Santos Laguna facts for kids
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| Full name | Club Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V. | |||
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| Founded | September 4, 1983 | |||
| Ground | Estadio Corona | |||
| Capacity | 30,000 | |||
| Owner | Grupo Orlegi | |||
| Chairman | Aleco Irarragorri Kalb | |||
| Manager | Vacant | |||
| League | Liga MX | |||
| Apertura 2024 | Regular phase: 18th Final phase: Did not qualify |
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Club Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V., often called just Santos Laguna, is a professional football team from Mexico. They are based in a place called Comarca Lagunera.
The club started in 1983. They quickly made it to Mexico's top football league in the 1988–89 season. Santos Laguna has won the Liga MX championship 6 times! They also won the Copa MX once and the Campeón de Campeones cup once. They even made it to the finals of the CONCACAF Champions League twice, which is a big international tournament.
Santos Laguna is a very popular team in Mexico. In 2018, the club celebrated its 35th birthday.
Contents
Club History
How the Team Started
Santos Laguna was founded in 1983. It was started by the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in Durango. The team was first called Santos IMSS.
In 1987, the IMSS bought another team, Tuberos de Veracruz. They moved the team to Gómez Palacio. The first home stadium for Santos Laguna was the old Estadio Corona in Torreon. On September 4, 1988, the team played its first game as Santos Laguna and won 2–0.
Joining the Top League
In 1988, Santos Laguna bought the Puebla Angels team. This helped them join the top division of Mexican football. Lucas Ochoa scored the team's first goal in the First Division. The team, led by Carlos Ortiz, avoided being sent down to a lower league.
In 1991, a company called Grupo Modelo became the main owner of the club. Ramon Ramirez played his first game in the First Division and scored a goal. In 1993, new players joined the team, like Antonio "El Turco" Apud and Daniel Guzmán. The team made it to the playoffs for the first time in the 1993–94 season. They even reached the final, but lost in extra time.
In 1994, a key player, Ramón Ramírez, left the team. But Santos still made it to the playoffs again. In 1995, they played in the CONCACAF Champions Cup but were eliminated early. In 1996, Santos Laguna won their first First Division title! This was with a new player named Jared Borghetti.
The 2000s: More Success
In the summer of 2000, new players like Rodrigo Ruiz joined Santos Laguna. The team played very well, losing only two games.
In the 2001 summer season, the club won their second league championship! In 2002, Santos Laguna played in the CONCACAF Champions Cup again. They won against Tauro FC from Panama. But they lost to the Kansas City Wizards from the U.S.
For their 20th anniversary in 2003, new players like Vicente Matias Vuoso joined. The team made it to the playoffs but was eliminated.
In 2004, the club had some money problems. But in the Copa Libertadores, Santos Laguna played very well and didn't lose any games in the group stage. However, they were later eliminated.
In 2005, Vicente Matias Vuoso was the top scorer with 15 goals. Rodrigo Ruiz set a record with 12 assists. The 2006 season was tough for the club.
The 2007 season was one of the team's best. With Christian Benitez joining, Santos Laguna lost only one match. On June 1, 2008, Santos Laguna won their third championship! They defeated Cruz Azul.
In 2009, the new Estadio Corona opened.
The 2010s: More Trophies
In 2010, Santos almost won another title but lost to Toluca. Christian Benitez returned to the club and scored 14 goals. But Santos lost in the final again.
In 2011, Benjamin Galindo became the new coach. Under him, Santos won five games in a row. In the 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League, Santos reached the final but lost. In the 2012 Clausura, Santos Laguna finished in first place. They won their fourth title by defeating Monterrey in the finals! Goals by Daniel Ludueña and Oribe Peralta secured the win.
In 2013, Pedro Caixinha became the manager. Santos Laguna finished sixth in the regular season. They reached the semi-finals but lost. In the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League, Santos reached the final again but lost to Monterrey.
In 2013, a new company called Orlegi Sports bought Santos Laguna. They promised to keep supporting the team.
In the 2014 Copa Libertadores, Santos Laguna played very well. They finished first in their group without losing a game. However, they were later eliminated by an Argentinian team. After this, some players from that Argentinian team, like Carlos Izquierdoz and Agustín Marchesín, joined Santos Laguna.
In the Clausura 2015, Santos made an amazing comeback. They had lost six games in a row but still made it to the playoffs. They defeated top teams like Tigres UANL and Chivas del Guadalajara. In the final, they played against Querétaro F.C. Santos won the first game 5–0! Javier "Chuletita" Orozco scored four goals. Even though Querétaro won the second game 3–0, Santos Laguna won their fifth championship overall by a score of 5–3.
In the Clausura 2018 tournament, Santos Laguna won their sixth league title! They were managed by Robert Siboldi. In the final, they defeated Toluca 2-1 in the first game and tied 1-1 in the second. Djaniny Tavares was the top goal scorer in the tournament with fourteen goals.
In 2019, the team played in the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League. They won easily against Marathón and the New York Red Bulls. But they lost in the semi-finals to Tigres UANL.
Team Players
Current Squad
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Players on Loan
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Retired Jersey Numbers
- 58 –
Jared Borgetti, Forward (1996 - 2006) - His number was retired to honor his contributions.
Top Goal Scorers
Here are some of Santos Laguna's top goal scorers in different competitions:
- Liga MX:
* Gabriel Caballero (1997; 13 goals) * Jared Borgetti (2000; 19 goals, and 2001; 22 goals) * Vicente Matías Vuoso (2005; 16 goals, and 2005; 11 goals) * Christian Benítez (2010; 14 goals) * Djaniny (2018; 14 goals) * Harold Preciado (2023; 16 goals)
- Copa Mexico:
* Richard Zambrano (1995; 3 goals) * Andrés Rentería (2014; 6 goals)
- International Games:
* Oribe Peralta (2012 CONCACAF Champions League; 7 goals) * Darwin Quintero (2013 CONCACAF Champions League; 6 goals)
Most Games Played
These players have played the most games for Santos Laguna:
- 1. Juan Pablo Rodríguez (343 games)
- 2. Oswaldo Sánchez (340 games)
- 3. Rodrigo Ruiz (328 games)
- 4. Jared Borgetti (319 games)
- 5. Rafael Figueroa (288 games)
- 6. Iván Estrada (284 games)
- 7. Darwin Quintero (277 games)
- 8. Carlos Cariño (273 games)
- 9. Oribe Peralta (266 games)
- 10. Héctor Altamirano (258 games)
Team Uniforms and Sponsors
| Year | Manufacturer | Sponsor |
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| 1988–89 | Adidas | Coca-Cola |
| 1989–90 | Pepín | Martí |
| 1990–91 | ||
| 1991–92 | Topper | Quesos La Risueña |
| 1992–1994 | Pony | Coca-Cola |
| 1994–1996 | Aba Sport | Corona Extra |
| 1996–2000 | Corona Sport | |
| 2000–2002 | Soriana | |
| 2002–2010 | Atletica | |
| 2011–2018 | Puma | |
| 2018– | Charly |
Santos Laguna has always worn green, often with white or black. Their uniform style started when they were sponsored by the Mexican Social Security Institute in 1983.
The first home uniform was white with green sleeves and a green stripe. The away uniform was all white. In 1986, they started using green-and-white stripes for their home uniform. In 2000, Santos Laguna signed a sponsorship deal with Soriana.
Kit History
         1983–84
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   1996–97
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  2000–01
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2007–08
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 2008–09
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    2009–10
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   2010
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     2011
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     2012
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    2013
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   30th-anniversary edition
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     2014
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Home Stadiums
Old Corona Stadium
The old Corona Stadium was in Torreón, Coahuila. It was one of the smaller football stadiums in Mexico. It could hold 20,100 people. The stadium opened on July 2, 1970. It was torn down on November 2, 2009.
New Corona Stadium
Santos Laguna now plays at the new Estadio Corona. This stadium cost $100 million to build. It can hold 30,050 people. Construction started on February 22, 2008. The stadium opened on November 11, 2009. The first game was a friendly match between Santos Laguna and Santos FC from Brazil. The stadium was completely full. The Mexican president and Brazilian football legend Pelé were there. Santos Laguna won the game 2–1.
Team Symbols
Club Logo
Santos Laguna's main colors are green and white. When the club started in 1983, their logo looked like Santos FC's logo. In 1991, the logo changed to be more like the one they have now.
After winning their first title in 1996, a star was added to the logo. Another star was added after their second title in 2001. The stars are now placed outside the main badge. In 2018, the club used a special logo with the number '35' for their 35th anniversary. A sixth star was added after they won the Clausura 2018 tournament.
Team Songs
In 1991, Santos Laguna got their first team song, "Es hora de ganar." Later, in 1994, a song called "Santos Campeon" was written. In 1996, "Verdiblanco el corazon" was created. In 2001, the club introduced "Venceremos."
Club Partnerships
On December 9, 2010, Santos Laguna partnered with Celtic, a Scottish team. Both teams wear green-and-white uniforms. They often mention each other on social media. On January 10, 2013, Santos also partnered with Atlético Nacional.
Team Rivalries
Santos Laguna has a big rivalry with their state neighbors, Monterrey. They have played against each other in many important finals. Santos also has a rivalry with Tigres UANL, but it's not as strong.
Club Achievements
National Titles
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
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| Domestic | Liga MX | 6 | Invierno 1996, Verano 2001, Clausura 2008, Clausura 2012, Clausura 2015, Clausura 2018 |
| Copa MX | 1 | Apertura 2014 | |
| Campeón de Campeones | 1 | 2015 |
Images for kids
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A match between Santos Laguna and Houston Dynamo in 2013.
See also
In Spanish: Club Santos Laguna para niños
- Santos FC
- Santos FC and the Brazil national football team
- Santos FC Reserves and Academy
- Torcida Jovem
