Independiente Medellín facts for kids
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| Full name | Deportivo Independiente Medellín | |||
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| Nickname(s) | El Rojo Paisa (The Paisa Red) El Poderoso de la Montaña (The Mighty of the Mountain) El Decano (The Dean) El Equipo del Pueblo (The People's Team) Medallo |
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| Short name | DIM | |||
| Founded | 14 November 1913 as Medellín Foot Ball Club | |||
| Ground | Estadio Atanasio Girardot | |||
| Capacity | 40,943 | |||
| Chairman | Juan Camilo Restrepo | |||
| Manager | Alejandro Restrepo | |||
| League | Categoría Primera A | |||
| 2023 | Primera A, 4th of 20 | |||
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Deportivo Independiente Medellín, often called Independiente Medellín or DIM, is a professional football team from Medellín, Colombia. They play in the top Colombian football league, the Categoría Primera A. Their home stadium is Estadio Atanasio Girardot, which can hold 40,943 fans. They share this stadium with their big city rivals, Atlético Nacional. The team is nicknamed "El Poderoso de la Montaña" (The Mighty of the Mountain). This name comes from Medellín's location high in the Andes mountains. It also refers to the many amateur titles the club won when it was first starting out.
Independiente Medellín was founded in 1913, making it one of the oldest clubs in Colombia. They have won the Categoría Primera A six times: in 1955, 1957, 2002–II, 2004–I, 2009–II, and 2016–I. They have also won the Copa Colombia three times: in 1981, 2019, and 2020. Their best international performance was in 2003, when they reached the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores, a major South American tournament.
Independiente Medellín has a strong rivalry with Atlético Nacional. Their matches are called El Clásico Paisa, which is one of the most important football rivalries in Colombia.
Contents
Club History
Early Days of Independiente Medellín
Independiente Medellín started on November 14, 1913. It was first called Medellín Foot Ball Club. Three siblings, Alberto, Luis, and Rafael Uribe Piedrahíta, founded the team. Their very first game was against Sporting Medellín, which they lost 11–0.
The club quickly became successful in amateur football. They won titles in 1918, 1920, 1922, 1923, and 1930. These wins made them one of the most important teams in Colombia at that time.
In 1948, Medellín joined professional football. They played in the first professional league season in Colombia. Medellín finished seventh out of 10 teams. Their first professional game was a 4–0 loss to América de Cali. Their first win was 3–2 against Junior.
The "Dance of the Sun" Era (1950–1954)
In 1950, Medellín brought in many talented Peruvian players. This period was known as El Dorado. Many Colombian teams signed foreign players then. Some of the players included brothers Constantino and Agapito Perales, Segundo Castillo, and Roberto Drago. This team was nicknamed "La Danza del Sol" (The Dance of the Sun). In the 1950 season, the club finished fourth.
Medellín did not play in 1952 and 1953 because of money problems. In 1953, the club changed its management and its name to Deportivo Independiente Medellín. When they returned in the 1954 season, they finished third. This year also saw the arrival of Argentine star José Manuel "El Charro" Moreno. He had won many trophies with Argentina and River Plate.
First Golden Age (1955–1970)
Under "El Charro," who was both a player and manager, DIM won its first league title in 1955. They finished first with only one loss. Argentine striker Felipe Marino was the top scorer with 22 goals. The team won its second title two years later, in 1957. José Vicente Grecco was the top scorer that season.
Even with strong teams, DIM finished second in 1959 and 1961. They lost to Millonarios, who were very strong at the time. In 1964, DIM was close to winning again, finishing third, just three points behind Millonarios.
In 1966, Medellín qualified for the Copa Libertadores for the first time. This is South America's biggest club tournament. They played against teams from Argentina and Bolivia. They finished fifth in their group and were eliminated.
Challenges and a Cup Win (1971–1983)
In 1971, Medellín did not play in the league due to financial difficulties. The 1970s were a tough time for the club. They often finished in the lower half of the league table and were not close to winning titles.
The club won its first Copa Colombia in 1981. This title is recognized by CONMEBOL, the South American football governing body. Despite this cup win, the 1981 league season was not good. The club finished last. Things improved in the rest of the 1980s. They didn't win more titles but often reached the final stages of the league.
Gradual Improvements (1984–1998)
In 1984, with young manager Julio Comesaña, the club finished third in the final round. This was their best league performance since 1964.
The Cancelled Season of 1989
In 1989, Medellín had a very strong team and was expected to win the league title. However, a tragic event happened. During a game where Medellín tied América de Cali 0–0, a referee's assistant disallowed a Medellín goal. This angered many people. Reports suggest that a serious incident related to this decision led to the season being cancelled. The Colombian Football Federation decided to stop the rest of the 1989 league season, so there was no winner that year.
Heartbreak in 1993
On December 19, 1993, Medellín and Junior were both fighting for the league title on the last day of the 1993 season. Both teams had the same number of points. Junior was playing América de Cali at home, while Medellín played their city rivals Atlético Nacional. If Medellín won and Junior lost or drew, Medellín would win the title.
At halftime, América was winning their game 1–0, and the Medellín game was 0–0. Junior then scored two goals to lead 2–1. Medellín also scored to lead their game 1–0. América tied their game at 2–2 with seven minutes left. The Medellín game ended 1–0, and the players celebrated, thinking they had won. But Junior scored a late goal in the 89th minute to win 3–2 and take the title. This left Medellín players and fans heartbroken.
Because of their great season, Medellín returned to the Copa Libertadores in 1994. They won their group and beat Universitario in the next round. They were then eliminated by Junior in the quarter-finals. In the 1994 league season, Medellín again came close to the title, but their rivals Nacional won it.
Ending the Title Drought (1999–2009)
El Poderoso had a good 1999 season. They reached the final stages of both tournaments. They lost the Finalización finals to rivals Nacional, missing out on a spot in the 2000 Copa Libertadores.
Medellín almost won their third league title in 2001. Jorge Serna was a top scorer that year. The club lost the final to América de Cali. However, reaching the final was a surprise, as they had barely made it into the playoffs.
After 45 long years, Medellín finally won its third league title in the 2002 Finalización tournament. They played against Deportivo Pasto in the final. El Rojo Paisa won the first game 2–0 at home. In the second game on December 23, 2002, Medellín drew 1–1 away. Mauricio Molina scored Medellín's goal, helping the team lift the trophy with a 3–1 total score.
The 2002 title earned them a spot in the 2003 Copa Libertadores. They won their group, which included famous teams like Boca Juniors. Medellín famously beat Boca Juniors 1–0 in the group stage. "Medallo" then won against Cerro Porteño and Grêmio to reach the semi-finals for the first time. They faced Santos and lost 4–2 on total score, just missing out on the final.
In the 2004 Apertura, Medellín and Nacional met in the finals. This was the first "Paisa" final in league history. Medellín won the first game 2–1. The second game on June 27 ended 0–0, making Medellín the champion and giving them their fourth league title.
In the 2005 Copa Libertadores, the club again won their group. They famously beat Atletico Paranaense 4–0 away from home. They lost to Banfield in the round of 16.
In the 2008 Finalización, the club almost won its fifth title but lost the final to América de Cali. The next season, the 2009 Apertura, was very poor. However, in the 2009 Torneo Finalización, with Leonel Álvarez as manager, the team won its fifth title. They beat Atlético Huila 3–2 on total score. In that season, Jackson Martinez set a new league scoring record with 18 goals.
Recent Success (2010–Present)
During the 2010s, DIM came close to winning league titles many times. In 2012, they lost to Millonarios in the Finalización final on penalties. In 2014, they finished second to Independiente Santa Fe. Six months later, they reached the final again but lost to Deportivo Cali.
These losses were finally overcome in the 2016 season, when the club won its sixth league title. In the Apertura tournament, they finished first in the regular season. They then beat Deportivo Cali and Cortuluá in the playoffs to reach the final against Junior. The first game ended 1–1, and Medellín won the second game 2–0. Christian Marrugo scored both goals, securing a 3–1 total victory.
With the 2016 league title, El Poderoso earned a spot in the 2017 Copa Libertadores. They were in a group with River Plate, Emelec, and Melgar. The club finished third in the group. They then moved to the Copa Sudamericana, where they lost to Racing Club. A highlight of their Copa Libertadores run was beating powerful River Plate 2–1 at their home stadium.
Club Rivalries
Medellín's biggest rivalry is with Atlético Nacional, the other major club in the city. Their matches are known as Clásico Paisa (Paisa derby). Both clubs share the same stadium, Atanasio Girardot. Atlético Nacional has won more titles than Independiente Medellín (35 to Medellín's 9). However, Medellín defeated Nacional in their first-ever final series in the 2004 Apertura. This was seen as a big upset because Nacional's team was considered much stronger.
The rivalry is very strong because of each team's main fan groups. Independiente Medellín's fans are called Rexixtenxia Norte, and Atlético Nacional's fans are Los Del Sur. There are often fights between these groups, which is why sometimes only one team's fans are allowed into the stadium. The fan groups are named after where they sit in the stadium: Rexixtenxia Norte sits in the northern section, and Los Del Sur sits in the southern section.
The first Clásico Paisa was played on September 12, 1948. Medellín won that game 3–0. Over 300 matches have been played between the two clubs, with Nacional having more wins overall.
The club also has smaller rivalries with other teams in the Medellín Metropolitan Area. These include Envigado, Águilas Doradas, and Leones. Even though these teams haven't won top division titles, games between them still attract many fans because they are from the same area.
Club Achievements
Domestic Titles
- Categoría Primera A
- Winners (6): 1955, 1957, 2002–II, 2004–I, 2009–II, 2016–I
- Copa Colombia
- Winners (3): 1981, 2019, 2020
- Superliga Colombiana
- Runners-up (1): 2017
Regional Titles
- Campeonato Nacional
- Winners (7): 1918, 1920, 1922, 1930, 1936, 1937, 1938
- Campeonato Departamental
- Winners (8): 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945
Friendly Tournament Wins
- Copa Jimenez Jaramillo (1): 1923
- Copa Club Unión: 1942
- Triangular ‘Trofeo Coltejer’: 1955
- Torneo "Medellín sin tugurios": 1983
- Copa Montreal (Canada): 1992
- Copa DC United: 1994
- Copa Ciudad de Popayán: 2005
- Copa Gobernación de Antioquia: 2008, 2010
- Copa del Pacífico: 2009
International Competitions
- Copa Libertadores: 10 appearances
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- 1967: First round
- 1994: Quarter-finals
- 2003: Semi-finals (third place)
- 2005: Round of 16
- 2009: Group stage
- 2010: Second round
- 2017: Group stage
- 2019: Second stage
- 2020: Group stage
- 2023: Group stage
- Copa Sudamericana: 6 appearances
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- 2006: First round
- 2016: Quarter-finals
- 2017: First round
- 2018: First round
- 2022: Group stage
- 2023: Knockout round play-offs
- Copa Conmebol: 1 appearance
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- 1995: First round
Club Statistics
Top Goal Scorers
| No. | Name | Goals | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German Cano | 129 |  |
| 2 | José Vicente Grecco | 92 | |
| 3 | Carlos Castro | 91 |  |
| 4 | Felipe Marino | 77 | |
| 5 | Jorge Serna | 75 | |
| 6 | Diego Álvarez | 69 | |
| 7 | Uriel Cadavid | 65 | |
| 8 | Perfecto Rodríguez | 64 | |
| 9 | Jackson Martinez | 56 | |
| 10 | Jaime Castrillón | 55 | |
Most Appearances
| No. | Name | Games | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Héctor Echeverri | 457 | |
| 2 | Ricardo Calle | 418 | |
| 3 | Roberto Carlos Cortés | 351 | |
| 4 | Ponciano Castro | 342 | |
| 5 | David González | 337 | |
| 6 | John Restrepo | 335 | |
| 7 | José Zárate | 318 | |
| 8 | Álvaro Escobar | 315 | |
| 9 | Carlos Castro | 292 | |
| 10 | Rodolfo Avila | 283 | |
Images for kids
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The 1922 amateur squad proudly showcasing the coveted national cups earned in 1918 and 1920
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Medellín in 1928
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Barra brava supporters Rexixtenxia Norte at Estadio Atanasio Girardot
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Tifo by the Medellín fans which reads "El Equipo del Pueblo" (The People's team) before a league fixture against Once Caldas in 2014
See also
In Spanish: Deportivo Independiente Medellín para niños
