C.D. Cobreloa facts for kids
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| Full name | Club de Deportes Cobreloa S.A.D.P. | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Zorros del desierto (desert foxes) Loínos Mineros (Miners) Naranjas (Oranges) |
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| Founded | January 7, 1977, as Club de Deportes Cobreloa | |||
| Stadium | Estadio Zorros del Desierto Calama, Chile |
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| Capacity | 12,102 | |||
| Coordinates | 22°27′36″S 68°55′14″W / 22.46000°S 68.92056°W | |||
| President |  Harry Robledo |
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| Head coach | César Bravo |
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| League | Primera B | |||
| 2024 | Primera División, 15th of 16 (relegated) | |||
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Club de Deportes Cobreloa S.A.D.P. (often called Cobreloa) is a professional football club from Calama, Chile. They play in the Primera División, which is Chile's top football league. Their home stadium is the Estadio Zorros del Desierto.
The club was started on January 7, 1977. It was created by local groups and a Chilean mining company called CODELCO. Cobreloa quickly became a strong team. In their first year, 1977, they joined the Second Division and were promoted to the First Division right away!
Cobreloa has won the Primera División title 8 times. They also won the Copa Polla Lan Chile in 1986. They have big rivalries with teams like Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo (called the Clásico Albo-Loíno), Club de Deportes Cobresal (the Clasico del Cobre), and Deportes Antofagasta (the Clasico de la región de Antofagasta).
In 2019, a group called the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation ranked Cobreloa as the 71st best club in the world historically. In 2021, they were ranked 68th in the CONMEBOL Libertadores Ranking.
Contents
Club History
The idea for a professional football team in Calama started a long time ago. In 1948, a club called 'Club Social Deportivo Deportes El Loa' was founded. This was the first official team in Calama. People in the city really wanted a professional team, especially after local amateur teams won national championships in 1959 and 1961.
After some attempts to join professional football, a special committee was formed in 1976. This committee worked hard to get 'Deportes El Loa' into the professional league. Many groups, including local businesses and CODELCO, supported this idea.
On January 7, 1977, it was officially announced that 'Deportes El Loa' would join professional football. This was a big celebration for the people of Calama! They decided to rename the team. They chose Cobreloa because it combines cobre (Spanish for copper, which is very important to the region's economy) and Loa (after the province and the Loa River).
Because the club was new, they hired Alfonso Fuentes as manager. Fernando Riera helped choose the first players. They wanted the best young players from the El Loa region, focusing on teamwork and good behavior.
Requirements for the First Squad
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The team's very first game was on January 12, 1977, against Tocopilla. Cobreloa won 1-0!
Andrés Prieto was chosen as the first head coach. He helped bring in new players, including some from Uruguay and other Chilean clubs. Juan Rogelio Núñez was the first professional player signed by the club.
The team trained hard before their first official match. This helped them become a strong group.
Their first official game was on February 6, 1977, in the Copa Chile. They played against 'Regional Antofagasta' and won 2-0. Armando Alarcón scored the first goal, and Juan Rogelio Núñez scored the second.
| 1977 Copa Chile | ||||
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| 6 February 1977 1st Round |
Regional Antofagasta | v | Cobreloa | Estadio Regional de Antofagasta |
Armando Alarcón  20'Juan Rogelio Núñez 34' |
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Cobreloa quickly became one of Chile's top teams. Just four years after they started, they reached the finals of the Copa Libertadores de América in 1981. They lost to the Brazilian club Clube de Regatas do Flamengo. The next year, in 1982, Cobreloa reached the Copa Libertadores final again, but lost to Peñarol from Uruguay. They also made it to the semi-finals in 1987.
Cobreloa has played in the Copa Libertadores 13 times. They have also played in the Copa Sudamericana 3 times and the Copa CONMEBOL twice. With 8 Primera División titles and 1 Copa Chile title, Cobreloa is one of the most successful clubs in Chile outside of Santiago.
League Performance Over the Years
This chart shows how Cobreloa has performed in the Chilean league since 1977.
- In 1977, the team was promoted to Chile's First Division.
- In 2015, the team moved down to Primera B (Second Division).
Team Support
Fans can become official members of Cobreloa by visiting the club's office in Calama or signing up online. You need an ID and a photo to join.
The oldest official member of the club is Rodolfo Yáñez Rojas. He has been a member since the club started!
The first official fan group was created in 1977. It was called Barra Oficial de Cobreloa and was started by workers from the El Loa province.
In 1982, another fan group called Barra Chuquicamata was formed by 35 CODELCO workers. There was also a group called Mario Soto, named after a famous player. They were known for playing musical instruments to support the team.
In 1994, the Huracan Naranja (Orange Hurricane) fan group was created by fans in Santiago.
A survey in Chile called Encuesta GFK Adimark measures how popular football teams are. In 2015, Cobreloa reached its highest popularity in this survey, with 1.5% of the people surveyed supporting them. In 2018, it was 0.9%. In both surveys, Cobreloa was the 5th most popular club in Chile. In the Antofagasta region, where Calama is located, Cobreloa is very popular, with about 12.75% of the population supporting them between 2015 and 2019.
Cobreloa supporters, especially CODELCO workers, are famous for once donating a day's salary to help pay for the transfer of defender Mario Soto to the club.
Team Colors, Badge, and Symbols
Cobreloa's main color is orange. The club's former president, José Gorrini, said they chose orange to honor the Netherlands National Football Team from the 1970s, which had famous players like Johan Cruyff. The color also helped them get travel discounts from a national airline called Ladeco, which was also orange. This idea came from Peter Kiefkoff, an engineer at CODELCO Chuquicamata.
Cobreloa's first kit in February 1977 was a red shirt and white shorts because they didn't have their orange uniforms ready. Since 1977, their classic home kit has been all orange. Sometimes there are small changes, like white shorts in 1992–93 or white socks in 2009–10. The away kit is usually all white, but it was black from 2001–2006 and sometimes in later years.
The first brand to make Cobreloa's uniforms was 'Haddad' from Chile. Later, in 1982, the club signed with the famous German sports brand, Adidas.
The first special commemorative shirt was made in 2007 by Kelme to celebrate the club's 30th anniversary. In 2016, Macron released a special shirt to celebrate 40 years, designed like the 1980s kits. In 2019, Cobreloa showed off its first third kit, which was black, chosen by the fans.
The first club badge was designed by Enrique Escala. It was inspired by the symbol for copper and included a soccer ball. The badge has changed a few times, especially on the uniforms.
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And in victories and defeats, gladiator your noble brow
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The club's first anthem was written by Alejandro Álvarez Vargas. He won a contest held on a local radio station.
The first mascot was a cartoon fox named Loíto. It was created by journalist Alfredo Llewellyn Bustos and designed by René Vásquez Rodríguez. Loíto first appeared on club flyers and in the local newspaper in 1977 to help promote the team.
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Kit Suppliers and Sponsors
Cobreloa has had many different kit suppliers and shirt sponsors over the years.
| Period | Kit supplier | Shirt main sponsor | Notes |
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| 1977 | Haddad and Kotting | None | These were the first sports brands to dress the team. |
| 1978-1980 | MyS' | This Chilean brand was founded by Mario Soto, a player for the club. As part of his contract, this brand supplied the team's uniforms. | |
| 1981 | New Lider | The club signed with a new brand, but MyS' still provided training clothes. | |
| 1982–1984 | Adidas | This was the first international brand to dress the club. | |
| 1985–1988 | Penalty | ||
| 1989–1991 | Adidas | ||
| 1992 | Reusch | ||
| 1993–1994 | Adidas | Cristal | |
| 1995 | Uhlsports | ||
| 1996–1997 | Puma | ||
| 1998 | Le Coq Sportif | ||
| 1999 | Kelme | ||
| 2000–2001 | Adidas | None | The away kit colors changed from white to black. |
| 2002 | Adidas | Sky | |
| 2003–2004 | Adidas | Turbus | |
| 2005 | Diadora | Pullman Bus | |
| 2006 | None | ||
| 2007 | Kelme | Lider Presto | First special kit to celebrate 30 years of the club. |
| 2008 | Garcis | Hino | |
| 2008 | Lotto | ||
| 2009 | Nissan | ||
| 2010 | Mitre | Pal Airlines | |
| 2011 | Finning CAT | ||
| 2012–2015 | Lotto | ||
| 2015–2021 | Macron |
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| 2022–present | KS7 |
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Stadiums
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The Orange Hell
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| Location | Matta Avenue, no Number, Calama, Chile |
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| Owner | Municipality of Calama |
| Operator | Municipality of Calama |
| Capacity | 12,346 seatings |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 3 February 2013 |
| Opened | 12 November 1952 |
| Renovated | 18 April 2015 |
| Construction cost | US$ 8.66 million |
| Architect | Gerardo Marambio Cortés Claudio Aceituno Husch Patricia Vidal Aguayo |
| Tenants | |
| Club de Deportes Cobreloa Deportes Iquique |
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Since 1977, Cobreloa's main home stadium was the Estadio Municipal de Calama. They played national league and international cup matches there until January 27, 2013. The last game they played there was a 5-2 win against Colo-Colo.
For their two Copa Libertadores finals in 1981 and 1982, Cobreloa played at the Estadio Nacional de Chile.
In February 2013, the Estadio Municipal de Calama was closed for renovations. Cobreloa had to play their home games at other stadiums. They played at Parque Estadio Juan López in Antofagasta and at Tierra de Campeones in Iquique for important matches.
The team also played some games at the Estadio Calvo y Bascuñán in Antofagasta, including Copa Sudamericana matches. From June 2013, they mostly played national league games at the newly opened Estadio Luis Becerra Constanzo in Calama.
Since 2015, Cobreloa has played their home games at the Estadio Zorros del Desierto in Calama. This is where they play their local competitions like the Primera B de Chile and Copa Chile.
Club Achievements
National Titles
- Primera División (Chile's Top League)
- Winners (8): 1980, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 2003-A (Apertura), 2003-C (Clausura), 2004-C (Clausura)
- Copa Chile (Chile's National Cup)
- Winners (1): 1986
- Primera B de Chile (Chile's Second Division)
- Winners (1): 2023
International Titles
- Copa Libertadores de América (South America's Top Club Competition)
- Runners-up (2): 1981, 1982
Club Records
Hector Puebla has played the most games for Cobreloa, with 663 appearances. He played for 16 years (1980-1996) and won 5 league titles and 1 national cup with the club.
Juan Covarrubias is the club's all-time top goalscorer, with 147 goals. He scored 105 goals in league matches and won league titles in 1988 and 1992.
Cobreloa holds the fifth-longest unbeaten streak at home in the world! They went 91 matches without losing in Calama in domestic games, from December 22, 1980, to September 22, 1985.
- Team Records
- Biggest win: 10–0 against O'Higgins in the Copa Chile (1979)
- Biggest league win: 9–0 against Regional Atacama (1983)
- Heaviest league defeat: 1–6 against Huachipato (1998)
- Player Records
- Most league goals in one season: 42 by Patricio Galaz (2004)
- Most league goals overall: 104 by Juan Covarrubias
- Most goals overall: 144 by Juan Covarrubias
- Most league appearances: 446 by Héctor Puebla (1980-1996)
- Most appearances overall: 662 by Héctor Puebla (1980-1996)
Top Scorers in Primera División
| Year | Player | Goals |
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| 1982 | Jorge Luis Siviero | 18 |
| 1983 | Washington Olivera | 29 |
| 1993 | Marco Antonio Figueroa | 18 |
| Apertura 2004 | Patricio Galaz | 23 |
| Clausura 2004 | Patricio Galaz | 19 |
Top Scorers in Copa Chile
| Year | Player | Goals |
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| 1982 | Jorge Luis Siviero | 8 |
| 1986 | Juan Carlos Letelier | 11 |
| 1990 | Adrián Czornomaz | 13 |
| 1994 | Alejandro Glaría | 12 |
Players
Current Squad
Current squad of Cobreloa as of 4 July 2022 ()
Sources: ANFP Official Web Site: http://www.anfp.cl/club/43/cobreloa
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Manager: Emiliano Astorga
Retired Numbers
- 8 – Fernando Cornejo, Midfielder (1992–1997, 2000–2004 )
Managerial and Technical Staff
These are the people who coach and train the team.
| Head coach | Emiliano Astorga Lobos |
| Assistant coach | Diego Silva Valderrama |
| Goalkeeping coach | Eduardo Furniel Arriagada |
| Head of fitness | José Gaete Vergara |
| Data analysts | Cristián Bravo |
Club Management
Cobreloa is managed as a "Professional Sports Corporation" in Chile. This means it follows special laws that allow it to organize and participate in professional sports.
The club's rules were updated in 2017. These rules set out where the club is located (Calama), how long the directors serve, and how many members the club can have. They also explain the rights and duties of members and how the club is run.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors helps lead the club.
| Office | Name |
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| President | Marcelo Pérez García |
| Vice president | Robinson Rosso Siacara |
| Secretary | Diego Cruz Vega |
| Treasurer | Víctor Vergara Carvajal |
| Director | Nelson Venegas Varas |
| Director | Fernando Ramírez Díaz |
| Director | Cristián Calderón Vargas |
How the Club is Organized
This chart shows how different parts of the club work together.
| Directors President | Legal Staff | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Communications | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cobreloa Directors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operations Manager | Finance Manager | Sports Manager | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operational Personnel | Administrative Staff | Technical Staff | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Key People in Administration
| Office | Name |
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| Directors President | Marcelo Pérez García |
| Finance Manager | María Calderón Calderón |
Managers Since 1977
Here are the head coaches who have led Cobreloa since it started.
- Andrés Prieto (1977-1979)
Vicente Cantatore (1980-1984)- Jorge Toro (1985)
Jorge Luis Siviero (1986-1988)- Miguel Hermosilla (1988-1989)
- Gustavo Cuello (1989)
- Andrés Prieto (1989-1990)
- Fernando Cavalleri (1991-1992)
- Mario Osben (1992)
- José Sulantay (1992-1993)
- Jorge Garcés (1994-1995)
- Miguel Hermosilla (1995-1996)
- Carlos Rojas (1997-1998)
- Mario Herrera (1998)
- Arturo Salah (1999-2000)
- Carlos Rojas (2000)
- Óscar Malbernat (2000-2001)
- Víctor Merello (2001-2002)
- Nelson Acosta (2002-2003)
- Gilberto Reyes (2003)
- Eduardo Fournier (2003)
- Luis Garisto (2003)
- Fernando Díaz (2004)
- Miguel Hermosilla (2004)
- Nelson Acosta (2004-2005)
- Jorge Socias (2005)
- Eduardo Fournier (2005)
- Miguel Hermosilla (2005)
- Jorge Aravena (2006)
- Gustavo Huerta (2007)
Gustavo Benítez (2008)- Rubén Vallejos (2008)
- Marco Antonio Figueroa (2008)
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Marcelo Trobbiani (2009) - Rubén Vallejos (2009)
- Germán Cornejo (2009)
- Raúl Toro (2009-2010)
- Germán Cornejo (2010)
- Mario Soto (2010)
- Nelson Acosta (2011-2012)
- Roberto Spicto (2012)
- Javier Torrente (2012)
- Marco Antonio Figueroa (2013)
- Jorge García (2013-2014)
- Cesar Bravo (2014)
- Marcelo Trobbiani (2014)
- Pablo Trobbiani (2014)
- Fernando Vergara (2014)
- Marco Antonio Figueroa (2015)
- César Vigevani (2015-2016)
- Cesar Bravo (2016)
- Carlos Rojas (2016)
- César Bravo (2016)
- Rodrigo Meléndez (2016)
- José Sulantay (2017)
- Rodrigo Pérez (2018)
- Rodrigo Meléndez (2018)
- Víctor Rivero (2019)
- Marco Antonio Figueroa (2020)
- Nelson Soto (2020-2021)
- Rodrigo Meléndez (2021)
- Héctor Almandoz (2021)
- Emiliano Astorga (2022-2024)
- Nelson Soto &
Pablo Abdala (2024) - Dalcio Giovagnoli (2024)
- César Bravo (2024-Act.)
Presidents
These are the presidents of Cobreloa from 1977 until today.
- Francisco Núñez Venegas (1977)
- Esteban Ibáñez (1978)
- José Gorrini Sanguinetti (1978)
- Sergio Stoppel García (1978-1982)
- Luis Gómez Araya (1983-1987)
- Sergio Stoppel García (1987-1988)
- Pedro Cortés Navia (1989-1991)
- Luís Urrutia Concha (1991-1992)
- Orlando Álvarez Campos (1992-1993)
- Sergio Jarpa Gibert (1993-1998)
- Pedro Pablo Latorre Muñoz (1998-1999)
- Heriberto Pinto García (1999-2003)
- Gerardo Mella Fernández (2003-2006)
- Augusto González Aguirre (2006-2007)
- Juan Jorge Jorge (2007-2010)
- Javier Maureira Alfaro (2010-2012)
- Mario Herrera Pinto (2012-2014)
- Jorge Pereira (2014)
- Augusto González Aguirre (2014-2015)
- Gerardo Mella Fernández (2015-2017)
- Walter Aguilera (2017-2021)
- Duncan Araya (2021)
- Luís Vera (2021)
- Fernando Ramírez (2022-2023)
- Marcelo Pérez García (2023-2024)
- Harry Robledo Cortés (2024-Act.)
Images for kids
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Cobreloa squad in 1977, photo from the club's headquarters.
See also
In Spanish: Club de Deportes Cobreloa para niños
