C.F. Monterrey facts for kids
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| Full name | Club de Fútbol Monterrey | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Rayados (Striped-Ones) La Pandilla (The Gang) Los Albiazules (The White-and-Blues) |
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| Founded | 28 June 1945 | |||
| Ground | Estadio BBVA | |||
| Capacity | 53,500 | |||
| Owner | FEMSA | |||
| Chairman | José Antonio Noriega | |||
| Manager | Martín Demichelis | |||
| League | Liga MX | |||
| Clausura 2024 | Regular phase: 4th Final phase: Semi-finals |
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Club de Fútbol Monterrey is a professional football team from Monterrey, Mexico. They play in Liga MX, which is the top football league in Mexico. The club was started on June 28, 1945. This makes it the oldest professional team in northern Mexico.
Since 1999, FEMSA, a big bottling company, has owned the club. Monterrey plays its home games at the Estadio BBVA, which opened in 2015. The team's nickname is Rayados, meaning "The Striped-Ones". This comes from their traditional navy blue striped uniform. The club's logo also shows these stripes. Stars above the logo represent their league titles, and stars below show their continental titles.
Monterrey has won five league titles and three national cups. They have also won the CONCACAF Champions League five times. This includes winning three tournaments in a row from 2011 to 2013. In 2020, Monterrey became only the second Mexican club to win a "continental treble". This means they won their league, a domestic cup, and a continental championship all in one season.
The team's biggest rival is Tigres UANL. Their matches are called the Clásico Regiomontano. This is one of the most exciting rivalries in Mexican football. Both teams often have high attendance at their games. They also have some of the most expensive teams in the country.
Contents
Club History
Early Years (1940s–1950s)
Club de Football Monterrey was founded on June 28, 1945. It was started by a group of business people.
The team's nickname, Rayados, became popular because of their uniform. It is traditionally white with navy blue vertical stripes. The stripes were inspired by another team in 1965. Since then, their home uniform has been blue and white striped jerseys with blue shorts.
Monterrey won its first professional game 1-0 on August 19, 1945. But soon after, the team's bus was in a sad accident. Many players were affected. Other Mexican clubs helped by lending players. But the team still struggled. They lost 21 games in a row that year and finished last. Because of this, the club stopped playing in the league in 1946.
The club started playing again in 1952. Just four years later, they moved up to the top division. But they were relegated again after one year. They finally earned promotion again in the 1959–60 season. They have stayed in the top division ever since.
The 1960s: Finding Their Footing
In the early 1960s, the club barely avoided being relegated. They slowly started to play better. In the 1963–64 season, they finished 3rd in the league. They were only a few points behind the champions. For the next two seasons, they also finished near the top.
The 1966–67 season was not as good. Another team from Monterrey, Jabatos de Nuevo León, also joined the first division. This was the first time two Monterrey clubs were in the top league.
The 1970s: Playoff Challenges
In 1970, the league was split into two short tournaments because of the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. Monterrey finished 2nd in their group in the first stage. The next year, they finished as runner-up to Club América.
In the 1971–72 season, the club made it to the playoffs. But they lost in the quarterfinals. They made the playoffs again in 1975–76. They finished first in the regular season. They won their quarterfinal match but lost in the semifinals. During 1975, the famous Portuguese player Eusébio played for the club for a short time.
The team qualified for the playoffs again in 1978–79. They finished first in their group. But they did not reach the final. The 1970s ended with Rayados showing good effort. They made the playoffs several times but did not win their first league title.
The 1980s: A Special Song
In 1989, the official song, or anthem, of Rayados was created by Luis Aguilé. Fans consider it a very important symbol of the team's identity.
The 1990s: Ups and Downs
At the start of the 1990s, Monterrey signed two well-known players, Carlos Hermosillo and Manuel Negrete. In the 1991–92 season, they won their first Copa MX (a national cup). They then reached the league final in 1992–93 but lost.
The later part of the 1990s was tough for the club. They had money problems and sold many good players. Jesús Arellano, a young talent, was sold in 1997. He returned in 2000 and became a club legend.
One famous moment was the "Clasico del Descenso" in 1996. Monterrey beat their rivals Tigres 2-1. This loss meant Tigres were relegated from the top division for the first time.
In 1999, Monterrey faced its own relegation battle. They needed a draw against Puebla to stay in the top league. With a great performance, Monterrey drew 1-1 and stayed up.
The 21st Century: Major Success
First League Title (2000s)
In 2002, Monterrey hired coach Daniel Passarella. They built a strong team with players like Guillermo Franco, Walter Erviti, Jesus Arellano, and Luis Perez. In the Clausura 2003 tournament, they won their first official league title. In the semifinals, they played their rivals Tigres for the first time in the playoffs. Monterrey won 5-3 on total score. On June 14, 2003, they beat Monarcas Morelia 3-1 to win their second league title after 17 years.
After Passarella left in 2004, Miguel Herrera became coach. He led them to two more finals in 2004 and 2005, but they lost both. After the 2005 loss, Guillermo Franco left the club. In 2008, Ricardo La Volpe became coach. New players like Humberto Suazo joined the team.
The Vucetich Era (2009–2013): A Golden Age
In 2009, Monterrey hired coach Víctor Manuel Vucetich. He built one of the strongest teams in the league. Key players included Humberto Suazo, Aldo de Nigris, Walter Ayovi, Jose Maria Basanta, and goalkeeper Jonathan Orozco. They won their third league title, the Apertura 2009 tournament. They beat Cruz Azul 6-4 in the final.
In the next tournament, Humberto Suazo left for a short time. But Monterrey still finished first in the regular season. Suazo returned for the Apertura 2010 tournament. They won their fourth league title, beating Santos Laguna 5-3 in the final.
Monterrey then played in the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League. They won the tournament for the first time. They beat Real Salt Lake 3-2 in the final. This was their third title under Vucetich.
The next year, they reached the finals of both the Clausura 2012 league tournament and the 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League. Both finals were against Santos Laguna. They lost the league final but won the Champions League final. This gave them their second straight CONCACAF title.
Monterrey reached the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League final for the third time in a row. Again, they faced Santos Laguna. After a 0-0 draw in the first game, Santos led 2-0 in the second. But Monterrey made an amazing comeback. They scored four goals in 30 minutes to win 4-2. This gave them their third straight CONCACAF Champions League title. It was their fifth title overall in the Vucetich Era. This success made them known as one of the best Mexican teams.
In 2013, many changes happened. Key players left or retired. On August 25, 2013, Vucetich stepped down as coach. His time as coach, which brought five titles in four years, came to an end.
After Vucetich (2013–2015)
José Guadalupe Cruz became the new manager. The team reached the semifinals of the domestic cup but missed the playoffs in the league. After a bad start to 2014, Cruz was fired.
Carlos Barra took over as coach. The team still missed the playoffs. But they kept Barra for the 2014–15 season. Dorlan Pabon rejoined the team. With new players, Monterrey had high hopes. They reached the semifinals of the Apertura 2014 playoffs. But they lost to Club América. These were the last games for Humberto Suazo with the club. He had scored over 102 league goals and was the club's top scorer at the time.
The team started 2015 poorly. On February 15, Barra was fired. Antonio Mohamed became the new coach. He had played for Rayados before. Monterrey did not make the playoffs that season. But the club wanted to keep him for the next season.
Antonio Mohamed's First Time as Manager (2015–2018)
The 2015–16 season was special because the team moved to a new home, the Estadio BBVA Bancomer. New players like Walter Gargano and Rogelio Funes Mori joined. Old players like Jose Maria Basanta, Aldo de Nigris, and Luis Ernesto Pérez also returned. A young defender, Cesar Montes, joined the first team. Monterrey had a strong attack with Dorlan Pabon, Rogelio Funes Mori, and Edwin Cardona.
In early 2016, the team signed Carlos Sánchez. They started the Clausura 2016 tournament very well. They finished first in the league with 37 points. Their strong attack was key to their success.
In the playoffs, they faced their rivals Tigres in the quarterfinals. Monterrey won 4-3 on total score. They then beat Club América in the semifinals. This led them to the league finals against Pachuca. A key player, Carlos Sanchez, could not play in the final. Monterrey lost the first game 1-0. The second game was played at their new stadium, Estadio BBVA Bancomer, for the first time. Monterrey scored first, making it 1-1. But Pachuca scored in the last minutes to win the title. This was a sad loss for Monterrey fans.
The next season, Monterrey did not qualify for the playoffs. They also had a disappointing run in the CONCACAF Champions League. They were surprisingly eliminated in the group stage.
In the Apertura 2017 season, Monterrey finished first in the regular season. They beat Atlas and Morelia in the playoffs to reach the final. They faced their rivals Tigres again. The first game was a 1-1 draw. In the second game at Estadio BBVA Bancomer, Tigres beat Monterrey 2-1 to win the title. In May 2018, Mohamed resigned. He had won two titles but was criticized for losing in several playoff finals.
Diego Alonso's Time (2018–2019)
Diego Alonso became the new manager in July 2018. The club had a good run in the Copa MX but lost in the final. They reached the semifinals in both the Clausura and Apertura league playoffs but were eliminated.
In the CONCACAF Champions League, they won the tournament. They beat Sporting Kansas City easily in the semifinal. Then, they beat their rivals Tigres in the final. This championship was very important for the city. Many saw it as a way to get back at Tigres for the league final loss. It is known as "the star that shines the most" in Monterrey.
In the Apertura 2019 season, Diego Alonso was dismissed as manager.
Antonio Mohamed Returns (2019–2020)
On October 14, Antonio Mohamed was reappointed as manager. The club had a good run in the FIFA Club World Cup. They reached the semifinals after beating Al Sadd. They lost to Liverpool in a close game. They then beat Al Hilal to win third place in the tournament.
That same month, even though they finished 8th in the league, they reached the championship finals. They played against Club América and won in a penalty shootout. This secured their fifth league championship trophy.
Club Culture
Colours and Uniforms
Since 1945, the club's main colors have been white and blue. The shade of blue has changed over the years. Sometimes, a third color like red, orange, or green has been used.
The original uniform had a diagonal split of blue and white. In 1955, they used a white shirt with two horizontal blue lines. In the 1960s, they started using vertical baby blue stripes. In 1962, the current design of vertical blue and white stripes was introduced. In the mid-1980s, the blue color changed from royal blue to navy blue, which is still used today.
Atletica made their kits from 1999 to 2007. Then Nike made them from 2007 to 2014. Since then, Puma has been making the team's uniforms.
Young Talent Development
The club has always focused on developing its own players. Many talented players have come from their youth academy. Some famous players include Jesús Arellano, Jonathan Orozco, Hiram Mier, and César Montes.
Rivalry: The Clásico Regiomontano
Rayados' biggest rival is Tigres UANL. Their rivalry is called the Clásico Regiomontano. Both Monterrey and Tigres are known for selling out all their home games. For Clásico matches, tickets sell out very quickly. This rivalry is considered the most intense in Mexican football.
As of August 2022, they have played 128 official Clásico games. Tigres has won 47, Monterrey has won 42, and 39 games have been draws. Their first Clásico was on July 13, 1974, and ended in a 1-1 draw. Monterrey won the second match 2-1.
Monterrey also has a regional rivalry with Santos Laguna. They have played four finals against each other. Monterrey has won three of them. This rivalry is sometimes called La Nortena.
Fan Base
Los Rayados supporters always fill the Estadio BBVA Bancomer. In 2016, they had the highest average attendance in Liga MX with 50,000 fans per game. Monterrey is known for having very loyal fans. Their stadiums are often sold out, which is unique in the Mexican league. There is a strong rivalry between La Adicción, a Monterrey fan group, and Libres y Lokos, a Tigres fan group, during the Clásico matches.
Rayados Kids
In 2017, Rayados C.F. started a YouTube series called "Rayados Kids". It creates content for children who love the team. It features interviews with players and stories about the team. In its first year, the channel gained many subscribers and views.
Rayados Christmas Campaign
Since 2010, Rayados players have made an annual holiday video to wish fans a Merry Christmas. It has become a tradition to include a new version of their famous chant song, "corrido de monterrey," in these videos. This shows their passion for the team.
Home Stadiums
Monterrey played their home matches at the Estadio Tecnológico from 1950 to 2015. For a short time, from 1973 to 1980, they played at the Estadio Universitario. The Estadio Tecnológico opened on July 17, 1950. It was one of the oldest football stadiums in Mexico. It was used for the 1986 FIFA World Cup and could hold 38,000 people. The stadium was demolished in July 2017.
Monterrey won league titles in 1986 and 2010 at the Estadio Tecnológico. They also won the Copa MX in 1991 and the CONCACAF Champions League in 2012–13 there.
In July 2015, Monterrey moved to a new stadium called Estadio BBVA. It is located in Guadalupe, Nuevo León. The new stadium can hold 53,500 people. It has modern features like those in famous stadiums in England and Ireland. The stadium opened on August 2, 2015, with a friendly match where Monterrey beat Benfica 3-0.
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Estadio BBVA was designed by Christopher Lee. Its construction started in October 2011. The stadium cost about US$200 million. It is considered one of the most beautiful stadiums in Mexico. It has the fourth largest capacity in Mexico. It has a real grass field, suites, a club restaurant, and a club lounge. The stands are steep, giving fans a great view of the action.
On May 29, 2016, Monterrey played their first final in their new stadium. They played against Pachuca for the Clausura 2016 championship. They tied 1-1 in that game but lost 2-1 on total score.
Kits and Sponsors
Kit Evolution
The club's first uniform had a diagonal blue and white split. In 1955, they used a white shirt with two horizontal blue lines. In the 1960s, they started wearing vertical baby blue stripes. In 1962, the current design with vertical blue and white stripes was introduced. In the mid-1980s, the blue color changed to navy blue, which is still used today.
Sponsors
| Year | Manufacturer | Main Sponsor | Other Sponsors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984–91 | Adidas | ||
| 1991–98 | Aba Sport | ABACO-CONFIA 1989–98 | AGUA SPORT |
| 1998–99 | Aba Sport | Bimbo | AGUA SPORT, Pepsi and Tecate |
| 1999–07 | Atletica | Bimbo | Coca-Cola, Casas Javer, Oxxo, Carta Blanca and BBVA Bancomer |
| 2007–08 | Nike | Bimbo | Coca-Cola, Casas Javer, LG, Carta Blanca and BBVA Bancomer |
| 2008–13 | Nike | Bimbo | Coca-Cola, Casas Javer, Carta Blanca, Berel, The Home Depot and BBVA Bancomer |
| 2014–2016 | Puma | Bimbo | Coca-Cola, Tecate, The Home Depot, AeroMéxico, H-E-B, Berel, HaVital Casas, Carl's Jr and BBVA Bancomer |
| 2016–2017 | Puma | BBVA Bancomer | Coca-Cola, Tecate, The Home Depot, Cemex, H-E-B, Berel, HaVital Casas, AT&T and Hagamoslo Bien |
| 2017–2019 | Puma | AT&T | Coca-Cola, Tecate, The Home Depot, Cemex, H-E-B, Berel, Hagámoslo Bien, Chilchota Alimentos, MAN SE, Vidusa and BBVA Bancomer |
| 2019–2021 | Puma | AT&T | Coca-Cola, Tecate, The Home Depot, H-E-B, Berel, Hagámoslo Bien, Oxxo Gas, Chilchota Alimentos, CREST México, MAN SE, Vidusa and BBVA Mexico |
| 2021–2022 | Puma | Codere | Coca-Cola, Tecate, The Home Depot, H-E-B, Berel, Hagámoslo Bien, Oxxo Gas, Roshfrans, Chilchota Alimentos, CREST México, Vidusa and BBVA Mexico |
| 2022– | Puma | Codere | Coca-Cola, Tecate, H-E-B, Berel, Hagámoslo Bien, Oxxo Gas, Roshfrans, Chilchota Alimentos, Carl's Jr., CREST México, Vidusa and BBVA Mexico |
Club Achievements
National Titles
- Primera División / Liga MX
- Winners (5): 1986, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2019
- Copa México / Copa MX
- Winners (3): 1991–92, 2017, 2019–20
- Second Division Super Cup
- Winners (1): 1956
International Titles
- CONCACAF Champions Cup
- Winners (5): 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2019, 2021
- CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup
- Winners (1): 1993
- FIFA Club World Cup
- Third place (2): 2012, 2019
Friendly Tournament Wins
- Eusébio Cup (1): 2015
- Los Angeles Nations Cup (1): 1991
- Copa Gobernador de Nuevo León (1): 1992
- Copa Rial (Pontevedra, España) (1): 1995
- Copa Movistar (1): 2002
- International Challenge Cup (1): 2003
- Torneo de Verano Miller Lite (1): 2004
- Copa Chiapas(1): 2006
- Trofeo Santos Laguna 25 Aniversario (1): 2008
- Chicago Mayor's Cup (1): 2009
- Copa 100 años de la UNAM (1): 2010
Team Personnel
Management
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Sporting Chairman |  José Antonio Noriega |
| Corporate Chairman | Manuel Filizola |
| Coordinator of football | Héctor Lara |
| Director of academy |  Nicolás Martellotto |
Source: Liga MX
Coaching Staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager | Martin Demichelis |
| Assistant managers | Germán Lux |
| Sebastián Grazzini |
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| Nicolás Sánchez |
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| Goalkeeper coach | Fabián Donelli |
| Fitness coaches | Jorge Rey |
| Alan Torres |
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| Physiotherapist | Sebastián Giavino |
| Team doctors | Francisco García |
| Felipe Peña |
Players
First Team Squad
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Players on Loan
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Top Scorers of All Time
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FMF: Liga MX (Mexican League)
CUP: Copa MX (Mexican Cup)
CON: CONCACAF Champions League (North American Champions League)
REC: Recopa de la Concacaf
CWC: FIFA Club World Cup (World Club Cup)
Most Appearances for the Club
| Club de Fútbol Monterrey | |||||
| Rank | Player | Years Played | Apps | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magdaleno Cano |
1967–1982 | 437 | ||
| 2 | Jesús Arellano |
1994–1997; 2000–2011 | 407 | ||
| 3 | José María Basanta |
2008–2014; 2016–2020 | 384 | ||
| 4 | Jonathan Orozco |
2005–2016 | 371 | ||
| 5 | Lucho Pérez |
2003–2012; 2015–2016 | 335 | ||
| 6 | Jesús Eduardo Zavala |
2006–2018 | 307 | ||
- Players in bold are currently active with Club de Fútbol Monterrey.
- This list does not include games played in international competitions.
Club Managers
Roberto Scarone (1962–65)- Mario Perez (1966–69)
- Ignacio "El Gallo" Jáuregui (1969–74)
Fernando Riera (1975–76)
Bira (1976)- Luis Firpo (1976–77)
- Fernando Riera (1977–78)
- Otto Glória (1978–79)
- Gustavo Peña (1979)
- Bira (1979–80)
- Pedro Dellacha (1980–81)
- Héctor Hugo Eugui (1981–82)
- Vicente Pereda (1982–83)
- Roberto Matosas (1983–84)
- Francisco Avilán (1984–87)
- José Ledezma (1987–89)
- Fernando Riera (1989)
- Pedro García (1989–91)
- Carlos Alberto Torres (1991–92)
- Miguel Mejía Barón (1991–93)
- Hugo Hernández (1993–94)
- Magdaleno Cano (1994), (1997), (1999)
- Arturo Salah (1994–97)
Claudio Lostanau (1997)- Tomás Boy (1997–98)
- José Treviño (1999)
Carlos Jara Saguier (1999)- Eduardo Solari (1999)
Benito Floro (1999–2001)- Daniel Passarella (2002–03)
- Hugo de León (2004)
- Sergio Orduña (2004)
- Miguel Herrera (2004–07)
- Isaac Mizrahi Smeke (2007–08)
- Ricardo La Volpe (2008–09)
- Víctor Manuel Vucetich (2009–13)
- José Guadalupe Cruz (2013–14)
- C. Barra & J. Treviño (interim) (2014)
- Carlos Barra (2014–15)
- Antonio Mohamed (2015–18)
- Diego Alonso (2018–19)
- Antonio Mohamed (2019–20)
- Javier Aguirre (2020–22)
- Víctor Manuel Vucetich (2022–23)
- Fernando Ortíz (2023–24)
- Martín Demichelis (2024–Present)
See also
In Spanish: Club de Fútbol Monterrey para niños
