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Defensor Sporting
Defensor Sporting.svg
Full name Defensor Sporting Club
Nickname(s) El Violeta
La Viola
El Tuerto
El Defe
La Farola
La Cometa
Founded 15 March 1913; 112 years ago (1913-03-15)
Ground Estadio Luis Franzini,
Montevideo, Uruguay
Ground Capacity 16,000
Chairman Alberto Ward
Coach Ignacio Ithurralde
League Primera División
2024 Primera División, 4th of 16

Defensor Sporting Club is a famous sports club from Montevideo, Uruguay. It was started in 1913. This club is well-known for its football (soccer) and basketball teams. They have won many important titles in Uruguay and have also done well in international games.

Defensor Sporting is the third most successful club in Uruguay. They have won 24 official titles. Only Peñarol and Club Nacional de Football have won more. In 2014, their football team reached the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores. This is a very big tournament for South American clubs. They have won the top Uruguayan football league, the Uruguayan Championship, four times. These wins were in 1976, 1987, 1991, and 2007-08. Their 1976 win was special because it broke a 44-year streak of wins by Nacional and Peñarol.

Club History: How Defensor Sporting Started

The club began on March 15, 1913, as Club Atlético Defensor. It was mainly a soccer club. In 1989, it joined with Sporting Club Uruguay, which was a basketball club. After this, the name changed to Defensor Sporting Club. They played in Uruguay's first professional football league season in 1932.

Defensor Sporting has often played in the Copa Libertadores. They have represented Uruguay many times in international competitions. The club is known for finding and training talented young players. Many of these players have become successful around the world. Some famous players who started at Defensor include Sebastián Abreu, Martín Cáceres, and Maxi Pereira.

A legendary coach named Prof. José Ricardo de León led Defensor to their first national championship in 1976. He created a special way of playing football. In September 2007, the club was even named the "World's Club Team of the Month" by the IFFHS.

Home Ground: Estadio Luis Franzini

Defensor Sporting plays its home football games at its own stadium. It is called Estadio Luis Franzini. The stadium can hold 16,000 fans. It first opened on December 31, 1963. You can find it in the Parque Rodó area of Montevideo.

Club Rivalries: The "Classic of the Mediums"

Defensor Sporting has a strong rivalry with Danubio. This is because both clubs are the next biggest in Uruguay after Peñarol and Nacional. Games between Defensor and Danubio are called the "Clásico de los medianos." This means "Classic of the Mediums" in Spanish.

Club Achievements: Trophies and Titles

Defensor Sporting has won many important titles over the years.

National League Titles

Type Competition Titles Winning years
National
(League)
Primera División 4 1976, 1987, 1991, 2008
Segunda División 2 1950, 1965
Segunda División (1903-1914) 1
1914
Divisional Tercera Extra 1
1913

Half-Year and Short Tournament Wins

Type Competition Titles Winning years
Half-year / Short
tournament

(League)
Torneo Apertura 4
1994, 2007, 2010, 2017
Torneo Clausura 4
1997, 2009, 2012, 2013

National Cup Wins

Type Competition Titles Winning years
National
(Cups)
Copa AUF Uruguay 3
2022, 2023, 2024
Liguilla Pre-Libertadores 8
1976, 1979, 1981, 1989, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2006
Campeonato Nacional General Artigas 1
1960
Torneo Cuadrangular 1
1957

Playing in CONMEBOL Tournaments

Defensor Sporting has played in many international tournaments organized by CONMEBOL. These are competitions for clubs in South America.

Copa Libertadores

They have appeared 17 times in the Copa Libertadores. Their best result was reaching the semi-finals in 2014. They also reached the quarter-finals in 2007 and 2009.

  • 1977: Group Stage
  • 1980: Group Stage
  • 1982: Group Stage
  • 1990: Round of 16
  • 1992: Round of 16
  • 1994: Round of 16
  • 1996: Round of 16
  • 2001: Group Stage
  • 2006: First Round
  • 2007: Quarter-finals
  • 2009: Quarter-finals
  • 2012: Group Stage
  • 2013: First Stage
  • 2014: Semi-finals
  • 2018: Group Stage
  • 2019: Third Qualifying Stage
  • 2024: First Qualifying Stage

U-20 Copa Libertadores

  • 2012: Runner-up

Copa Sudamericana

They have played 8 times in the Copa Sudamericana. They reached the quarter-finals in 2007 and 2015.

  • 2005: Second Round
  • 2007: Quarter-finals
  • 2008: Round of 16
  • 2010: Round of 16
  • 2015: Quarter-finals
  • 2017: First Stage
  • 2018: Second Stage
  • 2023: First Stage

Copa CONMEBOL

  • 1995: First Round
  • 1997: First Round

Team Uniforms Through the Years

Current Football Team Players

No. Position Player
1 Uruguay GK Lucas Machado
2 Uruguay DF Ariel Lima
3 Uruguay DF Guillermo de los Santos
5 Uruguay MF Germán Barrios
6 Uruguay MF Mauricio Amaro
7 Argentina FW Franco Soldano
8 Uruguay MF Kevin Altez
10 Uruguay MF Matías Abaldo
11 Uruguay FW Lucas Agazzi
12 Uruguay GK Kevin Dawson
14 Uruguay DF Patricio Pacífico
15 Uruguay DF Juan Viacava
16 Uruguay DF José Álvarez
No. Position Player
19 Uruguay FW Diego Abreu
20 Argentina MF Lukas König
21 Uruguay MF Kevin Prieto
25 Mexico MF Xavier Biscayzacú
26 Uruguay MF Nicolás Wunsch
27 Uruguay MF Juan Manuel Jorge
29 Uruguay FW Rodrigo Dudok
30 Uruguay MF Erico Cuello
31 Uruguay DF Nahuel Furtado
45 Uruguay MF Francisco Ginella
59 Argentina MF Walter Montoya
90 Uruguay FW Augusto Cambón
Uruguay FW Brian Lozano

Famous Coaches of Defensor Sporting

Many talented coaches have led Defensor Sporting over the years. Here are some of them:

  • Uruguay Hugo Bagnulo (1952–1957; 1960–1961)
  • Uruguay Gregorio Pérez (1983–1984)
  • Uruguay Juan Ahuntchaín (1996)
  • Uruguay Ricardo Ortiz (1996–1997)
  • Uruguay Juan Tejera (2004–2005)
  • Uruguay Jorge da Silva (2005–2009)
  • Uruguay Gustavo Ferrín (2009–2010)
  • Uruguay Pablo Repetto (2010–2011)
  • Uruguay Gustavo Díaz (2011–2012)
  • Uruguay Tabaré Silva (2012–2013)
  • Uruguay Fernando Curutchet (2013–2014)
  • Uruguay Mauricio Larriera (2015–2016)
  • Uruguay Eduardo Acevedo (2016–2018)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Defensor Sporting Club para niños

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