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| Full name | Club Deportivo Popular Junior Fútbol Club S.A. | |||
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| Nicknames |
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| Founded | 7 August 1924; 101 years ago (1924-08-07) (asJuventud Infantil) | |||
| Ground | Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez | |||
| Capacity | 46,692 | |||
| Owner | Fuad Char | |||
| President | Antonio Char | |||
| Manager | Alfredo Arias | |||
| League | Categoría Primera A | |||
| 2024 | Primera A, 6th of 20 | |||
| Website | juniorfc | |||
Club Deportivo Popular Junior F.C. S.A.[1] (Latin American Spanish:[ˈʝunjoɾ]), commonly known asJunior de Barranquilla, by its old nameAtlético Junior or simply asJunior, is a Colombian professionalfootball team based inBarranquilla, capital of the department ofAtlantico, that currently plays in theCategoría Primera A. Junior is the mainCaribbean team in the top flight of Colombian football. As of 2022, they sit in the 25th place of the best South American teams.[citation needed]
The club was founded on 7 August 1924. Known asLos Tiburones (The Sharks), orEl Equipo Tiburón (The Shark Team). Junior have won the Colombian professional football championship ten times (1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004 Finalización, 2010 Apertura, 2011 Finalización, 2018 Finalización, 2019 Apertura, and 2023 Finalización). Some of the most notable players that have played for the club includeHeleno de Freitas,Garrincha,Dida,Juan Ramón Verón,Efraín Sánchez,Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama,Iván Valenciano,Teófilo Gutiérrez,Carlos Bacca,Julio César Uribe,Giovanni Hernández,Sebastián Viera andLuis Díaz.
In the early 1920s a team named Juventus came into being at the Colegio Salesiano in the San Roque neighborhood of Barranquilla, made up primarily of Italian immigrants. Soon after its launch the name was changed to the Spanish Juventud, though both translate the same in English: youth. In August 1924 some of the younger members of Juventud along with other young men from San Roque created an offshoot of Juventud: Juventud Infantil.
Around the 1940s (and the club's name was shortened to simply Junior) they became known as one of the country's best clubs. In 1945 the players of Junior were selected to represent Colombia at the South American Championship (now known as theCopa América), finishing a respectable fifth (though losing 7–0 to Uruguay and 9–1 to Argentina along the way). In 1949 they were again selected to represent Colombia (finishing last place) but this time their decision to play would have its consequences.
In 1948 Junior were founder members ofDivisión Mayor del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano (commonly known as the Dimayor). Their debut match as a professional outfit came at home on 15 August 1948, againstDeportivo Cali, which ended in a 2–0 victory for the home side. Early the following year they were again chosen to play as the de facto Colombia national team. Because of ongoing strife between Adefutbol (the original amateur Colombian football association) and the Dimayor, Junior were threatened with expulsion from the Dimayor if they participated. They went ahead and did so and were initially given a two-year suspension from the league. This was later reduced to one year and they returned to the Dimayor for the 1950 season.
This was the golden age of Colombian football commonly referred to asEl Dorado, a time when the Dimayor was a "rebel league" unaffiliated with FIFA and many high-profile players from around the world broke their contracts and came to play. Junior were no exception, picking up players from Brazil, Argentina, Hungary and the Czech Republic in these years. But El Dorado eventually came to an end for Colombian football.
A way ahead surfaced in the mid-1960s when a rift had again developed in Colombian football, this time between Adefutbol and the newly createdFederación Colombiana de Fútbol, an organization devoted to developing professional football in the country. Adefutbol was still the official body in the eyes ofFIFA and organized the national team in this period and additionally Colombian clubs did not enter the Copa Libertadores. Peace was finally made and the bulk of the amateur team that had attempted to qualify for the England World Cup signed up for Junior, who returned to the Dimayor in 1966. Junior have remained in the top level ever since.
In 1977 Junior won their first Colombian championship, finishing first place in the Apertura. They won further championships in 1980, 1993, 1995, the 2004-II (Finalización), the 2010-I (Apertura), the 2011-II (Finalizacion), the 2018-II (Finalización), the 2019-I (Apertura) and the 2023-II (Finalización). They also wonCopa Colombia in 2015 and 2017. Junior have appeared in theCopa Libertadores eighteen times (reaching the semi-finals in 1994), theCopa Sudamericana 8 times (reaching the final in 2018), and theCopa CONMEBOL 1 time.[citation needed]
The team's badge has a Swiss shaped; proportionally 6 wide by 8 tall, divided into two horizontal stripes. The inferior stripe is divided into nine alternating vertical red and white stripes. The superior part is an horizontal dark blue stripe where the stars are placed. Each of the five-pointed stars represents a league championships the team has won. Superimposed on the vertical bars of red and white, is a horizontal white stripe that reads JUNIOR.
Junior's flag is composed of 9 horizontal stripes, 5 red and 4 white ones which alternate, the superior and the inferior ones are red. Overlapped on top of the strips there is a blue triangle. This triangle occupies all the wide of the flag on its vertical side. The white five-pointed stars are superimposed on the triangle, symbolizing the Colombian championships won.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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The following players were chosen to represent their country at theFIFA World Cup while contracted to Junior de Barranquilla.
Carlos Hoyos (1990)Alexis Mendoza (1994)José María Pazo (1994)Luis Carlos Perea (1994)Carlos Valderrama (1994)Iván René Valenciano (1994)Jorge Bolaño (1998)
Alberto Rodríguez (2018)Hermenegildo Segrera (1966–1971)Dulio Miranda (1972–1973)Gabriel Berdugo (1974–1982)Dulio Miranda (1983–1985)Alexis Mendoza (1985–1990)Gabriel Martínez (1990–1992)Carlos Valderrama (1993–1995)Jorge Bolaño (1996–1999)
Marquinho (1999–2004)Roberto Peñaloza (2004–2005)Hayder Palacio (2005–2007)Giovanni Hernández (2008–2012)
Sebastián Viera (2012–2023)Carlos Bacca (2023–present)| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager | Alfredo Arias[5] |
| Assistant manager |  Juan Manuel López[5] |
| Fitness coach | Ignacio Berriel[5] |
Source:[citation needed]
| Rank | Player | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sebastián Viera | 627 |
| 2. | Dulio Miranda | 445 |
| 3. | Hayder Palacio | 432 |
| 4. | Alexis Mendoza | 417 |
| 5. | José María Pazo | 392 |
| 6. | Gabriel Berdugo | 379 |
| 7. | Víctor Pacheco | 367 |
| 8. | Jesús Rubio | 363 |
| 9. | Luis Grau | 341 |
| 10. | Othon Dacunha | 333 |
| Rank | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ivan Valenciano | 180 |
| 2. | Carlos Bacca | 131 |
| 3. | Teófilo Gutiérrez | 94 |
| 4. | Víctor Ephanor | 86 |
| 5. | Nelson Silva Pacheco | 81 |
| 6. | Víctor Pacheco | 78 |
| 7. | Martín Arzuaga | 70 |
| 8. | Vladimir Hernández | 65 |
| 9. | Orlando Ballesteros | 56 |
| 10. | Marcos Cardoso | 55 |
Carlos BabingtonEdgardo BauzaJuan Carlos DelménicoCarlos IschiaOmar PérezWalter RibonettoFabián SambuezaJuan Ramón VerónPaulo César CajuCassianoDidaGarrinchaHeleno de FreitasQuarentinhaVíctor Ephanor
Cristián MontecinosJosé AmayaAlfredo ArangoMartín ArzuagaCarlos BaccaOrlando BallesterosGabriel BerdugoJorge BolañoMiguel Ángel BorjaDéiber CaicedoVíctor CampazVíctor CantilloYimmi CharáJosé Luis ChungaVíctor CortésGustavo CuéllarLuis DíazJosé EnamoradoFernando FiorilloGabriel FuentesMiguel Ángel GuerreroTeófilo GutiérrezGiovanni HernándezVladimir HernándezWilliam KnightHomer MartínezRoberto MeléndezAlexis MendozaDulio MirandaDidier MorenoLuis NarváezVíctor PachecoHayder PalacioJosé María PazoRafael PerezMarlon PiedrahitaEfraín "El Caimán" SánchezIván ValencianoCarlos "El Pibe" ValderramaAlex "Didi" Valderrama
Béla Sárosi
Román TorresJulio César UribeLorenzo CarrabsJulio ComesañaSantiago MeleHéctor Gerardo MéndezNelson Silva PachecoSebastián Viera
Luis Daniel "Cariaco" GonzálezThe following players, despite not having been able to establish themselves as idols, had a stage as internationals with their national teams.
Barranquilla[6] - Currently in the second division
