Atlante F.C.

Atlante

Full name	Club de Fútbol Atlante
Nickname(s)	Potros de Hierro (Iron Colts)
Founded	1916
Ground	Andrés Quintana Roo, Cancún, Quintana Roo (Capacity: 25,000)
Owner	Alejandro Burillo Azcárraga
Manager	Rubén Omar Romano
League	Primera División
Apertura 2011
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Club de Fútbol Atlante, is a Mexican professional football club, currently playing in the Mexican First Division League. The club is based in Cancún, Mexico as of the start of the 2007-08 season, when they relocated from Mexico City, and plays its home games in Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo.

Honours

Domestic Championships

• Primera División de México: 3

1946-47, 1992-93, Apertura 2007

Runner-up (4): 1945-46, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1981-82

• Segunda División de México: 2

1976-77, 1990-91

• National Amateur League: 5

1924-25, 1925-26, 1926-27, 1931-32, 1940-41

• Copa México: 3

1941-42, 1950-51, 1951-52

Runner-up (4): 1943-44, 1945-46, 1948-49, 1962-63

• Campeón de Campeones: 2

1941-42, 1951-52

Runner-up (2): 1946-47, 1950-51

International Championships

• CONCACAF Champions' Cup / CONCACAF Champions League: 2

1983, 2008-09

Runner-up (1): 1994

History

The beginning

Atlante was founded on April 18, 1916 with the name Sinaloa by a group of young Mexican football enthusiasts, led by Refugio "El Vaquero" Martínez. The team began playing at La Condesa neighborhood in Mexico City. After changing its name to Lusitania and U-53, Refugio Martínez proposed the name Atlante, after the mighty battles fought at the Atlantic ocean during World War I. During the 1920s, players such as the Rosas brothers, Manuel "Chaquetas" Rosas, Felipe "Diente" Rosas, as well as Juan "El Trompo" Carreño, they all helped to propel Atlante in becoming one of the most popular teams, mostly among the working classes, which led to its most famous and legendary nickname, El Equipo del Pueblo, "People's team". Atlante's legend Juan Carreño scored Mexico's first goal in the Olympic Games in Amsterdam 1928, as well as Mexico's first ever goal in a FIFA World Cup during the inaugural match against France in Uruguay 1930.

Despite its popularity, the Mexican Federation did not allow the team to be involved at the Mexican championship, the Liga Mayor. In order for Atlante to be allowed into the league, it had to win several proof-matches against Toluca and América, two powerful football houses. The duels were finally won by Atlante with scores of 7-2 and 2-1, respectively. Accepted within the Liga Mayor, Atlante formed a major rivalry against Necaxa, which became the oldest classic in Mexican football. The games against these two were furious battles, even drawing in points at the end of the 1931-1932 tournament.

Through the beginnings of the history of the football in Mexico, when famed foreign teams began to challenge the Mexican teams, they swept with most clubs except one: Atlante. What today many do not recall is that Atlante was the first Mexican team that acquired national fame by knocking down those foreign “giants”. In 1929, Atlante defeated the powerful Sabaria of Hungary 3-1. In 1930, Atlante defeated two times the Sportivo of Buenos Aires 2-1 and 3-2 along with their famous "Fiera" Bernabé Ferreyra, the most fearsome South American bomber of that time. And one of their more recalled feats was the 3-2 victory in 1931 over Bellavista of Uruguay who had eight players that won the first World Cup a year before in Montevideo.

In the 1940s, during the final years of World War II, Atlante's Horacio Casarín began being noticed for his tremendous skill and ability, which also lead him to become a major figure in the Mexican national football team.

Propelling Atlante's popularity, it was even brought to the big screen in many films of the country’s cinematographic golden era. Some of those films are “Los Hijos de Don Venancio”, “Los Nietos de Don Venancio”, “El Vividor”, “El que con niños se acuesta”, among many others. Players Horacio Casarín and Martí Ventolrà were even part of those films' casting.

Professional Era and First Championship Title

In 1943, the Mexican Federation founded the Professional League with six clubs of the Primera Fuerza of Mexico City, two clubs from the Liga Occidental (Western League) and two members from the Liga Veracruzana (Veracruz League), being Atlante one of those six clubs of Mexico City. Together, they all became what is known today as the Primera División de México.

After 4 tournaments, and with the aid of its owner General Jose Manuel Nuñez (a retired militar asked personally by former President Lázaro Cárdenas to watch over the team) as well as of its sensational player Horacio Casarín, the team obtained its first championship in the 1946-1947 season. The final match against León was attended by 48,622 people, including the current President Miguel Alemán Valdés (he even got into the field after the match in a famous photograph with the champions). Before that, in 1945 the team imposed the Latin American record for more goals in a single season with 121 goals in 30 matches (more than four goals per game). Atlante also became the first Mexican team to be crowned at the Champion of Champions cup (a super cup scheme championship) during the 1941-1942 season.

After the first title, several other teams dominated the championship; nevertheless, Atlante remained as a powerful rival and still a popular team for the working classes, along with its runner-up, Mexican Cup and the Champion of Champions titles in the early 1950s. In 1966, General Jose Manuel Nuñez decided to sell the team to Fernando González, "Fernandón". Poor level and irregular campaigns proceeded the selling, which led Atlante to be relegated from the Primera División to Segunda División in 1976.

The IMSS Era

The team managed to return to the Primera División for the 1977-1978 season. In October 1978, the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) acquired the team in a 100% ownership, promising to make the largest football club in the world with 22 million associates throughout the country. With the financial support of the governmental institution, the team experienced successful campaigns with reinforcements such as the old-time idol Horacio Casarín as headcoach and the Mexican football's all-time top goalscorer Evanivaldo Castro Cabinho, who would become three-time champion striker with Atlante in 1980, 1981 and 1982. Its productive campaigns led them to the 1981-1982 final championship match against Tigres de la U.A.N.L., and after regular and extra time, Atlante became runner-up at penalty kicks. Nevertheless, a year later Atlante won its first continental title with the CONCACAF Champions' Cup against Suriname's SV Robin Hood.

While the government still owned the team, another institution took over the management activities. The Departamento del Distrito Federal, DDF (the former body which controlled the Mexican Federal District) intended to propel the team with little results. After playing for several years at the Estadio Azteca, the team even had to leave this venue and setting its new battleground at the Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes, nowadays Cruz Azul's Estadio Azul.

In 1989, the media broke out with a major news: The DDF sold the team to Jose Antonio García, a businessman owner of the sports' goods & apparel company Garcis. After a failed campaign at a new venue, this time at Querétaro's Estadio La Corregidora, the team was relegated, again, to the Segunda División.

Second Championship Title

Right from its ashes, and back to its homeground Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes, now rebaptized as Estadio Azulgrana, Atlante managed to make an incredible come back to the Primera División, after 3 outstanding games against Pachuca in the final series for the Segunda División Championship. After the series' end, which led to extra time, penalty kicks and sudden death, Atlante's goalkeeper Félix Fernández scored the last penalty kick for a 9-8 final score.

In 1992-1993, and guided by Ricardo Antonio Lavolpe, Atlante obtained its second championship title against Monterrey, with the final match played at Monterrey's stadium, Estadio Tecnológico. Atlante's new legends emerged from that championship title, to mention: Felix Fernández, current headcoach René Isidoro García , former coaches Miguel Herrera and José Guadalupe Cruz, Raúl Gutiérrez, Pedro Massacessi, Wilson Graneolatti, Roberto Andrade, Guillermo Cantú, as well as feared strikers Luis Miguel Salvador and Daniel Guzmán. In a memorable moment for all Atlantistas throughout the country, the team was crowned as champion for its second time in 45 years, and received recognition, cheers and applauses of all the Monterrey's fans that remained at the stadium to congratulate the new champion. By winning the title, Atlante was able to access, once again, the Concacaf's Champions Cup, which eventually was lost against C.S. Cartaginés of Costa Rica at the final match.

Right after winning the championship title, Atlante was eliminated for the next years from the playoff stage, even with important acquisitions such as Hugo Sánchez, Jorge Campos & Venezuelan player Gabriel Miranda, among others. Once again, the team faced relegation issues; therefore, Grupo Televisa decided to acquire Atlante and move it back again to the Estadio Azteca. With this boost, Atlante was able to be reinforced by notable players, such as Luis Roberto Alves "Zague", Martín Felix Ubaldi, José Damasceno Tiba, Nestor Vladimir Portillo and Luis García, as well as the renamed coach Miguel Mejía Barón, who just had a positive result coaching the National team at United States' World Cup 1994. Despite in having memorable campaigns, such as being the first all-championship leader for a short tournament (Invierno 1996), and qualifying for the playoffs in Verano 1997 and Invierno 1997, the team did not accomplished any major results, and even had disastrous moments such as the embarrassing playoff series against Toros Neza in Verano 1997, which was lost in a 9-2 global score.

The Third "Relegation" Era

Several issues occurred in Atlante's history during the last years of the 20th. Century, those very issues that were going to define the team's future. Unexperienced head coaches (Zlatko Petricevic, Angel Cappa, Roberto Saporitti and Eduardo Rergis) arriving to the team, weak and vain players, and even a short decision in changing the main uniform's colours of red & blue to orange, made the team and its followers to feel without identity. Fans began switching into other successful teams, and Atlante's local matches began to feel desolated. Awful and bored matches, poorish skill level and players without a real commitment to the team, led Atlante to face again relegation issues to Segunda División, now transformed into Primera División A.

Manuel Lapuente, who had recently succeeded with the National team at France 1998, had the responsibility to guide the team throughout the Verano 2001 tournament and save the team of an imminent relegation: at the end, Lapuente and his players did not accomplished the goal. However, a ray of light appeared, since the Mexican Federation was looking to expand the Primera División with 2 new teams. After paying a 5 million dollar fee, Atlante was allowed to play a promotion-series' matches against the Primera A's runner up, which turned out to be Veracruz. Atlante won the series 4-1, allowing them to remain at the top division as one of the new expansion teams.

The Rebirth of Atlantismo

A serious commitment has been taken since then by the directors' board. After breaking up its relationship with Televisa and Alejandro Burillo Azcárraga (owner of telecomm's company Pegaso) being the sole owner, the youth level program has been developed as the main philosophy, which has made Atlante the team with most youth debuts at Primera División since 2000. First Carlos Reinoso and then Miguel Herrera, both managed to build a new spirited team with its own personality, and with fabulous players such as popular Sebastián González "Chamagol", Luis Gabriel Rey, and the emblematic goalie Federico Vilar, the team returned to the spotlight of the playoffs, arriving into 3 quarterfinals and 2 semifinals stages. The team suffered a failed relocation to a different venue, this time to the Estadio Azulgrana Neza 86, and back again to Estadio Azteca.

Former players (now turned into head coaches) René Isidoro García and José Guadalupe Cruz struggled into maintaining the spirit, strength and skill of this Atlante's new era. However, the lack of assistants to their home matches remained as the major problem of the team, due Mexico City teams' lack of assistance to local matches, as well as both, the irregular soccer level and the lack of identity for the team.

The Third Crown at Quintana Roo

On May 14, 2007 Atlante officially left the Estadio Azteca because its games there were not profitable. This was largely due to poor attendance at its home matches. They hoped that the move to Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo of Cancún, Quintana Roo, would grow back its popularity and improve attendance. In a fantastic tournament, Atlante adapted quickly to its new venue and began winning important matches, either at home or visiting. Following a tough playoff against Cruz Azul and Guadalajara, Atlante faced Pumas UNAM for the title's final series. On December 9, 2007, only 5 months after arriving at its new venue, and after a great series of matches played by goalie Federico Vilar, as well as remarkable matches of Giancarlo Maldonado, Gabriel Pereyra, Javier Muñoz Mustafá, José Joel González and Clemente Ovalle (who scored the championship goal, 4 minutes before the end of the game), Atlante earned its third championship, growing back its popularity nationwide and especially at its new home city, Cancún.

Atlante won the Apertura 2007 Championship and by doing so, it qualified to the CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2008, where they were eliminated by Costa Rican Saprissa in the quarterfinals. By winning its title, Atlante qualified as well to the SuperLiga 2008, where they were eliminated by the New England Revolution at the semifinal stage. Atlante joined Santos Laguna, Cruz Azul and Pumas UNAM at the CONCACAF Champions League in its inaugural season 2008-2009, where they reached the final match against Cruz Azul. Atlante won the series 2-0, thus being crowned as Concacaf Club Champion and earning the right to play at the FIFA Club World Cup to be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The Return to International Spotlight

Along with the FIFA Club World Championship, Atlante was invited to replace Celtic F.C. at the Peace Cup to be held in Andalucia, Spain, where it faced CD Malaga and Aston Villa. In words of former coach Jose Cruz, “we have done well within this last 2 years and our work has been heard beyond our borders; thus, it is a fair reward". Nevertheless, Atlante was soon eliminated with a single-goal difference against eventual champions, Aston Villa.

Atlante acquired Santiago Solari to reinforce the team. It is the last major figure since Hugo Sanchez’s acquisition in 1995, and joins the selected group of major international players to ever play in the team: Grzegorz Lato, Ruben “Ratón” Ayala, Ricardo Lavolpe, Evanivaldo Castro, Miodrag Belodedici, Ilie Dumitrescu and Faustino Asprilla.

Headed to Abu Dhabi for its commitment at the Club World Championship, Atlante trained for two weeks at U.A.E. soil. During its presentation within the tournament, Atlante defeated Auckland City 3-0 at the quarter final stage. For its next stop at semifinals, it faced Barcelona in a curious match that faced two Mexicans with the same name, Rafael Márquez Álvarez of Barcelona and Rafael Marquez Lugo of Atlante, and two teams with the same jerseys' colors - FIFA eventually ruled out Barcelona to play with the blue-and-red stripes over Atlante, even though the tournament's seeding placed Atlante as local. Atlante began winning the match at the 4th minute; nevertheless, the final score was a 3-1 defeat. For the third place match, Atlante faced Pohang Steelers in a tough match which eventually finished in a 1-1 draw; this forced the game to be defined with a penalty shootout stage, and by missing two of their 4 shots, Atlante was 4th place at the tournament.

Current squad

For recent transfers, see List of Mexican Football Transfers Summer 2011.

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 Antonio Pérez 3 MF Alex Diego 4 DF Luis Gerardo Venegas 5 MF Nicolás Torres 6 DF Alfonso Luna 7 MF Jorge Hernández 8 FW Osvaldo Martínez 9 FW Giancarlo Maldonado 10 MF Christian Bermúdez 11 FW Mario Ortiz 13 MF Óscar Ricardo Rojas 14 FW Francisco Fonseca 15 DF Arturo Muñoz 16 MF Sonny Guadarrama

No. Position Player 17 DF José Daniel Guerrero (Captain) 18 MF Juan Cuevas 19 DF Diego Ordaz 21 DF Luis Velázquez 22 MF Eduardo Arce 23 GK Moisés Muñoz 24 GK Alejandro Arredondo 25 FW Óscar Vera 28 FW Jerónimo Amione 33 MF Matías Córdoba 35 FW Sergio Nápoles 37 MF Fernando Herrera 82 DF Ernesto Reyes 101 FW Paul Uscanga

Notable players

German Arangio (2001-02) Rubén Ayala (1980-81) Norberto Boggio Alberto Evaristo Chava Evaristo Ché Gandini Ricardo Lavolpe Alberto Jorge Manberto Pedro Massacessi Javier Muñoz Mustafá José Miguel Noguera Mario Alfredo Pavéz Bravo Gabriel Pereyra Rubén Omar Romano Santiago Solari Martín Felix Ubaldi Gonini Vázquez Ayala Héctor Zelada Luizinho Spencer Coelho Tiba Alain Nkong Cristián Canío

Fabián Estay Patricio Galaz Sebastián González Fernando Martel Joel Soto Faustino Asprilla Luis Gabriel Rey José Rafael Fello Meza José Antonio Hutt Mauricio Alonso Rodríguez Guillermo Ramírez Javier Aguirre Luis Alvarado Ignacio Ambríz Luis Amuchástegui Roberto Andrade Christian Bermúdez Carlos Calderón de la Barca Jorge Campos Guillermo Cantú Félix Fernández Armando Franco Luis Garcia

José Luis González China Raúl Gutiérrez Daniel Guzmán Miguel Herrera Carlos Laviada Adalberto López Gerardo Lugo Carlos Malvido Refugio Martinez Dionisio Mejia Daniel Montes de Oca Eduardo Moses Raúl Orvañanos Nestor Vladimir Portillo Rafael Puente Jesus Ramirez Romero Reyes Chepina Rivera José Antonio Roca Felipe Rosas Manuel Rosas Luis Miguel Salvador Hugo Sánchez

Manuel Sol Chispa Suarez Federico "Potrillo" Villavicencio Víctor Manuel Vucetich Zague Arturo Zarate Pulido Johan Fano Walter Ormeño Grzegorz Lato Miodrag Belodedici Ilie Dumitrescu Gustavo Biscayzacú Israel Ferreira Oscar Ferreira Francisco Majewski Gisleno Medina Orlando Medina Carlos Duca Giancarlo Maldonado

Goalscoring Champions

Nicho Mejía	1927–28
Juan Carreño	1931–32
Alberto Mendoza	1939–40
Martí Ventolrà	1941–42
Bernardo Hernández	1967–68
Cabinho	1979–80
Cabinho	1980–81
Cabinho	1981–82
Luis García	1997 Invierno
Luis Gabriel Rey	2003 Apertura
Johan Fano	2010 Bicentenario

Coaches

Champion coaches

Luis Grocz (1946–47) Ricardo Lavolpe (1992–93) José Guadalupe Cruz (Apertura 2007)

Notable coaches

Raimundo Orsi Ignacio Trelles Horacio Casarín José Antonio Roca Rafael Puente Ángel Cappa Javier Aguirre Miguel Mejía Barón Dagoberto Moll Manuel Lapuente

See also

• Relocation of professional sports teams
  • Livingston F.C., a club in Scotland originally based in Edinburgh.
  • Tokyo Verdy 1969, originally based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
  • Milton Keynes Dons F.C. in Milton Keynes, England, formerly Wimbledon F.C. based in London.

References

External links

• Atlante new football stadium
• (Spanish) Official site
• (Spanish) Primera División
• (Spanish) IASO Team
• (Spanish) [1]
• (Spanish) / Non Official Site

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