Defensores de Belgrano

Defensores de Belgrano

Full name	Club Atlético Defensores de Belgrano
Nickname(s)	El Dragón (The Dragon)
Founded	25 May 1906
Ground	Estadio Juan Pasquale, Nuñez, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Capacity: 9,000)
Chairman	Marcelo Achile
Manager	Rodolfo Della Picca
League	Primera B Metropolitana
2010-11	3rd (qualified to Torneo Reducido)
Website	Club home page
Home colours Away colours

Defensores de Belgrano is a sports club from the Nuñez neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina. the football team currently plays in Primera B Metropolitana, the regionalised third division of the Argentine Football Association.

Defensores has never played in the top flight of Argentine football since the professional era begun, although it spent a number of seasons in Primera during the Amateur era before 1931.

History

Club Atlético Defensores de Belgrano was founded on May 25, 1906 by a group of young people who wanted to participate in the football league's of Buenos Aires. During this time, the team's colour's were light blue and light pink but would later be changed to Red and Black. The stadium was at the Plaza Alberti in the suburb of Belgrano, Buenos Aires.

In 1930, Defensores de Belgrano was relegated to the second division until 1935, however, during that time, in 1934 two players Ernesto Belis and Luis Izett of Defensores went on to play for Argentina national football team in the World Cup held in Italy that year.

For many decades Defensores played the league games between the B and the C League's, gaining promotion and also being relegated. Throughout that period a rivalry against Platense was developed.

The 1970s saw the arrival of René Houseman, who stayed on for Defensores throughout the early 70's. He most significantly went on to win the 1978 World Cup for Argentina and was arguably one of the biggest idols that had been produced by Defensores. Despite his success, the club would go on to experience campaigns that alternated from good to bad. During recent years, from August 29, 1998 there was a collision between Defensores de Belgrano and Almirante Brown which brough much rivalry between them, during the decade since the collision the two team's are accompanied with major security being operated upon their meeting's.

Defensores de Belgrano enjoyed various years in the Premier Division of Argentina during the 1920s, the club has formerly established itself and, is well known by the people of Buenos Aires for having the reputation of being a Second and Third Division club.

On August, 2011, the veteran 37-years old player Ariel Ortega (who had been played for All Boys during the 2010-11 season) was signed by Defensores de Belgrano. ^[1] The "Burrito" made his debut in the match against Deportivo Morón scoring a gol by penalty shot. ^[2]

Estadio Juan Pasquale

The Estadio Juan Pasquale is located in the Nuñez neighborhood, City of Buenos Aires. It is approximately 10 walking blocks away from River Plate's Monumental stadium. The street's surrounding the Juan Pasquale contain many grafitied wall's and objects in tribute of Club Atlético Defensores de Belgrano, and are the meeting points of many of the club's supporters which begin walking in large groups upon their arrival to the stadium itself.^[3][4] The capacity of the stadium hold's 9,000 people.

Current Players

First-team squad

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 GK Raul Sanzotti DF Pedro Bocca (captain) DF Nicolas Tabarini DF Leandro Martinez Montagnoli MF Martin Asencio MF Pablo Batallini MF Leonardo Luppino MF Juan Pablo Rochi FW Javier Molina MF Mariano Tribulo FW Mauro Conochiari MF Marcelo Marzoratti MF Maximiliano Ceratto (From Inferiores) MF Jonathan Paez

No. Position Player MF Maximiliano Serrano (From Inferiores) FW Martín Batallini (From Inferiores) DF Cristian Sierra (From Inferiores) MF Jonathan Villalba (From Inferiores) DF Ivan Nadal On Loan From FK Ventspils DF Martin Alberich (From Inferiores) MF Rodrigo Platero DF Ricardo Villalba MF Emiliano Esquivel (From Inferiores) DF Luciano Nevot (From Inferiores) GK German Oviedo FW Germán Pietrobon FW Ariel Ortega

The club operates it's Junior Divisions; Las Divisiones Inferiores beginning from age categories of Sub-7 until Sub-20 level.

Notable players

Guillermo Aldaz Juan Martín Amieva Jorge Busti Gerardo Caldas Ricardo Caruso Lombardi Rodolfo Chitti Blas Giunta

René Houseman Leonardo Luppino Matias Mantilla Oscar Más Ariel Ortega Leonardo Pekarnik Gabriel Pereyra Andrés Rodríguez José Gustavo Sand Yusuke Kato

Titles

The 1967 squad which won the Primera B championship that year.

• Primera B: 1

1967

• Primera B Metropolitana: 1

2000/01

• Primera C: 4

1953, 1958, 1972, 1991/2

See also

• List of football clubs in Argentina
• Argentine football league system

References

1. ^ Ortega continuará su carrera en Defensores de Belgrano
2. ^ Defensores de Belgrano, el noveno club en la carrera de Ortega Télam, 2011-08-25
3. ^ http://defelandia.blogspot.com/2007/09/estadio-mundialista-juan-pasquale.html
4. ^ http://www.worldstadiums.com/south_america/countries/argentina.shtml

External links

• (Spanish) Official Website
• (Spanish) Defe.com.ar (fan site)
• (Spanish) Defelandia (fan site)