L.D.U. Quito facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Liga de Quito

Full name	Liga Deportiva Universitaria
Nickname(s)	Rey de Copas Ecuatoriano (Ecuadorian King of Cups) Albos (The Whites) Los Reyes Centrales La Bordadora Los Merengues (The Merengues) La U (The U) Los Universitarios (The Universitaries)
Founded	23 October 1918; 106 years ago (1918-10-23), as Club Universitario
Ground	Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado (Casa Blanca)
Ground Capacity	41,575
Honorary President	Rodrigo Paz
President	Isaac Álvarez
Manager	Tiago Nunes
League	Ecuadorian Serie A
2024	Serie A, 1st of 16 (champions)
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Liga Deportiva Universitaria, often called Liga de Quito, is a professional football club 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.

Liga de Quito started as a university sports team in 1918. The club was officially founded on January 11, 1930. They have won many titles in Ecuador, including 13 national championships. Their most recent national title was in 2024.

Liga de Quito is also 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). They are one of only six teams in South America to have won all three major continental club tournaments. Liga de Quito was also the runner-up in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup.

Club History

How Liga de Quito Started (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, by Dr. Bolívar León.

In its early days, Liga played many sports, like football, basketball, athletics, and chess. The first football 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 club's university beginnings.

In 1932, Liga won its first football title in an amateur tournament in Pichincha. There was no national league back then. Liga won all its games, beating Gladiador 4–0 in the final. They also won amateur titles in 1952 and 1953.

Becoming a Professional Team (1954–1966)

In 1954, football in Pichincha became professional. The first Campeonato Professional Interandino (Inter-Andean Professional Championship) was held. Liga won this first professional title. They were runners-up 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 this regional professional league, winning 6 titles in total.

From 1960 onwards, winning the Interandino title meant a team could play for a national championship. Liga first played in the national tournament in 1960. Even with more regional wins, they didn't win a national title during this time.

National Wins 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 round, and their player Francisco Bertocchi was a top goalscorer.

However, in 1972, Liga was relegated to Serie B. They even dropped to the third division (Segunda Categoria) in 1973. But Liga quickly bounced back! They returned to Serie A in 1974 and won their second national title that same year. They won again in 1975, making it back-to-back championships.

Liga reached the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores in both 1975 and 1976. The 1980s were not as successful for the club, with their best finish being a runner-up spot in 1981.

Becoming a Top Club (1990–Present)

Since 1990, Liga has had a very successful period in Ecuador. They won a national title in 1990. Before 2000, they won two more national titles in 1998 and 1999. The 1998 title was special because it was won the year Liga opened their new stadium, La Casa Blanca. They won that final match 7–0!

In 2000, the club faced a tough time and was relegated to Serie B. But they quickly returned to Serie A in 2001. Two years later, in 2003, Liga won their 7th national title. They have added six more national titles since then: 2005, 2007, 2010, 2018, 2023, and 2024. This brings their total to 13 national championships.

Winning International Titles (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 by becoming the first Ecuadorian team to win the Copa Libertadores. They beat Fluminense from Brazil in a penalty shootout in the final. This win allowed Liga to play in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. They beat Pachuca 2–0 in the semi-final, reaching the final against Manchester United. Liga lost the final 1–0 in Japan.

LDU players in action.

In June 2009, Liga played in the 2009 Recopa Sudamericana as the Copa Libertadores champion. They played against Internacional from Brazil and won the title. This was Liga's second international trophy.

Soon after, Liga won their third international trophy: the 2009 Copa Sudamericana. They faced Fluminense again in the final, winning 5–4 on total score over two games. On their way to the final, they beat strong teams from Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay.

With the Copa Sudamericana title, Liga achieved a special "CONMEBOL treble." This means they won the Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, and Recopa Sudamericana within 17 months.

They also qualified for the 2010 Recopa Sudamericana and won it, becoming the third team to win back-to-back Recopa Sudamericanas. In 2011, Liga reached the 2011 Copa Sudamericana Finals, but lost to Universidad de Chile.

In 2023, Liga won its second Copa Sudamericana title. They beat Fortaleza Esporte Clube in a penalty shootout after the game ended in a 1–1 draw.

Home Stadium

Liga de Quito has played in four different stadiums over the years. Their first stadium was on the university grounds. In 1932, they moved to Estadio El Ejido. In 1962, they started playing at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, which they used until 1996.

In 1997, Liga opened its very own stadium, Estadio Casa Blanca. It is in the northern part of Quito. It's the biggest stadium 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 home of Liga's greatest successes. The team is often very hard to beat there. They have celebrated many national and international titles at this stadium.

Supporters

Liga de Quito is one of the most popular football clubs in Ecuador. A study showed that Liga has the largest number of fans in Quito. Their most passionate fans are called "Muerte Blanca" (The White Death).

Club Rivalries

Liga de Quito has several football rivalries.

Rivalry with Aucas

Their oldest rivalry is with Aucas, a club from southern Quito founded in 1945. Matches between Liga and Aucas are called El Superclásico de Quito (The Quito Super Derby). Their first match was on February 1, 1945, ending in a 1–1 tie.

Rivalry with El Nacional

Today, the rivalry between Liga de Quito and El Nacional is considered the most important in Quito. Both teams have won many national titles (13 each), making their matches very exciting. Their first game was in 1964. Liga de Quito beat El Nacional in the national championship finals in 1974 and 1999.

Rivalry with Deportivo Quito

In the 2000s, Liga also had a strong rivalry with Deportivo Quito. This was known as the Clásico Capitalino (Capital Derby) and was a "must-win" game for fans. This rivalry has slowed down since Deportivo Quito was relegated to a lower league in 2015.

Rivalry with Fluminense

A strong international rivalry has grown between Liga and Brazilian team Fluminense. This started after Liga beat Fluminense in the 2008 Copa Libertadores final and the 2009 Copa Sudamericana final. The rivalry became even bigger when they met in a third international final, the 2024 Recopa Sudamericana, which Fluminense won.

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Gonzalo Valle 2 DF Yeltzin Erique 3 DF Richard Mina 4 DF Ricardo Adé 5 MF Kevin Minda 6 DF Darío Aimar 7 FW Lautaro Pastrán (on loan from Belgrano) 8 DF Carlos Gruezo (captain) 9 FW Lisandro Alzugaray 11 FW Michael Estrada 12 GK Alexis Villa

No. Position Player 14 DF José Quintero 15 MF Gabriel Villamíl 17 FW Freddy Mina 20 MF Fernando Cornejo 22 GK Alexander Domínguez 24 FW Alejandro Cabeza 25 MF Madison Julio 29 FW Bryan Ramírez 30 DF Gian Franco Allala 31 DF Daniel de la Cruz 32 MF Juan Rodríguez 33 DF Leonel Quiñónez

Players on Loan

No. Position Player MF Óscar Zambrano (on loan to Hull City until 30 June 2025) FW Michael Bermúdez (on loan to OFK Beograd until 30 June 2025)

Notable Players

Top Scorers

Liga de Quito has had many players who were top scorers in different leagues and tournaments. The team's all-time top scorer is Polo Carrera with 92 goals.

N.°	Player	Seasons	Goals
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

World Cup Players

These players were part of their country's team at the FIFA World Cup while playing for LDU Quito:

Managers

Successful Managers

The following managers helped LDU Quito win at least one trophy:

• Bolívar León (first manager)
• César Jácome Moscoso (won the 1932 amateur Pichincha title)
• Luis Vásquez (won amateur Pichincha titles in 1952 & 1953, and the 1954 Interandino title)
• Roberto Eliseo Ortega (won the 1958 Interandino title)
• José Gomes Nogueira (won the 1960 Interandino and the 1969 Serie A)
• Román Soto Vergara (won the 1961 Interandino title)
• José María Ocampo (won the 1966 & 1967 Interandino titles)
• Leonel Montoya (helped the team get promoted 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 Serie A)
• Jorge Fossati (won the 2003 Serie A, 2009 Recopa Sudamericana and 2009 Copa Sudamericana)
• Juan Carlos Oblitas (won the 2005 Apertura)
• Edgardo Bauza (won the 2007 Serie A, 2008 Copa Libertadores, 2010 Recopa Sudamericana and the 2010 Serie A)
• Pablo Repetto (won the 2018 Serie A, 2018-19 Copa Ecuador and the 2020 Supercopa Ecuador)
• Gabriel Di Noia (won the 2021 Supercopa Ecuador)
• Luis Zubeldía (won the 2023 Serie A and the 2023 Copa Sudamericana)
• Pablo Sánchez (won the 2024 Serie A)

Club Achievements

Liga de Quito is the most successful club in Ecuadorian football history. They have won many regional, national, and international titles.

•      record
• ^S shared record

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

Statistics

Note: All statistics are current as of the end of their last participation.

Images for kids

• 

  Liga de Quito squad in 1930.

See also

In Spanish: Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito para niños