Querétaro F.C. facts for kids
 |
|||
| Full name | Querétaro Fútbol Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Los Gallos Blancos (The White Roosters) Los Albiazules (The White and Blues) |
||
| Founded | July 8, 1950 | ||
| Ground | Estadio Corregidora | ||
| Capacity | 33,162 | ||
| Owner | Grupo Caliente | ||
| Chairman | Juan Olvera | ||
| Manager | Mauro Gerk | ||
| League | Liga MX | ||
| Clausura 2024 | Regular phase: 10th Final phase: Play-in round |
||
|
|
|||
Querétaro Fútbol Club, also known as Gallos Blancos de Querétaro, is a professional football team from Querétaro City, Mexico. They play in Liga MX, which is the top football league in Mexico. The team's colors are blue, black, and white, and their mascot is a rooster. Even though the club hasn't won many big championships in Mexico, famous players like Ronaldinho and Antonio Valencia have played for them.
Contents
Club History
How the Club Started
In 1949, Mexico's football leaders wanted to create a new "Segunda División" (Second Division). This was to help grow the sport and find new talent for the top league. Querétaro City was invited to join.
Local football fans and leaders worked together to hold a tournament. The winning team would represent Querétaro in the new league. A team called "Los Piratas" won and became "Club Querétaro A.C." They were one of the first teams in the Segunda División, starting on July 8, 1950.
A journalist later gave them the nickname "Gallos Blancos" (White Roosters). He said it was because they fought hard for every ball and wore white uniforms. The team quickly became very popular in the city.
The Atletas Campesinos Era
In the mid-1970s, two local teams, Gallos Blancos and Estudiantes, were bought by Armando Presa. He combined them into a new team called "Atletas Campesinos." This team had a mix of young, hopeful players and experienced ones.
The team became very strong, playing like a "football-playing-machine." In 1980, Atletas Campesinos won the Segunda División final! They beat Osos Grises 2-1, which was a big surprise. This win meant that Querétaro City finally had a team in the top league, the Primera División.
However, the team struggled in the top league and was soon sold. In the 1982–83 season, the Atletas Campesinos team moved and became the Tampico Madero team.
The UAQ Gallos Blancos Era
In the early 1980s, the Autonomous University of Queretaro took over the team's management. The team was renamed "UAQ Gallos Blancos." They had many talented young players.
In 1987, UAQ Gallos Blancos reached another Segunda División final. Sadly, the team had a serious accident while traveling, and three important players died. Even though the final game was moved, the team lost.
Later, the university faced money problems and sold the team. Querétaro lost another beloved team.
The Cobras and Club Querétaro Eras
After the Estadio Corregidora stadium was built in the mid-1980s, a new team called "Cobras de Querétaro" was formed. They reached the Primera División in 1986 but only stayed for one season before moving to another city.
In 1988, "Club Querétaro" was created. This team became a strong rival to UAQ Gallos Blancos. Later, a businessman bought the Tampico Madero team and moved it to Querétaro, calling it "Club Querétaro." This team had many famous players and a well-known coach, Ricardo La Volpe.
Despite their efforts, the team was relegated back to the Segunda División in 1994. In 1998, "Club Querétaro" and "UAQ Gallos Blancos" joined together. They played as "Gallos Blancos de Querétaro" until 2002.
Querétaro F.C.: 2002 to 2012
In 2002, a team from the Primera División, CF La Piedad, moved to Querétaro City and became "Querétaro F.C." This team played in the top league for two years. However, in 2004, the Mexican Football Federation decided to reduce the number of teams in the Primera División. Querétaro F.C. was one of the teams removed due to financial issues.
In 2005, Querétaro F.C. won the "Torneo de Clausura" in the Primera A (Second Division). They played against San Luis F.C. for promotion to the top league. They won the first game but lost the second after extra time. This close match started a strong rivalry between the two teams.
On May 28, 2006, Querétaro F.C. was finally promoted to Mexico's Primera División! They beat Puebla F.C. in a play-off. But on April 29, 2007, the "Gallos Blancos" were relegated again after a tough fight to stay in the league.
After a difficult season in 2007–08, Querétaro F.C. had a great "Apertura 2008" tournament. They won their third championship in the Primera A. Then, they played against Mérida F.C. in a play-off to get back into the Primera División. After winning on penalty kicks, the team earned their spot in the top league once more.
Querétaro F.C. in the Top League
At the end of the Clausura 2013 tournament, Querétaro F.C. was set to be relegated again. However, the team's owner bought another team, Jaguares de Chiapas, and moved it to Querétaro. This allowed Querétaro City to keep a team in the Primera División.
In 2015, the team reached the finals of the domestic league for the first time! With the help of players like Danilinho, Emanuel Villa, and Ronaldinho, they played against Santos Laguna. They lost the first game 5–0 but won the second 3–0 at home. Even though they didn't win the championship, they qualified for the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League for the first time.
On March 5, 2022, a difficult event happened during a match between Querétaro and Atlas at Querétaro's stadium. Several people were injured. Because of this, the league suspended games and took action. The private security company working for the club had its contracts canceled.
On March 8, 2022, the Liga MX made some big decisions. Querétaro's home matches were banned from having fans for up to a year. The club's main fan groups were banned for up to three years. The club's owners were banned from league activities, and the team had to be sold to a new owner. The club was also fined a large amount of money.
Home Stadium
The team first played at the Estadio Municipal de Querétaro, which held 10,000 people. This stadium is still used today for local games and the youth team.
Querétaro F.C. now plays its home games at the Estadio Corregidora in Santiago de Querétaro. This stadium opened in 1985 and was built with help from Mexico and West Germany. It can hold 35,575 people and was used for four matches in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. It's designed so that it can be filled in 15 minutes and emptied in just 7 minutes!
Team Popularity
Supporters
Querétaro F.C. has always been a team supported by families. They have several fan groups, like "Esperanza Blanca" and "Tradicional." One of the fastest-growing fan groups is the "Resistencia Albiazul." Their chants and songs create an exciting atmosphere at the Estadio Corregidora stadium.
Rivalries
Because many cities in the Bajío area are close to each other, Querétaro F.C. has rivalries with teams like Irapuato and Celaya F.C.. However, their biggest rivals are León, Atlas F.C., and Atlético San Luis.
Team Uniforms
- Home kit: Black and blue striped shirt with black shorts and socks.
- Away kit: White shirt with black shorts and white socks.
- First kit history
     1950
|
   1969
|
 1970
|
   1974
|
 1981
|
 1982
|
 1992
|
 1994
|
 2005
|
     2016-17
|
- Third kit history
   65th Anniversary (Apertura 2015)
|
Club Achievements
- Liga MX
- Second Place: Clausura 2015
- Copa MX
- Winners: Apertura 2016
- Supercopa MX
- Winners: 2017
- Ascenso MX (Second Division)
- Winners: Clausura 2005, Clausura 2006, Apertura 2008
- Promotion Playoff
- Winners: 2005–06, 2008–09
See also
In Spanish: Querétaro Fútbol Club para niños
