Real Cartagena is a professional Colombian football team based in Cartagena , that currently plays in the Categoría Primera B . They play their home games at the Jaime Morón León stadium.
78-705: The origins of Real Cartagena date back to 1971, when Atlético Bucaramanga , which by the end of 1970 was going through a serious economic crisis which threatened its survival, rented its right to compete in the Colombian football championship . On 5 January 1971, DIMAYOR and Atlético Bucaramanga representatives met in Cartagena with counterparts from the city's local government and the Bolívar football league ( Liga de Fútbol de Bolívar ) and reached an agreement that saw Atlético Bucaramanga move to Cartagena with its squad and colours for
156-541: A 1–0 defeat to Unión Magdalena. The 1992 season ended with the club placing last and being relegated to Primera B. The club spent seven years in the second tier, receiving economic support from América de Cali which turned Real Cartagena into a satellite club and helped it build a strong team to win the Primera B championship in 1999 and return to the top flight. Real Cartagena's third spell in Primera A lasted three years until 2002 , when they were relegated once again. In 2003,
234-617: A contending squad in 2010, they finished a miserable 14th. Finally, in 2015 , the club broke out of Primera B. Despite missing a chance to be promoted early in the season in a similar tournament to the one played in Cartagena in 2001, they dominated the season by collecting 71 points in 32 matches during the first stage, and then topped a semifinal group which also included América de Cali , Real Cartagena , and Universitario Popayán . With promotion already assured, Atlético Bucaramanga defeated Fortaleza over two legs to win their second Primera B title. Despite Atlético Bucaramanga managed to reach
312-523: A fierce rivalry with Millonarios who share the same stadium. The game is considered one of the most famous derbies in South America and is known as El Clásico Bogotano or El Clásico Capitalino . Independiente Santa Fe was officially founded on February 28, 1941, as an amateur football team. The club's founders were mainly graduates from the Gimnasio Moderno and of a high social class. Santa Fe
390-558: A fierce rivalry with intercity team Millonarios , who also play in the same stadium as them. During this match Millonarios fans locate themselves in the northern part of the stadium much like Santa Fe's in the south. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. The following players were chosen to represent their country at
468-508: A high level. The three Guerrero brothers (center half Francisco, left wing Juan, and inside right Jorge) were an example of this sort of local talent. The club was also managed by a local, former Millonarios player Francisco "Pacho" Carvajal. In 1949, the club applied for membership in the Colombian league and was accepted after winning a playoff match with Once Deportivo from Manizales. On 1 May 1949, Atlético Bucaramanga played its first game in
546-474: A local league. However, they did not have a team capable of competing for national honors. A number of local teams hoped to change that and found a professional club that could aspire to that level. In 1948, the directors of " Pielroja " (the most recent local champions) invited city businessman Rafael Chaberman to assist in setting up a professional team. Following Haberman's advice, the directors enlisted local businessmen, newspapers, and radio stations to promote
624-629: A representative of a transportation company. In 1942, Santa Fe was coached by Jack Greenwell , former Barcelona player and coach, notable for having won three times the Copa del Rey and the 1939 South American Championship with Peru . That year Santa Fe played in the first division of the A.D.B., which was canceled in the middle of that year. That same year also reached the final of the Torneo de Cundinamarca , which lost against América de Cali . Jack Greenwell died on November 20 of that year. On 21 May 1948
702-590: A star of Real Madrid years later), as well the Englishmen Neil Franklin and George Mountford from Stoke City , and Charlie Mitten from Manchester United . However, the signings did little, as Santa Fe was not into the top three for about ten years, being their worst the 1954 campaign where they finished last with just five points. In 1958, Santa Fe got its second title after finishing first with 48 points. They got its third title just two after years with 61 points. Getting this title, Santa Fe became
780-433: A team. A board was assembled with Dr. Elias Solano as president, assisted by managing directors Rafael Chaberman, Vicente Díaz, Miguel González, Juan B. Silva (Treasurer), Manuel José Puyana, Eduardo Villa, Jorge Reyes Puyana, José Vicente Niño, Gustavo Mantilla, Rafael Pérez, Enrique Orduz, and Luis Fernando Sanmiguel. The club was officially established on 11 May 1949, under the name of Club Atlético Bucaramanga. The key to
858-403: A third-place finish in 1990, then consecutive mid-table finishes in 1991 and 1992. The club was almost unbeatable at home, losing just six out of 75 matches in their home stadium. However, in 1993 Ortiz was dismissed in favor of Norberto Peluffo, who promised a more open and attacking style of play but delivered a leaky defense in return. In 1994, Bucaramanga finished dead last in the top flight and
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#1732855150899936-714: Is a Colombian professional football team based in Bogotá , that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A . They play their home games at the El Campín stadium. Santa Fe is one of the three most successful teams in Colombia, winning eighteen titles, which include nine national championships (most recently in 2016 ), four Superliga Colombiana , two Copas Colombia , and international titles such as one Copa Sudamericana , one Suruga Bank Championship , and one Copa Simón Bolívar . Santa Fe
1014-553: Is a Colombian professional football team based in Bucaramanga . The club plays its home games at the Américo Montanini stadium. The club was founded on 11 May 1949 by Rafael Chaberman, a Barranquilla businessman. Ever since, it has been a regular participant in the top flight of the Colombian professional league. The team's most recent stint in the top division began in 2016. They have won one Categoría Primera A title, in
1092-597: Is one of the three clubs that has played every championship in the Categoría Primera A. Santa Fe became the first Colombian team to win the Copa Sudamericana , and the first and only Colombian team to win an official tournament outside America. The club was recognized as one of the ten best clubs in the world in 2015 by the IFFHS , occupying the seventh position and being the best ranked of South America. Santa Fe has
1170-556: Is the name of the main fan group of Atletico Bucaramanga. It was founded in 1998 by young people in order to support the team, but over time more questionable elements attached themselves to the group. As with many other such groups, Fortaleza Leoparda Sur is seen as the expression of social problems larger than football. They occupy the south grandstand of the Estadio Américo Montanini and have participated in peaceful protests in order to request government support to solve
1248-565: The 2013 Torneo Apertura , won by Atlético Nacional . In its Copa Libertadores appearance, they got into Semifinals. They began the tournament in the Second Stage, facing Cerro Porteño , Deportes Tolima and Real Garcilaso , where they finished first with 14 points and unbeaten. They eliminated Grêmio in the Round of 16 and Real Garcilaso in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, they were eliminated by Olimpia , with an aggregate score of 2–1. In
1326-463: The 2014 Copa Libertadores , Santa Fe played against Monarcas Morelia in the First Stage, drawing 2–2 on aggregate score and advancing to the next round due to away goals rule . In the Second Stage, the team was last of its group, in which they faced Atlético Mineiro , Club Nacional and Zamora , winning only one match of six. The 2015 season had a great start for the team, as they qualified for
1404-475: The 2014 Torneo Apertura , Santa Fe was fourth on the First Stage, advancing to Quarterfinals. There Santa Fe eliminated Once Caldas with an aggregate score of 5–3. In the semifinals, the team faced Atlético Nacional . The first match ended in a 1–0 win for Santa Fe. However, Nacional got a comeback with a 2–0 win, thus eliminating Santa Fe. In the Torneo Finalización, Santa Fe was first with 31 points. In
1482-407: The 2015 Copa Sudamericana after winning 2015 Superliga Colombiana in which they faced 2014 Torneo Apertura winners Atlético Nacional . However, in the 2015 Torneo Apertura, the team can not advance to the knockout phase after placing ninth with 31 points. In the Torneo Finalización, the team was 8th with the same number of points as the last tournament, however this time it was enough to advance to
1560-411: The 2016 Copa Libertadores , the team advanced to the Second Stage after eliminate Oriente Petrolero with an aggregate of 1–6. However, they were eliminated in the Second Stage after placing third in a group consisting of Cerro Porteño , Cobresal (who were last) and Corinthians . The first badge of Santa Fe was designed by Ernesto Gamboa and Gonzalo Rueda with a clear British influence. Highlighting
1638-491: The 2024 Apertura tournament. Prior to that championship, they had reached the finals of the Colombian football league in 1997 , losing to América de Cali . That performance qualified them for the ensuing Copa Libertadores , in which they reached the second round. Atlético Bucaramanga's origins can be found in the regional football league of the Santander Department . Like most of Colombia's departments, Santander had
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#17328551508991716-450: The Ecuador national football team , with a 2–1 defeat for the local team. In 1951, the year that Santa Fe begins to use it to its home games, the stadium expanded its capacity to 39,000 spectators. The second extension of El Campín occurred in 1952 with a dramatic transformation. The total capacity changed to 62,500 spectators, but was limited to 48,000 for security. The last major modification
1794-557: The El Dorado period to sign a host of foreign players. Specifically, in 1950 they signed four Argentine players, a group collectively known as the "Four Musketeers". They were Antonio "Toto" Bernasconi (half-back), Norberto Juan Peluffo (center-half), Aristóbulo Deambrosi (right winger) and José Cayetano Fraccione (goalkeeper), nicknamed "the Flying Fish". This was just the beginning of the club's aggressive pursuit of foreign players, including
1872-496: The Estadio Alfonso López . Cúcuta won 1–0 on a goal by Luis Alberto Miloc. Since 1950, this derby has been played 180 times; Atlético Bucaramanga have won 57 times, Cúcuta have won 61 times, and there have been 59 draws. Although Cúcuta have had the upper hand in general, Bucaramanga won the most important game of the series in 2001. The two teams were competing in a triangular playoff to determine which club would compete in
1950-525: The FIFA World Cup while contracted to Independiente Santa Fe. Source: BDFA Last updated on: 21 January 2018 Last updated on: 21 January 2018 Independiente Santa Fe Femenino is the women's football section of Independiente Santa Fe and they currently play in the Colombian Women's Football League , the top level women's football league in Colombia. The club is the most successful team in
2028-458: The top tier of Colombian football during the following season. The match, played in Cartagena , was scoreless for 90 minutes as well as 30 minutes of extra time. It went on to penalties, and thanks to a heroic performance from Bucaramanga keeper Leonel Rocco, Los Leopardos prevailed 5–3. Bucaramanga secured their immediate return to Primera A, while Cúcuta was forced to wait until 2005. This match
2106-535: The 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, the club was mid-table only in their best years, more frequently finishing towards the bottom. They even had to sit out the 1971 season due to economic problems, selling their place to a team from Cartagena in order to pay off their debts. The club enjoyed a brief revival in the 1990s with the hiring of Humberto Ortiz as manager. A defensive manager first and foremost, Ortiz's teams were physical rather than stylish, but they were competitive. He spent three years with Bucaramanga, leading them to
2184-492: The 1971 season, adopting the name Real Cartagena . The team's first match was a friendly against Atlético Junior on 31 January 1971 at Estadio Pedro de Heredia which ended in a 1–1 draw, whilst its first match in the domestic league was played on 7 February 1971, a 1–0 win over Once Caldas . After this victory, Real Cartagena went winless for 10 games, and ended in 11th place in both the Apertura and Finalización tournaments. By
2262-650: The Bogotá flag colors, red and yellow, combined to form the Holy Cross , a symbol of faith and respect, referring to the name of the club. There are many versions about the origin of the colors of the uniform. The most commonly accepted version is that Luis Robledo, one of the founders of the Independiente Santa Fe who was educated in England, was a fan of Arsenal , thus gives the team the red and white, which from 1941 became
2340-423: The Colombian football tournament, losing to Deportivo Cali 5–1 at the Estadio Alfonso López . This was their roster for that match: Players Substitutions Coach Their first victory came on June 19, when they defeated Boca Juniors de Cali 2–1. The club ultimately finished the season in tenth place out of 12 teams. Like many other Colombian clubs, Atlético Bucaramanga took advantage of
2418-453: The Round of 16 they eliminated Ecuadorian Emelec on away goals after drawing 2–2 on aggregate score. In the quarterfinals they won 2–1 on aggregate to Argentine Independiente and in the semifinals they also advanced on away goals after drawing 1–1 with Paraguayan Sportivo Luqueño . In the finals they faced Argentine Huracán . After drawing 0–0 in both matches, the winner had to be decided on penalties . There Santa Fe won 3–1, thus getting
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2496-533: The Torneo Adecuación, finishing second overall and earning a playoff with Deportes Quindío to determine the Adecuación winners, which would be playing the championship final. A 90th-minute goal by Orlando Ballesteros won the two-legged tie for Bucaramanga and sent them into the final against América de Cali , who had won the Apertura tournament. Although América won both legs of the final, the runner-up finish in
2574-498: The amateur tournaments of the Bolívar Department league. By 1983, Real Cartagena started experiencing economic problems and was able to sign a partnership with Millonarios which turned it into the latter's official academy team in Cartagena. This partnership lasted until 1989. After this, the club changed its name to Atlético Cartagena and in 1991 it entered the newly formed third tier competition Categoría Primera C , reaching
2652-404: The away match 2–1, but with a 2–0 victory in home the team advanced to the quarterfinals. There the team faced Brazilian club Internacional . The team got a 1–0 victory in the home game, but lost 2–0 in the away match. Santa Fe got its first international title in the 2015 Copa Sudamericana . They eliminated Ecuadorian LDU Loja in the First Stage and Uruguayan Nacional in the Second Stage. In
2730-437: The club failed to qualify for the Primera B play-offs, but in 2004 it reached the final against Deportivo Antioquia after clinching their qualification on the final day of the semifinal stage in a controversial match against Valledupar in which Real Cartagena scored four goals in the final five minutes of play to win 5–0 and edge Cúcuta Deportivo out on goal difference. They eventually beat Deportivo Antioquia over two legs in
2808-477: The club set out for Bogotá to face the league leaders, Santa Fe . However, the match was a disaster; Santa Fe romped to a 5–1 win, humiliating a Bucaramanga club that looked completely outmatched. Rather than winning the championship, the club finished in a disappointing third place. Much of the blame was put on manager Juan Barbieri, who was literally run out of town during the offseason. It would be many years before Los Leopardos came that close again. Throughout
2886-516: The club's early foundation was the support of local clubs, and they had it—presidents of Gran Colombia FC (Vicente Díaz Romero), Eleven Friends FC (Luis Alba Pinilla), Girardot FC (Antonio "Terremoto" Durán), Freedom Concordia FC (Jorge Molina Barba) and Pielroja FC (Simón Santander) were all on board and helped supply the team with players. The result was that the club quickly assembled a team composed of players from Bucaramanga, Barrancabermeja and Barranquilla, most of whom had some experience playing at
2964-597: The difficult situation of the Club, but have also taken part in a number of acts of violence. In 2011, they physically and verbally attacked players of their team for bad results. The next year, on 10 March 2012 some of them fought against other hooligans in the Estadio Arturo Cumplido Sierra in Sincelejo in the middle of the game between Sucre FC and Bucaramanga. One man was seriously injured and 19 were arrested by
3042-435: The end of the year, Atlético Bucaramanga had solved its financial issues and the squad returned to their original name and colours for the following season, playing its first home matches in the 1972 Apertura tournament in Cartagena as a token of gratitude before returning to Bucaramanga . After this experience in professional football, the club was bought by Pedro Juan Paternina and Miguel Guerra Pacheco and started playing in
3120-481: The final matchday, beating Independiente Medellín on goal difference to advance to the final series of the tournament. There they faced Deportivo Cali , losing both matches to end as tournament runners-up. The team's strong performance at home played a big role in this campaign, with 11 victories in 13 matches, and they also had in Jamerson Rentería one of the tournament's joint goalscorers, with 12 goals. The club
3198-430: The final stage but failing to earn promotion to Categoría Primera B as they ended in third place. In 1991 the Colombian football championship, now named Categoría Primera A , returned to Cartagena with Unión Magdalena 's temporary move to the city under the name Unión La Cartagenera . With interest in football in the city peaking with the presence of a top-flight team as well as Atlético Cartagena's good performance in
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3276-487: The final to win the competition and claim promotion back to the top flight. In 2005 , Real Cartagena did its best campaign ever in Primera A, placing in the top eight of the Finalización tournament and advancing to the semi-finals, in which they were placed into Group B along with Santa Fe , Independiente Medellín , and Deportivo Pereira . Real ended on top of the group with 10 points after winning 4–0 against Santa Fe on
3354-429: The first international title of the club and qualifying for the 2016 Copa Libertadores , 2016 Recopa Sudamericana and 2016 Suruga Bank Championship . Santa Fe's Wilson Morelo tied with three footballers as top goalscorers of the tournament with five goals. In the 2016 Torneo Apertura , Santa Fe placed fourth, advancing to the next round. There, Santa Fe was eliminated by Cortuluá with an aggregate score of 2–3. In
3432-473: The first stage of the competition for the first time in history after winning 11 matches, drawing five and losing the remaining three for a total of 38 points, which granted it a tiebreaking advantage that proved to be crucial in the following stage of the competition. For the semi-finals Bucaramanga were seeded in Group A, with Deportivo Pereira , Millonarios , and Junior drawn into that group. The team struggled in
3510-406: The latter side to the second tier and keeping Bucaramanga in the top flight. Since then, the team's performances have been enough to keep them away from the relegation contention, having also reached the semifinals of the 2018 Finalización and the 2022 Apertura . Atlético Bucaramanga won its first Primera A title in the 2024 Apertura tournament, with Rafael Dudamel as manager. The club topped
3588-446: The league. Not only that, their connection to Argentina remained intact. The manager responsible for that rebuild, Felipe "Judio" Stemberg, was Argentine, and he brought a number of his countrymen into the side. The most important of those acquisitions was José Américo Montanini, a former striker for River Plate. He arrived at Bucaramanga in 1956, playing for them from 1956 to 1961 and from 1964 to 1968. Montanini's most successful season
3666-410: The longest in Colombian football history. The club was managed that year by Carlos Mario Hoyos , a former defender for Deportivo Cali. His roster had no stars, and in fact was mostly composed of the same players who had led the club to the Primera B title two years prior. The team performed as expected in the first half of the season, achieving unremarkable results. However, they suddenly came together in
3744-492: The lower tiers, local entrepreneurs moved themselves to help Cartagena have a representative in professional football. Thus, they bought Atlético Cartagena and rebranded it back to its original name of Real Cartagena, and then with the approval of DIMAYOR, bought the affiliation rights of Sporting de Barranquilla which went bankrupt by then. Real Cartagena was officially registered as a DIMAYOR affiliate club on 2 February 1992 and played its first match in Primera A seven days later,
3822-529: The next round. There the team was eliminated by Junior , whom also defeated them months later in the Copa Colombia Finals. [REDACTED] The international season of the team began with its Copa Libertadores participation. The team started in the Second Stage, where they faced Atlético Mineiro , Colo-Colo and Club Atlas . Santa Fe placed 1st with 12 points. In the Round of 16, they played against Argentine team Estudiantes de La Plata . They lost
3900-426: The other side with a chance to get relegated that season. Back in Primera B for 2009, Atlético Bucaramanga reached the season finals but were upset over two legs by Cortuluá and lost the promotion play-off to Deportivo Pereira. Seven tumultuous seasons in the second tier followed up, and there were points at which the club was not even seriously contending for promotion; despite spending huge sums of money to assemble
3978-422: The playoff. Los Leopardos qualified for the semifinal stage in both tournaments of the 2002 season as well as the 2004 Finalización tournament, but in the mid-2000s their fortunes began to decline. They narrowly avoided relegation in 2007, but failed to escape the drop in 2008, sealing their relegation in the last match of the first stage of that year's Finalización with a 3–0 loss to Deportivo Pereira , who were
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#17328551508994056-902: The police. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. The following players were chosen to represent their country at the FIFA World Cup while contracted to Atlético Bucaramanga. First golden age (1951) The 1960s The 1970s The 1980s The 1990s The 2000s The 2010s The 2020s Alvarez, Alfonso (2000), Vida, pasión, muerte y resurección del Atlético Bucaramanga (in Spanish) 7°08′12″N 73°07′00″W / 7.13667°N 73.11667°W / 7.13667; -73.11667 Independiente Santa Fe Club Independiente Santa Fe , known simply as Santa Fe ,
4134-657: The press are fond of the nickname " Los Leopardos " (The Leopards). This name was coined in the 1950s and comes from the club's yellowish uniforms, which resemble the animal's fur. The club and its fans are also sometimes referred to as " Los Búcaros ", after the Búcaro tree that gives the city of Bucaramanga its name. Atlético Bucaramanga plays its home games at the Américo Montanini stadium in Bucaramanga, known as Estadio Alfonso López until 11 June 2024. From 2016 to mid-2017,
4212-404: The previous stage of the competition. In the final series, Bucaramanga faced Independiente Santa Fe , winning the first leg played at Estadio Alfonso López 1–0. Although the second leg, played at Estadio El Campín in Bogotá ended with a 3–2 victory for Santa Fe, Atlético Bucaramanga ended up winning the ensuing penalty shootout to claim their first championship. Atlético Bucaramanga fans and
4290-540: The region. Real Cartagena play their home matches at the Estadio Jaime Morón León in Cartagena, formerly known as Estadio Pedro de Heredia after Cartagena's founder Pedro de Heredia , with a capacity of 16,068 people. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Atl%C3%A9tico Bucaramanga Club Atlético Bucaramanga S.A. , better known as Atlético Bucaramanga ,
4368-496: The relegation table, in which they earned only 117 points out of 321 possible ones. Since then, they have stayed in the second tier of Colombian football. In 2020, 74% of the club's shares was sold by the Rendón family to the player agency ColombiaGol, owned by player agent Helmut Wenning, which became the club's major shareholder. Upon its takeover of the club, ColombiaGol aimed to use the professional squad to promote youth footballers from
4446-469: The second Colombian club appearing at the Copa Libertadores . In that tournament, Santa Fe was placed in the preliminary round with Ecuadorian club Barcelona . The first match was a 3–0 victory for Santa Fe and the second game was a 2–2 draw. In the next round, Santa Fe eliminated Bolivian club Jorge Wilstermann . Santa Fe drew 2–2 with Jorge Wilstermann on point aggregate and 3–3 on aggregate score, so
4524-469: The semi-finals, only winning one of their first five games (against Millonarios in Bogotá) and losing two against Deportivo Pereira and Junior, both away from home. However, a 3–1 victory over Pereira on the last matchday allowed Bucaramanga to advance to the final after the four teams ended up tied at 8 points, with the Búcaro side placing ahead of its three rivals on account of being one of the top two teams from
4602-457: The semifinals of the Finalización tournament in 2016 and the quarter-finals of the 2017 Apertura , they were close to relegation in 2017 , reaching the last day of the regular season with chances to be relegated. A 1–0 defeat against América de Cali, who were also involved in the battle to avoid relegation, meant that Atlético Bucaramanga would be relegated once again, however, a last-minute goal by Once Caldas against Cortuluá ended up sending
4680-511: The semifinals, the team was placed in a group with Atlético Huila , Atlético Nacional and Once Caldas . Santa Fe placed first in the group, advancing to the finals where they faced Independiente Medellín . Santa Fe won the first match and drew in the second, with an aggregate score of 3–2, winning its 8th title. That year, Santa Fe was runner-up in the Copa Colombia , losing the finals against Deportes Tolima with an aggregate score of 3–2. In
4758-468: The signing of Costa Rican forward José Joaquín "El Quincho" Quiroz. Quiroz in particular was known for his spectacular goals. With that group in place, the club managed a sixth-place finish in 1950. The period of success did not last. Bucaramanga had overspent during El Dorado, and the crunch quickly followed. By 1953, the club was dead last and in 1954 was out of the league entirely. However, the club did not disappear. They rebuilt, and in 1956 made it back to
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#17328551508994836-415: The symbol of the club. Although historically the uniform of Santa Fe has been red and white, the club has used other colors in its uniform. The stadium Nemesio Camacho , also known as El Campín , located in Bogotá , is the venue where Independiente Santa Fe plays their home games. Its capacity is 36,343. Santa Fe's supporters traditionally tend to sit in the southernmost half of the stadium. El Campín
4914-586: The team used the Alvaro Gomez Hurtado stadium (capacity: 10,000) in the neighboring Floridablanca , since the Alfonso López stadium was being renovated. Atlético Bucaramanga and Cúcuta Deportivo play in one of Colombia's most heated rivalries, El Clásico del oriente colombiano (East Colombian Derby, also known as the Great Santander Derby). The first match in the rivalry was on 2 April 1950 at
4992-407: The top flight from 16 to 18 teams for the 2002 season , which offered Bucaramanga the chance to save themselves in a triangular playoff with Primera B teams Cúcuta Deportivo and Unión Magdalena. Bucaramanga's second-place finish (including a win in penalties over arch-rivals Cúcuta Deportivo) was good enough to keep the team in the top tier despite being unable to score a single goal in both matches of
5070-478: The tournament allowed Bucaramanga to qualify for the 1998 Copa Libertadores . In that tournament, they qualified out of their first round group and reached the knockout stages, where they lost to Bolivian side Bolívar in the second round. The 1996–97 season, however, did not fundamentally change the club's fortunes, and they once again slipped down the table. In 2001, they finished last place over two stages and were relegated again. However, DIMAYOR decided to expand
5148-468: The winner was decided by a draw of lots. In the semifinals, Santa Fe faced Brazilian club Palmeiras . The home leg was a 2–2 draw, but Santa Fe lost 4–1 in the away leg. Santa Fe's first success in the 2000s came late, when the team won the Copa Colombia , beating Deportivo Pasto in the finals. Since then, Santa Fe has had a successful period. Santa Fe got its seventh league title in the 2012 Torneo Apertura , 37 years after its last league title. Santa Fe
5226-498: Was able to score 57 goals for and received 29 goals. The goalscorer of the team was the Spanish Argentine Jesús María Lires with 20 goals, second goalscorer of the tournament. Next year Santa Fe was third, five points behind the champion, local rivals Millonarios . Seeking for a new title, Santa Fe took advantage of the events of El Dorado signing Argentines Héctor Rial and René Pontoni (the former became
5304-512: Was at first going to be a team based on ex-students of Gimnasio Moderno, but later incorporated players from other schools. The primary objective of the club was to participate in a local tournament hosted by the Sports Association of Bogotá. Their first recorded game was against Universal, a match that ended in a goalless draw. The team ended the tournament as runner-up with 20 points, being beaten by Legión Militar Deportiva de los Taxis Rojos,
5382-508: Was created. It was one of the first fan-led organizations in Colombia that was fully formalized. In 2005, La Guardia Albirroja Sur made one of the largest soccer team's flag in the world. The flag, named the Lienzo de Fe was 350 meters long and 38 meters high, covering the southern end of the Estadio El Campín , the half of the stadium, where the team's fans locate in home games. Santa Fe has
5460-515: Was established in Colombia the DIMAYOR , which would serve to manage Colombian professional football. They agreed to hold the first professional championship for the second half of the year. On August 15, Santa Fe played its first game in the professional championship against Deportes Caldas , a match that ended 3–3. Santa Fe finished the league as the first champion of the Colombian first division , winning 12 of 18 games, drew 3 and also lost 3. The team
5538-498: Was inaugurated on August 10, 1938, at 57th Street with 30, having started its construction in 1935 on the initiative of the mayor of Bogotá, Jorge Eliecer Gaitán . The structure was handled by the German engineer Frederick Leder Müller. The stadium was designed to hold 10,000 spectators. The opening match was held in the 1938 Bolivarian Games , facing the Colombia national football team and
5616-413: Was keeper Guillermo Rodolfo Guarnieri, who set a Colombian record by playing 1122 minutes (13 matches and part of a 14th) without giving up a single goal. The 1995 Torneo Adecuación ended with Bucaramanga claiming the title and returning to the top tier for the 1995–96 season. Atlético Bucaramanga's best campaign until then was achieved in the 1996–97 season . This campaign lasted sixteen months, making it
5694-738: Was made for the qualifying matches for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup . Other grounds that have been used by Independiente Santa Fe for their home games have been: the Estadio Alfonso López Pumarejo , its first ground, the Estadio Municipal Los Zipas and the Estadio Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento . In the late 1990s, the most notorious Barra brava of Santa Fe, La Guardia Albi-Roja Sur (White-Red South Guard)
5772-527: Was relegated for the first time in its history. However, their first spell in the Categoría Primera B was short. Colombian football league was scheduled to switch to the European calendar in mid-1995 and as a result, a 4-month championship was organized prior to the change in format. Bucaramanga dominated this short tournament, and won eight out of ten matches played during the promotion round. They were promoted as Categoría Primera B champions. Key to their success
5850-412: Was second in the First Stage of the tournament with 29 points. In the semifinals, they were grouped with Boyacá Chicó , Itagüí and La Equidad . Santa Fe advanced to the finals with 14 points. Santa Fe faced Deportivo Pasto in the finals. The first match ended in a 1–1 draw and the second was a 1–0 victory for Santa Fe. They got its first Superliga Colombiana title the next year and were runners-up in
5928-426: Was the 1958 one, when he led the league in scoring with 36 goals. The club also enjoyed their most successful season yet, finishing third behind champions Santa Fe and runners-up Millonarios. 1960 should have been remembered as an even more glorious season. With Montanini and José Giarrizzo (another Argentinian) leading the attack, the club had a real shot at its first-ever championship. Just three matches remained when
6006-443: Was the only time that two rival teams from the same region have played a match determining promotion or relegation in the Colombian football championship. The most recent meeting between the clubs was during a promotion playoff at the start of the 2015 season. Cúcuta won the match and went on to clinch promotion to the top tier, while Bucaramanga finished dead last in the group after only playing two matches. "Fortaleza Leoparda Sur"
6084-434: Was unable to replicate this performance in the following two years and were relegated at the end of the 2007 season , however, they were immediately promoted back the following year, defeating Deportivo Rionegro in the 2008 Primera B final. Real Cartagena were relegated for the fourth time in history in 2012, after a 2–0 defeat at the hands of La Equidad left them unable to catch up with Patriotas and Cúcuta Deportivo in
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