L.D.U. Quito facts for kids
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| Full name | Liga Deportiva Universitaria | |||
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| Founded | 23 October 1918, as Club Universitario | |||
| Ground | Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado (Casa Blanca) | |||
| Capacity | 41,575 | |||
| Honorary President | Rodrigo Paz | |||
| President | Isaac Alvarez | |||
| Manager | Vitamina Sánchez | |||
| League | Ecuadorian Serie A | |||
| 2023 | Serie A, 1st of 16 (champions) | |||
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Liga Deportiva Universitaria, often called LDU Quito, is a professional football team from Quito, Ecuador. They play in the Serie A, which is the top football league in Ecuador. Their home games are played at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, also known as Casa Blanca. LDU Quito has rivalries with other Quito teams like El Nacional, Deportivo Quito, Aucas, and Universidad Católica.
The club started as a semi-professional sports team in 1918 at the Central University of Ecuador. It was officially founded on January 11, 1930. LDU Quito quickly became strong in regional leagues, winning nine Pichincha titles. They have also won 12 national titles, with their most recent win in 2023.
LDU Quito is the most successful Ecuadorian club in international football. They were the first team from Ecuador to win the Copa Libertadores (in 2008). They also won the Copa Sudamericana twice (2009 and 2023) and the Recopa Sudamericana twice (2009 and 2010). LDU is one of only six teams in South America to win all three major continental club tournaments. They won these three cups one after another between 2008 and 2010, making them one of the best South American teams during that time. LDU Quito also finished second in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup.
Contents
Club History: How LDU Quito Started and Grew
Early Days and First Wins (1918–1954)
Liga de Quito began as a sports team at the Central University of Ecuador on October 23, 1918. Dr. César Jácome Moscoso led this early team. The club was officially founded on January 11, 1930, under the leadership of Dr. Bolívar León. In its early years, Liga competed in many sports, including football, basketball, athletics, boxing, and chess.
The club's first budget was about 500 sucres, which was the currency in Ecuador back then. The first players were university students. They even paid for their own uniforms and other costs. Dr. León designed the first uniform: a white shirt with a white "U" on a red and blue triangle. This design honored the team's university beginnings.
In 1932, Liga won its first football title in an amateur tournament in Pichincha. At that time, there was no national league. Liga won all its games, beating Gladiador 4–0 in the final match at Estadio El Ejido. Liga also won amateur titles in 1952 and 1953 before the league became professional.
Becoming a Professional Team (1954–1966)
By 1955, football in Pichincha became professional. The first Campeonato Professional Interandino (Inter-Andean Professional Championship) was held in 1954. Liga won this first professional title with Lucho Vásquez as their manager. They finished second in 1955 and 1956, then won again in 1958.
Liga won four more titles in the 1960s (1960, 1961, 1966, and 1967). They were the most successful team in the Interandino era, winning a total of six regional titles. Starting in 1960, winning the Interandino title meant a team could play for a national championship. Liga first played in the national tournament in 1960.
National Success and Comebacks (1967–1989)
In 1967, all regional tournaments stopped, and a single national tournament began. Liga won its first national championship in 1969, just one year after joining the new league. This win allowed Liga to play in the Copa Libertadores for the first time in 1970. They reached the second phase of the tournament.
However, in 1972, Liga faced a tough time and was moved down to Serie B. They were even moved down again to the Segunda Categoria (third tier) in 1973. But Liga quickly fought their way back! They returned to Serie A in 1974 and won their second national title that year, beating El Nacional. They won again in 1975, marking their first back-to-back national championships.
In 1975 and 1976, Liga reached the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores. The 1980s were not as successful for the club, with their best finish being second place in 1981.
Becoming a Football Powerhouse (1990–Present)
The 1990s brought great success for Liga. They won a national title in 1990. Before the end of the decade, Liga won two more national titles in 1998 and 1999. The 1998 title was special because it was won in their new stadium, La Casa Blanca. They won that final game with an amazing 7–0 score against Emelec.
In 2000, the club had a difficult period and was moved down to Serie B again. But they bounced back quickly, winning Serie B in 2001 to return to Serie A. Just two years later, in 2003, Liga won their 7th national title. They have since added five more national titles in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2018, and 2023. This brings their total to twelve national championships.
Winning Big on the International Stage (2008–Present)
Before 2008, Liga had played in many international tournaments. Their best results were reaching the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores in 1975 and 1976, and the Copa Sudamericana in 2004.
On July 2, 2008, Liga made history! They became the first Ecuadorian team ever to win the Copa Libertadores. They beat Fluminense in the finals after a penalty shootout. This win earned them a spot in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. Liga beat Pachuca 2–0 in the semi-final, reaching the final against 2007–08 UEFA Champions League winners Manchester United. Liga lost the final 1–0 in Japan on December 21.
In June 2009, Liga won their second international title, the 2009 Recopa Sudamericana. They played against Internacional from Brazil and won the first game 1–0. In the second game at La Casa Blanca, Liga won 3–0, securing the title. This was the second international title for any Ecuadorian club.
Soon after, Liga won their third international trophy: the 2009 Copa Sudamericana. In a rematch of the 2008 Copa Libertadores Final, Liga beat Fluminense again, winning 5–4 on total score over two games. They won impressively at home 5–1. On their way to the finals, they beat strong clubs from Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay.
With the Copa Sudamericana title, Liga achieved a "CONMEBOL treble." This means they won the Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, and Recopa Sudamericana. They won these three titles within 17 months.
Liga also qualified for the 2010 Recopa Sudamericana and won it against Estudiantes de La Plata from Argentina. They won the first game 2–1 and drew the second 0–0, which was enough to win the title. This made Liga the third team to win back-to-back Recopa Sudamericanas. They then played in the 2010 Suruga Bank Championship, but lost to FC Tokyo on penalties.
In 2011, Liga reached the 2011 Copa Sudamericana Finals again, but lost to Universidad de Chile. In 2023, Liga won its second Copa Sudamericana title after beating Fortaleza Esporte Clube on penalties.
The Home of LDU Quito: Stadium History
Liga has played in four different stadiums over the years. Their first home was Estadio Universitario César Aníbal Espinoza at the university. In 1932, Liga moved to Estadio El Ejido, which many Quito teams used. In 1962, they moved to Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, sharing it with other city teams until 1996.
In 1997, LDU opened its very own stadium, Estadio Casa Blanca. It is located in the northern part of Quito. This stadium is the biggest in Quito and the second largest in Ecuador. The stadium officially opened on March 6, 1997, with a match against Brazilian club Atlético Mineiro, which Liga won 3–1.
Since it opened, Casa Blanca has been the place where Liga has achieved its greatest successes. The team is often very hard to beat when playing at home. They have celebrated six championship wins at this stadium, including national and international titles.
LDU Quito Supporters
LDU Quito has a huge number of fans in Ecuador. A recent study showed that Liga has the biggest fanbase in Quito. Their most passionate fans are known as the "Muerte Blanca" (The White Death).
Team Rivalries
LDU Quito has several strong football rivalries.
The Quito Super Derby: Liga vs. Aucas
Liga's oldest rivalry is with Aucas, a club from southern Quito founded in 1945. These two clubs are the oldest still playing in the city. Matches between Liga and Aucas are called El Superclásico de Quito (The Quito Super Derby). Their first match was on February 1, 1945, and ended in a 1–1 tie.
Liga vs. El Nacional
This rivalry has become very important in Quito. Liga de Quito and El Nacional are the two teams in Quito with the most national titles. The first match between them was in 1964. Both teams played in the finals for the national championship in 1974 and 1999, with Liga de Quito winning both times.
Liga vs. Deportivo Quito
In the 2000s, Liga and its fans developed a strong rivalry with Deportivo Quito. This Clásico Capitalino (Capital Derby) was the most important game in Quito. It was considered a "must-win" game each season. This rivalry has slowed down since Deportivo Quito was moved to a lower league in 2015.
International Rivalry: Liga vs. Fluminense
Since Liga beat the Brazilian team Fluminense F. C. in the 2008 Copa Libertadores final and the 2009 Copa Sudamericana final, a strong international rivalry has grown between them. This rivalry became even bigger when they met in a third international final for the 2024 Recopa Sudamericana, which Fluminense won. This is the only time two CONMEBOL teams have faced each other in all three major continental tournaments.
Current Squad
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Out on loan
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Notable Players and Top Scorers
Liga de Quito has had many great players. Here are some of their top goal scorers and players who played in the World Cup.
Top Scorers for LDU Quito
LDU has had many players who were the top goal scorers in different leagues and tournaments. The team's all-time top scorer is Polo Carrera with 92 goals.
| N.° | Player | Seasons | Goals |
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| 1 |  Polo Carrera |
1960–1965, 1966–1967, 1975–1977, 1979–1980, 1982–1983 y 1984. | 92 |
| 2 |  Hernán Barcos |
2010–2011 y 2017–2018. | 91 |
| 3 | José Moreno |
1981–1987. | 87 |
| 4 | Claudio Bieler |
2008–2009 y 2011–2012. | 71 |
| 5 | Patricio Hurtado |
1994–2000 y 2002. | 69 |
| 6 | Patricio Urrutia |
2003–2009 y 2010–2013. | 59 |
| 7 | Diego Herrera |
1985, 1989–1993 y 1995–1996. | 55 |
| 8 | Franklin Salas |
2000–2006 y 2007–2010. | 52 |
| 9 |  Carlos Berrueta |
1990–1992 y 1994. | 50 |
| 10 |  Cristian Martínez Borja |
2018–2019 y 2020–2021. | 49 |
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Top Scorers in Serie A
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Top Scorers in Interandino
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Top Scorers in Copa Libertadores
Top Scorers in Copa Sudamericana
Top Scorers in Copa CONMEBOL
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LDU Quito Players in the World Cup
The following players were part of their country's team at the FIFA World Cup while playing for LDU Quito:
- Alfonso Obregón (2002)
- Carlos Tenorio (2002)
- Paúl Ambrosi (2006)
- Agustín Delgado (2006)
- Giovanny Espinoza (2006)
- Édison Méndez (2006)
- Cristian Rafael Mora (2006)
- Néicer Reasco (2006)
- Patricio Urrutia (2006)
Enrique Vera (2010)- Alexander Dominguez (2014, 2022)
Team Managers
Managers Who Won Trophies
Here are some of the important managers who helped LDU Quito win titles:
- Bolívar León (first manager)
- César Jácome Moscoso (won the 1932 amateur Pichincha)
- Luis Vásquez (won the 1952 & 1953 amateur Pichincha and the 1954 Interandino)
- Roberto Eliseo Ortega (won the 1958 Interandino)
José Gomes Nogueira (won the 1960 Interandino and the 1969 Serie A)
Román Soto Vergara (won the 1961 Interandino)- José María Ocampo (won the 1966 & 1967 Interandino)
- Leonel Montoya (won promotion in 1973 and won the 1974 and 1975 Serie A)
- Polo Carrera (won the 1990 Serie A)
- Paulo Massa (won the 1998 Serie A)
- Manuel Pellegrini (won the 1999 Serie A)
- Julio Asad (won the 2001 Serie B and promotion to the Serie A)
- Jorge Fossati (first tenure, won the 2003 Serie A; second tenure, won the 2009 Recopa Sudamericana and 2009 Copa Sudamericana)
Juan Carlos Oblitas (won the 2005 Apertura)- Edgardo Bauza (first tenure, won the 2007 Serie A and 2008 Copa Libertadores; second tenure, won the 2010 Recopa Sudamericana and the 2010 Serie A)
- Pablo Repetto (won the 2018 Serie A, won the 2018-19 Copa Ecuador and won the 2020 Supercopa Ecuador)
- Gabriel Di Noia (won the 2021 Supercopa Ecuador)
- Luis Zubeldía (won the 2023 Serie A, won the 2023 Copa Sudamericana)
Club Achievements and Honours
LDU is one of the most successful football clubs in Ecuador. They have won nine regional titles, twelve national titles, and five international titles. Liga won three amateur titles in the Interandino era and six professional titles, making them the most successful team in that period.
Nationally, the club has won 12 national titles, with the most recent in 2023. This places them fourth overall in Ecuador, behind Barcelona (16 titles), Emelec (14 titles), and El Nacional (13 titles). Liga is the Ecuadorian club with the most international titles, having won five.
National Titles
- Serie A
- Winners (12): 1969, 1974, 1975, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005 Apertura, 2007, 2010, 2018, 2023.
- Copa Ecuador
- Winners (1): 2019
- Supercopa Ecuador
- Winners (2): 2020, 2021
- Serie B
- Winners (2): 1974 E1, 2001
International Titles
- Copa Libertadores
- Winners (1): 2008
- Copa Sudamericana
- Winners (2): 2009, 2023
- Runners-up (1): 2011
- Recopa Sudamericana
- Winners (2): 2009, 2010
- FIFA Club World Cup
- Runners-up (1): 2008
- Suruga Bank Championship
- Runners-up (1): 2010
Regional Titles
- Campeonato Amateur del Fútbol de Pichincha
- Winners (3): 1932, 1952, 1953
- Campeonato Olímpico Universitario
- Winners (1): 1945
- Copa Presidente de la República Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno
- Winners (1): 1919 (Club Universitario)
- Campeonato Professional Interandino
- Winners (6): 1954, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1966, 1967
- Segunda Categoría de Pichincha
- Winners (1): 1973
Team Statistics
| Competition | Part | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Champion | Runner-up | Other info |
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| Serie A | 60 | 2149 | 918 | 604 | 627 | 3242 | 2464 | +778 | 3358 | 11 | 6 | 4th all-time, Champion (11 times) |
| Copa Ecuador | 1 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 6 | +9 | 16 | 1 | 0 | Best: Champion (2019) |
| Supercopa Ecuador | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | Best: Champion (2020. 2021) |
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| Copa Libertadores | 20 | 161 | 62 | 36 | 63 | 238 | 228 | +10 | 204 | 1 | 0 | Best: Champion (2008) |
| Copa Sudamericana | 13 | 80 | 38 | 16 | 26 | 123 | 95 | +28 | 130 | 1 | 1 | Best: Champion (2009) |
| Recopa Sudamericana | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 10 | 2 | 0 | Best: Champion (2009, 2010) |
| FIFA Club World Cup | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Best: Runner-up (2008) |
| Copa Suruga Bank | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Best: Runner-up (2010) |
| Copa CONMEBOL | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | Best: Quarterfinals (1998) |
Note: All statistics are current as of the end of their last participation.
Images for kids
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The Liga de Quito team in 1930
See also
In Spanish: Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito para niños
- Central University of Ecuador
