Danubio F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Danubio Fútbol Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | La Franja Los de la Curva La Universidad del Fútbol Uruguayo |
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| Founded | 1 March 1932 | |||
| Ground | Jardines del Hipódromo María Mincheff de Lazaroff, Montevideo, Uruguay |
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| Capacity | 11,018 | |||
| Chairman | Jorge Lorenzo | |||
| Manager | Alejandro Apud | |||
| League | Primera División | |||
| 2023 | Primera División, 8th of 16 | |||
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Danubio Fútbol Club is a famous football team from Montevideo, Uruguay. They play in the top football league in Uruguay, called the Uruguayan Primera División. The club was started on March 1, 1932. Their home stadium is the Jardines del Hipódromo, which can hold about 11,018 fans. Danubio is known for developing many talented players, earning them the nickname La Universidad del Fútbol Uruguayo (The Uruguayan Football University).
Contents
Discovering Danubio's History
Danubio was founded by two brothers, Mihail (Miguel) and Ivan (Juan) Lazaroff. They were born in Bulgaria and started the club with other young people from their school in Montevideo. The club's name comes from the Danube river, which is the second-longest river in Europe. The idea for the name came from the brothers' mother, María Mincheff de Lazaroff. She first suggested naming it after another Bulgarian river, Maritsa, but that name was not chosen.
First Big Wins: 1988 and 2004 Titles
Danubio won its first league title in 1988. They had a great team of young players, including Rubén da Silva, who scored 23 goals that season! This win allowed them to play in the 1989 Copa Libertadores, which is a huge tournament for South American clubs. They reached the semi-finals, which was their best performance ever in a continental competition. They beat Nacional and Cobreloa before losing to Atlético Nacional.
Their second league title came in 2004. It was a very exciting win against Nacional. Diego Perrone scored a last-minute backheel goal to secure the title. Even though they lost the first game of the final, Danubio won the overall championship by performing well throughout the season.
More Trophies: 2006-07 and 2013-14 Seasons
Danubio won their third league title in the 2006 Apertura tournament. They had to beat Peñarol in the final match. Danubio needed to win, and they did, with a score of 4–1. A young player named Edinson Cavani scored the last goal. In the next part of that season, the 2007 Clausura, Danubio beat Peñarol again in a penalty shootout. This made Danubio the first club since Nacional in 1998 to win both the Apertura and Clausura tournaments in the same season.
Their fourth Uruguayan league title was in the 2013–14 season. They won against Montevideo Wanderers in a penalty shootout after a thrilling 2–2 draw. Camilo Mayada scored a fantastic last-minute bicycle kick to tie the game and send it to extra time.
Team Colors and Badge
When Danubio started in 1932, they chose black and white as their team colors. This was a way to honor Montevideo Wanderers, who were the last amateur champions of Uruguay. Later, they changed their design because another team, Universal Ramírez, used similar colors.
The current design of Danubio's uniform is white with a black diagonal stripe. This was inspired by the red diagonal stripe on the white kit of River Plate. Danubio usually wears black shorts and white socks with their white and black striped shirt.
Special Kits and Bulgarian Roots
In the 2005–06 season, Danubio wore an unusual green shirt with a white stripe as their third kit. They used it when playing against teams with similar colors, like Miramar Misiones and Wanderers. However, they stopped using the green shirt because they often lost when wearing it. Now, red is used for their third kit. The red and green colors are also important because they are part of the Bulgarian flag, honoring the founders' heritage.
In 2019, Danubio introduced a special third kit that truly celebrated their Bulgarian roots. This red shirt had white and green horizontal stripes across the chest and sleeves, just like the Bulgarian flag. It even had a line from Bulgaria's national anthem written on it!
Danubio's Home: Jardines del Hipódromo Stadium
Danubio plays its home games at the Estadio Jardines del Hipódromo. This stadium first opened in 1957. In 2017, the club's members voted to rename the stadium. They chose María Mincheff de Lazaroff to honor the mother of the club's founders, Mihail and Ivan Lazaroff. This was a special moment, as it became the first football stadium in Uruguay to be named after a woman!
Famous Players from Danubio
Many amazing football players have started their careers or played for Danubio. The club is known for helping young players become stars. Some of the most famous players who have played for Danubio include:
- Álvaro Recoba
- Ruben Sosa
- Marcelo Zalayeta
- Rubén da Silva
- Javier Chevantón
- Fabián Carini
- Richard Núñez
- Walter Gargano
- Carlos Grossmüller
- Ignacio María González
- Edinson Cavani
- Cristhian Stuani
- Jose Gimenez
- Camilo Mayada
- Diego Forlán
- Eber Moas
Danubio's Trophies and Achievements
Danubio has won several important titles throughout its history. Here are some of their main achievements:
Major League Titles
- Primera División (Top League)
- 4 times: 1988, 2004, 2006–07, 2013–14
- Segunda División (Second Division)
- 3 times: 1947, 1960, 1970
- Divisional Intermedia
- 1 time: 1943
- Divisional Extra
- 1 time: 1942
Half-year and Short Tournament Wins
- Torneo Apertura
- 3 times: 2001, 2006, 2013
- Torneo Clausura
- 3 times: 2002, 2004, 2007
- Torneo Clasificatorio
- 1 time: 2014
National Cups
- Copa de Honor Celeste Olímpica
- 1 time: 2014
- Torneo Competencia
- 1 time: 1988
- Liguilla Pre-Libertadores
- 1 time: 1983
Playing in South American Tournaments
Danubio has also competed in big tournaments against other teams from South America.
Copa Libertadores
This is the most important club competition in South America. Danubio has played in it 7 times. Their best result was reaching the semi-finals in 1989.
Copa Sudamericana
This is another major South American club tournament. Danubio has participated 7 times, most recently in 2023.
Copa CONMEBOL
This was a past South American club competition. Danubio played in it 4 times, reaching the quarter-finals in 1997.
Images for kids
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The official shield of Danubio Fútbol Club.
See also
In Spanish: Danubio Fútbol Club para niños
