Club Deportivo Universidad Católica facts for kids
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| Full name | Club Deportivo Universidad Católica | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Cruzados UC La Franja |
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| Founded | 21 April 1937 | |||
| Ground | Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo | |||
| Capacity | 20,000 | |||
| Chairman | Juan Tagle | |||
| Manager | Tiago Nunes | |||
| League | Campeonato Nacional | |||
| 2024 | Primera División, 5th of 16 | |||
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Club Deportivo Universidad Católica, often called Universidad Católica or just UC, is a professional football club. It is based in Santiago, Chile. The club was started in 1937. They play in the Primera División, which is the top football league in Chile. Their home games have been played at Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo since 1988.
Universidad Católica has won the third-highest number of league championships in Chile. They have won 28 national trophies. This includes a record 16 Primera División titles. They also have 2 Segunda División titles, 4 Copa Chile, 4 Supercopa de Chile, a Copa Apertura, and a Copa República. In international games, Universidad Católica has won one trophy: the Copa Interamericana in 1994.
In 1993, Universidad Católica was the runner-up in the Copa Libertadores de América. This is the most important international tournament in South America. They lost in the finals to São Paulo. Universidad Católica has reached the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores four times. These were in 1962, 1966, 1969, and 1984.
The player who has won the most titles with the club is José Pedro Fuenzalida, with eleven trophies. The player with the most games played for the club is Mario Lepe, with 639 matches. Universidad Católica's main rival is Universidad de Chile. Their matches are known as the Clásico Universitario.
Contents
History of Universidad Católica
How the Club Started
The club officially began in 1937. However, its roots go back to around 1910. At that time, students from the Universidad Católica de Chile played football matches. They often played against their historical rival, Universidad de Chile. Over time, the idea of creating a professional club grew. So, on April 21, 1937, the club officially started. Their first professional game was in the second division against Universidad de Chile. Universidad Católica won its first league title in 1949.
In December 1956, Universidad Católica was relegated to the Segunda División. This was the first time in their history. But they quickly bounced back! On November 10, 1956, they won the Segunda División title. They beat Deportes La Serena 3–2. This win sent them straight back to the top division. Their captain, Sergio Livingstone, and Raimundo Infante were key players. In the 1970s, the team faced tough times. They were relegated again in 1973. But in 1975, Universidad Católica won the Segunda División title again. This brought them back to the Primera División for the 1976 season.
In 1993, Universidad Católica reached their first ever Copa Libertadores final. They had beaten tough teams like Atlético Nacional, Barcelona, and América de Cali. In the finals, they played against São Paulo. Even though they won the second game, they lost the title on total score, 5–3. With Manuel Pellegrini as their manager, Universidad Católica won the Copa Interamericana on November 1, 1994. They beat Saprissa 5–1. They also won the 1995 Copa Chile title that year.
In 1997, the club celebrated its 60th anniversary. They held a friendly tournament. They beat Ajax Amsterdam 3–2 in the Copa 60º Aniversario.
Success in the 21st Century
Universidad Católica won the 2002 Primera División (Apertura) title. They beat Rangers de Talca 4–0 in the final. Juvenal Olmos was their manager. In 2005, the club did well in international games again. They reached the semi-finals of the 2005 Copa Sudamericana. They were knocked out by Boca Juniors from Argentina. On December 22, Universidad Católica won their ninth Chilean Primera División (Clausura) title. They beat Universidad de Chile in a penalty shootout. In 2006, the team played well in the 2006 Copa Libertadores. However, they were eliminated in the group stage by Tigres UANL of Mexico.
In the 2008 Copa Libertadores, Católica was eliminated in the group stage. They also had no luck in the 2010 Copa Libertadores. In the 2010 season, they had a great comeback. They won the Primera Division title after beating Everton 5–0. This ended a five-year wait for a trophy.
In 2011, they finished second in the Chilean Primera División. They also reached the 2011 Copa Chile final. They won the Copa Chile by beating Deportes Magallanes in a penalty shootout. In the 2011 Copa Libertadores, Católica reached the quarter-finals. They beat Grêmio but lost to Peñarol. In the Copa Sudamericana 2012, Universidad Católica reached the semi-finals. They were knocked out by São Paulo.
On April 30, 2016, Universidad Católica won the Primera Division Clausura title. This was their first in six years. They won the title on the last day by beating Audax Italiano 2–1. On September 15, 2016, the club won the Supercopa de Chile for the first time. They defeated Universidad de Chile 2–1 in the final. After that, Universidad Católica won the Primera Division Apertura. This title was won on December 8. They beat Deportes Temuco 2–0. With Mario Salas as manager, they won two national titles in a row. This is called a "Bicampeonato".
Four League Titles in a Row
With Beñat San José as manager, Universidad Católica won the 2018 title. They won it on the last day by beating Deportes Temuco 2–1. In 2019, with Gustavo Quinteros, Universidad Católica won their second Supercopa de Chile. They also won a second straight Primera División title. The league season was stopped early due to protests. On November 29, 2019, the ANFP decided to end the season. This title was the club's 14th official league win. In the 2010s, Universidad Católica won five league championships, a Copa Chile, and two Chilean Supercups.
On February 14, 2020, with Ariel Holan, Universidad Católica won their third straight Primera División title. They also reached the semi-finals of the Copa Chile. After winning the title, Holan left the club. In March, Gustavo Poyet became the new coach. Universidad Católica then won their third Supercopa de Chile. In the 2021 Copa Libertadores, Católica finished second in their group. They reached the round of 16. However, they were knocked out by Palmeiras from Brazil. On August 30, 2021, Gustavo Poyet was replaced by Cristian Paulucci. On January 20, 2021, Universidad Católica won their fourth Supercopa de Chile title. They beat Ñublense in a penalty shootout. On December 4, 2021, Universidad Católica won the 2021 Primera División championship. This meant they had won four league titles in a row!
Club Symbols
The official song of the club is the Hymn of the Sports Club of the Catholic University.
Crests
The first club crest had the letters "UC" (for Universidad Católica) in dark blue on a white shirt.
Home Stadiums
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| Capacity | 20,000 |
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| Field size | 106 m × 72 m (348 ft × 236 ft) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 4 September 1988 |
| Architect | Esteban Barbieri |
Universidad Católica has had four main stadiums. These include the Estadio Universidad Católica, Campos de Sports de Ñuñoa, and Independencia. The Independencia stadium was opened in 1945. It was their home for 26 years.
After moving between different grounds, the team moved to the Independencia Stadium in 1945. This stadium was later taken down. The club then played at Unión Española's stadium, the Santa Laura. After that, Universidad Católica moved to their current home, San Carlos de Apoquindo. This stadium opened on September 4, 1988. The first match there was against River Plate.
The San Carlos de Apoquindo stadium is in a nice part of Santiago. This has given the club a reputation for being a favorite among wealthier families. However, there are "UC" fans all over Chile. Because of the neighborhood, it has been hard for the club to get permission to make the stadium bigger. But in recent years, they have been allowed to host big matches against Universidad de Chile and Colo-Colo in their own stadium. A limited number of rival fans are allowed for safety reasons.
Records and Achievements
Mario Lepe holds the record for playing the most games for Universidad Católica. He played 639 first-team matches from 1982 to 2000. Andrés Romero is second with 484 games. José María Buljubasich is one of the best goalkeepers for the club. He went 1352 minutes without letting in a goal.
Rodrigo Barrera is Universidad Católica's all-time top scorer in official games, with 118 goals. He passed Raimundo Infante's record of 113 goals in 2002. Four other players have scored over 100 goals for the club. These are Alberto Fouillioux, Néstor Isella, Osvaldo Hurtado, and Raimundo Infante. Infante is the club's top scorer in league history with 103 goals.
The IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) ranked the team 8th in the world in 2012. The club is known for having one of the best training centers in South America. It is a great place for young players to develop. A famous player who came from their youth academy is Gary Medel. He has played for big clubs like Boca Juniors and Inter Milan. He also played a big role for Chile in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
The highest number of fans at a Universidad Católica match was 77,890. This was for a league game at Estadio Nacional on January 11, 1967. Universidad Católica has also set records in Chilean football. They won the most league seasons in a row (four, from 2018–2021).
Fans and Rivalries
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Universidad Católica is the third most popular club in Chile. About 7% to 13% of Chilean football fans support them, according to different studies.
Clásico Universitario
There is a big rivalry between Universidad Católica and Universidad de Chile. This game is called the "Clásico Universitario". Both clubs started from universities. This makes their rivalry special. It is the oldest match between two university-based clubs. Their first game was in 1909. The rivalry grew in both sports and academic areas. These matches became very important.
FIFA has called this clásico the most traditional in Chile. They first played each other on June 13, 1937. This was in the Segunda División. These two teams have played against each other in twenty championship finals. Universidad Católica has won fourteen of these finals, and Universidad de Chile has won six.
Trophies Won
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
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| National | Primera División | 16 | 1949, 1954, 1961, 1966, 1984, 1987, 1997-A, 2002-A, 2005-C, 2010, 2016-C, 2016-A, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 |
| Copa Chile | 4 | 1983, 1991, 1995, 2011 | |
| Supercopa de Chile | 4 | 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 | |
| Copa República | 1 | 1983 | |
| Segunda División | 2 | 1956, 1975 | |
| International | Copa Interamericana | 1 | 1993 |
- record
- S shared record
Players
Football rules allow a maximum of seven foreign players per team. Only five of them can be on the field at one time. Currently, Católica has six foreign players.
First-team Squad
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Youth Academy Players
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Players on Loan
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Club Captains
Since the club started in 1937, 19 players have been the team captain of Universidad Católica.
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Club Staff
Current Coaching Team
| Position | Name |
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| Manager |  Tiago Nunes |
| Assistant Manager | Evandro Fornari |
| Assistant Manager |  Rodrigo Valenzuela |
| Academy team Manager | Andrés Romero |
| Fitness coach | Edy Carlos |
| Analyst | Jussan Anjolin |
| Assistant fitness coach | Mauricio González |
| Goalkeeping coach | Robert Prieto |
| Director of Football |  José María Buljubasich |
- Last updated: April 14, 2024
Club Management
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| President | Juan Tagle Quiroz |
| 1st Vice-president | Guillermo Agüero Piwonka |
| 2nd Vice-president | Hernán de Solminihac |
- Last updated: December 26, 2021
Other Sports
- Universidad Católica (sports club) is a larger sports club that includes many different sports, not just football.
See also
In Spanish: Club Deportivo Universidad Católica (fútbol) para niños
