Atlético Nacional

For Panamanian club, see Sociedad Deportiva Atlético Nacional.

For Honduran club, see Atlético Nacional (Honduran football club).

Atlético Nacional

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Full name	Club Atlético Nacional S. A.
Nickname(s)	Los Verdolagas (The Purslanes), El Verde (The Green), Rey de Copas (King of Cups), El Verde de la Montaña (The Green from the Mountains), El Verde Paisa (The Paisa Green), El Siempre Verde (The Evergreen)
Founded	1947 (1947)
Ground	Estadio Atanasio Girardot Medellín, Colombia
Ground Capacity	44,765
Owner	Organización Ardila Lülle
Chairman	Juan Carlos de la Cuesta
Manager	Reinaldo Rueda
League	Categoría Primera A
2015	1st (Finalización champion)
Website	Club home page
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Club Atlético Nacional S. A., also known as Atlético Nacional, is a professional Colombian football team based in Medellín, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. Considered to be one of the strongest clubs from Colombia, it is one of the most consistent clubs in the country.

The club was founded on 7 March 1947 by former president of the league of Antioquia, Luis Alberto Villegas López. The club was first placed under the name of Club Atlético Municipal de Medellín. In 1996, the company in which administrated the club, Organización Ardila Lülle, officially acquired Nacional. Many Colombian legends have originated from Nacional such as Rene Higuita, Juan Camilo Zúñiga, Iván Córdoba, Juan Pablo Angel, David Ospina and most noticeably, Andrés Escobar and Víctor Aristizábal, among many others.

They play their home games at the Atanasio Girardot stadium, with a capacity of over 40,000. They share the same stadium with local bitter rivals, Independiente Medellín, said rivalry is known as El Clásico Paisa. Infamous for its aggressive background, it is considered to be one of the most important derbies in Colombia, as well as one of the most important in South America. All while being recognized by FIFA as a 'classic' match-up. Nacional is also known to have rivalries with Millonarios by the El Clásico de la rivalidad regional derby, and América de Cali. Although these rivalries are based on rivaling success; with Millonarios originally being the club that had the most domestic trophies before Nacional surpassed their count in 2015, whereas America has met with Nacional on numerous occasions during league/cup finals.

A strong rich history, Atlético Nacional has won 15 league titles, one Superliga Colombiana title, and two Copa Colombia titles, earning a total of 18 domestic titles, making them the most successful team in Colombia. It is also the first Colombian team to win the Copa Libertadores de América in 1989 thus marking the era of Colombian football. They also have the most international titles of any Colombian club, having won also the Copa Merconorte twice and the Copa Interamericana twice, having a total of five international trophies to their name. They are also one of the only three teams to play every first division tournament in the country, with the other two teams being Millonarios and Santa Fe.

Due to their success, Atlético Nacional is ranked 5th in the rankings of American clubs by IFFHS, and is ranked as the best Colombian club within the 21st century. It is also credited as the best Colombian team in CONMEBOL club tournaments.

History

The club Unión, now known as Club Atlético Nacional, was founded in 1947 by Luis Alberto Villegas Lopera, Jorge Osorio, Alberto Eastman, Jaime Restrepo, Gilberto Molina, Raúl Zapata Lotero, Jorge Gómez Jaramillo, Arturo Torres Posada and Julio Ortiz. Atlético Nacional was the first Colombian team to win the Copa Libertadores de América, which they did in 1989. They were also runners-up in 1995. The winning of this cup was done in a special manner, since all of the team's players were Colombian; thus Atlético Nacional earned the nickname "Puros Criollos" (All Creoles). The late 1980s to mid-1990s teams are considered as the best individual teams of all time in Colombia, partly because of contributing to forming the framework for the teams that disputed the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cups, considered the best Colombian national teams of all time to that day. The club is the most successful team of the short tournaments, first instituted in 2002, with six titles out of twenty one that have been played to date (2013-II).

The team has won the Fútbol Profesional Colombiano 15 times, in 1954, 1973, 1976, 1981, 1991, 1994, 1999 (when there was only one champion per year), 2005, 2007-I, 2007-II, 2011-I, 2013-I, 2013-II, 2014-I and 2015-II. For fifteen years, from 1989 to 2004, the team was the only Colombian team to win the Copa Libertadores (until Once Caldas defeated Boca Juniors). Until 1999, it was the only Colombian team to win any major international tournament (when América de Cali defeated Independiente Santa Fe in the Copa Merconorte). Regarding the Copa Libertadores, it was the first out of only four American teams representing a country with a Pacific Ocean coastline to win the tournament, followed by Colo-Colo from Chile in 1991, Once Caldas in 2004 and LDU Quito from Ecuador in 2008.

Atlético Nacional has been home to international stars like Faustino Asprilla, René Higuita, Víctor Aristizábal, John Jairo Tréllez, Andrés Escobar, Iván Córdoba, Albeiro Usuriaga, Aquivaldo Mosquera, Juan Camilo Zúñiga, Mauricio Serna, Juan Pablo Ángel y Juan Fernando Quintero among others. Historical legends of the team also include: Humberto Álvarez, Javier Santa, Gerardo Moncada, Abel Álvarez, Hernán Darío Herrera, Pedro Sarmiento, Victor Luna, Luis Fernando "Chonto" Herrera, Leonel Álvarez, Alexis García, Aldo Leao Ramírez, and Jairo Patiño. The best foreign players in its history include Oscar Rossi, Manuel "Tito" Gómez, Cesar Cueto, Raul Navarro, Sergio Santín, Lorenzo Carrábs, Hugo Morales, and Gaston Pezzuti. The team is currently owned by Carlos Ardila Lülle of Organización Ardila Lülle, and Jaime Restrepo. Restrepo is the only person remaining from the founders (see above); the others sold their ownership to Carlos Ardila. The team wears green and white vertically striped jerseys. Nacional's mascot is Nacho, a tiger with green and white striped shirt. Nacho was created in 1998.

The team is the only Colombian squad that has won the two domestic short-format tournaments twice, awarded in 2007 and 2013, as well as the only one that has achieved two consecutive titles since the format was changed in 2001. América de Cali also has consecutive titles in 2000 and 2001-I, but the 2000 tournament was held with the long format.

Nacional's head coach since 2012, Juan Carlos Osorio, has proven to be a successful yet controversial steersman, as he uses a rotatory system that varies with each match that is played. As such, and for the first time in the team's history, there is not a definitive main team nor there are permanent subs. With this system, he has achieved a Copa Colombia and a Superleague in 2012, and three domestic leagues the two leagues disputed in 2013 and the first tournament in 2014. It has been controversial, since as such, the team does not resort to individual talent or flashy displays of football. Veteran and seasoned players like Colombian international striker Juan Pablo Angel do not have a permanent place in the main team.

Rivalries

Main article: El Clásico Paisa

Atlético Nacional has had a long rivalry with Independiente Medellín. When the two teams face each other it is considered one of the most important matches in Colombia. The rivalry increased in the early 1990s as Independiente Medellín was growing stronger year by year. Currently both teams are considered among the top teams in Colombia.

Colors

The colors of the team are derived from the flags of the province of Antioquia and the city of Medellín.

The club's main nickname, Verdolagas was coined early in the club's history, with association to the purslane plant, endemic to the Paisa region since pre-Columbian times though very few people make the association. The plant blooms a diminutive yellow, white or red flower; the white variety is the most common in the region, giving the color scheme to the team. It is also noteworthy that Antioquia has a great tradition regarding the planting of flowers, most notoriously during the Festival of Flowers. The nickname is also associated with the Argentinian club Ferro Carril Oeste, that shares the same color scheme.

The purslane plant or verdolaga; the white variety is associated with the club's color scheme.

Flag	Use
	Flag of Antioquia
	Flag of Medellín

Stadium

Further information: Estadio Atanasio Girardot

Atlético Nacional plays at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot, which is owned by the Municipality of Medellín and is shared with Independiente Medellín, this scenario is located in the west of the city and has a capacity of 45,000 spectators, all seated. It was inaugurated on March 19, 1953 in a quadrangular between Nacional, Alianza Lima of Peru, Flamengo of Brazil and Deportivo Cali. The first game in the new stadium was played between Atlético Nacional and Alianza Lima with a 2–2 draw.

Before the construction of the stadium, when Union F.C. still existed in 1935, the parties of the Antioquia Football League were played on the soccer field of the Racecourse Los Libertadores. Then by 1948, with the creation of Colombian Professional Soccer, Atlético Municipal played his first professional match at the racetrack-stadium San Fernando from Itagüí until 1952 when it stop playing there.

The club has played six finals of the Colombian championship at this stage which has won four and lost two, also played in the final of the 1995 Copa Libertadores, the final of the 2002 Copa Sudamericana and 2014, the final of the 1990 Copa Interamericana, Merconorte the end of the 1998 Cup and the final of the 2000 Copa Merconorte.

The club has played six finals of the Colombian championship at this stage which has won four and lost two, also played in the final of the 1995 Copa Libertadores, the final of the 2002 and 2014 Copa Sudamericana, the final of the 1990 Copa Interamericana, 1998 Copa Merconorte and the final of the 2000 Copa Merconorte.

Honours

National honours

• Fútbol Profesional Colombiano:

Winners (15): 1954, 1973, 1976, 1981, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2005-I, 2007-I, 2007-II, 2011-I, 2013-I, 2013-II, 2014-I, 2015-II

Runners-up (10): 1955, 1965, 1971, 1974, 1988, 1990, 1992, 2002-I, 2004-I, 2004-II

• Copa Colombia:

Winners (2): 2012, 2013

• Superliga Colombiana:

Winners (1): 2012

International honours

• Copa Libertadores: 17 appearances

Winners (1): 1989

Runners-up (1): 1995

• Copa Merconorte: 4 appearances

Winners (2): 1998, 2000

• Copa Sudamericana: 6 appearances

Runners-up (2): 2002, 2014

Semifinals (1): 2003

• Copa Interamericana: 2 appearances

Winners (2): 1990, 1995

• Recopa Sudamericana: 1 appearance

Runners-up (1): 1990

• Intercontinental Cup: 1 appearance

Runners-up (1): 1989

• Copa EuroAmericana: 2 appearances

Winners (1): 2013

Players

Current squad

As of 13 January 2016

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

No. Position Player 1 GK Cristian Bonilla 2 DF Daniel Bocanegra 3 DF Felipe Aguilar 4 MF Brayan Rovira 5 DF Francisco Nájera 6 DF Tomás Maya 8 MF Diego Arias 9 FW Jefferson Duque 10 MF Macnelly Torres 12 DF Alexis Henríquez 13 MF Alexander Mejia (on loan from C.F. Monterrey) 15 MF Juan Pablo Nieto 16 FW Jonathan Copete 17 FW Sebastián Támara 18 MF Alejandro Guerra (on loan from Mineros de Guayana) 19 DF Farid Díaz 20 MF Alejandro Bernal

No. Position Player 22 DF Gilberto García 23 DF Diego Peralta 24 MF Sebastián Pérez Cardona 26 DF Dávinson Sánchez 27 FW Luis Carlos Ruiz 28 FW Orlando Berrío 29 FW Marlos Moreno 34 GK Franco Armani 35 GK Luis Enrique Martínez – MF Sherman Cárdenas – MF Andres Ibargüen – DF Daniel Londoño – DF David Castañeda – FW Arley Rodriguez – MF Dayron Mosquera – MF John Sánchez – FW Rodin Quiñónes

Out on loan

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

No. Position Player – DF Miller Mosquera (at La Equidad) – GK Christian Vargas (at Atlético Huila) – GK Camilo Vargas (at Argentinos Juniors) – MF Yulián Mejía (at Millonarios) – DF Felipe Álvarez (at Alianza Petrolera) – DF Juan Arboleda (at Alianza Petrolera) – DF Deivy Balanta (at Alianza Petrolera) – DF Cristian Cassiani (at Leones) – DF Julián Franco (at Leones) – DF José Luis García (at Real Santander) – DF Esteban Morales (at Bogotá) – DF Luis Muriel (at Alianza Petrolera) – DF Jeisson Palacios (at Alianza Petrolera)

No. Position Player – MF Jonathan Álvarez (at La Equidad) – MF Daniel Arango (at Bogotá) – MF Níver Arango (at Alianza Petrolera) – MF Víctor Cantillo (at Leones) – MF Rafael Carrascal (at Alianza Petrolera) – MF Julián Mendoza (at Real Cartagena) – MF Félix Micolta (at Marítimo) – MF Cristian Palomeque (at San Antonio Scorpions) – MF Santiago Tréllez (at Libertad) – FW Leonardo Acevedo (at Porto) – FW Diego Álvarez (at Envigado) – FW Jhoaho Hinestroza (at Cúcuta Deportivo) – FW Ángelo Rodríguez (at Envigado)

Notable players

Main article: List of Atlético Nacional players

Managers

Main article: List of Atlético Nacional managers

Affiliated clubs

• Alianza Petrolera

External links

• Nacional official website