Atlético Nacional

Atlético Nacional

Full name	Corporación Deportiva Atlético Nacional
Nickname(s)	Los Verdolagas (The Purslanes), El Verde (The Green), El Verde y Blanco (The Green and White), Rey de Copas (King of Cups)
Founded	1947 As Atlético Municipal
Ground	Estadio Atanasio Girardot Medellín, Colombia (Capacity: 52,872)
Chairman	Juan Carlos De la Cuesta
Manager	Santiago Escobar
League	Fútbol Profesional Colombiano
2011-I	1st
Home colours Away colours

Corporación Deportiva Atlético Nacional is a Colombian football team based in Medellín. They play their home games at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot stadium which also serves as home to Deportivo Independiente Medellín. It is one of the most important clubs in Colombia (with eleven championships won), and an important football club in South America, having won the 1989 Copa Libertadores while making the era of south american football and Colombian football.

Overview

The club Unión, now known as Club Atlético Nacional, was founded in 1947 by Luis Alberto Villegas Lopera, Jorge Osorio, Alberto Eastman, Jaime Restrepo, Gilberto Molina, Raúl Zapata Lotero, Jorge Gómez Jaramillo, Arturo Torres Posada and Julio Ortiz. Atlético Nacional was the first Colombian team to win the Copa Libertadores de América, which they did in 1989. They were also runners-up in 1995. The winning of this cup was done in a special manner, since all of the team's players were Colombian; thus Atlético Nacional earned the nickname "Puros Criollos" (Pure Colombians).

The team has won the Fútbol Profesional Colombiano eleven times, in 1954, 1973, 1976, 1981, 1991, 1994, 1999 (when there was only one champion per year), 2005, 2007-I, 2007-II, and 2011-I. For fifteen years, from 1989 to 2004, the team was the only Colombian team to win the Copa Libertadores (until Once Caldas defeated Boca Juniors). Until 1999, it was the only Colombian team to win any major international tournament (when América de Cali defeated Independiente Santa Fe in the Copa Merconorte). The team is also the only Colombian club to reach the final stage of the Copa Sudamericana, losing against Argentina's San Lorenzo in 2002.

Atlético Nacional has been home to international stars like Faustino Asprilla, René Higuita, Víctor Aristizábal, Andrés Escobar, Iván Córdoba, Leonel Álvarez, Alexis García, Albeiro Usuriaga, Aquivaldo Mosquera, Mauricio Serna, Juan Pablo Ángel and others. The best foreign players in its history include Cesar Cueto and Oscar Rossi. The team is currently owned by Carlos Ardila Lülle of Organización Ardila Lülle, and Jaime Restrepo. Restrepo is the only person remaining from the founders (see above); the others sold their ownership to Carlos Ardila. The team wears green and white vertically striped jerseys. Nacional's mascot is Nacho, a tiger with green and white striped shirt. Nacho was created in 1998.

Main article: El Clásico Paisa

Atlético Nacional has had a long rivalry with Independiente Medellín. When the two teams face each other it is considered one of the most important matches in Colombia. Both teams share the same stadium (Estadio Atanasio Girardot), and both teams have about the same number of fans within the city of Medellín. The rivalry increased in the early 1990's as Independiente Medellín was growing stronger year by year. Currently both teams are considered among the top teams in Colombia. Independiente is sometimes referred to having a Green Star since in the 2004-I tournament they won the only final the two have ever faced. Atlético Nacional has 104 wins over Independiente Medellín, who have 70, with 81 games tied.

Los Puros Criollos

Being an incredible offensive team, Atletico Nacional was the only club, back then, that ever won a Copa Libertadores Cup with only Colombian nationalized players. Including well known Rene Higuita, Leonel Alvarez, and Andres Escobar and many more.

Honours

Amateur Era

• • Winners (1):

1942

National Honours

• Fútbol Profesional Colombiano: 11

1954, 1973, 1976, 1981, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2005-I, 2007-I, 2007-II, 2011-I.

Runners-up (10): 1955, 1965, 1971, 1974, 1988, 1990, 1992, 2002-I, 2004-I, 2004-II

International Honours

• Copa Libertadores de América: 14 appearances

1989: Winner

1995: Runner-up

• Copa Merconorte: 4 appearances

1998: Winner

2000: Winner

• Copa Sudamericana: 4 appearances

2002: Runner-up

• Copa Interamericana: 2 appearances

1990: Winner

1995: Winner

• Recopa Sudamericana: 1 appearance

1989: Runners-up

• Intercontinental Cup: 1 appearance

1989: Runners-up

Friendly Tournaments

• Penalty Cup: 1 appearance

2006: Winner

• Copa Ciudad de Santa Fe: 1 appearance

2005: Winner

• America's Cup (USA): 1 appearance

2003: Winner

• Marlboro Cup: 1 appearance

1988: Winner

Players

Current roster

• Last updated January 28, 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 2 DF Román Torres 3 DF Édgar Zapata 6 DF John Steffan Medina 7 MF Jairo Patiño 8 MF Víctor Ibarbo 9 FW Carlos Renteria 10 MF Macnelly Torres 11 MF Juan Camilo García 13 DF Josimar Mosquera 15 DF Víctor Giraldo 16 MF Jair Iglesias 17 DF Danny Aguilar

No. Position Player 18 FW Angelo Rodríguez 19 MF Jhon Valencia 20 DF Juan Duque 21 DF Juan Arboleda 23 MF Edwin Cardona 24 MF Sebastián Pérez 25 GK Christian Vargas 30 DF Stephen Barrientos 32 GK Gastón Pezzuti (captain) 34 GK Franco Armani 88 MF Dorlan Pabón MF Stalin Motta

Reserve & Youth 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 -- DF Juan David Duque -- DF Rubén Pitre -- DF Didimio Aponzá -- MF Daniel Santa -- MF Orlando Berrío -- MF Stevenson Santana -- MF Yanior Viáfara

No. Position Player -- MF Fredy Hinestroza -- MF Ferney Ríos -- MF Sebastian Pérez Cardona -- FW Angelo Rodriguez -- FW Andres Renteria -- FW Dayron Asprilla -- FW Johnatan Donado

2009 season

Main article: Atlético Nacional 2009 season

Stadium

300px|right|Estadio Atanasio Girardot|thumb

• Name – Estadio Atanasio Girardot
• City – Medellín
• Capacity – 53,000
• Inauguration – 1953
• Pitch size – 105 × 70 m
• Other Facilities: – Unidad Deportiva Atanasio Girardot

The Atanasio Girardot stadium is the most prominent and exhibition greater capacity. It has been released in recent months that sports arena will host the World Cup FIFA U-20, 2011 and IX Medellín 2010 South American Games, as well as the rest of the unit and other surrounding municipalities shall serve as subsites. The Atanasio Girardot stadium had a capacity near 53,000 spectators, but for safety and to comply with the rule of FIFA requires the seats in stadiums to all localities, Capacity was reduced to 45,000 spectators, making it the third most largest in the country. This stadium is the biggest in the region and a Antioquia icon of all, since Medellín is a city with a long tradition of soccer, well-earned reputation over time through he highest average attendance with two teams of local officiate at this stage: Atlético Nacional and Depotivo Independiente Medellín. Sometimes this stadium also houses the Colombia National Team games.

External links

• Official Website
• Fans WebPage
• Fans WebPage 2