 | ||||
| Full name | Club Universidad de Chile | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | Los Azules (The Blues) La U (The U) El Romántico Viajero (Wanderlust) El Bulla (The Noise) El Chuncho (The Owl) León (Lion) La Chile (The Chile) Ballet Azul (Blue Ballet) | |||
| Founded | May 24, 1927; 98 years ago (1927-05-24) | |||
| Ground | Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos | |||
| Capacity | 48,665[1] | |||
| Chairman | Michael Clark | |||
| Manager | Gustavo Álvarez | |||
| League | Liga de Primera | |||
| 2024 | Primera División, 2nd of 16 | |||
| Website | www | |||
 Current season | ||||
Club Universidad de Chile (Spanish pronunciation:[kluβuniβeɾsiˈðaððeˈtʃile]) is a professionalfootball club based inSantiago, Chile, that plays in thePrimera División.
Founded on 24 May 1927, Universidad de Chile is one of the most successful and popular football clubs in Chile, having won the league title 18 times.[2] In the last 10 years, the team has been crowned champion six times, including their undefeated run to the2011 Copa Sudamericana title.The team has been associated with the colour blue throughout its history, blue is present on the logo, which was officially adopted in 1943. The club rivalries are withColo-Colo andUniversidad Católica, with whom they regularly contest the Santiago derbies known asSuperclásicos.
Despite not owning its stadium, the club usually rents and plays its home games at theEstadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, in the commune ofÑuñoa in Santiago.
Universidad de Chile was the champion of theCopa Sudamericana 2011. In this tournament, the club had an excellent performance: wasn't defeated, won all their matches in Chile and had the top scorer of the tournament's history (Eduardo Vargas). Universidad de Chile has reached semi-finals in theCopa Libertadores four times (years 1970, 1996, 2010 and 2012).
The club was founded on 24 May 1927,[3] asClub Deportivo Universitario by the merger ofInternado FC andClub Universitario de Deportes.[4] Initially, the club was formed by students of theUniversidad de Chile and was the sport brand of the university until 1980 when the university's rector and president of the club at the time (both of them appointed by thePinochet dictatorship) decided to separate the club from the university and created the CORFUCH to manage the football team. This move was a part of theatomization of the Universidad de Chile made by the military dictatorship to strengthen the private universities that were founded during that time and also to reduce state power. This was seen as a major blow to the club, as it was left with nothing but a loyal fan base. From then on, the club started to decline in terms of results on the field and lack of support from various sectors of the economy when other major clubs in Chile were helped by main powers such as the government, thecatholic church, andCodelco. Eventually, the team's poor performances led to a relegation tosecond division in 1988, and threats to dissolve the club were made by the university if the team did not manage to return to the first division within a year. In 1989, Universidad de Chile were able to earn the 2nd division's championship, thus bringing them back to the first division, where they have remained since then.
In 2006, the club declared bankruptcy and received an imposed administration that was criticized by the supporters, as the new chairman immediately fired many club workers[5][6] and tried to transform the club into a private company of public stocks, being opposed to the decision of the club members in a previous assembly. The team finished the year with the worst campaign in the club history and the almost-sure transformation into private company due to the ties between the appointed chairman and several businessmen.[7]
During 2007, the imposed administration gave the club into concession to a private group (Azul Azul).[4] In 2008, the new university's rector agreed to enter a contract with the now private club, in which he allowed the use of the university's name and symbols in exchange for aroyalty and the right to appoint two out of the eleven directors of the board.[7]
The team's home kit from 1943 to 1958 consisted of a blue jersey, a white short and blue socks. In 1959, the home kit was changed to an all royal blue kit. In 1992 a darker tone of blue was used for the home kit and in 1996 a red stripe was added to the sleeves. The team's home kit saw its most drastic change in 2001–02 when red sleeves were included on the jersey; this kit retained the blue shorts and blue socks. In 2006, the team returned to the 1959 variation of its uniform and has not changed it since then. The current home kit features the classic red letter U on the front of the jersey.
From 1934 until 2001–02, Universidad de Chile's away kit consisted of a white jersey, shorts and socks, occasionally using blue shorts during the 1990s. In 2001–02, for the first time in the club's history a red kit was introduced; this kit consisted of a red jersey with dark blue sleeves, red shorts and red socks. In 2005, the club introduced a new all-red away kit, thereby dropping the blue sleeves in favor of red ones. The current away kit in a similar fashion to the home kit also features the red letter U on the front of the jersey.[8] Universidad de Chile wore a kit that featured the regular royal blue jersey, white shorts and royal blue socks for a game against Chivas during the 2010 Copa Libertadores. At the end of 2010 the historical all-white combination made a return as the club's alternate kit.
| Period | Kit Manufacturer | Shirt Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1974–78 | New Leader | — |
| 1979 | Haddad | |
| 1980–85 | Adidas | |
| 1986 | Ñandu | |
| 1987 | Umbro | |
| 1988–89 | Adidas | |
| 1990 | Scania | |
| 1991 | Pony International | Fiat |
| 1991 | Chilectra | |
| 1992–95 | Avia | |
| 1996 | Diadora | |
| 1997–98 | Reebok | |
| 1998 | — | |
| 1998 | AdeS | |
| 1999–00 | Adidas[9] | |
| 2001–03 | LG | |
| 2004–07 | Cristal (Beer) | |
| 2008–10 | Telmex[10] | |
| 2010–16 | Claro/Tramontina[11] | |
| 2017–2018 | Chevrolet/Movistar/Loto | |
| 2019 | Petrobras/Movistar | |
| 2020–2021 | Petrobras/Directv | |
| 2022 | Betano/DirecTV |
The team's logo, a red and white chuncho (Austral pygmy owl), has its origins in the days of the Club Náutico Universitario which gave its emblem to the Club Universitario de Deportes (CUD), when was founded in 1927.[4] The logo was taken from Germany by Pablo Ramírez Rodríguez, who turned into a Minister of Exchequer in 1945. The chuncho was chosen for its association with wisdom, mutual knowledge, harmony of the body and soul.[12]
The team's logo is not usually found on the team's uniform, being favored in turn by a red letter U with a white trim. The chuncho logo was absent from the team's jersey starting in 1979, but made a return during the 1996–97 season. Since 2006–07, a small chuncho logo could be found on the jersey along with the red U.[13]
Universidad de Chile's first title was won in 1940, just 3 years after their professional debut. The team won six titles (1959, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969) between 1959 and 1969 and they became known as theBlue Ballet in reference the beautiful style of football they played. Nine members of that squad were part of the Chilean national team that reached 3rd place in the1962 FIFA World Cup, the best result ever achieved by Chile in a World Cup.[4]
In 1995, Universidad de Chile won the cup once more, this time at home in front of almost 78,000 people in theEstadio Nacional. The team would then win back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000.[4]
More recently Universidad de Chile has won theApertura in 2004, 2009, 2011 and 2014/2015, and Clausura in 2011 and 2016/2017. The 2011, the title was won at the hands of defending champions Universidad Católica, by a global score of 4–3, having lost the first leg of the final 2–0 and needing to win by a 3-goal margin, the team managed to win the second leg by a 4–1 score.[4]
On the international stage Universidad de Chile have had a few of good runs inCopa Libertadores, reaching the semi-finals in1970,1996,2010, and2012.[4]
On 14 December 2011, they defeated Liga de Quito from Ecuador 3–0 (4–0 on aggregate) to win theCopa Sudamericana, becoming the third Chilean team to win a South American tournament, behindColo-Colo's 1991Copa Libertadores andUniversidad Catolica's 1994Copa Interamericana. In the tournament, the club had an excellent performance (undefeated, and winning all their matches in Chile), and was nicknamed the "South America'sFC Barcelona".[14]
Also, the team was named the most successful Chilean club of the 2010s, by winning a total of 9 titles in the whole decade. The achievement included 5 Primera División titles (2011 Apertura,2011 Clausura,2012 Apertura,2014 Apertura and2017 Clausura), 2 Copa Chile titles (2012–13 and 2015), the2015 Supercopa and the2011 Copa Sudamericana.[15][16] Universidad de Chile also went on to win the2024 Copa Chile and the2025 Supercopa de Chile.
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | Primera División | 18 | 1940,1959,1962,1964,1965,1967,1969,1994,1995,1999,2000,2004-A,2009-A,2011-A,2011-C,2012-A,2014-A,2017-C |
| Segunda División | 1 | 1989 | |
| Copa Chile | 6 | 1979,1998,2000,2012–13,2015,2024 | |
| Supercopa de Chile | 2 | 2015,2025 | |
| Copa Francisco Candelori | 1S | 1969 | |
| International | Copa Sudamericana | 1 | 2011 |
Universidad de Chile is the second largest following club in the country, with appromiximately 21% of the totalChilean football fans according to research and surveys from 2018, published in September 2021 by Spanish newspaper agencyAS.com.[17]
Created on March 24, 1988 from the split and subsequent re-foundation of the Imperio Azulbarra, it occupies the south gallery of the Estadio Nacional where the team plays its home games. Its name is inspired by the initial location (below) of the young members of the former barra. It is considered one of the biggestbarras in football, in Chile it is known as "La Número Uno" (Number One), as well as having great recognition in Latin-America. They feud with other barra brava groups, most notablyGarra Blanca of Colo-Colo andLos Cruzados of Universidad Católica.
Universidad de Chile's traditional rival isColo-Colo, against which it plays the so-called Chilean Classic orChilean Superclásico. Although the first confrontation between the two clubs dates back to 1935, the rivalry began to develop in the 1940s and 1950s, with the match played on 11 November 1959 being the climax of a series of disagreements between the two institutions. That match, valid for the definition of that year's title, ended with a 2-1 victory for Universidad de Chile, which was the first of a series of good results for the "Azules" over Colo-Colo. This, added to the dominance of Universidad de Chile in the national championship, only increased the rivalry. In recent years the rivalry between these teams has diminished, leaving Colo-Colo as superior to Universidad de Chile, and because of that, it has been considered as the "most unequal rivalry in the world."
There is often a rivalry between the two clubs from academic roots, where the game between Universidad de Chile andUniversidad Católica is known as "Clásico Universitario". It is the oldest confrontation between two clubs from academic roots, as the first confrontation goes back to the University Classic of 1909. Rivalry, both in sports and in academic issues, made these matches between the universities become more and more important, eventually reaching the national status of "Universities' Derby".
This clásico has been recognized byFIFA as the most traditional of Chile. They met for the first time on 13 June 1937 in matchday three of the firstSerie B at the Estadio Militar. These two teams have played 21 head-to-head definitions against each other, Universidad Católica has won 14 and Universidad de Chile 7.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
Víctor Alonso: 20 goals (1940)
Ubaldo Cruche: 17 goals (1945), 25 goals (1946)Carlos Campos: 24 goals (1961), 34 goals (1962), 21 goals (1966)
Eladio Zárate: 25 goals (1971)Richart Báez: 10 goals (Clausura 1997)Pedro González: 23 goals (1998), 26 goals (2000)Felipe Mora: 13 goals (Clausura 2017)
Luis Alberto Ramos: 12 goals (1979)Marcelo Salas: 12 goals (1994)Eduardo Vargas: 11 goals (2011)Sergio Navarro: 1961Pedro Araya: 1966Alberto Quintano: 1967Adolfo Nef: 1969Héctor Hoffens: 1989Patricio Mardones: 1994Pedro González: 1999Sergio Vargas: 2000Eduardo Vargas: 2011Charles Aránguiz: 2012Juan Rodríguez: 1969Cristian Traverso: 1995Pedro González: 1999Sergio Vargas: 2000Miguel Pinto: 2009Eduardo Vargas: 2011José Rojas: 2012Marcelo Salas: 1996Miguel Pinto: 2009Mauricio Victorino: 2010Eduardo Vargas,Johnny Herrera &Marcos González: 2011Matías Rodríguez &Charles Aránguiz: 2012| # | Name | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Musrri | 539 |
| 2 | Johnny Herrera | 497 |
| 3 | José Rojas | 471 |
| 4 | Vladimir Bigorra | 468 |
| 5 | Héctor Hoffens | 451 |
| 6 | Manuel Pellegrini | 435 |
| 7 | Jorge Socías | 429 |
| 8 | Sergio Vargas | 428 |
| 9 | Leonel Sánchez | 412 |
| 10 | Braulio Musso | 390 |
| # | Name | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlos Campos | 199 |
| 2 | Leonel Sánchez | 167 |
| 3 | Pedro González | 121 |
| 4 | Marcelo Salas | 113 |
| 5 | Rubén Marcos | 110 |
| 6 | Jorge Socías | 102 |
| 7 | Diego Rivarola | 101 |
| 8 | Pedro Araya | 90 |
| 9 | Braulio Musso | 83 |
| 10 | Ernesto Álvarez | 83 |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Gustavo Álvarez |
| Assistant Manager | Nilton Sepúlveda |
| Fitness Coach | Ignacio Fabres |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Carlos Arias |
Luis Tirado (1938-1941)Alejandro Scopelli (1941-1945)Luis Tirado (1946-1949)Salvador Nocetti (1950)Alejandro Scopelli (1950-1952)Miguel Busquets (1952)
Jorge Ormos (1953-1954)Luis Álamos (1954)Luis Tirado (1955)Luis Álamos (1956-1966)Washington Urrutia (1966)Alejandro Scopelli (1967-1968)Washington Urrutia (1968)Ulises Ramos (1969-1974)Braulio Musso (1974)Hugo Tassara (1975)Luis Ibarra (1975-1977)Nelson Oyarzún (1978)Ulises Ramos (1978)Fernando Riera (1978-1980)Manuel Rodríguez Vega (1981)Ulises Ramos (1981)Fernando Riera (1981-1982)Luis Santibáñez (1983)Ulises Ramos (1983-1984)Hernán Carrasco (1984)Luis Ibarra (1985)Leonel Sánchez (1985-1986)Fernando Riera (1987)Leonel Sánchez (1987)Alberto Quintano (1987)Manuel Pellegrini (1988-1989)Luis Ibarra (1989)Manuel Rodríguez Vega (1990)Pedro Morales (1990-1991)Alberto Quintano (1991)Arturo Salah (1992-1994)Jorge Socias (1994-1995)Miguel Ángel Russo (1996)Roberto Hernández (1997-1998)César Vaccia (1999-2001)Víctor Hugo Castañeda (2002-2003)Héctor Pinto (2004-2005)Gustavo Huerta (2006)Salvador Capitano (2007)Jorge Socias (2007)Arturo Salah (2007-2008)Sergio Markarián (2009)José Basualdo (2009)Gerardo Pelusso (2010)Jorge Sampaoli (2011-2012)Darío Franco (2013)Marco Antonio Figueroa (2013-2014)Cristián Romero (2014)Martín Lasarte (2014-2015)Sebastian Beccacece (2016)Víctor Hugo Castañeda &Luis Mussri (2016)Ángel Guillermo Hoyos (2017-2018)Esteban Valencia (2018)Frank Darío Kudelka (2018-2019)Alfredo Arias (2019)Hernán Caputto (2019-2020) Marcelo Jara (2020)
Rafael Dudamel (2020-2021)Esteban Valencia (2021)Cristián Romero (2021)
Santiago Escobar (2022)Sebastián Miranda (2022)Diego López (2022)Sebastián Miranda (2022)Mauricio Pellegrino (2023)Gustavo Álvarez (2024-
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