Deportivo Saprissa facts for kids
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| Full name | Deportivo Saprissa, SAD | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Los Morados (The Purple Ones) El Monstruo (The Monster) La S (The S) El Glorioso (The Glorious) El Sapri (The Sapri) Rey de Copas (King of Cups) |
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| Founded | 16 July 1935; 88 years | ||
| Ground | Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá | ||
| Capacity | 23,112 | ||
| Owner | Horizonte Morado | ||
| Chairman | Juan Carlos Rojas Callán | ||
| Manager | Ángel Luis Catalina | ||
| Coach | José Giacone | ||
| League | Liga Promerica | ||
| Apertura 2023 | 1st (champions) | ||
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Deportivo Saprissa is a famous sports club from Costa Rica. It is best known for its amazing football team. The club is based in San Juan de Tibás, a part of San José. They play their home games at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá. Their team colors are burgundy and white.
Saprissa is super popular across Costa Rica and even in other countries. The club started in 1935. They have played in Costa Rica's top football league since 1949. The team is named after one of its main founders, Ricardo Saprissa Aymá.
One of their most famous nicknames is El Monstruo Morado, which means The Purple Monster. This nickname started in 1987. A newspaper reporter saw so many fans in purple at the stadium. They were making so much noise that it felt like being "in the presence of a thousand headed monster"! Saprissa quickly adopted this cool nickname.
Saprissa is known as one of the most successful football teams in its region. They have won 40 national championships in Costa Rica. This includes winning six titles in a row in the 1970s! They have also won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup three times (in 1993, 1995, and 2005). They also won five Central American championships.
In 2005, Saprissa made history by finishing third in the FIFA Club World Cup. This was a huge achievement for a team from their region. Because of their success, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics even named Saprissa the best team in the CONCACAF region for the 20th Century.
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Club History
Deportivo Saprissa was founded on July 16, 1935. A person named Roberto Fernández started the team. He named it after Don Ricardo Saprissa Aymá, who helped pay for their first uniforms.
The club first played in the Costa Rican Third Division as Saprissa F.C. They quickly moved up through the leagues. On August 21, 1949, they played their first game in the top league, the Primera División de Costa Rica. In their early years, they even won the third and second division titles without losing a single game! Saprissa has been in Costa Rica's top league ever since.
Big Moments in Recent Years
In 2005, Saprissa won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. They beat a Mexican club called UNAM in the final. Winning this championship meant they got to play in the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship in Japan.
At the Club World Cup, they beat an Australian team, Sydney FC. Then, they played against English club Liverpool, who were the best team in Europe that year. Liverpool won that game. But Saprissa didn't give up! In the match for third place, they beat Al Ittihad from Saudi Arabia 3–2.
Two players, Álvaro Saborío and Rónald Gómez, scored goals in that exciting third-place match. Gómez scored a fantastic free-kick goal in the 89th minute to win the game! Because of this "late goal," Costa Rican fans started calling late-game goals "La Saprihora" (The Sapritime). It's a special name for Saprissa's goals scored after the 85th minute. Saprissa finished third in the whole tournament, which was a huge success!
Team Colors
Saprissa is famous for its purple-burgundy color. But did you know their first colors were red and white? They used red and white for a very short time. Then, Ricardo Saprissa, who loved the Polo Club of Barcelona, wanted the team to try red and blue.
When their new uniforms were being made in 1937, something cool happened. The red and blue threads got mixed together on the sides of the jerseys. This created a new color that looked like purple or burgundy! Everyone loved this new color. It looked classy and unique. So, it became the team's official color. The team's shield, with a big white "S," was placed on the chest of the uniform.
Today, Saprissa wears purple/burgundy jerseys with white and grey details for home games. They wear white shorts with burgundy and grey details. For away games, they wear white jerseys and white shorts, both with burgundy and grey details.
The Stadium: The Monster's Cave
Saprissa plays its home games at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá. The stadium is named after Ricardo Saprissa, the club's founder. Before they had their own stadium, they used to rent and share the Costa Rica National Stadium.
In 1965, the club bought land for a new stadium. After six years of building, the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa officially opened on August 27, 1972. The first game there was between Deportivo Saprissa and Comunicaciones from Guatemala. It was a 1–1 tie.
The stadium is also known as La Cueva del Monstruo, which means "The Monster's Cave" or "The Lair." This nickname comes from the team's nickname, "The Purple Monster." The stadium can hold about 24,000 fans. It's surrounded by local mountains and has views of downtown San Jose. Many national teams that play against Costa Rica know this stadium well.
Saprissa Supporters
The most passionate group of Saprissa fans is called La Ultra Morada (The Purple Ultra). Even though the club doesn't officially recognize them, they are always on the south side of the stadium. This group creates an amazing and loud atmosphere during games. They are known for their chants, flags, big banners, and the constant beat of a huge drum.
There are also other fan groups that the club officially recognizes. These groups often organize transportation for fans, sell official team items, and create huge displays for the team during games. They use confetti, balloons, and more to show their support!
Team Mascot
The official mascot of Deportivo Saprissa is a friendly purple dragon. It looks like dragons from popular children's shows. Fans often call it Un monstruo amigable, meaning "a friendly monster." This mascot was made to appeal to kids, but all the fans ended up loving it! You can see the mascot on all sorts of team merchandise. It's one of the most famous mascots in the whole region.
A few years ago, in 2010, a new mascot was introduced. It was a superhero-like purple monster. But fans didn't like it! They said, "No queremos un dinosaurio super héroe, queremos al espíritu del equipo" (We don't want a super hero dinosaur, we want the original spirit of the team). Because of this strong reaction, the new mascot was quickly replaced. Now, the team has a new mascot that looks like the original friendly dragon.
Big Rivalries
The Classic Match
When Deportivo Saprissa plays against Alajuelense, it's called El Clásico (The Classic). Saprissa is from Tibás, in San José, while Alajuelense is from Alajuela. These two teams are big rivals!
Their first game against each other was on October 12, 1949. Alajuelense won that match 6–5. Over the years, Saprissa has won 139 of these classic games. Alajuelense has won 107, and they have tied 109 times.
Team Achievements
Saprissa has won many championships and cups! Here are some of their biggest wins:
National Titles
- Primera División de Costa Rica (Costa Rican First Division)
- Winners (40): 1952, 1953, 1957, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, Invierno 2007, Verano 2008, Invierno 2008, 2010 Verano, 2014 Verano, 2014 Invierno, 2015 Invierno, 2016 Invierno, Clausura 2018, Clausura 2020, Clausura 2021, Apertura 2022, Clausura 2023, Apertura 2023, Clausura 2024
- Costa Rican Short Championships
- Winners (8): 1997–98 Clausura, 1998–99 Apertura, 1998–99 Clausura, 2003–04 Apertura, 2005–06 Apertura, 2005–06 Clausura, 2006–07 Apertura, 2006–07 Clausura
- Costa Rican Cup
- Winners (7): 1950, 1956, 1960, 1963, 1970, 1972, 2013
- Costa Rican Super Cup
- Winners (4): 1963, 1976, 2021, 2023
- Segunda División de Costa Rica (Second Division)
- Winners (1): 1948
- Tercera División de Costa Rica (Third Division)
- Winners (1): 1947
International Titles
- CONCACAF Champions Cup
- Winners (3): 1993, 1995, 2005
- CONCACAF League
- Winners (1): 2019
- UNCAF Interclub Cup (Central American Club Cup)
- Winners (5): 1972, 1973, 1978, 1998, 2003
- FIFA Club World Championship
- Third place (1): 2005
- CONCACAF Central American Champion
- Winners (1): 1970
- US Camel Cup
- Winners (1): 1985
- CONCACAF League Fair Play
- Winners (1): 2019
See also
In Spanish: Deportivo Saprissa para niños
