Leones Negros UdeG facts for kids
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| Full name | Club Deportivo Leones Negros de la Universidad de Guadalajara | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Leones Negros (Black Lions) | |||
| Short name | UDG | |||
| Founded | January 1, 1970, as Venados UdeG | |||
| Ground | Estadio Jalisco Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico |
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| Capacity | 56,713 | |||
| Owner | UdeG | |||
| Chairman | José Alberto Castellanos Gutiérrez | |||
| Manager | Alfonso Sosa | |||
| League | Liga de Expansión MX | |||
| Clausura 2025 | Regular phase: 1st Final phase: Champions |
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Club Deportivo Leones Negros de la Universidad de Guadalajara, often called Leones Negros UdeG, is a professional football team from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. They currently play in the Liga de Expansión MX, which is the second-highest football league in Mexico. The club started in 1970 as Venados UdeG. Two years later, they changed their name to Leones Negros.
Club History and Achievements
Early Years and Promotions
The Universidad de Guadalajara football club, known as Leones Negros (Black Lions), began in the Tercera División de México. This was a lower division league. After playing there for two seasons, they moved up to the Segunda División de México.
The team then reached the top league, the Primera División. They did this by buying the spot of another team, Club Torreón, in 1974. Club Torreón was moved to Guadalajara and renamed Leones Negros.
The Black Lions Nickname
In their first years in the Primera División de México, Leones Negros had many talented Brazilian players. Because of this, a famous sports announcer named Ángel Fernández started calling them "Leones Negros," meaning "Black Lions." This nickname became very popular and is still used today.
Major Successes
The team had great success in the 1970s and 1980s. They finished as runners-up in the Primera División three times: in the 1975–76, 1976–77, and 1989–90 seasons. In 1978, Leones Negros also won the 1978 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. They shared this title with two other clubs: Comunicaciones F.C. from Guatemala and Defence Force F.C. from Trinidad and Tobago.
Team Disappears and Returns
After 20 years in the top league, the team faced difficulties. In 1994, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) took over the team. This was part of a plan to reduce the number of teams in the Primera División de México. Leones Negros played their last game on May 27, 1994, losing 2–1 to Atlas.
Even after the main team disappeared, the club kept its reserve squad in the third division. This reserve team became the main team. In 1997, they won a tournament and moved up to the Primera División 'A' de México. They stayed there until 2002, when the team was sold and moved. During this time, the team was known as Atlético Bachilleres.
Between 2002 and 2009, the team played as Cachorros UdeG in the Segunda División de México. They almost got promoted to the Primera División 'A' de México twice but lost in the finals. In 2009, Cachorros UdeG became the reserve team again.
Return to Top Divisions
Business people worked to bring the Club Universidad de Guadalajara team back to the top football divisions. This happened in 2009 when they bought the spot of C.D. Tapatío in the Primera División 'A'.
On May 21, 2009, it was officially confirmed that Club Universidad de Guadalajara would play in the Primera División 'A' de México.
Champions and Promotion to Liga MX
In the Apertura 2013 tournament, Leones Negros finished 5th. They entered the playoffs, called the Liguilla, and won the final against Necaxa with a score of 2–1. This win gave them the chance to play for promotion to the Liga MX.
After the Clausura 2014 tournament, Leones Negros played against Estudiantes Tecos for promotion. Both games ended in a tie. The promotion was decided by a penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Humberto "Gansito" Hernández scored the winning penalty. This sent Leones Negros back to the Liga MX for the 2014–15 season.
However, the team was relegated after only one season in the top league on May 9, 2015. Even though they won their match against Cruz Azul 2–0, their rivals, Puebla, got a tie, which kept them in the league. So, UdeG returned to Ascenso MX. In 2018, they almost returned to Liga MX again but lost in the championship final.
In June 2020, UdeG became a member of the Liga de Expansión MX. This new league replaced Ascenso MX. In Clausura 2025, Leones Negros UdeG won the Liga de Expansión MX championship.
Team Honours
National Titles
| Type | Competition | Titles | Winning editions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Top division |
Primera División | 0 | – | 1975–76, 1976–77, 1989–90 |
| Copa México | 1 | 1990–91 | 1974–75, 1988–89 | |
| Promotion divisions | Liga de Expansión MX | 1 | Clausura 2025 | Clausura 2024 |
| Campeón de Campeones de la Liga de Expansión MX | 0 | – | 2025 | |
| Ascenso MX | 1 | Apertura 2013 | Clausura 2018 | |
| Campeón de Ascenso | 1 | 2014 | – | |
| Segunda División | 0 | – | 1973–74 |
International Titles
| Type | Competition | Titles | Winning editions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Continental CONCACAF |
CONCACAF Champions Cup | 1 | 1978 | – |
Friendly Competitions
- Copa de Guadalajara con Pelé: 1975
- Copa Pacífica: 2024
Team Personnel
Coaching Staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Alfonso Sosa |
| Assistant managers | Juan Carlos Chávez |
| Julio Herrera |
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| Goalkeeper coach | Roberto Hernández |
| Fitness coach | Sergio Hernández |
| Physiotherapist | Alan Fuentes |
| Team doctor | Eduardo Ortega |
Players
First-Team Squad
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Reserve Teams
- Leones Negros UdeG Premier: This is a reserve team that plays in the Liga Premier, which is the third level of Mexican football.
- Leones Negros UdeG (Liga TDP): This is another reserve team that plays in the Liga TDP, the fourth level of Mexican football.
Team Managers
- Ignacio Jáuregui (1976–1978)
- Gustavo Peña (1978–1979)
Árpád Fekete (1979–1981)- Ignacio Trelles (1986–1989)
- Alberto Guerra (1989–1992)
- Sergio Díaz (2009)
Belarmino de Almeida (2009–2010)- Héctor Medrano (2010–2011)
- Alfonso Sosa (2011–2015), (2021–)
- Daniel Guzmán (2015–2016)
- Joel Sánchez Ramos (2016–2017)
- Jorge Dávalos (2017–2019), (2019–2021)
- Ricardo Rayas (2019)
See also
In Spanish: Club Deportivo Leones Negros de la U. de G. para niños
