Club Deportivo Universidad Católica

Club Deportivo Universidad Católica is a professional football club based in Santiago, Chile, which plays in the Primera División, the top flight of Chilean football.

Universidad Católica
Full nameClub Deportivo Universidad Católica
Nickname(s)UC
U Católica
Cato
La Católica (The Catholic)
Los Cruzados (The Crusaders)
Caballeros cruzados (Knights Crusaders)
Founded21 April 1937
GroundSan Carlos de Apoquindo
Santiago
Capacity14,118[1]
ChairmanJuan Tagle
ManagerAriel Holan
LeagueCampeonato Nacional
20191st, champions
WebsiteClub website

Universidad Católica is one of the most successful and popular Chilean football clubs and considered one of Chile's "Big Three".

Its traditional rival is Universidad de Chile. They contest the Clásico Universitario. Colo-Colo is the other big rival of the club.

Its official fight song is the Hymn of the Sports Club of the Catholic University, based on the song Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!.

Overview
Universidad Católica 1939
Universidad Católica 1949

While the club was born as one of the many sport branches of the Universidad Católica de Chile, officially founded in 1937, it began, strictly speaking, around 1910, when students of the University would reunite to play football matches, frequently facing historical rival Universidad de Chile. In time, the idea of creating a professional club emerged, and on 21 April 1937, the club officially and legally began. It made its professional debut, in the second division, against the Universidad de Chile. 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". The rivalry maintains itself until today, with each match between these teams being considered a must-see for every football fan in the country.

The Universidad Católica has attained fame as a favorite of the higher classes, because of many factors, which range from the location of the club's stadium, San Carlos de Apoquindo (in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods of the capital) and Headquarters, although there are "UC" fans all around the country, including popular regions or towns. For this reason, is planned to build a new stadium in a more popular place of Santiago. Due to the neighborhood's strong influence (wealthy families), the club has been unable to be approved for projects to enlarge the stadium and thus draw larger crowds. Only until in recent years the club was allowed by the commune of Las Condes, to host their clasicos matches against Universidad de Chile and Colo-Colo in their own stadium. Although just a limited number of its rivals' supporters are allowed to be present at these matches due to security reasons inside the stadium and around its high-end neighborhood.

The club has reached notoriety, both in a national and South American level, as the owner of one of the best infrastructures and training centers in the continent. As such, it is a good source of young talents, which occasionally rise to stardom in the club. Its most recent youth academy produced player known worldwide is Gary Medel, currently playing for Turkish side Beşiktaş J.K., among other clubs such as Boca Juniors, Sevilla and Internazionale, as well as playing a big role in Chile's 2010 and 2014 World Cup squads.

"La Cato" is the 3rd team that has won the most tournaments at a national level. The club has won 13 national tournaments and one international cup: Inter-American cup. Also, in 1993, Universidad Católica was the runner-up in the most important international tournament in South America: the Copa Libertadores de América, losing in the finals against the biggest club in Brazil and defending Libertadores' Champion São Paulo They lost to what was considered the best team of the decade, a team that defeated Johan Cruyff's Barcelona Dream Team in 1992 and the Mighty Milan of Fabio Capelo em 1993. Between the two legs after a heavy defeat away la Catolica won the second leg but lost the title on aggregate. In 1997 the club celebrated its 60th anniversary with a friendly tournament where they beat Ajax Amsterdam 3–2 in the Copa 60º Aniversario de Universidad Católica.[2]

In recent years, the club has been reemerged in international competition, advancing to the 2005 Copa Sudamericana semifinal before being knocked out by the powerful Boca Juniors from Argentina, who would go on to win the tournament. In 2006 the team made a good presentation in the Copa Libertadores, but was eliminated at the last minute by Tigres UANL of Mexico and failed to advance beyond the group stage. Universidad Católica did not qualify for the 2007 Copa Libertadores.

Católica again played Copa Libertadores in 2008 with no luck, being eliminated in the group stage by goal difference by River Plate and América. In 2010, their performance was no better, finishing third in group stage behind Universidad de Chile and Flamengo.

In the 2011 edition, Católica finished first on the round robin, and then advanced to the quarter-finals, knocking out Grêmio of Brazil on the best 16 round, and falling to Peñarol of Uruguay 2–0 in Montevideo and winning their home match 2–1, which was not enough to advance.

In 2012 the club, under coach and former player Mario Lepe, finished last on the group stage, winning only 1 home game and losing on their away games in Colombia and Bolivia.


Club information
  • Seasons in Primera División: 79 (1939–1955, 1957–1973, 1976–)
  • Seasons in Segunda División: 3 (1956, 1974–1975)
  • Best Finish in Primera División: Champions
  • Worst position in Primera División: 18th
  • Best Finish in Copa Chile season: Champions
  • Best IFFHS position: 9th
  • Record Primera División victory: 10–1 v. Palestino (1994)
  • Record Copa Chile victory: 10–0 v. Selección San Pedro de Atacama (2010)
  • Record Primera División defeat: 2–9 Audax Italiano (1945)
  • Highest home attendance: 77,890 v. Universidad de Chile (11 January 1967) (at Estadio Nacional)
  • Most games won in one league season: 27 (1999)
  • Most games won in short tournaments: 18 (Clausura 2005)
  • Most goals scored in one league season: 102 (1999)
  • Most goals scored in short tournaments: 56 (Apertura 2002)
  • Most goals scored in Primera División: Raimundo Infante (103 goals)
  • Most goals scored overall: Rodrigo Barrera (118 goals)
  • Most matches played overall:Mario Lepe (639 matches)
  • Least beaten goalkeeper: José María Buljubasich 1352 minutes (4th on IFFHS ranking)
  • Most matches played for Copa Libertadores de América: Mario Lepe (76 matches)

Honours

Domestic
  • Primera División: 14
1949, 1954, 1961, 1966, 1984, 1987, 1997-A, 2002-A, 2005-C, 2010, 2016-C, 2016-A, 2018, 2019
1956, 1975

Cups
1983, 1991, 1995, 2011
1983
2016, 2019

Continental
  • Copa Libertadores de América: 0
Runners-up (1): 1993
Winners (1): 1994

Unofficial international tournaments
  • International Tournament of Pascua: 1
Winners (1): 1950

Players

The Chilean Football Federation rules allow a maximum of seven foreign players per team, but only five can be on the pitch at any one time. Currently, Católica has six foreign players.

Current squad

Current squad of Club Deportivo Universidad Católica as of 1 March 2020 (edit)
Sources: Universidad Católica official website

No. Position Player
1  ARG GK Matías Dituro
2  CHI DF Germán Lanaro
3  CHI DF Cristóbal Finch
4  CHI DF Carlos Salomon
5  CHI DF Valber Huerta
6  CHI MF Francisco Silva
7  CHI DF Tomás Asta-Buruaga
8  CHI MF Ignacio Saavedra
9  ARG FW Fernando Zampedri
10  CHI FW Edson Puch
11  ARG MF Luciano Aued
12  CHI GK Marcelo Suárez
13  CHI DF Benjamín Kuščević
14  CHI MF César Pinares
15  ARG FW Gastón Lezcano
16  CHI FW César Munder
No. Position Player
17  CHI GK Cristopher Toselli
18  ARG MF Diego Buonanotte
19  CHI FW José Pedro Fuenzalida
20  CHI FW Gonzalo Tapia
21  CHI DF Raimundo Rebolledo
22  CHI FW Bruno Barticciotto
23  CHI DF Juan Cornejo
24  CHI DF Alfonso Parot
25  CHI GK Vicente Bernedo
26  CHI MF Marcelino Núñez
27  CHI FW Alexander Aravena
28  CHI MF Kevin Fernández
29  CHI DF Stefano Magnasco
30  CHI FW Diego Valencia
--  CHI MF Jaime Carreño
--  CHI FW Matías Rosas

Coach: Ariel Holan

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  CHI Miguel Vargas (at Unión La Calera)
— DF  CHI Enzo Ferrario (at Deportes La Serena)
— DF  CHI Benjamín Vidal (at Coquimbo Unido)
— DF  CHI Yonathan Parancán (at Santiago Morning)
— DF  CHI Vicente Fernández (at Palestino)
— DF  CHI Yerco Oyanedel (at Rangers de Talca)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  CHI Andrés Souper (at Antofagasta)
— MF  CHI Kevin Medel (at Deportes La Serena)
— FW  CHI Diego Vallejos (at Coquimbo Unido)
— FW  CHI David Henríquez (at A.C. Barnechea)
— FW  CHI Sebastián Pérez (at Ñublense)
— FW  CHI Brian Leiva (at Melipilla)

2020 Winter transfers

In

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
-- MF  CHI Jaime Carreño (back from Oriente Petrolero)
No. Pos. Nation Player

Out

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
No. Pos. Nation Player

Current coaching staff
Position Name
Manager Ariel Holan
Assistant Manager Juan Manuel Esparis
Academy team Manager Andrés Romero
Fitness coach Facundo Peralta
Goalkeeping coach Juan Fariello
Director of Football José María Buljubasich

Individual honours

First Division top scorers

International cups top scorers

America's Ideal Team

Notable coaches

Other sports
  • Trophy Bernardo Salamovich, Basket
  • Riding
  • Athletics
  • Athletics
  • Field hockey U-12, U-14 and U-16 2015
  • Metropolitan Youth Championship, Athletics
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See also
  • Universidad Católica (sports club)
  • Universidad Católica de Chile

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Chilean Clubs - Friendly Matches 1991-2001". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  3. Fundación Club Deportivo Universidad Católica de Chile (1993), pp.37–38
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