Club de Deportes Antofagasta

Football club infobox
clubname = Deportes Antofagasta


fullname = Club de Deportes Antofagasta
nickname = "Pumas", "CDA"
founded = May 14, 1966
ground = Estadio Regional de Antofagasta
Antofagasta, Chile
capacity = 26,339 | chairman = flagicon|Chile Osciel Guzmán
manager = flagicon|Argentina flagicon|Chile Mario Vener
league =
season = 2007 Clausura
position = 14th
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=_whitehalf|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=41c8ff|body1=41c8ff|rightarm1=41c8ff|shorts1=ffffff|socks1=ffffff
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_redhalf|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=000000|body2=000000|rightarm2=000000|shorts2=000000|socks2=000000

Club de Deportes Antofagasta, is a Chilean football club based in the city of Antofagasta. The club was founded May 14, 1966 when amateur clubs Unión Bellavista and Portuario Atacama merged. The club plays in the first division of the . Their home games are played at the Regional Antofagasta stadium, which has a capacity of 26,339 approximately. The club's rival is Cobreloa.

History

Antofasta was founded on May 14, 1966 when the merger of the two amateur clubs, Unión Bellavista and Portuario Atacama, was final. The team's original name was Club de Deportes Antofagasta Portuario.

The team's first head coach was ex-Chilean international player Luis Santibañez. The team finished tenth in the second division table.

Under coach Francisco Hormazábal, Antofagasta was crowned champions of the second division in 1968. The final was played on January 19, 1969 against San Luis Quillota. The lone goal of the match was scored in the 33rd minute by Paraguayan Juan Pelayo Ayala. The team was promoted to first division after the win.

On July 21, 1974 the team changed its name to Club Regional Antofagasta.

In 1977, the team finished 18th in the table and returned to second division.

In 1979, Jorge León was name team's president and changed the club's name to Club de Deportes Antofagasta. The "regional" was not appropriate any more because of the appearance of regional club Cobreloa.

On June 30, 1983 Antofagasta finally gained promotion to first division once again after defeating Lota Schwager 9-0. The team was coached by Manuel Rodríguez and the nine goals were scored by Héctor Olivos (5 goals), Fernando González (3 goals) and Franklin López. However the following year the team again descended to second division.

Antofagasta experienced one of their most successful spans from 1991 thru 1995, with coach Andrija Perčić at the helm and players such as Marco Cornez and Gabriel Caballero.

In 1997, they once again descended to second division by finishing at the bottom of the table.

In 2005, Antofagasta gained promotion to the first division along with Santiago Morning.

Honors

* champions: 1968
* Apertura Championship of the Second Division champions: 1990

* Seasons in : 21 (1969-1977, 1983-1984, 1991-1997, and 2006-)
* Seasons in : 22 (1966-1968, 1978-1982, 1985-1990, 1998-2005)

Notable Players

*flagicon|Argentina flagicon|Mexico Gabriel Caballero
*flagicon|Chile Marco Cornez
*flagicon|Chile Patricio Galaz
*flagicon|Chile Juan Carlos Letelier
*flagicon|Guatemala Pablo Melgar
*flagicon|Chile Juvenal Olmos
*flagicon|Chile Pedro Reyes
*flagicon|Chile César Santis
*flagicon|Chile Francisco Valdés

quad 2008

External links

*es icon [http://www.deportesantofagasta.cl/modules/news/ C.D. Antofagasta Website]
*es icon [http://www.foropuma.cl/ Antofagasta Supporter's Website]