CSD Municipal
Encyclopedia
Club Social y Deportivo Municipal, also known as Municipal or Los Rojos (the Reds), are a Guatemala
n professional football
club
based in Guatemala City
. They compete in the Liga Nacional
, the top division in the nation, and play their home matches at the Estadio Mateo Flores
.
The club was founded in 1936, and as of 2009, they are the team that has remained the most years at the top level in Guatemala, having done so since the inception of the national league in 1942. They are the nation's most successful team, having won the domestic league 28 times; their most recent title came in the 2010 Clausura tournament. Municipal are the only Guatemalan club ever to win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, a title they obtained in 1974. That win, as well as their second place finish in the Copa Interamericana
the same year remains the highest international achievement by a Guatemalan team.
Municipal are considered to be the most popular club in Guatemala, and are traditional arch-rivals of club Comunicaciones
, who are also located in the capital city.
(city hall) of the Guatemala City municipality
, hence the name Municipal, earning promotion to the maximum division (then called Liga Capitalina) in 1938. They finished in second place in their debut season, and have since remained in the top division.
title in the 1942-43 tournament, the first ever official national league championship in Guatemala. They won three of the following six tournaments, the other three being won by Tipografía Nacional
, whom which they had their first known rivalry. Municipal were coached by Manuel F. Carrera, one of the original founders of the club, and whose name was later given to the stadium where the team currently practices.
During the 1940s and early 1950s, Municipal's most emblematic player was the forward
Carlos "Pepino" Toledo, who wore the red shirt throughout his career. He helped the club win their first four league titles, the last of them coming at the 1954-55 tournament, which was Toledo's last year of play. He scored 129 career goals, a total which remains the fourth-highest in the history of the club, and was also one of the first nationwide-recognized players, becoming a member of the national team
. Later, he became Municipal's coach.
In 1948, Municipal won a friendly tournament in Havana, Cuba
that was celebrated as part of the commemoration acts of the Cuban Independence
. Toledo, Mario Camposeco
, and goalkeeper "Tarzan" Segura were members of that squad.
At the end of the 1950s, as Comunicaciones
emerged as one of the top contenders in the league – winning it three years in a row –, Municipal went 8 straight years without winning a championship, but then won three of them in the 1963-64, 1965–66, and 1969-70 seasons. These titles alternated with three titles won by Aurora FC
– another club from the city – and coincided with a decline for Comunicaciones in that decade. When Tipografía Nacional
faded as one of the top clubs of the nation, a fierce rivalry originated between Municipal and Comunicaciones, especially after the latter became the country's second most successful club, having won 7 of 14 league tournaments from 1956 to 1972. Both teams have been classic rivals
ever since, with the matches between them usually attracting the most spectators of any local club football event.
an coach Rubén Amorín
, who took the team to league titles in successive years for their first time ever. Amorín managed a group of players that included defender Alberto López Oliva, midfielder
s Benjamín Monterroso
and Emilio Mitrovich, and forward Julio César Anderson (who would become the highest goalscorer ever for the club, until surpassed in the 2000s by Juan Carlos Plata
), to their first international title, winning the 1974 Copa Fraternidad
. However, Municipal's greatest achievement occurred in that same year, when they won the IV CONCACAF Champions' Cup, becoming the first – and only to date – Guatemalan team to have won the confederation's top club competition. The Rojos then went on to play the Copa Interamericana
against Argentina
's "red team", CA Independiente
, on a two-leg playoff celebrated at the Estadio Mateo Flores
in Guatemala. The first leg, played November 24, 1974, was won by Independiente 1-0, on a goal by Ricardo Bochini
. Two days later, Municipal, in need of a win, beat the Argentines 1-0, thanks to a goal by the Argentine-born Mitrovich in the second half. With both teams equal in points and goal difference
, the match went to extra time, where there was no change in the score. The winner of the continental title was then decided on penalty kicks
. After misses by Anderson and Monterroso, Independiente won the shootout 4-2, and ended Municipal's international run.
, the club faced their worst period, unable to win any titles and even being close to dropping from the top division, playing a relegation mini-tournament in the 1981 season – which saw Tipografía Nacional
go down to the Division B. In 1982, Municipal struggled again, this time finishing ahead of the relegated team on goal differential.
. This time, the team won three consecutive championships for the first time ever, the first two being coached by Brindisi, and the third one by Walter Ormeño. In the 1991-92 season, almost two decades after his last title with the club, Rubén Amorín, on his second tenure, took Municipal to another league title.
Municipal were close to repeating the CONCACAF success of 1974 when the Champion's Cup finals were played in the Mateo Flores in Guatemala City in December 1993. The team faced Mexican club León
, Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica
and SV Robinhood
of Suriname
in a single round-robin tournament
. High expectations preceded those matches, as Municipal was in good form in the local tournament, unbeaten and at the top of the table; however, the team fell short of the title as all three matches between Municipal, Saprissa and León ended in draws, and Saprissa, who played against the weak Robinhood in the last matchday, beat the Surinamese team 9-0 and won the title on goal differential. Still, a fifth league championship in seven years came at the end of the 1993-94 season, under Argentine coach Horacio Cordero
.
fashion, Municipal won the title again after Comunicaciones had set a record by winning the previous four; Municipal surpassed that record in 2006 when they won the 2006 Apertura tournament, their fifth consecutive title, under coach Enzo Trossero
They also added third and fourth Central American titles by winning the Copa Interclubes UNCAF
in 2001 and 2004.
Municipal added three national league titles including the last two, to bring the total count to 28.
With their last championship won, the 2010 Apertura tournament, they have won 13 of the 22 titles in dispute since the current tournament's format was introduced.
The club's logo is based in the emblem of the Municipalidad de Guatemala, which is itself based in the original coat of arms
of the city of Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala
, with the image of Santiago (Saint James
) over the stylized scenery of the region. The team's version includes an image of the type of ball used at the time the club was founded, next to a blue and red striped canton
in between the former two elements. The circular field
is surrounded by the name of the team on a red background. It is not confirmed whether the team logo is copyrighted or not.
as their home ground, sharing it with Comunicaciones
since the 1950s until 1991, and again starting in 2005. Other stadiums hosted Municipal in the beginning, namely the Estadio Autonomía. The Estadio La Pedrera has been used when the Mateo Flores has not been available. The Estadio Manuel Felipe Carrera, also known as "Estadio El Trébol", has been the training venue for the team, and it has been occasionally used for official matches by the club; Municipal had an undefeated streak of 33 official matches in this ground from July 9, 1991 until March 7, 2008, when they lost to Deportivo Petapa
1-0 for the 2008 Clausura tournament.
.
The 28 national league titles won by Municipal are the most ever in Guatemala, and (as of the 2011 Apertura Championship), the second most ever by any CONCACAF
club behind Deportivo Saprissa (29 Costa Rican league
titles).
Juan Carlos Plata
is the team's all-time top goalscorer in league matches and overall. As of the end of 2009, Plata has scored 296 league goals and 403 overall goals with Municipal, the only club he has played for.
- Transferred from Firpo
Out: Pablo Hutt
- Transferred to Once Municipal
Leonardo Nicolas Díaz (GK), (2005–06)
José Emilio Mitrovich (MF), (1970's) Javier Delgado
(DF), (1997–98) Ronald Gómez (FW), (1998–99) Raul Magana
(GK) Juan Ramón Martínez
(FW) (1955–56) Pedro "Tarzan" Segura (GK) (1946–50) Mario Acevedo
(FW), (2001–09) Julio César Anderson (FW), (1969–84) Carlos Figueroa
(MF), (2001–03), (2004–07), (2009–10) Juan Manuel Funes
(MF), (1986–97)
Fredy García
(MF), (2003–04), (2004–09) Alberto López Oliva (DF), (1963–78) Benjamín Monterroso
(DF / MF), (1970–79) Marco Pappa
(MF), (2006–09) Selvyn Ponciano
(DF), (1994–09) Julio Rodas
(FW), (1988–94) German Ruano
(DF), (1993–09) Carlos Ruiz (FW), (1999–02) Carlos Toledo (FW), (1938–55) Juan Manuel Romo (GK), (1983–90)
Active
Sergio Guevara
(MF), (2003-) Juan Carlos Plata
(FW), (1989-) Guillermo Ramírez
(MF), (1997–00), (2003–08), (2010-)
Gonzalo Romero
(MF), (2001-) Jaime Penedo
(GK), (2007-)
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n professional 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...
club
Football team
A football team is the collective name given to a group of players selected together in the various team sports known as football.Such teams could be selected to play in an against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-star team or even selected as a...
based in Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
. They compete in the Liga Nacional
Liga Nacional de Guatemala
Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala , formerly known as Liga Mayor "A" is a professional football division in Guatemala, the highest one in the country. It is sanctioned by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala...
, the top division in the nation, and play their home matches at the Estadio Mateo Flores
Estadio Mateo Flores
The Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores is a multi-use national stadium in Guatemala City, the largest in Guatemala. It was built in 1948, to host the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1950, and was renamed after long-distance runner Mateo Flores, winner of the 1952 Boston Marathon...
.
The club was founded in 1936, and as of 2009, they are the team that has remained the most years at the top level in Guatemala, having done so since the inception of the national league in 1942. They are the nation's most successful team, having won the domestic league 28 times; their most recent title came in the 2010 Clausura tournament. Municipal are the only Guatemalan club ever to win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, a title they obtained in 1974. That win, as well as their second place finish in the Copa Interamericana
Copa Interamericana
Copa Interamericana was a football trophy contested between the champions of CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores de América and the winners of CONCACAF's Champions' Cup...
the same year remains the highest international achievement by a Guatemalan team.
Municipal are considered to be the most popular club in Guatemala, and are traditional arch-rivals of club Comunicaciones
Comunicaciones
Club Social y Deportivo Comunicaciones is a Guatemalan football club located in Guatemala City.The club is currently playing in the highest Guatemalan league, the Liga Nacional. Their home venue is the Estadio Cementos Progreso in the nation's capital. Nicknamed Cremas , they are the second-most...
, who are also located in the capital city.
History
The club was founded on May 17, 1936 by workers of the AyuntamientoAyuntamiento
Ayuntamiento In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . is the general term for the council of a municipality, or sometimes the municipality itself, in Spain and Latin America. Historically Ayuntamiento was often preceded by the word excelentísimo , when referring to...
(city hall) of the Guatemala City municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
, hence the name Municipal, earning promotion to the maximum division (then called Liga Capitalina) in 1938. They finished in second place in their debut season, and have since remained in the top division.
Early domestic success (1940s-1960s)
The team won its first national leagueLiga Nacional de Guatemala
Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala , formerly known as Liga Mayor "A" is a professional football division in Guatemala, the highest one in the country. It is sanctioned by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala...
title in the 1942-43 tournament, the first ever official national league championship in Guatemala. They won three of the following six tournaments, the other three being won by Tipografía Nacional
Tipografía Nacional (football club)
Tipografía Nacional is a defunct football club that was based in Guatemala City, Guatemala.It was one of the most traditional teams in the country in the 20th Century, and it remains the fourth-most successful club in the history of Guatemalan football in terms of national titles...
, whom which they had their first known rivalry. Municipal were coached by Manuel F. Carrera, one of the original founders of the club, and whose name was later given to the stadium where the team currently practices.
During the 1940s and early 1950s, Municipal's most emblematic player was the forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
Carlos "Pepino" Toledo, who wore the red shirt throughout his career. He helped the club win their first four league titles, the last of them coming at the 1954-55 tournament, which was Toledo's last year of play. He scored 129 career goals, a total which remains the fourth-highest in the history of the club, and was also one of the first nationwide-recognized players, becoming a member of the national team
Guatemala national football team
The Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
. Later, he became Municipal's coach.
In 1948, Municipal won a friendly tournament in Havana, Cuba
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
that was celebrated as part of the commemoration acts of the Cuban Independence
Cuban War of Independence
Cuban War of Independence was the last of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain, the other two being the Ten Years' War and the Little War...
. Toledo, Mario Camposeco
Mario Camposeco
Mario Salvador Camposeco López was a Guatemalan footballer.Born in Quetzaltenango, he started his football career in 1938 playing for the local team América. He then joined club Xelajú becoming its captain and helping the team become champion of the Quetzaltenango department for 10 consecutive...
, and goalkeeper "Tarzan" Segura were members of that squad.
At the end of the 1950s, as Comunicaciones
Comunicaciones
Club Social y Deportivo Comunicaciones is a Guatemalan football club located in Guatemala City.The club is currently playing in the highest Guatemalan league, the Liga Nacional. Their home venue is the Estadio Cementos Progreso in the nation's capital. Nicknamed Cremas , they are the second-most...
emerged as one of the top contenders in the league – winning it three years in a row –, Municipal went 8 straight years without winning a championship, but then won three of them in the 1963-64, 1965–66, and 1969-70 seasons. These titles alternated with three titles won by Aurora FC
Aurora FC
Aurora Fútbol Club are a Guatemalan professional football club. Once one of the most powerful teams in the country, the team has now been relegated to a lower division...
– another club from the city – and coincided with a decline for Comunicaciones in that decade. When Tipografía Nacional
Tipografía Nacional (football club)
Tipografía Nacional is a defunct football club that was based in Guatemala City, Guatemala.It was one of the most traditional teams in the country in the 20th Century, and it remains the fourth-most successful club in the history of Guatemalan football in terms of national titles...
faded as one of the top clubs of the nation, a fierce rivalry originated between Municipal and Comunicaciones, especially after the latter became the country's second most successful club, having won 7 of 14 league tournaments from 1956 to 1972. Both teams have been classic rivals
Local derby
In many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby means a sporting fixture between two, generally local, rivals, particularly in association football...
ever since, with the matches between them usually attracting the most spectators of any local club football event.
1970s: First international success
Starting in 1973, Municipal obtained a series of titles under UruguayUruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an coach Rubén Amorín
Rubén Amorín
Rubén Darío Amorín Mattos is an Uruguayan former football player and coach.-Coaching career:He has spent the majority of his coaching career in Guatemala, where he won a record eight national titles with three different clubs from 1964 to 1992, and took CSD Municipal to win the CONCACAF...
, who took the team to league titles in successive years for their first time ever. Amorín managed a group of players that included defender Alberto López Oliva, midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
s Benjamín Monterroso
Benjamín Monterroso
Benjamín Eduardo Monterroso Díaz is a Guatemalan football coach and former midfielder who spent the majority of his playing career at the local club CSD Municipal, and was the manager and was a former player of the Guatemala national team.-Playing career:Monterroso played for Municipal from 1970...
and Emilio Mitrovich, and forward Julio César Anderson (who would become the highest goalscorer ever for the club, until surpassed in the 2000s by Juan Carlos Plata
Juan Carlos Plata
Juan Carlos Plata is a Guatemalan retired football striker. He is the highest-scoring player in the history of Guatemala's top division...
), to their first international title, winning the 1974 Copa Fraternidad
Copa Interclubes UNCAF
The UNCAF Club Tournament was an annual international football competition held in the UNCAF region . The competition was open to the leading domestic club teams in the region. The winners of each national league qualified automatically. It also provided qualification places for the CONCACAF...
. However, Municipal's greatest achievement occurred in that same year, when they won the IV CONCACAF Champions' Cup, becoming the first – and only to date – Guatemalan team to have won the confederation's top club competition. The Rojos then went on to play the Copa Interamericana
Copa Interamericana
Copa Interamericana was a football trophy contested between the champions of CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores de América and the winners of CONCACAF's Champions' Cup...
against Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
's "red team", CA Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
, on a two-leg playoff celebrated at the Estadio Mateo Flores
Estadio Mateo Flores
The Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores is a multi-use national stadium in Guatemala City, the largest in Guatemala. It was built in 1948, to host the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1950, and was renamed after long-distance runner Mateo Flores, winner of the 1952 Boston Marathon...
in Guatemala. The first leg, played November 24, 1974, was won by Independiente 1-0, on a goal by Ricardo Bochini
Ricardo Bochini
Ricardo Enrique Bochini is an Argentine former professional football player. He is nicknamed El Bocha. Bochini was a childhood idol of Diego Maradona....
. Two days later, Municipal, in need of a win, beat the Argentines 1-0, thanks to a goal by the Argentine-born Mitrovich in the second half. With both teams equal in points and goal difference
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
, the match went to extra time, where there was no change in the score. The winner of the continental title was then decided on penalty kicks
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
. After misses by Anderson and Monterroso, Independiente won the shootout 4-2, and ended Municipal's international run.
1980s: Almost relegated
After winning another league title in 1976 and the 1977 Copa FraternidadCopa Interclubes UNCAF
The UNCAF Club Tournament was an annual international football competition held in the UNCAF region . The competition was open to the leading domestic club teams in the region. The winners of each national league qualified automatically. It also provided qualification places for the CONCACAF...
, the club faced their worst period, unable to win any titles and even being close to dropping from the top division, playing a relegation mini-tournament in the 1981 season – which saw Tipografía Nacional
Tipografía Nacional (football club)
Tipografía Nacional is a defunct football club that was based in Guatemala City, Guatemala.It was one of the most traditional teams in the country in the 20th Century, and it remains the fourth-most successful club in the history of Guatemalan football in terms of national titles...
go down to the Division B. In 1982, Municipal struggled again, this time finishing ahead of the relegated team on goal differential.
1990s: Return to the top
Success came again in 1987, with the first league title in 11 years, won under Argentine coach Miguel Ángel BrindisiMiguel Ángel Brindisi
Miguel Angel Brindisi is an Argentine football coach and former attacking midfield player. He played for the Argentine national team at the 1974 FIFA World Cup and currently works as manager.-Playing career:...
. This time, the team won three consecutive championships for the first time ever, the first two being coached by Brindisi, and the third one by Walter Ormeño. In the 1991-92 season, almost two decades after his last title with the club, Rubén Amorín, on his second tenure, took Municipal to another league title.
Municipal were close to repeating the CONCACAF success of 1974 when the Champion's Cup finals were played in the Mateo Flores in Guatemala City in December 1993. The team faced Mexican club León
Club León
Club León, is a Mexican professional football club based in the city of León, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. They currently play in the Liga De Ascenso formerly known as "Primera A", the second tier of football in Mexico since their relegation from the Primera Division in 2002.León has won...
, Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
and SV Robinhood
SV Robinhood
Sporting Vereniging Robinhood is a Surinamese football club based in Paramaribo that competes in the Surinamese Hoofdklasse, the highest level of football in Suriname. Founded on 6 February 1945, Robinhood is the most successful club in Surinamese football, having won a record 23 league titles, and...
of Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
in a single round-robin tournament
Round-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
. High expectations preceded those matches, as Municipal was in good form in the local tournament, unbeaten and at the top of the table; however, the team fell short of the title as all three matches between Municipal, Saprissa and León ended in draws, and Saprissa, who played against the weak Robinhood in the last matchday, beat the Surinamese team 9-0 and won the title on goal differential. Still, a fifth league championship in seven years came at the end of the 1993-94 season, under Argentine coach Horacio Cordero
Horacio Cordero
Horacio Raúl Cordero Vásquez is an Argentine football manager and former player.-Playing career:Cordero played for a number of clubs in Argentina including Argentinos Juniors, Racing Club, Unión de Santa Fe, Cipoletti, Deportivo Morón and Sarmiento de Junín.He also played in Colombia for...
.
2000s: A Decade of Success
In 2000, after the league's competition format was changed to two yearly tournaments on the Apertura and ClausuraApertura and Clausura
The Apertura and Clausura tournaments are a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional European football season from August to May is divided in two sections per season, each with its own champion. Apertura and Clausura are the Spanish words for...
fashion, Municipal won the title again after Comunicaciones had set a record by winning the previous four; Municipal surpassed that record in 2006 when they won the 2006 Apertura tournament, their fifth consecutive title, under coach Enzo Trossero
Enzo Trossero
Enzo Héctor Trossero , nicknamed El Vikingo , is an Argentine footballer and coach, who was last the manager of Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.-Career:...
They also added third and fourth Central American titles by winning the Copa Interclubes UNCAF
Copa Interclubes UNCAF
The UNCAF Club Tournament was an annual international football competition held in the UNCAF region . The competition was open to the leading domestic club teams in the region. The winners of each national league qualified automatically. It also provided qualification places for the CONCACAF...
in 2001 and 2004.
Municipal added three national league titles including the last two, to bring the total count to 28.
With their last championship won, the 2010 Apertura tournament, they have won 13 of the 22 titles in dispute since the current tournament's format was introduced.
Colours and crest
Initially, the team's uniform colors consisted of a red-and-black striped shirt and black shorts. The colours soon changed to the current red shirt and blue shorts for home matches, and all blue for away matches, although other colors have been used for away matches.The club's logo is based in the emblem of the Municipalidad de Guatemala, which is itself based in the original coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the city of Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala
Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala
Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala was the name given to the Spanish colonial capital of Guatemala in Central America. The name was first associated with the Kaqchikel Maya capital Iximche, adopted as the Spanish capital soon after the Spanish conquest of Guatemala began, in July 1524...
, with the image of Santiago (Saint James
Saint James the Great
James, son of Zebedee was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of John the Apostle...
) over the stylized scenery of the region. The team's version includes an image of the type of ball used at the time the club was founded, next to a blue and red striped canton
Canton (heraldry)
Canton is a square charge placed in the upper dexter corner. It is classed by some heraldic writers as one of the honorable ordinaries; but, strictly speaking, it is a diminutive of the Quarter, being two-thirds the area of that ordinary. However, in the roll of Henry III the quarter appears in...
in between the former two elements. The circular field
Field (heraldry)
In heraldry, the background of the shield is called the field. The field is usually composed of one or more tinctures or furs. The field may be divided or may consist of a variegated pattern....
is surrounded by the name of the team on a red background. It is not confirmed whether the team logo is copyrighted or not.
Stadium
Throughout the years, Municipal has used the Estadio Mateo FloresEstadio Mateo Flores
The Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores is a multi-use national stadium in Guatemala City, the largest in Guatemala. It was built in 1948, to host the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1950, and was renamed after long-distance runner Mateo Flores, winner of the 1952 Boston Marathon...
as their home ground, sharing it with Comunicaciones
Comunicaciones
Club Social y Deportivo Comunicaciones is a Guatemalan football club located in Guatemala City.The club is currently playing in the highest Guatemalan league, the Liga Nacional. Their home venue is the Estadio Cementos Progreso in the nation's capital. Nicknamed Cremas , they are the second-most...
since the 1950s until 1991, and again starting in 2005. Other stadiums hosted Municipal in the beginning, namely the Estadio Autonomía. The Estadio La Pedrera has been used when the Mateo Flores has not been available. The Estadio Manuel Felipe Carrera, also known as "Estadio El Trébol", has been the training venue for the team, and it has been occasionally used for official matches by the club; Municipal had an undefeated streak of 33 official matches in this ground from July 9, 1991 until March 7, 2008, when they lost to Deportivo Petapa
Deportivo Petapa
Deportivo Petapa is a Guatemalan football team playing in the Primera División de Ascenso, after being relegated in 2009.It is based in San Miguel Petapa.Deportivo Petapa has won their promotion back to the top league after defeating La Gomera 2-1, with Sandro Zamboni scoring both goals.Petapa...
1-0 for the 2008 Clausura tournament.
Supporters
Municipal is believed to have the largest fan base of all Guatemalan clubs, and that their popularity have earned them nicknames like El equipo mimado de la afición (Fans' beloved team) and El equipo del pueblo (People's team). An organized group of supporters known as ultra roja (originally porra roja) has become notable since the early 1990s due to their constant chanting and their loudness; they have also been criticized due to violent confrontations with fans of other teams, especially of ComunicacionesComunicaciones
Club Social y Deportivo Comunicaciones is a Guatemalan football club located in Guatemala City.The club is currently playing in the highest Guatemalan league, the Liga Nacional. Their home venue is the Estadio Cementos Progreso in the nation's capital. Nicknamed Cremas , they are the second-most...
.
Statistics and records
Municipal has set a record in Guatemalan football by being the club that has spent the most consecutive seasons at the top division, having remained in the Liga Mayor/Liga Nacional for 73 years as of 2010-11.The 28 national league titles won by Municipal are the most ever in Guatemala, and (as of the 2011 Apertura Championship), the second most ever by any CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
club behind Deportivo Saprissa (29 Costa Rican league
Primera División de Costa Rica
Primera División de Costa Rica is a professional league for association football clubs in Costa Rica. At the top of the Costa Rican league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 12 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Segunda División...
titles).
Juan Carlos Plata
Juan Carlos Plata
Juan Carlos Plata is a Guatemalan retired football striker. He is the highest-scoring player in the history of Guatemala's top division...
is the team's all-time top goalscorer in league matches and overall. As of the end of 2009, Plata has scored 296 league goals and 403 overall goals with Municipal, the only club he has played for.
Current squad
For 2010/2011 seasonSquad Changes for the Apertura 2011
In: Eliseo QuintanillaEliseo Quintanilla
Eliseo Antonio Quintanilla Ortíz is a Salvadoran footballer who currently plays for Guatemalan club Municipal and internationally for the El Salvador national team.-Club career:...
- Transferred from Firpo
C.D. Luis Angel Firpo
Club Deportivo Luis Ángel Firpo is an football club based in Usulután, El Salvador that plays in the Primera División de Fútbol Profesional. It has been one of the most successful clubs in El Salvador, having won 9 titles, firstly in 1989. Only FAS and Águila hold more league titles than Firpo,...
Out: Pablo Hutt
Pablo Hutt
Pablo Oliva Hutt García is a Mexican soccer player, who currently plays for Once Municipal.he spent five years at CSD Municipal of the Guatemalan First Division.-External links:...
- Transferred to Once Municipal
Once Municipal
Once Municipal or 11 Municipal is a Salvadoran football club from Ahuachapán, El Salvador. The club currently plays in the top tier after getting promoted for the Apertura 2010. The club won its first league championship during the 1948–49 season...
Notable players
FormerLeonardo Nicolas Díaz (GK), (2005–06)
José Emilio Mitrovich (MF), (1970's) Javier DelgadoJavier Delgado Prado
Javier Delgado Prado is a former professional football player and coach.Delgado made 33 appearances for the Costa Rica national football team, including qualifying matches for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.-References:...
(DF), (1997–98) Ronald Gómez (FW), (1998–99) Raul Magana
Raúl Magaña
Raúl Alfredo Magaña Monzón was a Salvadoran footballer and manager.He is regarded one of the great of Salvadoran football.-Club career:...
(GK) Juan Ramón Martínez
Juan Ramón Martínez
Juan Ramón "Mon" Martínez is a retired football player from El Salvador.-Club career:He played in Guatemala, where he won a title with Municipal in 1965–1966...
(FW) (1955–56) Pedro "Tarzan" Segura (GK) (1946–50) Mario Acevedo
Mario Acevedo
Mario Giovany Acevedo Menzie is a Guatemalan football forward. He played for many local clubs, most famously CSD Municipal in the Guatemala's top division.-Club career:...
(FW), (2001–09) Julio César Anderson (FW), (1969–84) Carlos Figueroa
Carlos Figueroa
Carlos Fernando Figueroa is a Guatemalan professional football midfielder currently plays for CSD Municipal in Guatemala's top division.He is also a member of the Guatemalan national team.-Club career:...
(MF), (2001–03), (2004–07), (2009–10) Juan Manuel Funes
Juan Manuel Funes
Juan Manuel Funes Fernández , popularly known as Memín Funes is a Guatemalan football coach and former midfielder who played professionally for the three most successful clubs in Guatemala – Aurora FC, Municipal, and Comunicaciones – and became a member and later captain of the...
(MF), (1986–97)
Fredy García
Fredy García
Freddy Alexander García Carrera is a Guatemalan professional football midfielder who plays for local club CD Suchitepéquez in the Guatemala's top division.-Club career:...
(MF), (2003–04), (2004–09) Alberto López Oliva (DF), (1963–78) Benjamín Monterroso
Benjamín Monterroso
Benjamín Eduardo Monterroso Díaz is a Guatemalan football coach and former midfielder who spent the majority of his playing career at the local club CSD Municipal, and was the manager and was a former player of the Guatemala national team.-Playing career:Monterroso played for Municipal from 1970...
(DF / MF), (1970–79) Marco Pappa
Marco Pappa
Marco Pablo Pappa Ponce is a Guatemalan footballer who plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer since 2008 and is a member of the Guatemala national team.-Club career:...
(MF), (2006–09) Selvyn Ponciano
Selvyn Ponciano
Selvyn Estuardo Ponciano Chitay is a retired Guatemalan football defender.-Club career:The versatile Ponciano has played in all defensive positions as well as a defensive midfielder; he played the majority of his career for Guatemala top division club CSD Municipal...
(DF), (1994–09) Julio Rodas
Julio Rodas
Julio Alberto Rodas Hurtarte is a retired Guatemalan professional football striker.-Club career:At the club level, Rodas started his professional career playing for Municipal. He then had a one-season stint in El Salvador with C.D. FAS and later returned to Guatemala to play for Comunicaciones...
(FW), (1988–94) German Ruano
German Ruano
German Geovanni Ruano González , popularly known as El Chino, is a former Guatemalan football defender who has played the majority of his career for CSD Municipal in Guatemala's top division.-Club career:...
(DF), (1993–09) Carlos Ruiz (FW), (1999–02) Carlos Toledo (FW), (1938–55) Juan Manuel Romo (GK), (1983–90)
Active
Sergio Guevara
Sergio Guevara
Sergio Augusto Guevara González is a Guatemalan football midfielder who plays for local club CSD Municipal in the Guatemala's top division.-Club career:...
(MF), (2003-) Juan Carlos Plata
Juan Carlos Plata
Juan Carlos Plata is a Guatemalan retired football striker. He is the highest-scoring player in the history of Guatemala's top division...
(FW), (1989-) Guillermo Ramírez
Guillermo Ramírez
Guillermo "El Pando" Ramírez Ortega is a Guatemalan football midfielder. He most recently played for C.D...
(MF), (1997–00), (2003–08), (2010-)
Gonzalo Romero
Gonzalo Romero
Gonzalo Antonio Romero Paz is a Guatemalan football midfielder who plays for local club CSD Municipal in the Guatemala's top division.-International career:...
(MF), (2001-) Jaime Penedo
Jaime Penedo
Jaime Penedo is a Panamanian football goalkeeper who currently plays for Liga Nacional de Guatemala team CSD Municipal-Club career:Back in Panamá, he used to play for Árabe Unido...
(GK), (2007-)
Champion coaches
|
Salvador Pericullo (Copa Fraternidad Centroamericana 1977) (1976–1978)
Luis Grill Prieto (1963–64, 1970 )
Walter Ormeño (Campeonatos de Liga 1989-90)
Other coaches
-
Jaime Borja (1957) -
Carlos Toledo (1957–1960) -
Ferenc Meszaros (1967–1968)
Honours
- Liga Nacional de GuatemalaLiga Nacional de GuatemalaLiga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala , formerly known as Liga Mayor "A" is a professional football division in Guatemala, the highest one in the country. It is sanctioned by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala...
: 28 (most ever by any team)
-
- 1942, 1947, 1950–51, 1954–55, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1987, 1988, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1993–94, 2000 Apertura, 2000 Clausura, 2001, 2002 Clausura, 2003 Apertura, 2004 Apertura, 2005 Clausura, 2005 Apertura, 2006 Clausura, 2006 Apertura, 2008 Clausura, 2009 Apertura, 2010 Clausura
- Domestic Cup Titles: 8
-
- 1960, 1967, 1969, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2003, 2004
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 1
-
- 1974
- Copa InteramericanaCopa InteramericanaCopa Interamericana was a football trophy contested between the champions of CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores de América and the winners of CONCACAF's Champions' Cup...
, 0
-
- Runners-up - 1974 (Highest placement for a Guatemalan team ever)
- Torneo Fraternidad / UNCAF Club ChampionshipCopa Interclubes UNCAFThe UNCAF Club Tournament was an annual international football competition held in the UNCAF region . The competition was open to the leading domestic club teams in the region. The winners of each national league qualified automatically. It also provided qualification places for the CONCACAF...
: 4
-
- 1974, 1977, 2001, 2004