Sporting Cristal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sporting Cristal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Club Sporting Cristal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Los Cerveceros", "Los Bajopontinos", "Los Rimenses", "Los Celestes" |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1955 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Estadio San Martín de Porres, Lima (Capacity 18,000) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Francisco Mujica Serelle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| D.T. | Juan Carlos Oblitas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Primera División Peruana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Aggregate table, 10th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sporting Cristal is a Peruvian football team based in the district of Rímac, in the department of Lima playing in the Peruvian First Division. The club was founded on December 13, 1955. The teams original name was Sporting Tobacco but renamed when a beer company bought it. Sporting Cristal has won the league title fifteen times, the Peruvian team with the third-most domestic titles. All its titles were won in the professional era. It is one of the most popular football teams in Peru—along with Universitario de Deportes and Alianza Lima—and is the youngest of the three. In 1997, it became the second Peruvian football club to reach the final of the Copa Libertadores. They play their home games at the Estadio San Martin de Porres but also play at the Estadio Nacional when playing against clubs Universitario and Alianza Lima as well as for international competitions.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1954, the English proprietors of the beer company of Backus and Johnston from the district of Rímac, decided to sell their firm to Peruvian capitalists. Once the deal was closed and the beer company was in the hands of Peruvians, the Peruvians wished to form a football (soccer) club so that it may represent the company.
Ricardo Bentín Mujica, with the support of his wife, was the man who gave it his all to make this dream come true. However, there already was a club from Rímac who was playing in the Peruvian First Division known as Sporting Tobacco. This club had never won a national championship and they were in an economic crisis. Bentín decided to buy this club and search for a lot so that the club could develop and be able to play in the national league. The club found a lot in the neighborhood of La Florida of 137,000 m².
Everything turned out well for Bentín, until the FPF frowned upon this attempt. This problem was overcome and on December 13, 1955 the club was founded as it is known today and renamed Sporting Cristal Backus. The club from the Rímac district debuted in 1956 in the national league and won their first national title that same year. They were known, among journalists, as the club that was born a champion (nació campeon). The team managed to win more titles over the years and was known as one of the best football clubs in Peru behind Universitario de Deportes and Alianza Lima. A few years later the club eliminated the word Backus from their name to demonstrate their economic independence.
In 1997, the team, led by Uruguayan coach Sergio Markarián, reached the finals of the Copa Libertadores where they faced the Brazilian club Cruzeiro. The first leg was a home game where they ended in a scoreless draw and in the second leg they lost 1-0. This is the closest a Peruvian team has reached the Copa Libertadores Final since 1972, when Universitario de Deportes had a similar fate playing against Club Atlético Independiente.
Recent head coaches include Juan Carlos Oblitas and Paulo Autuori. Peruvian filmmaker Francisco Lombardi was the club's president throughout most of the successful 1990s.
[edit] Supporters
Cristal has two ultras or barra bravas known as Fuerza Oriente and Extremo Celeste.
[edit] Current Squad
|
|
[edit] Noted players
|
|
*Naturalized Peruvians
[edit] Achievements
*includes results representing Sporting Tobacco
- Copa Libertadores: 26 appearances
- Runners-up (1): 1997
- Copa CONMEBOL: 1 appearance
- Quarterfinalist (1): 1994
[edit] External links
- Sporting Cristal Official Club Website
- SALUD CRISTAL Fan Website
[edit] Notes
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Primera División Peruana seasons
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
