Defensor Sporting

Defensor Sporting
Full nameDefensor Sporting Club
Nickname(s)El Violeta
La Viola
El Tuerto
El Defe
La Farola
La Cometa
Founded15 March 1913; 111 years ago (1913-03-15)
GroundEstadio Luis Franzini,
Montevideo, Uruguay
Capacity16,000
ChairmanAlberto Ward
CoachÁlvaro Navarro
LeaguePrimera División
2024Primera División, 4th of 16
Websitewww.defensorsporting.com.uy

Defensor Sporting Club is a sports club based in Montevideo, Uruguay. Founded in 1913, Defensor has several sports sections, with football and basketball being the most important and the ones in which the club has achieved significant achievements in Uruguay and internationally.

It is the third most highest winning club in Uruguay, with 24 official titles, only surpassed by Peñarol and Club Nacional de Football. The club's best performance at the international stage was in 2014, when they reached the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores, eventually losing to Club Nacional 2–1 on aggregate. They have won the Uruguayan Championship four times: in 1976, 1987, 1991, and 2007-08. Their 1976 title win was especially notable in Uruguay's football history as it ended 44 years of dominance by Nacional and Peñarol.

History

Founded on 15 March 1913, as Club Atlético Defensor, the name of the club was changed in 1989 to Defensor Sporting Club after a merger with Sporting Club Uruguay. 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.[1]

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).[citation needed]

Honours

Senior titles

Keys
  •   Record
  • (s) Shared record
Type Competition Titles Winning years
National
(League) 		Primera División 4 1976, 1987, 1991, 2008
Segunda División 2 1950, 1965
Segunda División (1903-1914) 1
1914
Divisional Tercera Extra 1
1913
Half-year / Short
tournament
(League) 		Torneo Apertura 4
1994, 2007, 2010, 2017
Torneo Clausura 4
1997, 2009, 2012, 2013
National
(Cups) 		Copa AUF Uruguay 3
Liguilla Pre-Libertadores 8
1976, 1979, 1981, 1989, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2006
Campeonato Nacional General Artigas 1
1960
Torneo Cuadrangular 1
1957

Performance in CONMEBOL competitions

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
2012: Runner-up
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
1995: First Round
1997: First Round

Kit evolution

Current squad

As of 6 October 2024

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Uruguay URU Matías Dufour
2 DF Uruguay URU Lucas Ymbert
3 DF Uruguay URU Guillermo de los Santos
4 DF Uruguay URU Rodrigo Cabrera
6 MF Uruguay URU Mauricio Amaro
7 FW Argentina ARG Claudio Spinelli
8 MF Uruguay URU Francisco Barrios
11 FW Uruguay URU Lucas Agazzi
12 GK Uruguay URU Kevin Dawson
13 FW Uruguay URU Augusto Cambón
14 DF Argentina ARG Renzo Giampaoli (on loan from Boca Juniors)
15 DF Uruguay URU Juan Viacava
16 DF Uruguay URU José Álvarez
17 FW Argentina ARG Felipe Cadenazzi
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 MF Uruguay URU Agustín Soria
19 FW Uruguay URU Pablo Viudez
20 DF Uruguay URU Patricio Pacífico
21 MF Uruguay URU Joaquín Valiente
22 MF Peru PER Alfonso Barco
23 GK Uruguay URU Bruno Simone
24 FW Uruguay URU Brian Mansilla (on loan from Peñarol)
25 MF Mexico MEX Xavier Biscayzacú
27 MF Uruguay URU Juan Manuel Jorge
28 MF Brazil BRA Luan Brito (on loan from Fluminense)
29 FW Uruguay URU Rodrigo Dudok
30 MF Uruguay URU Erico Cuello
32 MF Argentina ARG Walter Montoya

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW Uruguay URU Facundo Labandeira (at CRB until 31 December 2024)
— MF Uruguay URU Nicolás Wunsch (at Cerro until 31 December 2024)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW Uruguay URU Diego Abreu (at Deportivo Toluca until 31 December 2024)

Notable former players

Notable coaches

References

  1. ^ "The World's club Team of the Month". IFFHS. 20 December 2007. Archived from the original on 21 December 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
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