Club Deportivo Universidad Católica facts for kids
 |
||||
| Full name | Club Deportivo Universidad Católica | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Cruzados UC La Franja |
|||
| Founded | 21 April 1937 | |||
| Ground | Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo | |||
| Capacity | 20,000 | |||
| Chairman | Juan Tagle | |||
| Manager |  Daniel Garnero |
|||
| League | Campeonato Nacional | |||
| 2024 | Primera División, 5th of 16 | |||
|
||||
Club Deportivo Universidad Católica, often called Universidad Católica or simply UC, is a professional football club from Santiago, Chile. It was started in 1937. The team plays in the Primera División, which is the top football league in Chile. Their home stadium is Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo, where they have played since 1988.
Universidad Católica is one of the most successful clubs in Chile. They have won many national titles, including a record 16 Primera División championships. They have also won 2 Segunda División titles, 4 Copa Chile cups, and 4 Supercopa de Chile trophies. In international games, they won the Copa Interamericana in 1994.
In 1993, Universidad Católica reached the final of the Copa Libertadores, which is the biggest club tournament in South America. They finished as runner-up, losing to São Paulo. The club has also made it to the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores four other times.
José Pedro Fuenzalida is the player who has won the most titles with the club, with eleven trophies. Mario Lepe has played the most games for Universidad Católica, with 639 appearances. Their main rival is Universidad de Chile, and their matches are known as the Clásico Universitario.
Contents
Club History
How the Club Started
The club began around 1910 when students from the Universidad Católica de Chile played football. They often played against their rivals, Universidad de Chile. The idea to create a professional club grew, and on April 21, 1937, the club officially started.
Universidad Católica played its first professional game in the second division against Universidad de Chile. The club won its first league title in 1949.
In 1956, Universidad Católica was moved down to the Segunda División for the first time. But they quickly bounced back! On November 10, 1956, they won the Segunda División title and returned to the top league. Captain Sergio Livingstone and Raimundo Infante were key players.
In the 1970s, the team faced tough times and was relegated again in 1973. However, in 1975, they won the Segunda División title and returned to the Primera División for the 1976 season.
Big Moments in the 1990s
In 1993, Universidad Católica made it to their first-ever Copa Libertadores final. They beat strong teams like Atlético Nacional, Barcelona, and América de Cali to get there. In the finals, they played against São Paulo. Even though they won the second game, they lost the title overall.
Under manager Manuel Pellegrini, Universidad Católica won the Copa Interamericana on November 1, 1994. They beat Saprissa 5–1 at their home stadium, Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo. This made them the second Chilean team to win this international trophy. They also won the 1995 Copa Chile that year.
In 1997, the club celebrated its 60th anniversary. They played a friendly tournament and 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 at San Carlos de Apoquindo, with Juvenal Olmos as their manager.
In 2005, the club did well in international games again, reaching the semi-finals of the 2005 Copa Sudamericana. They were knocked out by the strong Argentine team Boca Juniors. On December 22, Universidad Católica won their ninth Chilean Primera División (Clausura) title. They beat Universidad de Chile in a penalty shootout at Estadio Nacional.
In 2010, after a close race, Universidad Católica won their tenth Chilean Primera Division title. They beat Everton 5–0 in the last match to secure the championship. This ended a five-year wait for a major trophy.
In 2011, they finished second in the Chilean Primera División. They also won the 2011 Copa Chile by beating Deportes Magallanes in a penalty shootout. In the 2011 Copa Libertadores, Católica reached the quarter-finals, beating Grêmio before losing to Peñarol.
On April 30, 2016, Universidad Católica won the Primera Division Clausura title, their first in six years. They won it on the final day by beating Audax Italiano 2–1. Later that year, on September 15, 2016, the club won the Supercopa de Chile for the first time, defeating Universidad de Chile 2–1.
Then, Universidad Católica won the Primera Division Apertura on December 8, 2016. They beat Deportes Temuco 2–0. This meant they won two national titles in a row, which is called a "Bicampeonato," under manager Mario Salas.
Four Championships in a Row
With Beñat San José as manager, Universidad Católica won the 2018 title on the last day by beating Deportes Temuco 2–1. In 2019, under Gustavo Quinteros, they won their second Supercopa de Chile and a second straight Primera División title. The league was stopped early due to protests, but UC was declared champion. This was the club's 14th league title. In the 2010s, Universidad Católica won five league championships, a Copa Chile, and two Chilean Supercups.
On February 14, 2020, with Ariel Holan as coach, Universidad Católica won their third consecutive Primera División title. They also reached the semi-finals of the Copa Chile. After Holan left, Gustavo Poyet became coach, and Universidad Católica won their third Supercopa de Chile.
In the 2021 Copa Libertadores, Católica made it to the round of 16 but lost to 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, beating Ñublense in a penalty shootout. Finally, on December 4, 2021, Universidad Católica was confirmed as 2021 Primera División champions, achieving an amazing four consecutive league titles!
Team Look: Crests and Colors
The club's official song is the Hymn of the Club Deportivo Universidad Católica.
Club Crests
The first crest had the letters "UC" (for Universidad Católica) in dark blue on a white background.
Kit Sponsors
Many different companies have made the team's uniforms and sponsored their shirts over the years.
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1976-1978 | In-House | Financiera Cash |
| 1978 - 1980 | Haddad | |
| 1981 | New Leader | |
| 1981 - 1982 | Adidas | AFP San Cristóbal |
| 1982 - 1985 | ||
| 1986 - 1989 | Pan Am | |
| 1989 | Puma | |
| 1990 - 1991 | Ladeco | |
| 1992 - 1995 | Diadora | Samsung |
| 1996 | Lotto Sport Italia | |
| 1997 | Parmalat | |
| 1998 - 1999 | Reebok | |
| 2000 - 2001 | BankBoston | |
| 2002 | Nike | |
| 2003 - 2008 | Cristal | |
| 2008 - 2011 | Puma | |
| 2012 - 2014 | DirecTV | |
| 2015 - 2017 | Umbro | |
| 2018 | Under Armour | |
| 2020 - 2023 | BICE | |
| 2024 - | Puma |
Home Stadiums
The stadium during the 2024 renovation and part of the San Carlos de Apoquindo sports complex.
|
|
| Capacity | 20,000 |
|---|---|
| Field size | 106 m × 72 m (348 ft × 236 ft) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 4 September 1988 |
| Architect | Esteban Barbieri |
Universidad Católica has had four different home stadiums over the years. These include Estadio Universidad Católica, Campos de Sports de Ñuñoa, and Estadio Independencia.
The team moved to the Independencia Stadium in 1945 and played there for 26 years. Later, due to money problems, that stadium was taken down. The team then played at Unión Española's stadium, the Santa Laura.
Since September 4, 1988, Universidad Católica has played its home games at Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo. This stadium was opened with a match against River Plate. Many of the club's trophies have been won while playing at San Carlos de Apoquindo. This includes league titles in 2002, 2010, 2016 (twice), 2019, and 2020.
In 1994, Católica won the 1993 Copa Interamericana final against Saprissa at this stadium.
Team Records and Statistics
Mario Lepe has played the most games for Universidad Católica, with 639 matches between 1982 and 2000. Andrés Romero is second with 484 games. José María Buljubasich is known for being a goalkeeper who went 1352 minutes without letting in a goal, which is a great record!
The player who has scored the most goals for Universidad Católica in official games is Rodrigo Barrera, with 118 goals. He passed Raimundo Infante's record of 113 goals in 2002. Other players who have scored over 100 goals for the club include Alberto Fouillioux, Néstor Isella, and Osvaldo Hurtado. Raimundo Infante is the club's top goalscorer in league history with 103 goals.
The IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) ranked the team 8th in 2012. Universidad Católica is known for having excellent facilities and training centers. This helps them develop many talented young players who often become stars. A famous player who came from their youth academy is Gary Medel, who has played for big clubs like Boca Juniors and Inter Milan, and was a key player for Chile in the World Cup.
The largest crowd for a Universidad Católica match was 77,890 people. This was for a league game at Estadio Nacional on January 11, 1967. Universidad Católica also holds a record in Chilean football for winning the most league seasons in a row (four, from 2018 to 2021).
Fans and Rivalries
.jpg)
.jpg)
Universidad Católica has the third-largest number of fans in Chile. Studies show that about 7% to 13% of Chilean football fans support them.
The University Derby
There is a big rivalry between Universidad Católica and Universidad de Chile. This match is called the "Clásico Universitario" (University Derby). It's a very old rivalry between two clubs that started from universities. Their first game was in 1909.
This derby is recognized by FIFA as the most traditional in Chile. They first played professionally on June 13, 1937. These two teams have played against each other in twenty championship finals, with Universidad Católica winning fourteen of them.
Club Trophies
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Segunda División | 2 | 1956, 1975 | |
| Copa Chile | 4 | 1983, 1991, 1995, 2011 | |
| Supercopa de Chile | 4S | 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 | |
| Copa República | 1 | 1983 | |
| International | Copa Interamericana | 1 | 1993 |
- record
- S shared record
Team Players
Chilean football rules allow a team to have up to seven foreign players, but only five can play at one time. Currently, Católica has six foreign players.
Main Team Squad
Current squad of Club Deportivo Universidad Católica as of 28 March 2021 ()
Sources: Universidad Católica official website: http://www.cruzados.cl/equipos/plantel-profesional
|
|
Coach: Gus Poyet
Young Players from the Academy
|
|
Players on Loan
These players are still part of Universidad Católica but are playing for other teams for a while.
|
|
Recent Player Changes
Players Who Left
|
|
Team Captains
Since the club started in 1937, 19 players have been the team captain for Universidad Católica.
|
|
Club Staff
Coaching Team
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| 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
Other Sports at Universidad Católica
- Universidad Católica (sports club) is a larger sports club that includes many other sports besides football.
See also
In Spanish: Club Deportivo Universidad Católica (fútbol) para niños
