Mérida FC

Football club infobox
clubname = Mérida F.C.


fullname = Mérida Fútbol Club
nickname = "Venados" (Deer), "Ciervos" (Deer),
"Astados" (Horned)
founded = 2003
ground = Estadio Carlos Iturralde, Mérida, Yucatán, México
capacity = 21,050
chrtitle = President
chairman = flagicon|MEX Arturo Millet Reyes
manager = flagicon|MEX David Patiño
league = Primera División A
pattern_la1= | pattern_b1= | pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=92C0E4 | body1=92C0E4 | rightarm1=92C0E4 | shorts1=000000 | socks1=000000
pattern_la2= | pattern_b2= _lightbluestripes | pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FFFFFF | body2=FFFFFF | rightarm2=FFFFFF | shorts2=FFFFFF | socks2=FFFFFF
pattern_la3= | pattern_b3= | pattern_ra3=
leftarm3=96969D | body3=96969D | rightarm3=96969D | shorts3=000000 | socks3=414141

Mérida F.C. is a Mexican football club based in Mérida, Yucatán, México which currently plays in the Primera División A, the second tier of the Mexican football league system. Because their stadium is undergoing renovation, the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación (FMF) has not granted the club the certification required to be promoted to the Primera División after the Apertura 2008 and Clausura 2009 tournaments. [ cite news | url=http://www.yucatan.com.mx/noticia.asp?cx=10$0405060000$3867824 | title=La Primera A todavía no certifica a los Venados | publisher=Diario de Yucatán | date=2008-07-18 | language=Spanish ] The club will be able to reapply for certification after the Clausura 2009 tournament.

History

Mérida F.C. was founded in 2003 by the brothers Arturo and Mauricio Millet Reyes. The brothers wanted to maintain a Primera División A presence in Mérida after Atlético Yucatán became defunct. The first short tournament the "Venados" (deer) participated in was Apertura 2003. The club had its best showing when it reached the semifinals of the Clausura 2004 tournament, eventually losing to Sinaloa 3-1 on aggregate.

After the Clausura 2005 tournament, the Millet brothers announced that they would be selling the team to Irapuato due to economic problems, citing lackluster attendance and poor support from the local government. [ cite web | url= http://mapesports.blogspot.com/2008/02/historia-de-los-venados-del-mrida-fc.html|title=Historia de los Venados del Mérida F.C. | last= Peniche | first= Mario | date= 2008-02-15 | language=Spanish] Nevertheless, the brothers formed a team that participated in an amateur league in Yucatán and also opened a training facility in Argentina to scout local talent. Mérida F.C. returned to the professional ranks when they participated in the Tercera División for two tournaments, after which the team became defunct. During 2007, the brothers oversaw the construction of a training facility located at the Unidad Deportiva Tamanché. Meanwhile, the club had two teams, one participating in the Segunda División and the other in the Tercera División.

On June 16 2008, Arturo Millet Reyes announced that he had acquired the filial team of Morelia. [ cite news | url=http://www.yucatan.com.mx/noticia.asp?cx=10$0405000000$3844202 | title=Retornan los Venados | publisher=Diario de Yucatán | date=2008-06-17 | language=Spanish ] Millet Reyes has stated that his intention is to maintain the team in Mérida for an extended period of time, unlike in previous years. He also received a guarantee that if the "Venados" were to be promoted to the Primera División that the team would remain in Mérida. [ cite news | url=http://www.yucatan.com.mx/noticia.asp?cx=10$0405000000$3844387 | title=Los Venados regresan para quedarse, dice Arturo Millet Reyes | publisher=Diario de Yucatán | date=2008-06-17 | language=Spanish ]

Stadium

The home stadium for Mérida F.C. is the Estadio Carlos Iturralde, which seats 21,050 people and was founded in June 1987. Due to the stadium undergoing renovation, the "Venados" will play at least their first five home games at the Unidad Deportiva Tamanché, which only seats around 2,500 people. Plans are in place to build a new stadium in Ucú, a suburb town eight kilometers west of Mérida. The new stadium, whose construction is scheduled to begin in January 2009 and completed by 2011, will seat 28,500 fans. [ cite news | url=http://www.yucatan.com.mx/noticia.asp?cx=10$0405000000$3844976 | title=Estadio de “primer nivel” | publisher=Diario de Yucatán | date=2008-06-18 | language=Spanish ]

Current squad

Fs player|no=31|pos=DF|nat=MEX|name=Marcos Urbina(C)
*Last updated: 2008-08-06

References

External links