Caracas Fútbol Club
Encyclopedia
Caracas Fútbol Club is a Venezuela
n football
team based in Caracas
. The club has won eleven First Division
titles making it the most successful in Venezuelan football history.
They are nicknamed Los Rojos del Ávila, or the "Reds from Ávila". This refers to their red jerseys as well as Cerro El Ávila
, a mountain near Caracas.
. The purpose of the club was to allow for Berascasa and his friends to have somewhere to enjoy their free time. As a result, Berascasa created one of the most historical and winning sports franchises in Venezuela
n history.
In 1984, renamed Caracas-Yamaha FC after successful seasons in the amateur league, the team was admitted into the Second Division. Their first season in the professional league they won the Second Division and gained promotion to the First Division
.
was unstable as they barely survived relegation. After an acceptable second season in 1986, where relegation was not a huge threat, they were renamed Caracas F.C. when RCTV
bought part of them and had joint leadership with Yamaha
. Under the guidance of Manuel Plasencia and Luis Mendoza as the managers of the club, the subsequent 1987 season was their best to date.
Reaching the last set of games in the eight-team tournament, they needed a place in the top two in order to qualify for the Copa Libertadores and compete on an international level. However, they lost on the last weekend to now arch-rivals Deportivo Táchira
and barely missed out on international competition. The next year brought changes for the First Division
as it would now follow the European format of games being played from the Fall to Spring.
The 1988-89 season started well for Caracas F.C. and they even lifted the Copa de Venezuela
but suspensions and injuries in the second half of the season almost led to the collapse of the team. However, even after many of the teams players left, the team was saved by the Cocodrilos Sports Organization, which was led by Guillermo Valentiner who is still the owner today.
. However, after an unsuccessful 1994-95 season, Plasencia returned to lead the team to a title in the 1995-96 season. It is also worth noting that during this time Caracas F.C. won the Copa de Venezuela
twice, though historically that competition has been marked by instability and anonymity.
After four years of titleless competition, they won their fifth national championship under Carlos Moreno
. However, the 1999 season saw Caracas F.C. reach the semifinals of the Copa Merconorte
, their greatest success to date in international competition. The next year marked the appointment of the then 37 year-old Noel Sanvicente took over the club. He is Caracas' most successful manager as he was able to win five titles in 2002-03, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, and most recently in 2008-09. He also led Caracas F.C. to its best ever position in South America's most prestigious club competition, the Copa Libertadores.
In 2010, Noel Sanvicente stepped down from the team following which Ceferino Bencomo took over as manager. Under Ceferino Bencomo, Caracas F.C. won its eleventh national championship title defeating arch-rival Deportivo Táchira in a two game final.
Caracas Fútbol Club has played their home matches at Cocodrilos Sports Park
since the season 2006-07. Cocodrilos Sports Park has a maximum capacity of 3,500 people, with future expansions planned to 6,000 people, and then to 15,000. The field has an artificial grass
surface.
For bigger national league or international tournaments games, the club has used the Brígido Iriarte Stadium
. This stadium is also used by another professional Caracas club, Deportivo Italia
. It has an official capacity of 12,000 people; however, there have been crowds of 20,000 spectators in games against Deportivo Táchira (their historical rival), São Paulo
and other teams.
Recently Caracas Fútbol Club has played at the Estadio Olímpico de la UCV
which has a maximum capacity of 30,000 spectators. This has been used primarily for the Copa Libertadores along with important First Division
matches. Since the 2007-08 season the Estadio Olímpico de la UCV
will be used as the temporary home ground because of the expansion and redesign of Cocodrilos Sports Park
which is being used as a training facility in the meantime.
Darío Figueroa
Julio César Baldivieso
Gamadiel García
Juan Carlos Letelier Wilson Carpintero
Jorge Serna
Ivan Velázquez Andreas Vogler
Ibrahim Salizu Juan Cominges
Paul Cominges
Roberto Silva
Juan Arango
César "Guacharaca" Baena Ceferino Bencomo Pablo Camacho
Gerson Diaz Juan García Andreé González
César González
Alejandro Guerra
Gabriel Miranda
Daniel Noriega
José Manuel Rey Roberto Rosales
Noel Sanvicente Giovanni Savarese
Ronald Vargas
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
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 Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
. The club has won eleven First Division
Primera División Venezolana
The Primera División , or Liga Venezolana is the top-flight professional football league of Venezuela. It was created in 1921 and turned professional in 1957...
titles making it the most successful in Venezuelan football history.
They are nicknamed Los Rojos del Ávila, or the "Reds from Ávila". This refers to their red jerseys as well as Cerro El Ávila
Cerro El Ávila
The El Ávila National Park covers part of the mountainous region of the coastal area of north-central Venezuela. The area's highest elevation is Pico Naiguatá, at 2.765 meters above sea level...
, a mountain near Caracas.
Early Years
Caracas F.C. was founded in 1967 under a group of friends led by José Berascasa and Jorge Cubeddu with the name Yamaha F.C.. The team was entered as an amateur team to the Football Federation of the State of MirandaMiranda (state)
Miranda State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. It is ranked second in population among Venezuelan states, after Zulia State. In June 30, 2010, it had approximately 2,987,968 residents. It also has the greatest Human Development Index in Venezuela, according to the...
. The purpose of the club was to allow for Berascasa and his friends to have somewhere to enjoy their free time. As a result, Berascasa created one of the most historical and winning sports franchises in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n history.
In 1984, renamed Caracas-Yamaha FC after successful seasons in the amateur league, the team was admitted into the Second Division. Their first season in the professional league they won the Second Division and gained promotion to the First Division
Primera División Venezolana
The Primera División , or Liga Venezolana is the top-flight professional football league of Venezuela. It was created in 1921 and turned professional in 1957...
.
Turmoil in the First Division
Their first season in the First DivisionPrimera División Venezolana
The Primera División , or Liga Venezolana is the top-flight professional football league of Venezuela. It was created in 1921 and turned professional in 1957...
was unstable as they barely survived relegation. After an acceptable second season in 1986, where relegation was not a huge threat, they were renamed Caracas F.C. when RCTV
RCTV
Radio Caracas Televisión Internacional is a Venezuelan cable television network headquartered in the Caracas neighborhood of Quinta Crespo. It was sometimes referred to as the Canal de Bárcenas. Owned by Empresas 1BC, RCTV Internacional was inaugurated as Radio Caracas Televisión on 15 November...
bought part of them and had joint leadership with Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
. Under the guidance of Manuel Plasencia and Luis Mendoza as the managers of the club, the subsequent 1987 season was their best to date.
Reaching the last set of games in the eight-team tournament, they needed a place in the top two in order to qualify for the Copa Libertadores and compete on an international level. However, they lost on the last weekend to now arch-rivals Deportivo Táchira
Deportivo Táchira Fútbol Club
Deportivo Táchira Fútbol Club is a traditional and a popular Venezuelan football club. It was founded in 1974 by the initiative of Gaetano Greco...
and barely missed out on international competition. The next year brought changes for the First Division
Primera División Venezolana
The Primera División , or Liga Venezolana is the top-flight professional football league of Venezuela. It was created in 1921 and turned professional in 1957...
as it would now follow the European format of games being played from the Fall to Spring.
The 1988-89 season started well for Caracas F.C. and they even lifted the Copa de Venezuela
Copa de Venezuela
The Copa Venezuela is the national cup football competition of Venezuela. Organized by the Venezuelan Football Federation, is it disputed in the first half of the season by the teams in the Primera División, Segunda División A, and Segunda División B....
but suspensions and injuries in the second half of the season almost led to the collapse of the team. However, even after many of the teams players left, the team was saved by the Cocodrilos Sports Organization, which was led by Guillermo Valentiner who is still the owner today.
Success in the First Division
Despite a primarily amateur squad, the team finished fourth in the league during the 1989-90 season. Two years later in the 1991-92 season, under manager Manuel Plasencia, who had stayed through the turmoil, Caracas F.C. won their first national championship. They went on to win the next two seasons, with the third title in 1993-94 being won under a new manager, Pedro FeblesPedro Febles
Pedro Juan Febles González is a former Venezuelan football player and manager.-Club career:Febles played for Deportivo Galicia, Atlético San Cristóbal and C.S...
. However, after an unsuccessful 1994-95 season, Plasencia returned to lead the team to a title in the 1995-96 season. It is also worth noting that during this time Caracas F.C. won the Copa de Venezuela
Copa de Venezuela
The Copa Venezuela is the national cup football competition of Venezuela. Organized by the Venezuelan Football Federation, is it disputed in the first half of the season by the teams in the Primera División, Segunda División A, and Segunda División B....
twice, though historically that competition has been marked by instability and anonymity.
After four years of titleless competition, they won their fifth national championship under Carlos Moreno
Carlos Moreno
Carlos Roberto Moreno is a Mexican-American jurist. Following his retirement from the Supreme Court of California, Moreno is currently of counsel with the California-based law firm Irell & Manella. Moreno was considered to be a leading candidate to replace retiring Justice David Souter on the U.S...
. However, the 1999 season saw Caracas F.C. reach the semifinals of the Copa Merconorte
Copa Merconorte
The Copa Merconorte was an international football competition played from 1998 to 2001 by clubs from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and later the United States, Costa Rica and Mexico...
, their greatest success to date in international competition. The next year marked the appointment of the then 37 year-old Noel Sanvicente took over the club. He is Caracas' most successful manager as he was able to win five titles in 2002-03, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, and most recently in 2008-09. He also led Caracas F.C. to its best ever position in South America's most prestigious club competition, the Copa Libertadores.
In 2010, Noel Sanvicente stepped down from the team following which Ceferino Bencomo took over as manager. Under Ceferino Bencomo, Caracas F.C. won its eleventh national championship title defeating arch-rival Deportivo Táchira in a two game final.
Colors and Uniform
The club's colors are red, white and black.- Home Uniform: A red top with black stripes down the side and on the borders. Paired with black shorts and socks.
- Away Uniform: A white top with red stripes down the side and on the borders. Paired with white shorts bordered in red and white socks.
- Third Uniform: A black top with red stripes down the side and on the borders. Paired with black shorts with red borders and black
Stadium
Cocodrilos Sports Park
Cocodrilos Sports Park is a multi-use stadium in Caracas, Venezuela. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the part time home stadium of Caracas Fútbol Club along with Estadio Brígido Iriarte. The stadium holds 3,500 people....
since the season 2006-07. Cocodrilos Sports Park has a maximum capacity of 3,500 people, with future expansions planned to 6,000 people, and then to 15,000. The field has an artificial grass
Artificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
surface.
For bigger national league or international tournaments games, the club has used the Brígido Iriarte Stadium
Estadio Brígido Iriarte
Estadio Brígido Iriarte is a multi-purpose stadium in Caracas, Venezuela. It is currently used mostly for football matches and has been used as the home stadium of Caracas Fútbol Club. The stadium holds 15,000 people.-Gallery:...
. This stadium is also used by another professional Caracas club, Deportivo Italia
Deportivo Italia
Deportivo Petare Fútbol Club is a Venezuelan football club based in Caracas. Formed in 1948 as "Deportivo Italia F.C.", the club after fifty years merged with "Deportivo Chacao F.C." in 1998, and was called Deportivo Italchacao for eight years...
. It has an official capacity of 12,000 people; however, there have been crowds of 20,000 spectators in games against Deportivo Táchira (their historical rival), São Paulo
São Paulo Futebol Clube
São Paulo Futebol Clube , commonly known as São Paulo, is a professional football club based in São Paulo, Brazil. They play in the Campeonato Paulista, São Paulo's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão, Brazil's national league, and are one of the only five clubs to...
and other teams.
Recently Caracas Fútbol Club has played at the Estadio Olímpico de la UCV
Estadio Olímpico (Caracas)
The Estadio Olímpico de la UCV is a multi-purpose stadium in Caracas, Venezuela. It is a multipurpose stadium with a running track used primarily for the practice of football, athletics and rugby, which is part of the Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas and as such named a UNESCO World Heritage Site,...
which has a maximum capacity of 30,000 spectators. This has been used primarily for the Copa Libertadores along with important First Division
Primera División Venezolana
The Primera División , or Liga Venezolana is the top-flight professional football league of Venezuela. It was created in 1921 and turned professional in 1957...
matches. Since the 2007-08 season the Estadio Olímpico de la UCV
Estadio Olímpico (Caracas)
The Estadio Olímpico de la UCV is a multi-purpose stadium in Caracas, Venezuela. It is a multipurpose stadium with a running track used primarily for the practice of football, athletics and rugby, which is part of the Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas and as such named a UNESCO World Heritage Site,...
will be used as the temporary home ground because of the expansion and redesign of Cocodrilos Sports Park
Cocodrilos Sports Park
Cocodrilos Sports Park is a multi-use stadium in Caracas, Venezuela. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the part time home stadium of Caracas Fútbol Club along with Estadio Brígido Iriarte. The stadium holds 3,500 people....
which is being used as a training facility in the meantime.
Titles
- Primera División VenezolanaPrimera División VenezolanaThe Primera División , or Liga Venezolana is the top-flight professional football league of Venezuela. It was created in 1921 and turned professional in 1957...
: 11
-
- 1991-92, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1996-97, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10
- Segunda División Venezolana: 1
-
- 1984 (as Caracas - Yamaha)
- Copa de VenezuelaCopa de VenezuelaThe Copa Venezuela is the national cup football competition of Venezuela. Organized by the Venezuelan Football Federation, is it disputed in the first half of the season by the teams in the Primera División, Segunda División A, and Segunda División B....
: 5
-
- 1988, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2009
Performance in CONMEBOL competitions
- Copa Libertadores: 12 appearances
-
- 1993: First Round
- 1995: Round of 16 (Second Round)
- 1996: First Round
- 1998: Preliminary Round
- 2001: Preliminary Round
-
- 2002: Preliminary Round
- 2004: First Round
- 2005: First Round
- 2006: First Round
- 2007: Round of 16 (Second Round)
-
- 2008: First Round
- 2009: Quarter-Finals
- 2010: First Round
- 2011: First Round
- 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...
: 2 appearances
-
- 2010: Second Round
- Recopa SudamericanaRecopa SudamericanaThe Recopa Sudamericana is an annual football match-up between the reigning champions of the previous year's Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana, South America's premier club competitions....
: 0 appearances
- Copa MerconorteCopa MerconorteThe Copa Merconorte was an international football competition played from 1998 to 2001 by clubs from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and later the United States, Costa Rica and Mexico...
: 2 appearances
-
- 1998: Group Stage
- 1999: Semi-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
-
- 1993: Quarter-Finals
Current roster
As of July 2011Selected famous players
Darío FigueroaDarío Figueroa
Darío Damián Figueroa is an Argentine football midfielder who plays for Caracas FC of Venezuela.-Argentina:Figueroa began his playing career in 1996 with River Plate...
Julio César Baldivieso
Julio César Baldivieso
Julio César Baldivieso Rico is a former Bolivian association football midfielder who played for the Bolivian national team in the 1994 World Cup and several Copa Américas. He is the current manager for Club Aurora....
Gamadiel García
Gamadiel García
Gamadiel Adrián García Sánchez , commonly known as Gamadiel García or sometimes Gamagol, is a Chilean footballer...
Juan Carlos Letelier Wilson Carpintero
Wilson Carpintero
Wilson Carpintero is a Colombian football striker, currently playing for Millonarios in the Liga Postobón.-External links:* at National-football-teams.com...
Jorge Serna
Jorge Serna
Jorge Horacio Serna is a Colombian footballer currently playing for Envigado of the Primera Division Colombiana....
Ivan Velázquez Andreas Vogler
Andreas Vogler
Andreas Vogler , is a Swiss architect and designer.- Biography :Andreas Vogler is co-founder of the architecture and design team Architecture and Vision. After several semesters of studies in Art History and Literature Vogler worked as an interior designer with Alinea AG in Basel...
Ibrahim Salizu Juan Cominges
Juan Cominges
Juan Cominges is a Peruvian footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder. He currently plays for Cobresol FBC in the Peruvian First Division. Cominges is a Peruvian footballer who has risen to fame in the South American scene over the recent years...
Paul Cominges
Paul Cominges
Paul Manuel Cominges Mayorca is a retired Peruvian footballer who played as a striker. His last season as a footballer was in 2010 in the Peruvian First Division for José Gálvez FBC...
Roberto Silva
Roberto Silva
Roberto Silva is a Peruvian footballer. As of February 2009, he plays for Universidad San Martín. He played in the Bundesliga for SV Werder Bremen.-Career:...
Juan Arango
Juan Arango
Juan Fernando Arango Sáenz is a Venezuelan footballer who plays for Borussia Mönchengladbach in Germany, as an attacking midfielder....
César "Guacharaca" Baena Ceferino Bencomo Pablo Camacho
Pablo Camacho
Pablo Jesús Camacho Figueira is a Venezuelan footballer who plays for Caracas FC.- Career :Camacho began his career with Deportivo Italia and signed in May 2009 with FC Caracas, before moved on 13 June 2009 to R.C.D...
Gerson Diaz Juan García Andreé González
Andreé González
Andreé González, full name Andreé Aníbal González Frustacci , is a Venezuelan footballer. He plays for Monagas SC in Venezuelan First Division.-External links:* at LFP.es...
César González
César Eduardo González
César Eduardo González Amais is a Venezuelan football midfielder. He currently plays for River Plate in Argentina....
Alejandro Guerra
Alejandro Guerra
Alejandro Abraham Guerra Morales is a is a Venezuelan footballer currently playing for Mineros de Guayana.-International career:...
Gabriel MirandaGabriel Miranda
Gabriel Antonio Miranda is an Uruguayan - Venezuelan football midfielder who made a total number of seventeen appearances for the Venezuela national team between 1994 and 1997. He started his professional career at Caracas FC, and also played in Argentina, Ecuador and Mexico.-External links:...
Daniel Noriega
Daniel Noriega
Daniel Noriega Acosta is a Venezuelan football striker who made a total number of 38 appearances for the Venezuela national team between 1996 and 2005. He started his professional career at Minervén in 1995. Noriega also played in Peru, Argentina, Colombia and Spain.-External links:...
José Manuel Rey Roberto Rosales
Roberto Rosales
Roberto José Rosales Altuve is a Venezuelan footballer playing for FC Twente. He normally plays as a defender in a right back position, but can also play on the right side of midfield....
Noel Sanvicente Giovanni Savarese
Giovanni Savarese
Giovanni Savarese is a former Venezuelan football player of Italian descent who is best known for his stay with New York/New Jersey MetroStars of Major League Soccer.- Club career :...
Ronald Vargas
Ronald Vargas
Ronald Alejandro Vargas Aranguren is a Venezuelan footballer. He currently plays for R.S.C. Anderlecht in the Belgian First Division.-Caracas:...