Venados F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Venados Fútbol Club Yucatán | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Venados (Bucks) Astados (Horned) Ciervos (Deer) |
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| Short name | VEN | ||
| Founded | September 2, 1988, as Venados de Yucatán | ||
| Ground | Estadio Carlos Iturralde | ||
| Capacity | 15,087 | ||
| Owner | Grupo R4 | ||
| Chairman | Rodolfo Rosas Cantillo | ||
| Manager | Rigoberto Esparza | ||
| League | Liga de Expansión MX | ||
| Clausura 2025 | Regular phase: 6th Final phase: Quarterfinals |
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Venados Fútbol Club Yucatán, often called simply Venados, is a professional football club from Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. They play in the Liga de Expansión MX, which is the second-highest football league in Mexico.
The club started in 1988 as Venados de Yucatán. Over the years, its name changed several times. It was known as Club Deportivo Atlético Yucatán (1997–2001, 2002–2003), then Mérida Fútbol Club (2003–2011), and Club de Fútbol Mérida (2011–2015). In 2015, it became Venados Fútbol Club Yucatán, its current name.
History of Venados FC
Early Days and First Team
The club began in 1988 as Venados de Yucatán. Mr. Jorge Arana Palma bought the team from Alacranes de Apatzingán. This is when the team's colors – green, yellow, and white – were chosen. In their first season, 1988-89, they finished as runners-up in the Segunda División de México.
Becoming CD Atlético Yucatán
In 1997, the club changed its name to Club Deportivo Atlético Yucatán. They played in the Primera División A de México. The team was briefly dissolved in 2001 but returned the next year.
Atlético Yucatán won the Invierno 1998 tournament. They beat Chivas Tijuana 1–0 in Mérida. They also played for the overall championship in 1999 against Unión de Curtidores but lost.
Mérida FC and CF Mérida Era
In 2003, Atlético Yucatán was renamed Mérida Fútbol Club. This happened when brothers Arturo and Mauricio Millet Reyes took over the team. They acquired the franchise from Nacional de Tijuana.
Team Changes and Lower Divisions
After the Clausura 2005 tournament, the Millet brothers sold the team. They faced financial difficulties and lacked strong local support. However, they kept football alive in Mérida. They formed an amateur team and opened a training center in Argentina.
Mérida F.C. returned to professional football in 2006/07. They played in the Tercera División. By the 2007/08 season, they were playing in the Segunda División.
Return to the Second Level
On June 16, 2008, Arturo Millet Reyes announced a big step. He had bought the reserve team of Morelia. He promised to keep the team in Mérida for a long time. He also got a promise that if the Venados were promoted to the top league, they would stay in Mérida.
In November 2008, the Mexican Football Federation approved the club. This meant they could be promoted to the Primera División.
In the Clausura 2009 season, Mérida won the Clausura title. They beat Club Tijuana 1–0 overall. However, they lost the promotion play-off to Querétaro FC in a penalty shootout.
Franchise Sale to Atlante
On December 4, 2010, the Millet brothers announced that Mérida F.C. would no longer be part of the Liga de Ascenso. The Mérida team was then sold to Atlante F.C.. It became Atlante's reserve team for the Clausura 2011 tournament.
Venados FC Yucatán: A New Beginning
In 2015, the Mexican Football Federation announced changes for the Apertura 2015 tournament. The league would have 16 teams instead of 14. Also, some clubs would move to new cities.
FC Mérida changed its logo and name to Venados FC. The team stayed in Mérida. This change was seen as a "rebirth" of the original Venados de Yucatán team.
Club Staff
Management Team
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Chairman |  Rodolfo Rosas Cantillo |
| Vice-chairman | Alberto Alcocer |
| Director of football | Luis Miguel Salvador |
Source: Liga MX
Coaching Staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager | Rigoberto Esparza |
| Assistant managers | Guillermo Gómez |
| Francisco Bravo |
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| Goalkeeper coach | Juan de Dios Ibarra |
| Fitness coach | Alfredo Omar Tena |
| Physiotherapist | José Narváez |
| Team doctor | Santiago Dorantes |
Players
First-Team Squad
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Players on Loan
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Reserve Teams
- Progreso F.C.
- This is an affiliate team that plays in the Liga TDP. It is the fourth level of the Mexican league system.
Club Managers
- David Patiño (2008–2010)
- Mario García (2011)
Ricardo Valiño (2011–2014)- Juan Carlos Chávez (2014–2015)
Daniel Rossello (Interim) (2015)- Marcelo Michel Leaño (2016)
- José Luis Sánchez Solá (2016–2017)
- Bruno Marioni (2017–2018)
- Joel Sánchez (2018)
- Sergio Orduña (2018–2019)
- Carlos Gutiérrez (2020–2022)
- Andrés Carevic (2022)
Club Achievements
National Titles
| Type | Competition | Titles | Winning editions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promotion divisions | Primera División A | 2 | Invierno 1998, Clausura 2009 | – |
| Campeón de Ascenso | 0 | – | 1999, 2009 | |
| Segunda División | 0 | – | 1988–89 |
See also
In Spanish: Venados Fútbol Club Yucatán para niños
