Defensor Sporting

History

Founded on 15 March 1913, as Club Atlético Defensor, with heavyweight in soccer, the name of the club was changed in 1989 to Defensor Sporting Club after a merger with Sporting Club Uruguay, originally a basketball club. They played in the first professional league season in Uruguay, the 1932 Uruguayan Primera División.

Defensor has won many qualifying tournaments (Pre-Liguilla) to the Copa Libertadores and has represented Uruguay on numerous occasions internationally. Regarded as one of the teams that creates and develops many players in Uruguay that become successful players worldwide, It is the first club of numerous players like Jorge "Polilla" da Silva, Sergio "Manteca" Martínez, Sebastián Abreu, Andrés Fleurquin, Marcelo Tejera, Darío Silva, Gonzalo Vargas, Diego "Ruso" Pérez, Nicolás Olivera, Martín Cáceres, Maxi Pereira, Álvaro González, and Tabaré Viúdez.

Legendary coach Prof. José Ricardo de León brought Defensor to the national championship in 1976 and originated a football (fútbol) school of thought, consistently criticized as ultra defensive, that is still present nowadays in several teams and coaches.

In September 2007, the club was considered the World's Club Team of the Month by the IFFHS.

Stadium

Main article: Estadio Luis Franzini

Defensor plays its home games at its own stadium called Estadio Luis Franzini which has a capacity for 18,000 spectators. The stadium was opened on 31 December 1963, and is located in Parque Rodó, Montevideo.

Rivalries

Defensor Sporting has had a rivalry with Danubio in recent years, because of the two clubs being the next biggest clubs in Uruguay after the historical two: Peñarol and Nacional. Matches between them are called the "Clásico de los medianos" (Spanish for Classic of the Mediums).

Honours

Senior titles

;Keys

• Shared record

Performance in CONMEBOL competitions

• Copa Libertadores: 17 appearances ::1977: Group Stage ::1980: Group Stage ::1982: Group Stage ::1990: Round of 16 ::1992: Round of 16 ::1994: Round of 16 ::1996: Round of 16 ::2001: Group Stage ::2006: First Round ::2007: Quarter-finals ::2009: Quarter-finals ::2012: Group Stage ::2013: First Stage ::2014: Semi-finals ::2018: Group Stage ::2019: Third Qualifying Stage ::2024: First Qualifying Stage

• U-20 Copa Libertadores: 1 appearance ::2012: Runner-up

• Copa Sudamericana: 8 appearances ::2005: Second Round ::2007: Quarter-finals ::2008: Round of 16 ::2010: Round of 16 ::2015: Quarter-finals ::2017: First Stage ::2018: Second Stage ::2023: First Stage

• Copa CONMEBOL: 2 appearances ::1995: First Round ::1997: First Round

Kit evolution

pattern_la = | pattern_b = _lightbluehorizontal| pattern_ra = | leftarm = 000000 | body = 000000| rightarm = 000000 | shorts = 000000 | socks = 000000 | title = 1913 pattern_la = | pattern_b = | pattern_ra = | leftarm = A76BCF | body = A76BCF| rightarm = A76BCF | shorts = FFFFFF | socks = A76BCF | title = 1915–present pattern_la = | pattern_b = | pattern_ra = | leftarm = A76BCF | body = A76BCF| rightarm = A76BCF | shorts = 000000 | socks = A76BCF | title = 1922–25 pattern_la = | pattern_b = _whitehorizontal| pattern_ra = | leftarm = 0000FF | body = 0000FF| rightarm = 0000FF | shorts = FFFFFF | socks = FFFFFF | title = 1989 away pattern_la = | pattern_b = | pattern_ra = | leftarm = A76BCF | body = A76BCF| rightarm = A76BCF | shorts = ffffff | socks = ffffff | title = 1960s–1980s & 1993 pattern_la = | pattern_b = _whitehoops | pattern_ra = | leftarm = FFFFFF | body = A76BCF| rightarm = FFFFFF | shorts = FFFFFF | socks = FFFFFF | title = 2001 away

Current squad

Out on loan

Notable coaches

• Uruguay Hugo Bagnulo (1952–1957; 1960–1961)
• Uruguay Gregorio Pérez (1983–1984)
• Uruguay Juan Ahuntchaín (1996)
• Uruguay Ricardo Ortiz (1996–1997)
• Uruguay Juan Tejera (2004–2005)
• Uruguay Jorge da Silva (2005–2009)
• Uruguay Gustavo Ferrín (2009–2010)
• Uruguay Pablo Repetto (2010–2011)
• Uruguay Gustavo Díaz (2011–2012)
• Uruguay Tabaré Silva (2012–2013)
• Uruguay Fernando Curutchet (2013–2014)
• Uruguay Mauricio Larriera (2015–2016)
• Uruguay Eduardo Acevedo (2016–2018)

References

References

1. (20 December 2007). "The World's club Team of the Month".