C.S.D. Municipal

Municipal

Full name	Club Social y Deportivo Municipal
Nickname(s)	Rojos (Reds) El Mimado de la Aficion (The Crowd's Favorite) Diablos Rojos (Red Devils)
Founded	May 17, 1936
Ground	Estadio Mateo Flores and El Trébol, Guatemala City (Capacity: 30,000)
Chairman	Gerardo Villa
Manager	Javier Delgado
League	Liga Nacional de Fútbol
Clausura 2010	Champions
Home colours Away colours

Club Social y Deportivo Municipal, also known as Municipal or Los Rojos (the Reds), are a Guatemalan professional football club based in Guatemala City. They compete in the Liga Nacional, the top division in the nation, and play their home matches at the Estadio Mateo Flores.

The club was founded in 1936, and as of 2009, they are the team that has remained the most years at the top level in Guatemala, having done so since the inception of the national league in 1942. They are the nation's most successful team, having won the domestic league 28 times; their most recent title came in the 2010 Clausura tournament. Municipal are the only Guatemalan club ever to win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, a title they obtained in 1974. That win, as well as their second place finish in the Copa Interamericana the same year remains the highest international achievement by a Guatemalan team.

Municipal are considered to be the most popular club in Guatemala,^[1][2][3] and are traditional arch-rivals of club Comunicaciones, who are also located in the capital city.

History

The club was founded on May 17, 1936 by workers of the Ayuntamiento (city hall) of the Guatemala City municipality, hence the name Municipal, earning promotion to the maximum division (then called Liga Capitalina) in 1938. They finished in second place in their debut season,^[4] and have since remained in the top division.

Early domestic success (1940s-1960s)

The team won its first national league title in the 1942-43 tournament, the first ever official national league championship in Guatemala. They won three of the following six tournaments, the other three being won by Tipografía Nacional, whom which they had their first known rivalry. Municipal were coached by Manuel F. Carrera, one of the original founders of the club, and whose name was later given to the stadium where the team currently practices.

During the 1940s and early 1950s, Municipal's most emblematic player was the forward Carlos "Pepino" Toledo, who wore the red shirt throughout his career. He helped the club win their first four league titles, the last of them coming at the 1954-55 tournament, which was Toledo's last year of play. He scored 129 career goals, a total which remains the fourth-highest in the history of the club, and was also one of the first nationwide-recognized players, becoming a member of the national team. Later, he became Municipal's coach.

Municipal team that participated in the 1948 tournament in Cuba, holding the flag of the host country

In 1948, Municipal won a friendly tournament in Havana, Cuba that was celebrated as part of the commemoration acts of the Cuban Independence. Toledo, Mario Camposeco, and goalkeeper "Tarzan" Segura were members of that squad.^[5]

At the end of the 1950s, as Comunicaciones emerged as one of the top contenders in the league – winning it three years in a row –, Municipal went 8 straight years without winning a championship, but then won three of them in the 1963-64, 1965–66, and 1969-70 seasons. These titles alternated with three titles won by Aurora FC – another club from the city – and coincided with a decline for Comunicaciones in that decade. When Tipografía Nacional faded as one of the top clubs of the nation, a fierce rivalry originated between Municipal and Comunicaciones, especially after the latter became the country's second most successful club, having won 7 of 14 league tournaments from 1956 to 1972. Both teams have been classic rivals ever since, with the matches between them usually attracting the most spectators of any local club football event.

1970s: First international success

Starting in 1973, Municipal obtained a series of titles under Uruguayan coach Rubén Amorín, who took the team to league titles in successive years for their first time ever. Amorín managed a group of players that included defender Alberto López Oliva, midfielders Benjamín Monterroso and Emilio Mitrovich, and forward Julio César Anderson (who would become the highest goalscorer ever for the club, until surpassed in the 2000s by Juan Carlos Plata), to their first international title, winning the 1974 Copa Fraternidad. However, Municipal's greatest achievement occurred in that same year, when they won the IV CONCACAF Champions' Cup, becoming the first – and only to date – Guatemalan team to have won the confederation's top club competition. The Rojos then went on to play the Copa Interamericana against Argentina's "red team", CA Independiente, on a two-leg playoff celebrated at the Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala. The first leg, played November 24, 1974, was won by Independiente 1-0, on a goal by Ricardo Bochini. Two days later, Municipal, in need of a win, beat the Argentines 1-0, thanks to a goal by the Argentine-born Mitrovich in the second half. With both teams equal in points and goal difference, the match went to extra time, where there was no change in the score. The winner of the continental title was then decided on penalty kicks. After misses by Anderson and Monterroso, Independiente won the shootout 4-2, and ended Municipal's international run.

1980s: Almost relegated

After winning another league title in 1976 and the 1977 Copa Fraternidad, the club faced their worst period, unable to win any titles and even being close to dropping from the top division, playing a relegation mini-tournament in the 1981 season – which saw Tipografía Nacional go down to the Division B. In 1982, Municipal struggled again, this time finishing ahead of the relegated team on goal differential.

1990s: Return to the top

Success came again in 1987, with the first league title in 11 years, won under Argentine coach Miguel Ángel Brindisi. This time, the team won three consecutive championships for the first time ever, the first two being coached by Brindisi, and the third one by Walter Ormeño. In the 1991-92 season, almost two decades after his last title with the club, Rubén Amorín, on his second tenure, took Municipal to another league title.

Municipal were close to repeating the CONCACAF success of 1974 when the Champion's Cup finals were played in the Mateo Flores in Guatemala City in December 1993. The team faced Mexican club León, Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica and SV Robinhood of Suriname in a single round-robin tournament. High expectations preceded those matches, as Municipal was in good form in the local tournament, unbeaten and at the top of the table; however, the team fell short of the title as all three matches between Municipal, Saprissa and León ended in draws, and Saprissa, who played against the weak Robinhood in the last matchday, beat the Surinamese team 9-0 and won the title on goal differential. Still, a fifth league championship in seven years came at the end of the 1993-94 season, under Argentine coach Horacio Cordero.

2000s: A Decade of Success

In 2000, after the league's competition format was changed to two yearly tournaments on the Apertura and Clausura fashion, Municipal won the title again after Comunicaciones had set a record by winning the previous four; Municipal surpassed that record in 2006 when they won the 2006 Apertura tournament, their fifth consecutive title, under coach Enzo Trossero

They also added third and fourth Central American titles by winning the Copa Interclubes UNCAF in 2001 and 2004.

Municipal added three national league titles including the last two, to bring the total count to 28.

With their last championship won, the 2010 Apertura tournament, they have won 13 of the 22 titles in dispute since the current tournament's format was introduced.

Colours and crest

Initially, the team's uniform colors consisted of a red-and-black striped shirt and black shorts.^[6] The colours soon changed to the current red shirt and blue shorts for home matches, and all blue for away matches, although other colors have been used for away matches.

The club's logo is based in the emblem of the Municipalidad de Guatemala, which is itself based in the original coat of arms of the city of Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala, with the image of Santiago (Saint James) over the stylized scenery of the region. The team's version includes an image of the type of ball used at the time the club was founded, next to a blue and red striped canton in between the former two elements. The circular field is surrounded by the name of the team on a red background. It is not confirmed whether the team logo is copyrighted or not.

Stadium

Throughout the years, Municipal has used the Estadio Mateo Flores as their home ground, sharing it with Comunicaciones since the 1950s until 1991, and again starting in 2005. Other stadiums hosted Municipal in the beginning, namely the Estadio Autonomía. The Estadio La Pedrera has been used when the Mateo Flores has not been available. The Estadio Manuel Felipe Carrera, also known as "Estadio El Trébol", has been the training venue for the team, and it has been occasionally used for official matches by the club; Municipal had an undefeated streak of 33 official matches in this ground from July 9, 1991 until March 7, 2008, when they lost to Deportivo Petapa 1-0 for the 2008 Clausura tournament.^[7]

Supporters

Municipal is believed to have the largest fan base of all Guatemalan clubs, and that their popularity have earned them nicknames like El equipo mimado de la afición (Fans' beloved team) and El equipo del pueblo (People's team). An organized group of supporters known as ultra roja (originally porra roja) has become notable since the early 1990s due to their constant chanting and their loudness; they have also been criticized due to violent confrontations with fans of other teams, especially of Comunicaciones.

Statistics and records

Municipal has set a record in Guatemalan football by being the club that has spent the most consecutive seasons at the top division, having remained in the Liga Mayor/Liga Nacional for 73 years as of 2010-11.

The 28 national league titles won by Municipal are the most ever in Guatemala, and (as of the 2011 Apertura Championship), the second most ever by any CONCACAF club behind Deportivo Saprissa (29 Costa Rican league titles).^[8]

Juan Carlos Plata is the team's all-time top goalscorer in league matches and overall. As of the end of 2009, Plata has scored 296 league goals and 403 overall goals with Municipal,^[9] the only club he has played for.

Players

Current squad

For 2010/2011 season
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Oswar Grajamo 2 DF Jaime Vides 3 DF Pablo Melgar 4 DF Yony Flores 5 MF Kenroy Arana 6 DF Pablo Solórzano 7 FW Darwin Oliva 8 MF Gonzalo Romero 10 MF Eliseo Quintanilla 11 FW Oscar Isaula 12 MF Darío Gómez 14 MF David Aroche 16 FW Carlos Villa 17 MF Pedro Samayoa 18 DF Gustavo Cabrera

No. Position Player 19 FW Marvin Ávila 20 FW Juan José Castillo 21 MF Julián Priego 22 GK Cristian Álvarez 23 DF Renato Blanco 24 MF Sergio Guevara 25 FW Mario Rodríguez 26 DF Dennis Flores 27 GK Jaime Penedo 28 DF Cristian Noriega 30 MF Carlos Castillo DF Hamilton Lopez MF Claudio Albizuris FW Evandro Ferreira

Squad Changes for the Apertura 2011

In:

• Eliseo Quintanilla - Transferred from Firpo

Out:

• Pablo Hutt- Transferred to Once Municipal

Notable players

Former^[10]

Leonardo Nicolas Díaz (GK), (2005–06) José Emilio Mitrovich (MF), (1970's) Javier Delgado (DF), (1997–98) Ronald Gómez (FW), (1998–99) Raul Magana (GK) Juan Ramón Martínez (FW) (1955–56) Pedro "Tarzan" Segura (GK) (1946–50) Mario Acevedo (FW), (2001–09) Julio César Anderson (FW), (1969–84) Carlos Figueroa (MF), (2001–03), (2004–07), (2009–10) Juan Manuel Funes (MF), (1986–97)

Fredy García (MF), (2003–04), (2004–09) Alberto López Oliva (DF), (1963–78) Benjamín Monterroso (DF / MF), (1970–79) Marco Pappa (MF), (2006–09) Selvyn Ponciano (DF), (1994–09) Julio Rodas (FW), (1988–94) German Ruano (DF), (1993–09) Carlos Ruiz (FW), (1999–02) Carlos Toledo (FW), (1938–55) Juan Manuel Romo (GK), (1983–90)

Active

Sergio Guevara (MF), (2003-) Juan Carlos Plata (FW), (1989-) Guillermo Ramírez (MF), (1997–00), (2003–08), (2010-)

Gonzalo Romero (MF), (2001-) Jaime Penedo (GK), (2007-)

Coaches

Champion coaches

Salvador Pericullo (Copa Fraternidad Centroamericana 1977) (1976–1978) José Alberto Cevasco (1950–1951) Miguel Ángel Brindisi (1987–1988) Luis Grill Prieto (1963–64, 1970 ) Manuel Felipe Carrera (1942–1947,1954–1956 ) Carlos "Pepino" Toledo Marvin Rodríguez (1965–1966) Ever Hugo Almeida Walter Ormeño (Campeonatos de Liga 1989-90) Jan Poštulka Rubén Amorín (1972–1974), (1991–1992) Horacio Cordero (1994 Copa Gallo, 1995 Copa Gallo, 1993–94 Liga, 2000 Apertura, 2000 Clausura) Enzo Trossero (5 Titles in a row) Jorge Habegger (Apertura 2009) Manuel Keosseian (Clausura 2010)

Other coaches

• Jaime Borja (1957)
• Carlos Toledo (1957–1960)
• Ferenc Meszaros (1967–1968)

Honours

• Liga Nacional de Guatemala: 28 (most ever by any team)

1942, 1947, 1950–51, 1954–55, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1987, 1988, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1993–94, 2000 Apertura, 2000 Clausura, 2001, 2002 Clausura, 2003 Apertura, 2004 Apertura, 2005 Clausura, 2005 Apertura, 2006 Clausura, 2006 Apertura, 2008 Clausura, 2009 Apertura, 2010 Clausura

• Domestic Cup Titles: 8

1960, 1967, 1969, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2003, 2004

• CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 1

1974

• Copa Interamericana, 0

Runners-up - 1974 (Highest placement for a Guatemalan team ever)

• Torneo Fraternidad / UNCAF Club Championship: 4

1974, 1977, 2001, 2004

References and notes

1. ^ MLS report - mlsnet.com, Major League Soccer, USA, 2002.
2. ^ (Spanish) Team report - laprensahn.com - newspaper La Prensa, Honduras, 2000.
3. ^ (Spanish) Guatemala national league news - latribunahispana.com - La Tribuna Hispana, USA, 2006.
4. ^ (Spanish) "Guatemala, 100 años de fútbol - Municipal". Prensa Libre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-09. http://web.archive.org/web/20061209012134/http://www.prensalibre.com/especiales/ME/guatefut/10.html. Retrieved 2006-12-10. 
5. ^ La Habana, Cuba 1948
6. ^ (Spanish) "Historia, Rojos del Municipal". http://www.rojos.com. Retrieved 2006-12-10.  - Note: Unable to retrieve direct link. Click on "Historia" on the main menu to access.
7. ^ (Spanish) "Rojos pierden el invicto en El Trébol". Prensa Libre. Archived from the original on 2008-03-13. http://web.archive.org/web/20080313074813/http://prensalibre.com/pl/2008/marzo/08/225184.html. Retrieved 2008-03-20. 
8. ^ "Trivia on Winning Domestic Championships". RSSSF. http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/kamprec.html#tnc. Retrieved 2011-08-26. 
9. ^ Source: http://www.rojos.com/~csdm/aficionados/plata/index.htm
10. ^ Player years, except for Carlos Toledo's and Juan Manuel Funes', are taken from (Spanish) http://www.angelfire.com/ms/rojosoasis/page5.html

Further reading

• "Guatemala, 100 años de fútbol - Municipal". Prensa Libre. Archived from the original on 2006-12-09. http://web.archive.org/web/20061209012134/http://www.prensalibre.com/especiales/ME/guatefut/10.html. Retrieved 2006-12-10. 

External links

• (Spanish) Official web site
• (Spanish) Official fan site