kids encyclopedia robot

Once Caldas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Once Caldas
Logo Once Caldas.png
Full name Once Caldas S.A.
Nickname(s) El Blanco (The White);
El Blanco Blanco de Manizales (Manizales's White-White);
Los Albos (the Albos);
El Equipo Albo (The Albo Team)
Founded 16 April 1947 (1947-04-16) (Foundation of Deportes Caldas)
15 January 1961; 64 years ago (1961-01-15) (Merger with Once Deportivo)
Ground Estadio Palogrande
Ground Capacity 28,678
Chairman Jorge Enrique Vélez
Coach Hernán Darío Herrera
League Categoría Primera A
2023 Primera A, 16th of 20

Once Caldas S.A., often called Once Caldas, is a professional football team from Colombia. They are based in Manizales and currently play in the top Colombian league, the Categoría Primera A. Their home games are played at Estadio Palogrande.

The club was formed in 1961. This happened when two older teams, Deportes Caldas and Deportivo Manizales (also known as Once Deportivo), joined together.

Once Caldas has won the Categoría Primera A four times. They are most famous for winning the 2004 Copa Libertadores title, which is a huge South American championship!

Club History: How Once Caldas Started

Once Caldas was created in 1961. But its roots go back to two older clubs: Deportes Caldas and Once Deportivo. Both of these teams were among the first to play in Colombia's professional football league, which started in 1948.

Once Deportivo was the older club, founded in 1930. However, they didn't have much success in the early league years. Deportes Caldas, founded in 1947, did much better. They finished third in the first league season. Just two years later, in 1950, Deportes Caldas won their first league title! They won 20 out of 30 matches, scoring many goals.

After the 1951 season, both Deportes Caldas and Once Deportivo stopped playing. Later, a new team called Atlético Manizales played for a few seasons. But people wanted to bring back the original clubs. Eventually, three founders decided to combine the old clubs into a new one: Once Caldas. This new team joined the league in 1961. Their very first game was on March 12, 1961, which they lost 3-2 to Deportivo Pereira.

Changing Names and Sponsors

In 1972, Once Caldas became the first Colombian club to put a sponsor's name on their shirts. For many years, the club even changed its name to match its sponsors. For example, they were called Cristal Caldas and Varta Caldas. In 1993, the club went back to its original name, Once Caldas, and stopped using sponsor names in their official title.

Early Success and International Games

Once Caldas had a strong season in 1983. They finished first in one part of the league, which helped them qualify for the final championship round. Ten years later, in 1993, they won another tournament called the Apertura.

In 1997, Once Caldas earned a spot in their first international competition, the 1998 Copa CONMEBOL. They were eliminated in the first round by Santos from Brazil. Even though Once Caldas won the second game 2-1, they lost in a penalty shootout.

The 1998 season was also great for Once Caldas. They were one of the top teams and reached the finals against Deportivo Cali. However, they lost the first game badly and the second game was a draw, so they finished as runner-up.

Once Caldas played in the famous Copa Libertadores for the first time in 1999. They had a tough group with strong teams like Deportivo Cali, Vélez Sársfield, and River Plate. Their first win in the competition was a 4-1 home victory against River Plate.

In 2001, the club was very close to reaching the league finals. They were the best team overall in the league standings. But in their last semifinal match, they needed a win against América de Cali and only managed a 2-2 draw, missing out on the finals. Their strong performance still got them into the 2002 Copa Libertadores, where they were eliminated in the group stage.

Winning the Copa Libertadores in 2004

In June 2003, Once Caldas won the Apertura title. This was their first league championship in 53 years! They beat Junior 1-0 in the finals. This victory also earned them a spot in the 2004 Copa Libertadores.

In the 2004 Copa Libertadores, Once Caldas had an amazing journey. They won their group, which included teams from Argentina, Uruguay, and Venezuela. In the knockout rounds, they kept winning, beating strong teams like Barcelona (Ecuador), Santos (Brazil), and São Paulo (Brazil).

This led them to the finals against Boca Juniors, a famous team from Argentina that had won the Copa Libertadores five times before. The first game in Argentina ended in a 0-0 draw. In the second game, played in Manizales, Once Caldas scored first with a goal by Jhon Viáfara. Boca Juniors tied the game later, sending it to a penalty shootout. Once Caldas won the shootout 2-0!

Under the leadership of coach Luis Fernando Montoya, Once Caldas won the Copa Libertadores for the first time ever. They became only the second Colombian team to achieve this incredible feat.

Soccer Field Transparant.svg

Henao
Vanegas
Cataño
Rojas
García
Viáfara
Arango
Soto
Velázquez
Valentierra
Agudelo
2004 Libertadores Lineup

After winning the Copa Libertadores, Once Caldas played in the 2004 Intercontinental Cup. This was a special match against Porto, the champions of Europe. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, but Once Caldas lost 8-7 in a penalty shootout.

In 2005, Once Caldas tried to defend their Copa Libertadores title but were eliminated in the Round of 16. They also played in the 2005 Recopa Sudamericana, another international cup. They lost to Boca Juniors in that competition, finishing as runners-up.

More League Titles and Recent Years

Once Caldas continued to have good seasons, reaching the semifinals of the league several times between 2005 and 2007. In 2008, they reached the finals of the 2008 Copa Colombia, but lost.

In 2009, Once Caldas reached the league finals again, facing Junior. This time, Once Caldas won the title with a total score of 5-2 over two games. In 2010, they won their fourth league title, beating Deportes Tolima 3-1 in the finals. A year later, in 2011, they were runners-up in the league, losing to Junior in a penalty shootout.

In 2012, a company called Kenworth bought a large part of the club. After this, the team qualified for the final stages of the league in 2013 and 2014. They also reached the finals of the 2018 Copa Colombia, but lost to Atlético Nacional. In 2019, they played in the 2019 Copa Sudamericana for the first time.

For several years starting in 2019, Once Caldas struggled and did not reach the final stages of the league. However, the return of club legend Dayro Moreno helped the team improve. His goalscoring helped Once Caldas reach the semifinal stage of the 2024 Apertura tournament. They also made it to the semifinals in the Finalización tournament but did not reach the finals.

Team Uniforms

Once Caldas has used different brands for their uniforms over the years. They used brands like Adidas, Walon Sport, and Errea. Since the 2023 season, they have been wearing uniforms made by a local brand called Hillside.

  • Home Uniform: White shirt, white shorts, and white socks.
  • Away Uniform: Black shirt, black shorts, and black socks.

Home Stadium

Once Caldas plays its home matches at Estadio Palogrande. This stadium is located in Manizales and was first opened in 1936.

Club Trophies

Once Caldas has won some important titles both in Colombia and internationally.

Colombian Titles

  • Categoría Primera A (Top League)
    • Winners (4): 1950, 2003 (Apertura), 2009 (Apertura), 2010 (Finalización)
  • Copa Colombia (Cup Competition)
    • Runners-up (2): 2008, 2018

International Titles

  • Copa Libertadores (South American Champions League)
    • Winners (1): 2004
  • Recopa Sudamericana (Super Cup between two South American champions)
    • Runners-up (1): 2005
  • Intercontinental Cup (Match between European and South American champions)
    • Runners-up (1): 2004

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player
2 Colombia MF Juan Camilo García
3 Colombia DF Jerson Malagón
4 Colombia DF Efraín Navarro
5 Colombia MF Iván Rojas
6 Colombia MF Juan Carlos Díaz
7 Colombia FW Michael Barrios
8 Colombia MF Esteban Beltrán
9 Colombia FW Luis Felipe Gómez
10 Colombia MF Luis Sánchez
12 Colombia GK James Aguirre
13 Colombia FW Andrés Ibargüen
14 Colombia FW Jefry Zapata (on loan from Cúcuta Deportivo)
15 Colombia DF Juan Felipe Castaño
17 Colombia FW Dayro Moreno (captain)
18 Colombia DF Jáider Riquett
19 Colombia MF Mateo García
No. Position Player
20 Colombia MF Alejandro García
22 Colombia DF Juan Cuesta
23 Colombia DF Kevin Cuesta
24 Colombia FW Luis Palacios
25 Colombia GK Juan Gallego
26 Colombia FW Santiago Cubides
27 Colombia MF Kevin Villada
28 Colombia MF Mateo Zuleta
29 Colombia MF Yeiler Valencia
32 Colombia MF Tomás García
33 Colombia DF Juan Patiño (on loan from Bogotá)
34 Colombia MF Jorge Cardona
35 Colombia GK Joan Parra
36 Colombia FW Junior Orobio
39 Colombia DF Hian Rincón
70 Colombia MF Deinner Quiñones

Players on Loan

No. Position Player
Colombia MF Robert Mejía (at Khimki)
Colombia FW John Deiby Araujo (at Envigado)

World Cup Players

These players were part of their country's FIFA World Cup team while playing for Once Caldas:

  • Colombia Nestor Ortiz (1994)
  • Colombia José Fernando Cuadrado (2018)

Club Records

Most Games Played

Rank Name Matches
1 Colombia Juan Carlos Henao 605
2 Colombia Arnulfo Valentierra 481
3 Colombia Robeiro Fernando Moreno 451
4 Argentina Sergio Galván Rey 377
5 Colombia Rodrigo Gómez 373

Top Goal Scorers

Rank Name Goals
1 Argentina Sergio Galván Rey 185
2 Colombia Arnulfo Valentierra 138
3 Colombia Dayro Moreno 128
4 Argentina Roberto Mirabelli 66
5 Colombia Nicolás Lobatón 59

Managers

Many different managers have led Once Caldas throughout its history. Here are some of them:

  • Argentina Alfredo Cuezzo (1950–1960)
  • Argentina José Próspero Fabrini (1961)
  • Argentina Francisco Villegas (1962–1963)
  • Colombia Luis Alberto Rubio [es] (1964–1965)
  • Spain Simón Herrerías (1966–1967)
  • Colombia Óscar Ramos [es] (1967–1968)
  • Ecuador Pablo Ansaldo (1970)
  • Argentina Amadeo Carrizo (1973)
  • Colombia Gilberto Osorio (1975–1977)
  • Argentina Eduardo Luján Manera (1978)
  • Argentina Felipe Ribaudo (1979)
  • Argentina Carlos Antonietta (1980–1981)
  • Colombia Efraín Sánchez (1981)
  • Argentina Juan Carlos Sarnari (1982)
  • Argentina Américo Pérez (1983)
  • Argentina Juan Manuel Guerra (1984)
  • Colombia Jaime Silva (1985)
  • Colombia Francisco Maturana (1986)
  • Colombia Diego Umaña (1987)
  • Colombia Leonel Montoya (1988)
  • Argentina Carlos Miguel Dizz (1988–1990)
  • Colombia Moisés Pachón (1990)
  • Argentina Alfonso Núñez (1990)
  • Colombia Álvaro de Jesús Gómez (1991)
  • Paraguay Gerardo González Aquino [es] (1991)
  • Colombia Víctor Luna (1991)
  • Colombia Carlos Navarrete (1991)
  • Colombia Carlos Restrepo (1992–1994)
  • Colombia Orlando Restrepo (1995–1997)
  • Colombia Joaquin Castro (1997)
  • Colombia Javier Álvarez Arteaga [es] (1997–1998)
  • Colombia Alexis García (1999)
  • Colombia Juan Eugenio Jiménez (2000)
  • Colombia Javier Álvarez Arteaga [es] (2001–2002)
  • Colombia Luis Montoya (January 2003 – December 2004)
  • Colombia Carlos Alberto Valencia (January 2005 – August 2005)
  • Colombia Juan Carlos Bedoya [es] (August 2005)
  • Colombia Jaime de la Pava (September 2005 – December 2005)
  • Colombia Juan Carlos Bedoya [es] (January 2006 – December 2006)
  • Colombia Fernando Castro (January 2007 – June 2007)
  • Colombia Santiago Escobar (June 2007 – November 2007)
  • Colombia Juan Carlos Bedoya [es] (November 2007 – May 2008)
  • Colombia Jorge Luis Bernal (May 2008 – November 2008)
  • Colombia Javier Álvarez Arteaga [es] (November 2008 – November 2009)
  • Colombia Juan Carlos Osorio (January 2010 – December 2011)
  • Colombia Luis Pompilio Páez (December 2011 – July 2012)
  • Argentina Guillermo Ángel Hoyos (July 2012 – December 2012)
  • Colombia Santiago Escobar (December 2012 – December 2013)
  • Colombia Flabio Torres (December 2013 – February 2015)
  • Argentina Javier Torrente (May 2015 – August 2016)
  • Argentina Hernán Lisi (September 2016 – April 2017)
  • Colombia Herney Duque (April 2017 – June 2017)
  • Colombia Francisco Maturana (June 2017 – November 2017)
  • Colombia Herney Duque (November 2017 – December 2017)
  • Colombia Hubert Bodhert (December 2017 – December 2018)
  • Colombia Eduardo Lara (January 2021 – August 2021)
  • Colombia Diego Corredor (August 2021 – February 2023)
  • Colombia Elkin Soto (February 2023 – March 2023)
  • Colombia Pedro Sarmiento (March 2023 – October 2023)
  • Colombia Hernán Herrera (October 2023 – present)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Once Caldas para niños

kids search engine
Once Caldas Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.