Atlético Junior
Encyclopedia
Corporación Popular Deportiva Junior, known simply as Junior or by its former name Atlético Junior, is a Colombia
n football
team based in Barranquilla
. The club was founded in 1924
Known as "Los Tiburones" (The Sharks), or "El Equipo Tiburón" (The Shark Team) have won the Colombian professional football championship six times (1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004, 2010). Club legends include Heleno de Freitas
, Garrincha
, Juan Ramón Verón
, Efraín Sánchez
, Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama and Julio César Uribe
.
and 1995
. The team also included players such as Alexis Mendoza
, Víctor Danilo Pacheco, Miguel "Niche" Guerrero, Cristian Montecinos
and Ivan Rene Valenciano, which is the all-time scorer of the team with 158 goals.
Thereafter, the club owners focused on creating talent from within, and following years of up and downs, the club became once again national champions in December 2004, after scoring in the last minute and beating Atlético Nacional
from Medellín
in penalty kicks. The star of that season was the Argentine Omar Sebastian Perez, who earned the love and respect of the team's fans not only for his great technique and high quality of play, but for the way he blended with the rest of the team. Currently the team is one of the most important in Colombia
and is led by coach Oscar Hector Quintabani. Its best current players are Giovanni Hernandez, Carlos Bacca, and Sebastián Viera
.
They have participated several times in Conmebol
's Copa Libertadores de América
, where they ended up in 3rd place In 1994. One penalty kick away by Ronald Valderrama (Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama 's brother) from reaching the final, they ended up losing against Vélez Sarsfield, who would then become the tournament's champion that year.
Around 1940s (and the club's name was shortened to simply Junior) they became known as one of the country's best clubs. In 1945 the players of Junior were selected to represent Colombia at the South American Championship (now known as the Copa América), finishing a respectable fifth (though losing 7-0 to Uruguay and 9-1 to Argentina along the way). In 1949 they were again selected to represent Colombia (finishing last place) but this time their decision to play would have its consequences.
In 1948 Junior were founder members of División Mayor del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano (commonly known as the Dimayor). Their debut match as a professional outfit came at home on August 15, 1948 against Deportivo Cali, which ended in a 2-0 victory for the home side. Early the following year they were again chosen to play as the de facto Colombia national team. Because of ongoing strife between Adefutbol (the original amateur Colombian football association) and the Dimayor, Junior were threatened with expulsion from the Dimayor if they participated. They went ahead and did so and were initially given a two year suspension from the league. This was later reduced to one year and they returned to the Dimayor for the 1950 season.
This was the golden age of Colombian football commonly referred to as El Dorado (football)
, a time when the Dimayor was a "rebel league" unaffiliated with FIFA and many high-profile players from around the world broke their contracts and came to play. Junior were no exception, picking up players from Brazil, Argentina, Hungary and the Czech Republic in these years. But El Dorado eventually came to an end for Colombian football and for Junior and the club left the Dimayor because of financial problems after the 1953 season.
A way ahead surfaced in the mid-1960s when a rift had again developed in Colombian football, this time between Adefutbol and the newly-created Federación Colombiana de Fútbol, an organization devoted to developing professional football in the country. Adefutbol was still the official body in the eyes of FIFA
and organized the national team in this period and additionally Colombian clubs did not enter the Copa Libertadores. Peace was finally made and the bulk of the amateur team that had attempted to qualify for the England World Cup signed up for Junior, who returned to the Dimayor in 1966. Junior have remained in the top level ever since.
In 1977 Junior won their first Colombian championship, finishing first place in the Apertura. They won further championships in 1980, 1993, 1995 and the 2004-II (Finalización). Junior have appeared in the Copa Libertadores nine times (reaching the semifinals in 1994), and the Copa Sudamericana
and Copa CONMEBOL once each.
The red and white striped colors of Junior's shirt (and logo) are derived from the similarly colored flag of the Atlántico Department
. The six stars of the logo represent the number of national championships Junior have won.
In February 2011, Panamanian defender Luis Moreno is facing sanctions after he kicked an injured owl that landed on the field during a game when his Colombian club Deportivo Pereira was playing Atletico Junior. The owl, which later died of its injuries was a mascot for Atletico Junior. The owl had landed injured near the corner of the field when Moreno walked over and kicked it about three yards. Atletico Junior fans shouted "murder, murder."
, which also has been home to the Colombian national football team
The stadium holds up to 60,000 people, making it the largest in Colombia. It was built for the failed Colombian World Cup bid in 1986. It was inaugurated in 1986 with a game between Uruguay and Atletico Junior, which the Uruguayans won 2-1. The first official name of the stadium was "Estadio Metropolitano", which was changed around 1991 in order to honor a hero of Colombian football, Roberto Melendez. This was the official stadium for the national football team of Colombia, until 2006. The stadium is currently in renovation since Colombia will be hosting the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup
Edgardo Bauza
Juan Carlos Delménico Carlos Ischia
Omar Sebastián Pérez
José Daniel Ponce
Juan Ramón Verón
Dida
Garrincha
Heleno de Freitas
Víctor Ephanor
Cristián Montecinos
Nelson Tapia Alfredo Arango Martín Arzuaga
Jorge Bolaño
José Kaor Doku Rigoberto "Memuerde" García Giovanni Hernandez Roberto Meléndez
Alexis Mendoza
Víctor Danilo Pacheco
Efraín "El Caimán" Sánchez
Macnelly Torres
Carlos Valderrama Didí Álex Valderrama Iván Valenciano Julio César Uribe
Julio Comesaña
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team based in Barranquilla
Barranquilla
Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
. The club was founded in 1924
1924 in football (soccer)
The following are the football events of the year 1924 throughout the world.-Clubs formed in 1924:* 7 August : Foundation of club Peruvian Universitario de Deportes and Colombian Junior de Barranquilla...
Known as "Los Tiburones" (The Sharks), or "El Equipo Tiburón" (The Shark Team) have won the Colombian professional football championship six times (1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004, 2010). Club legends include Heleno de Freitas
Heleno de Freitas
Heleno de Freitas was a Brazilian footballer.The striker spent most of his career with Botafogo, scoring 209 goals for the club, most with his head. In 1948 he transferred to Boca Juniors in Argentina, but returned to Brazil the following year, winning the 1949 Campeonato Carioca with Vasco...
, Garrincha
Garrincha
Manuel Francisco dos Santos , known by the nickname "Garrincha" , was an association football right winger and forward who helped the Brazil national team win the World Cups of 1958 and 1962. He played the majority of his professional career for Brazilian club Botafogo.The word garrincha itself...
, Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón is an Argentine football coach and former professional player.-Estudiantes:Nicknamed La Bruja , Juan Ramón Verón was a midfielder and striker renowned for his technical ability. He played for Estudiantes de La Plata, who were a dominant force in Argentine football during the late...
, Efraín Sánchez
Efraín Sánchez
Efraín Elías "El Caimán" Sánchez Casimiro is a former Colombian footballer who was a goalkeeper. He competed for the Colombian national football team at the 1962 FIFA World Cup which was held in Chile, and was played in San Lorenzo de Almagro, of Argentina, in 1948.After retiring as a player...
, Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama and Julio César Uribe
Julio César Uribe
Julio César Uribe Flores is a Peruvian football manager and former player. Uribe is currently the manager of Peruvian First Division club Unión Comercio since the second half of the 2011 Descentraliazado season....
.
Overview
The pride of Colombia's Caribbean coast, it had a golden age in the mid-90's, when under the conduction of Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama, it won two of its championships, in 19931993 in football (soccer)
The following are the football events of the year 1993 throughout the world.-Events:*February 18 – Dutch club Roda JC fires head coach and former player Adrie Koster....
and 1995
1995 in football (soccer)
The following are the football events of the year 1995 throughout the world.-Events:*Copa Libertadores 1995: Won by Grêmio after defeating Atlético Nacional on an aggregate score of 4-2....
. The team also included players such as Alexis Mendoza
Alexis Mendoza
Alexis Antonio Mendoza Barrina is a retired football defender who was capped 67 times and scored 2 international goals for Colombia between 1987 and 1997.-International career:...
, Víctor Danilo Pacheco, Miguel "Niche" Guerrero, Cristian Montecinos
Cristian Montecinos
Cristian Antonio Montecinos González a retired Chilean football player who played for a number of teams in Chile, Colombia, Mexico and also in the United Arab Emirates, as well as playing for national team.-Club career:...
and Ivan Rene Valenciano, which is the all-time scorer of the team with 158 goals.
Thereafter, the club owners focused on creating talent from within, and following years of up and downs, the club became once again national champions in December 2004, after scoring in the last minute and beating Atlético Nacional
Atlético Nacional
Corporación Deportiva Atlético Nacional is a Colombian football team based in Medellín. They play their home games at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot stadium which also serves as home to Deportivo Independiente Medellín...
from Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
in penalty kicks. The star of that season was the Argentine Omar Sebastian Perez, who earned the love and respect of the team's fans not only for his great technique and high quality of play, but for the way he blended with the rest of the team. Currently the team is one of the most important in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and is led by coach Oscar Hector Quintabani. Its best current players are Giovanni Hernandez, Carlos Bacca, and Sebastián Viera
Sebastián Viera
Mario Sebastián Viera Galaín is an Uruguayan professional footballer who plays for Junior Barranquilla in Colombia, as a goalkeeper.-Club career:...
.
They have participated several times in Conmebol
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
's Copa Libertadores de América
Copa Libertadores de América
The Copa Santander Libertadores de América , known simply as the Copa Libertadores and originally known as the Copa Campeones de América , is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960...
, where they ended up in 3rd place In 1994. One penalty kick away by Ronald Valderrama (Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama 's brother) from reaching the final, they ended up losing against Vélez Sarsfield, who would then become the tournament's champion that year.
History
The history of the red, white and blue of Junior is long and proud. In the early 1920s a team named Juventus came into being at the Colegio Salesiano in the San Roque neighborhood of Barranquilla, unsurprisingly given the name made up primarily of Italian immigrants. Soon after its launch the name was changed to the Spanish Juventud, though both translate the same in English - youth. In August 1924 some of the younger members of Juventud along with other young men from San Roque created an offshoot of Juventud - Juventud Infantil.Around 1940s (and the club's name was shortened to simply Junior) they became known as one of the country's best clubs. In 1945 the players of Junior were selected to represent Colombia at the South American Championship (now known as the Copa América), finishing a respectable fifth (though losing 7-0 to Uruguay and 9-1 to Argentina along the way). In 1949 they were again selected to represent Colombia (finishing last place) but this time their decision to play would have its consequences.
In 1948 Junior were founder members of División Mayor del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano (commonly known as the Dimayor). Their debut match as a professional outfit came at home on August 15, 1948 against Deportivo Cali, which ended in a 2-0 victory for the home side. Early the following year they were again chosen to play as the de facto Colombia national team. Because of ongoing strife between Adefutbol (the original amateur Colombian football association) and the Dimayor, Junior were threatened with expulsion from the Dimayor if they participated. They went ahead and did so and were initially given a two year suspension from the league. This was later reduced to one year and they returned to the Dimayor for the 1950 season.
This was the golden age of Colombian football commonly referred to as El Dorado (football)
El Dorado (football)
El dorado was an era in the Colombia football league during the 1940s and early 1950s when the league broke away from FIFA. The Colombia football league turned professional in 1948. The Dimayor, the name of the league, broke away from FIFA after a dispute with the existing amateur football...
, a time when the Dimayor was a "rebel league" unaffiliated with FIFA and many high-profile players from around the world broke their contracts and came to play. Junior were no exception, picking up players from Brazil, Argentina, Hungary and the Czech Republic in these years. But El Dorado eventually came to an end for Colombian football and for Junior and the club left the Dimayor because of financial problems after the 1953 season.
A way ahead surfaced in the mid-1960s when a rift had again developed in Colombian football, this time between Adefutbol and the newly-created Federación Colombiana de Fútbol, an organization devoted to developing professional football in the country. Adefutbol was still the official body in the eyes of FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
and organized the national team in this period and additionally Colombian clubs did not enter the Copa Libertadores. Peace was finally made and the bulk of the amateur team that had attempted to qualify for the England World Cup signed up for Junior, who returned to the Dimayor in 1966. Junior have remained in the top level ever since.
In 1977 Junior won their first Colombian championship, finishing first place in the Apertura. They won further championships in 1980, 1993, 1995 and the 2004-II (Finalización). Junior have appeared in the Copa Libertadores nine times (reaching the semifinals in 1994), and the Copa Sudamericana
Copa Sudamericana
The Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...
and Copa CONMEBOL once each.
The red and white striped colors of Junior's shirt (and logo) are derived from the similarly colored flag of the Atlántico Department
Atlántico Department
Atlántico is a department of Colombia, located in northern Colombia with the Caribbean sea to its north, the Bolívar Department to its south, and the Magdalena Department to its east separated by the Magdalena River...
. The six stars of the logo represent the number of national championships Junior have won.
In February 2011, Panamanian defender Luis Moreno is facing sanctions after he kicked an injured owl that landed on the field during a game when his Colombian club Deportivo Pereira was playing Atletico Junior. The owl, which later died of its injuries was a mascot for Atletico Junior. The owl had landed injured near the corner of the field when Moreno walked over and kicked it about three yards. Atletico Junior fans shouted "murder, murder."
Mascot
Junior's unofficial mascot owl is a barn owl. It was kicked by Panamanian defender Luis Moreno during a football match between Atlético Junior and Deportivo Pereira. It was treated by a veterinarian, but later died of shock on Tuesday March 1, 2011, at 2.57am. Moreno was allegedly upset and worried, and did not mean to kill the owl. As it was about to be kicked, apparently the owl turned its head to look at Moreno. Soccer officials described the unfortunate owl as "practically a symbol for the Barranquillera fan", and suspended Moreno for two games, fining him $560. Some commentators suggested that kicking this owl could be the start of a slippery slope leading to children being injured.Stadium
Junior's home stadium is called Estadio Roberto Meléndez also known as Estadio MetropolitanoEstadio Metropolitano
Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez is a multi-use All-seater stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia. It is the home stadium of local football team Atlético Junior. The stadium holds 49,612, making it one of the largest in Colombia. It was built for the failed Colombian World Cup bid in 1986...
, which also has been home to the Colombian national football team
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
The stadium holds up to 60,000 people, making it the largest in Colombia. It was built for the failed Colombian World Cup bid in 1986. It was inaugurated in 1986 with a game between Uruguay and Atletico Junior, which the Uruguayans won 2-1. The first official name of the stadium was "Estadio Metropolitano", which was changed around 1991 in order to honor a hero of Colombian football, Roberto Melendez. This was the official stadium for the national football team of Colombia, until 2006. The stadium is currently in renovation since Colombia will be hosting the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup
2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the eighteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup since its inception in 1977 as the FIFA World Youth Championship. Colombia hosted the tournament between 29 July and 20 August 2011, with matches being played in eight cities...
National Honours
- Fútbol Profesional ColombianoFútbol Profesional ColombianoThe Categoría Primera A is the professional football league of Colombia. It is the country's premier football tournament and sits at the top of the Colombian football league system. Eighteen clubs play in the league. The División Mayor del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano, better known as Dimayor,...
: 6
-
- 1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004-II, 2010-I
Performance in CONMEBOL competitions
- Copa Libertadores: 11 appearances
-
- Best: Semi-Finals in 1994
- 1994: Semi-Finals
- Copa SudamericanaCopa SudamericanaThe Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...
: 1 appearance
-
- 2004: Quarter-Finals
- Copa CONMEBOLCopa CONMEBOLThe Copa CONMEBOL was an annual football cup competition organized by CONMEBOL between 1992 and 1999 for eligible South American football clubs. During its time of existence, it was the third most prestigious South American club football contest after the Copa Libertadores and Supercopa...
: 1 appearance
-
- 1992: Quarter-Finals
Current squad
- As of July 9, 2011
Selected former players
Carlos BabingtonCarlos Babington
Carlos Alberto Babington "El Inglés" is a former Argentine football striker. He represented the Argentine national team at the 1974 World Cup....
Edgardo Bauza
Edgardo Bauza
Edgardo Bauza is an Argentine former footballer and current manager of Ecuadorian club LDU Quito. Before taking up management, he played over 300 games for Rosario Central, a club he went on to manage. He also played for Independiente in Argentina, Atlético Junior in Colombia and Veracruz in Mexico...
Juan Carlos Delménico Carlos Ischia
Carlos Ischia
Carlos Ischia is a former Argentine footballer. He is currently the head coach of Deportivo Quito.-Playing career:...
Omar Sebastián Pérez
Omar Sebastián Pérez
Omar Sebastián Pérez is an Argentine football midfielder who plays for Santa Fe in Colombia.Peréz began his playing career with Boca Juniors in 2000, during his time with the club he was part of several championship winning squads...
José Daniel Ponce
José Daniel Ponce
José Daniel Ponce is a former Argentine football player, who was part of the Estudiantes de La Plata team that won two back-to-back championships in 1982 and 1983....
Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón is an Argentine football coach and former professional player.-Estudiantes:Nicknamed La Bruja , Juan Ramón Verón was a midfielder and striker renowned for his technical ability. He played for Estudiantes de La Plata, who were a dominant force in Argentine football during the late...
Dida
Edvaldo Alves de Santa Rosa
Edvaldo Alves de Santa Rosa , better known as Dida, was a Brazilian football player....
Garrincha
Garrincha
Manuel Francisco dos Santos , known by the nickname "Garrincha" , was an association football right winger and forward who helped the Brazil national team win the World Cups of 1958 and 1962. He played the majority of his professional career for Brazilian club Botafogo.The word garrincha itself...
Heleno de Freitas
Heleno de Freitas
Heleno de Freitas was a Brazilian footballer.The striker spent most of his career with Botafogo, scoring 209 goals for the club, most with his head. In 1948 he transferred to Boca Juniors in Argentina, but returned to Brazil the following year, winning the 1949 Campeonato Carioca with Vasco...
Víctor Ephanor
Cristián Montecinos
Cristian Montecinos
Cristian Antonio Montecinos González a retired Chilean football player who played for a number of teams in Chile, Colombia, Mexico and also in the United Arab Emirates, as well as playing for national team.-Club career:...
Nelson Tapia Alfredo Arango Martín Arzuaga
Martín Arzuaga
Martín Arzuaga is a professional footballer. A forward, he currently plays for Independiente Medellín in Colombia.- Career :...
Jorge Bolaño
Jorge Bolaño
Jorge Eladio Bolaño Correa is a Colombian football player, who currently plays for Corporación Nuevo Cúcuta Deportivo in the Categoría Primera A....
José Kaor Doku Rigoberto "Memuerde" García Giovanni Hernandez Roberto MeléndezRoberto Meléndez
Roberto Meléndez, nicknamed "El Flaco", was a Colombian football player and coach who played in the 1930s and 1940s, in the amateur era of the sport....
Alexis Mendoza
Alexis Mendoza
Alexis Antonio Mendoza Barrina is a retired football defender who was capped 67 times and scored 2 international goals for Colombia between 1987 and 1997.-International career:...
Víctor Danilo Pacheco
Efraín "El Caimán" Sánchez
Efraín Sánchez
Efraín Elías "El Caimán" Sánchez Casimiro is a former Colombian footballer who was a goalkeeper. He competed for the Colombian national football team at the 1962 FIFA World Cup which was held in Chile, and was played in San Lorenzo de Almagro, of Argentina, in 1948.After retiring as a player...
Macnelly Torres
Macnelly Torres
Macnelly Torres is a Colombian footballer who currently plays for Atlético Nacional and for the Colombia national football team best known for his very accurate through passes...
Carlos Valderrama Didí Álex Valderrama Iván Valenciano Julio César Uribe
Julio César Uribe
Julio César Uribe Flores is a Peruvian football manager and former player. Uribe is currently the manager of Peruvian First Division club Unión Comercio since the second half of the 2011 Descentraliazado season....
Julio Comesaña