Club Atlético Banfield

Club Atlético Banfield is an Argentine sports club located in the city of Banfield, part of Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires province. Founded on 21 January 1896 by residents of the town of British origin (mostly English with some Scottish and Irish), its main activity is football. It plays in the Primera División Argentina.

The club's greatest sporting achievement was obtained in 2009, when it became champion of the Apertura, the first official national championship won by the club in the professional era of Argentine football. In the First Division the club has also achieved two runners-up places, in 1951 and 2005.

The club's main rival is Club Atlético Lanús.

Origin and foundation of the Club

Club Atlético Banfield is one of the oldest football clubs in Argentina. In the second half of the 1880s, many British families settled in the village of Banfield,^[1] located 14 miles south of Buenos Aires. These families, with their houses in the style of English houses and Victorian social dynamics, gave the suburbs a distinctly British profile. The history of the club began on 21 January 1896, when a group of professionals and English merchants resident in Banfield decided to found a club which they named after the village, which had been named after the railway station, established in 1873, which in turn was named after Edward Banfield, the first manager of Great Southern Railroad Company. Heading the group of founders were Daniel Kingsland and George Burton, vice president and first. Kingsland was an exporter of cattle in Britain and an accountant, Burton was a Cambridge University graduate.

The court was a field for grazing located two blocks north of the railway station, next to the tracks on the east side.

Amateur era

While Kingsland was president in sports gave priority to the cricket and football was relegated to the background, which explains the poor performances of the teams in club football championships from 1897 to 1898.

Until 1899 the meter was replaced by Alfredo Goode, a soccer fan. In 1899 he played the first football league second division in Argentina, which Banfield won by one point surpassing the team Español High School.^[2] Banfield remains the only club currently affiliated with the Argentine Football Association (AFA), that had won a title in the nineteenth century.

The players were all born in Britain except the center half and captain James Dodds Watson, an Argentine native of Buenos Aires. The following year (1900), as there were still no promotion, Banfield retained Second Division championship. This time they won the title with an undefeated record. Key players included the goalscorer Edward "Invincible" Potter, the dribbling of Charles Douglas Moffatt, captain Watson Dodds, and goalkeeper President Goode.

For various reasons, the club began to decline after 1901, until December 1904 was reorganized after all its assets were liquidated to meet a hopeless bankruptcy that year Montenegro Beltran would be the first team captain in albiverde club history.

From this time definitely increases the figure of George Burton, another true lover of football, who presided over the club almost continuously until his death in 1928.

In 1908 the club's first team, playing in the Third Division, won the championship. This alignment was the basis of the excellent second division team of later years, a cycle that ended in the semifinals for the promotion to First Division in 1910.

In December 1910, Banfield William Peterson, Roger Jacobelli, Amador Garcia, Carlos Lloveras, Galup Lanus and Bartholomew, faced Racing Club de Avellaneda in a two legged playoff for a place in the top division. The first match ended goalless. In the second game, Racing Club won with a goal in extra time.

With a brand new team, Banfield went into decline in 1911. But led by Captain Adolfo Pellens, in 1912 won the championship for the third category thus ensuring the return to second.

However, a restructuring of the tournament following the first split in Argentine football, catapulted them to the First Division.

Banfield The first team made great runs in 1913 and 1914, but starting this year that the First World War began, her performances began to decline because many of their players who were of British origin, were enrolled in the forces UK armed and marched to the battlefront in Europe.

In 1917 the team lost the class, but two years later returned to win the right to play in the Primera Liga champions to devote II in 1919 beating defunct Del Plata in the final.

First Local Title

Newly promoted, Banfield was runner-up behind First Division in 1920 from Boca Juniors. Banfield In 1921 he won the Copa de Honor beating Boca Juniors 2:1 in the final. Albiverde campus, which had been playing since 1917, fell apart in 1922 and the quality of play club teams dropped in subsequent years.

George Burton had chaired the club for over 20 years with a paternalistic attitude, cultivating and fervently supporting the amateur spirit of sport. His death occurred at the institution a huge vacuum of power that plunged into a constitutional crisis and sport for a decade.

Professional era

1930s & 1940s

In 1931 a group of clubs, led by the main attractions, decided to professionalize the football, which meant ultimately whiten the situation and end the covert professionalism.

Banfield was invited to join the professional Primera División but its leaders believed that professionalism would fail in the short term, chose to continue participating in amateur tournaments.

Immediately Banfield players received offers from Primera División clubs and left.

With a decimated roster, Banfield participated inconsequential tournament until 1934. In 1935 Banfield joined the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and were assigned to the Second Division. Their campaigns were poor, the fanbase had left, the partners were less than 300 and in 1938 finished last in the standings and were relegated.

In late 1938 a group of members proposed to the young entrepreneur Florencio Sola take over the presidency of Banfield. The timing was worse without equipment and without partners, the club was on the verge of disappearance, but Florencio "Lencho" Sola accepted the challenge. Taking advantage of the Student Club Porteño (who played in second division) had disaffiliated from the AFA, Florencio Sola Banfield act prevented in the Third Division. To tackle the championship in 1939 obtained the loan of many players who were substitutes in First and assembled a quality team that became champions winning the right to play in the Primera División.

Florencio Sola in 1940 completely renovated the team. With players like Rafael Sanz, Eduardo Silvera, John Baptist Busuzzo, Alfredo De Teran, Armando Farro and others, given the campaign, the newspaper El Pampero "named the team with the name" The Drill ", a nickname that has passed into history as the official nickname of the institution.

The club's stadium (later named "Florencio Solá"), was built in 1940 in the city of Banfield. To celebrate its inauguration took place a match against Independiente which Banfield lost by 1:0, with a goal by Arsenio Erico (top scorer in the history of Argentine soccer).

In 1941, Banfield was punished with 16 point deduction for attempted bribery, but after a heroic campaign, they escaped relegation on the final day, by beating Rosario Central.

After the campaigns of 1942 and 1943, the school suffered several casualties and the team was relegated in 1944. The chair was occupied by Joseph Agulla in 1945, the year he did a good campaign in Second Division, but after a constitutional crisis later that year became president Remigio Sola, brother of Florencio.

Chaired by Remigio Sola, the club fielded a powerful team for season 1946, which won the second division championship in a landslide, with a season record that it took over forty years to overcome.

In 1947 Banfield played in the Primera División with practically the same team that had been a champion of the second and avoided relegation in the last days of the season. As Florencio Sola had been pardoned by the AFA, assumed the presidency in 1948 and assembled a new team with many figures. But these stars did not shine again and the club narrowly avoided the drop on the end of the tournament.

A final five rounds of the season 1948, a strike by players and all clubs had to finish the tournament featuring teams of youth. The team was in charge of albiverde Renato Cesarini as coach and won nine of ten possible points, and saved Banfield from relegation.

These juveniles (Hector D'Angelo, Osvaldo Ferretti, Ernesto Alvarez, Nicolas Moreno and others) were many of the players who were taken into account since 1949, when Emilio Baldonedo took over as coach and put together a new team based on the Luis Angel Bagnato experience and Gustavo Albella plus the ability to Elisha Mouriño. The set of Baldonedo finished tenth in 1949 and seventh in 1950.

1950s & 1960s

In 1951, Felix Jose Ildefonso Martinez and Felix Zurdo in the coach equipper, ranked first but had to tie with Racing Club although they had the better goal difference and wins. The two finals were played in the defunct stadium of San Lorenzo (known as the "Gasometer"). The first ended goalless draw and in the second Racing won by the minimum difference. Featuring almost the same team, Banfield took fifth in the championship in 1952.

In 1953 key player Elisha Mouriño was acquired by Boca Juniors, which significantly effected the team: the following year they finished last and relegated to second division.

After seven years, Florencio Sola would not continue to lead the club in 1955 and presidential elections were held for the first time in the history of the institution. They faced the lists submitted by the groups "traditionalist" and "Mr. Burton", beating the first.

Most notable in these years was in the lower divisions, where a team was champion of sixth, fifth, fourth and reserves between 1955 and 1958, which values emerged as the top scorer Luis Suarez Llanos Oscar Calics and Ezekiel.

Valentín Suárez, became president of the club in late 1958. Since the disappointment was the prevailing sentiment in a swollen he had stopped going to encourage the team to the 1959 championship Valentín Suárez assembled a team of first division players, mostly veterans.

But although pointer ended the first round, this "star team" did not achieve its main objective which was promotion. Beginning in 1960, led by Benicio Acosta but also with the contribution of the great football knowledge Valentin Suarez had started a process that led to the rise after a major campaign in 1962. The arrival of quality players Ediberto Righi, Norberto Raffo, Oscar Lopez, Luis Maidana and Roberto Zarate, supplemented with elements formed in the club like Adolfo Vazquez, Oscar Llanos Ezequiel Calics and gave way to a remarkable team that was third in 1960, second in 1961 and first in 1962.

From 1963 the club began a period of 16 seasons in which they remained in First Division with the exception of 1973.

In the first four years the drill made excellent seasons, finishing seventh in 1963 and 1964. Slowly, the campus is being renovated. Thus came the likes of Julio San Lorenzo, Anacleto Peanno Diego Bay, Nelson Lopez, Ruben Hugo and José Sanfilippo. It was in 1967 when Banfield performances began to decline even though the team included quality players like Jorge Carrascosa, Rubén Flotta and José Manuel Ramos Delgado.

In 1969 he avoided relegation to Second Division after winning a home reclasificatorio, but in 1972 failed to prevent the loss of status. In any case the drill took only one year to return to the higher division.

1970s & 1980s

Led by the duo composed by Oscar López and Oscar Cavallero, the Banfield of Ricardo La Volpe, Hugo Mateos, Silvio Sotelo, Eduardo and Juan Alberto Taverna Pipastrelli became champions of Primera B (second division) in 1973.

Returning to the Primera División, over the years the performance of the drill was lowest to highest reaching a peak of performance in the National Championship 1976. With Adolfo Pedernera in the manager, this team had a remarkable front Orte comprising Felix Lorenzo, Roberto Sacconi, Pedro Raúl Gómez Vila, Miguel Angel Corvo and Miguel Gonzalez. But the joy did not last long, because after a quiet campaign in 1977 the performance of the drill was very poor during 1978 and after losing a playoff for the descent against Club Atlético Platense, the club were relegated again.

After seasons in which the team could not fight something important, in 1985 joined the club coach Angel Cappa, who put together the base of the octagonal side that won promotion in 1987.

1990–1999

But the team was virtually unarmed and barely managed achieve promotion, the coaching staff was not renewed the contract, so the campaign ended in relegation. In later years, but lost the final by the rise in toneo 1990-91, Banfield's actions were erratic in the second division.

With Valentine Suarez again as club president for the 1992-93 season was completely renovated campus. The technical management was entrusted to Charles Babington and reached many players, including Gabriel Puentedura Fabio Lenguita, Ivar Stafuzza and Héctor Herrera, who joined the left of "cleansing", including Juan Carlos Roldan, Daniel Delfino, Raul Wensell and two juveniles that exploded during the development of this tournament: Javier Sanguinetti and Jorge Jimenez. Despite having a squad that stood out among others, the way the title was not easy and it took a playoff final in Córdoba to Colón de Santa Fe.

Again in the Primera División, the technical direction again be in charge of Oscar Lopez and Oscar Cavallero. Again renewed the squad and players of high rank came as Oscar Acosta, Angel Comizzo and Juan Jose Rossi, but the revelation of the team and the tournament was Javier Zanetti.

Banfield's performance in this step by Primera División was highest to lowest, falling from the 1995-96 season to relegation in 1997. However, they passed through the ranks of international significance Banfield players like Mauro Navas, Julio Cruz and Pablo Paz.

With the intention to return quickly to the First Division in 1997 was hired as technical director Patricio Hernandez. Along with him came many players of a higher quality than that prevailing in the second division, but again the poor performance of those responsible for the administration of the Club had an impact for the project and the institution failed alarmingly into debt.

In 1998, businessman Carlos Portell became president of the club with victory in the elections on Horace son of Florencio Sola-Sola-and found an institution with a terminal and anarchic situation in the economic sphere. His tenure was marked by caution and moderation when it comes to managing the budget of professional football. At the end of his first term, Banfield had successfully reduced the club's debt by half. As the outstanding debt floated back to the First Division, which would come shortly.

2000 to present

Finally back in the Argentine Primera División, thanks to a great team that counted with idol José Luis Sánchez, Banfield had a difficult time getting used to the new division. After a rough start, Uruguayan Luis Garisto took the helm while the team was still a frequent guest of the relegation zone.

At the beginning of the 2003 Apertura, Julio Cesar Falcioni replaced Garisto and achieved something unprecedented in the club's existence: continental play. Banfield was now a force to contend with in the Primera and snagged spots in the Copa Sudamericana 2004 and the Copa Libertadores 2005.

The first half of 2005 was one of the most glorious of the long history of the club at the international level. The team reached the Copa Libertadores 2005 quarterfinals, thanks in part to the stellar play of stars Mariano Barbosa and Daniel Bilos. Nationally, Banfield was runner-up of the 2005 Clausura.

In September 2005, President Carlos Portell was reelected to lead the team while Carlos Leeb, Banfield's reserve team coach, led the main squad to the Copa Sudamericana 2005 to cap off a great season and clinching a spot for the Copa Sudamericana 2006 as well as the Copa Libertadores 2007.

After a management crisis in late 2006, Carlos Leeb left the club and was replaced by Patricio Hernandez, who led the team to start out the 2007 Clausura and Copa Libertadores seasons.

Hernandez did not achieve the results that were now expected from management and fans alike and was replaced by Juan Manuel Llop. Llop led Banfield to a third-place finish in the 2007 Apertura, which included a historic 5–0 away rout over southern Buenos Aires arch-rivals, Lanús.

After the inexplicable sacking of Llop, the leadership decided that the team would be led by an interim government made up of Jerez and Barreiro.

From the Torneo Apertura 2008 until midway through the Torneo Clausura 2009 campaign, Argentine World Champion Jorge Burruchaga led the albiverde. Although the club excelled at home, they could not get their show on the road. Burruchaga's failure to consistently lead the team and secure points led to his own demise and for the club to welcome back Julio Cesar Falcioni to its helm.

First Professional Title

In 2009, after an acceptable job in the Torneo Clausura of that year, Banfield disputed the Apertura, again in Falcioni in his bench. With a team: Cristian Lucchetti, Julio Barraza, Sebastian Mendez, Victor Lopez, Marcelo Bustamante, Maximiliano Bustos (who until today was injured and was replaced by Roberto Battión, using a double 5), Walter Erviti, Marcelo Quinteros, James Rodríguez, the deadly duo Sebastián Fernández and Santiago Silva (who later became the league top scorer). Banfield had a devastating start, defeating teams like the champion of Torneo Clausura 2009, Vélez Sársfield, Newell's Old Boys and tying 0–0 with Rosario Central, who had won four matches at the tournament in a row and that was emerging as a major candidate.

Over the dates, Banfield was gradually consolidating its leadership. Suddenly, an unexpected setback in the 16th date at Racing Club, made him lose ground to its potential rival, Newell's Old Boys. However, a victory over runner-up Huracán at Parque Patricios and a controversial defeat at Newell's to Arsenal de Sarandí, they reopened the doors of hope to the people of The "drill". Finally, after victories for Banfield and Newell's against Club Atlético Tigre and Gimnasia de La Plata, respectively, the two rivals came to the 19th day with two points adrift of the cast for Green&White.

Sunday December 13, 2009 will be saved in the memory of all the fans of "Drill" because after losing to Boca Juniors 0-2, with 2 goals scored by the flamboyant striker Martín Palermo, was champion of the Tournament Opening 2009 thanks to the Newell's Old Boys, his nearest rival defeated in their stadium fell by 2 to 0 against Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro. Thus leading to a new champion in Argentine football, Club Atlético Banfield, who won its first professional title in the first division, which adds up to one dating from the era of the amateur category.

Presidents

(*) Died on 29 June 1928 (**) Resigned (***) No mandate ended

Stadium

The stadium Florencio Sola was built in 1940 and is named after former President of the institution in the most glorious period in its history: Don Florencio "Lencho" Sola.

To celebrate its inauguration took place a match against Independiente de Avellaneda which the team went 1–0 on a goal by Arsenio Erico. At this stage the drill got a record 39 matches unbeaten from 1950 to 1953. The stadium was considered advanced for its time because it was the first club of so-called "medium" to possess concrete grandstands, even before some of the big teams.

It is situated on the corner of Peña and Arenales in the city of Banfield. It recently opened a new area of 2 with silver trays, boxes, changing rooms and booths for radio and TV. The stadium holds 37,245 spectators. [1]

Roofed stalls of Sola

Put together a project to extend the stadium. The Board of Directors of the club, decide whether to approve the project and begin work in 2011. The extension is to build a second tray on the podium Eliseo Mouriño and also perform a second tray in the visitor sector. Also be rounded elbows, and would get the transmission towers. Therefore the stadium's capacity would be 45,326 spectators.

Head Office

The Head Office is located in Vergara 1635 (Banfield) and is the headquarters where athletes meet various activities. Also, here are held steering committee meetings.

At headquarters trainings are also held in other sports such as volleyball, futsal, skate, chess, children's football, gymnastics, taekwondo and the club has a training gym and a circle of lifetime partners, as well as a teamroom open to general public, where supporters gather.

Fans

The Supporters of the "Drill" according to its own definition, is the term used to refer to organized group of amateur and part of the team, whose performance is characterized by the use of chants of encouragement. However, like the vast majority of Argentine football team, Banfield has swollen in the presence of hooligans. Historically had several fractions: Banfield The people made up Roma y Lynch, Villa Benquez (suburb Banfield fund) and the Belgranito (area behind the stadium), the West Banfield (with greater influence in Santa Marta and other neighborhoods such as Sitra, Ferroviarios, Villa Niza and Centenario) and Florencio Varela. Currently the "La Banda de Villa Niza" is one which has greater presence and influence. All these hooligans are known as "La Banda del Sur" and make the name of the fans.

According to a study conducted by economists at the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (Claus Bittner and Jose Saracut, coordinated by Ernesto Schargrodsky) located a Banfield the fans as one of the most loyal of Argentine football, because its audience increased as the team got worse.

Club Data

• 'Seasons in 1 .ª': 46
• 'Biggest win achieved':
  • In national championships: Banfield Commercial Port 13.1 (October 6 of 1974) (This is the biggest rout in the history of official tournament first division in Argentina).
  • The National B: 10.2 Banfield of San Juan Union (1987)
  • En Primera B: Banfield 8–0 All Boys (1962)
  • In international tournaments: Banfield 4–1 El Nacional (February 27 of 2007)
• 'Biggest win received':
  • En Primera Division: Banfield 1–8 Estudiantes de La Plata (1 June 1947)
  • En Primera B: Banfield 0–6 Argentino de Rosario (1945)
  • In international tournaments: Banfield 0–4 Club America (March 7 of 2007)
• 'Best place in the league': Champion (Open '09)
• 'Worst place in the league': 19
• 'Top Scorer': Gustavo Albella (1945/51 and 1954) 71 goals.
• 'More matches': Javier Sanguinetti between 1993 and 2008, with 423 games.
• 'International participation':
  • Participation in the Copa Libertadores 2005 quarterfinals. (removed by River Plate).
  • Participation in the Copa Sudamericana 2004: first round. (removed by Arsenal de Sarandi)
  • Participation in the Copa Sudamericana 2005 round. (removed by Fluminense).
  • Participation in the Copa Sudamericana 2006: first round. (removed by San Lorenzo).
  • Participation in the Copa Libertadores 2007: first round.
  • Participation in the Copa Libertadores 2010: round of 16 (removed by SC Internacional).
  • Participation in the Copa Sudamericana 2010: round of 16 (removed by Deportes Tolima).

Honours

National

• Argentine Primera División
  • Winners (1): 2009 Apertura
  • Runners-up (2): 1951, 2005 Clausura
• Primera B Nacional
  • Winners (2): 1992–93, 2000–01
• Primera B
  • Winners (4): 1939, 1946, 1962, 1973

Amateur era

• Primera División
  • Runners-up (2): 1920 AAF, 1934
• Segunda División
  • Winners (3): 1899, 1900, 1919
• Tercera División
  • Winners (2): 1908, 1912
• Copa de Honor Municipalidad de Buenos Aires
  • Winners (1): 1920

Players

Current squad

Current squad of Club Atlético Banfield as of December 26, 2011 (edit)
Sources: Argentine Soccer

Manager: Jorge da Silva

Notable players

To appear in this section a player must have either:

• Played at least 100 games for the club.
• Set a club record.
• Played for their national team while at the club.
• Played at least 15 games with their national team at any time.
• Been part of a World Cup squad.

Filial clubs

Other Banfield clubs affiliated to AFA (Argentine Football Association).

– Ordered by province

References

External links

• Official website (Spanish)
• Eurobanfield.com (Spanish)
• Soy Taladro (Spanish)