders Benjamín Monterroso and José Emilio "Pepe" Mitrovich, and forward Julio César Anderson. Anderson became the club's all-time top goalscorer and helped the team achieve great success. Municipal won league championships in 1973 and 1974, their first back-to-back titles.
In 1974, while winning their second straight league title, Municipal became the first Guatemalan club to win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. After this, Los Rojos played in the Copa Interamericana against Argentina's "red team," Independiente.
The first game was in Guatemala on November 24, 1974, and Independiente won 1-0. But Municipal surprised everyone by winning 1-0 in Argentina two days later. José Emilio "Pepe" Mitrovich scored the winning goal. Since both teams had equal points, the game went to extra time. No more goals were scored, so it went to penalty kicks. Independiente won 4-2, but Municipal had shown they could compete with the best teams on the continent.
1980s: A Close Call with Relegation
Municipal continued their success with another league title in 1976. However, their performance then started to decline. They finished 8th in 1979-80 and dropped to 11th in 1981. This meant they had to play in a special mini-league to avoid being moved down to a lower division. Luckily, their old rivals Tipografía Nacional were relegated instead, and Municipal stayed up. In 1982, they came even closer to relegation, finishing 9th. They again escaped the drop only because of a better goal difference. For the next few years, Municipal stayed away from the bottom of the league, but they didn't seriously challenge for a title again until 1987.
1980s and 1990s: Back to the Top
In 1987, Argentine coach Miguel Ángel Brindisi arrived. He was a former midfield star who had won titles in Argentina. In his two years in Guatemala, he brought great success. In 1987, Municipal beat Aurora 4-2 in a penalty shootout to win the championship. This was their first title since 1976. A year later, they won again, making it back-to-back titles for the first time since the 1970s. Brindisi then left, but his replacement, Walter Ormeño, led the team to a third straight title.
In the 1990-91 season, Municipal almost won a fourth title in a row. However, they lost 1-0 to Comunicaciones in the final. They got their revenge in 1991-92, beating Comunicaciones 2-1 in a championship playoff. This meant they had won four titles in five years.
In December 1993, the team reached the finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. They narrowly lost to Saprissa from Costa Rica. However, they still won the Guatemalan championship for the fifth time in seven seasons.
2000s: A Decade of Wins
In 2000, the league changed its format to two yearly tournaments: Apertura and Clausura. Municipal won the title again after Comunicaciones had set a record by winning the previous four. Municipal broke that record in 2006 when they won the 2006 Apertura tournament. This was their fifth title in a row under coach Enzo Trossero. They also won two more Central American titles, the Copa Interclubes UNCAF, in 2001 and 2004.
Team Colors and Logo
At first, Municipal's uniform was a red-and-black striped shirt with black shorts. Soon after, the colors changed to their current look: a red shirt and blue shorts for home games. For away games, they usually wear all blue, though other colors have been used.
The club's logo is based on the emblem of the Municipalidad de Guatemala (Guatemala City Hall). This emblem comes from the original coat of arms of the city of Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala. It shows Saint James over a picture of the region. The team's logo adds a picture of a football from when the club was founded. It also has a blue and red striped section. The team's name is written around the circular logo on a red background.
Stadiums
For many years, Municipal has used the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores as their main home stadium. They shared it with Comunicaciones from the 1950s until 1991, and again since 2005. In the beginning, Municipal played in other stadiums, like the Estadio Autonomía. The Estadio La Pedrera has also been used when the Doroteo Guamuch Flores stadium was not available.
The Estadio Manuel Felipe Carrera, also known as "Estadio El Trébol," is mainly used for team training. However, it has sometimes hosted official matches. Municipal had an amazing record there, going undefeated in 33 official matches from July 9, 1991, until March 7, 2008. Their streak ended when they lost 1–0 to Deportivo Petapa in the 2008 Clausura tournament.
Supporters
Municipal is thought to have the biggest fan base of all football clubs in Guatemala. Their popularity has earned them nicknames like El mimado de la afición (Fans' pampered team) and El equipo del pueblo (People's team).
Team Records
Municipal holds a special record in Guatemalan football. They are the club that has spent the most years in a row in the top division, staying there without interruption since 1938.
Juan Carlos Plata is the team's all-time top goalscorer in both league matches and overall games. By the end of 2010, Plata had scored 299 league goals and 403 total goals for Municipal. He played for no other club.
Honours (Trophies)
National Titles
- Liga Nacional de Guatemala
- Champions (32): 1942–43, 1947, 1950–51, 1954–55, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1987, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1993–94, Clausura 2000, Apertura 2000, Apertura 2001, Clausura 2002, Apertura 2003, Apertura 2004, Clausura 2005, Apertura 2005, Clausura 2006, Apertura 2006, Clausura 2008, Apertura 2009, Clausura 2010, Apertura 2011, Clausura 2017, Apertura 2019, Clausura 2024
- Copa de Guatemala
- Champions (8): 1960, 1967, 1969, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003, 2003–04
- Copa Campeón de Campeones de Guatemala
- Champions (6): 1952, 1967, 1977, 1994, 1996, 2024
International Titles
Continental
- CONCACAF Champions Cup
- Champions (1): 1974
Regional
- Copa Fraternidad/Torneo Grandes de Centroamérica/Copa Interclubes UNCAF
- Champions (4): 1974, 1977, 2001, 2004
Players
Retired Numbers
15 – 
Juan Carlos Plata, forward (1990–2010) - His number was retired to honor his amazing career with the club.
Notable Players
Many talented players have played for Municipal. Here are some of the most well-known players who spent at least two years with the club:
Miguel Ángel Brindisi (FW)- José Emilio Mitrovich (MF)
- Mario Acevedo (FW)
- Julio César Anderson (FW)
- Juan Manuel Funes (MF)
- Alberto López Oliva (DF)
- Benjamín Monterroso (DF / MF)
- Juan Carlos Plata (FW)
- Carlos Ruiz (FW)
- Carlos Toledo (FW)
Jaime Penedo (GK)- Gonzalo Romero (MF)
- Nicholas Hagen (GK)
Coaching Staff
The coaching staff helps the team train and play their best. As of July 2025, the main coach is Mario Acevedo.
| Position | Staff |
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| Manager | Mario Acevedo (*) |
| Assistant Managers | Dwight Pezzarossi (*) |
| Fitness Coach | Ezequiel Barril (*) |
Champion Coaches
These coaches led Municipal to win league titles:
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See also
In Spanish: Club Social y Deportivo Municipal para niños
