| Full name | Club Nacional de Football | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Tricolores (Tricolors) Bolsilludo Bolso Albos (Whites) |
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| Founded | May 14, 1899 | |||
| Ground | Estadio Gran Parque Central (Capacity: 23,500) |
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| Chairman | Ricardo Alarcón | |||
| Manager | Marcelo Gallardo | |||
| League | Primera División | |||
| 2010–11 | 1st | |||
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| Current season | ||||
Club Nacional de Football is a sports institution from Uruguay, founded on May 14, 1899 in Montevideo, as a result of the fusion between Uruguay Athletic Club and Montevideo Fútbol Club.[1]
Nacional plays several sports, being football the most important and the one in which the club has achieved significant victories in Uruguay and internationally, earning worldwide recognition.[2]
Considered one of the big teams in the country and South America, Nacional won the Copa Libertadores three times: 1971, 1980 and 1988. In this tournament, Nacional is the all-time leader with 515 points.[3] Nacional also won the Copa Intercontinental in 1971, 1980 and 1988, becoming the first unbeaten three times world champion. In addition, Nacional is the only uruguayan team that won the Copa Interamericana (1972 and 1989)[4] and the Recopa Sudamericana, competition in which is the first champion (1989).[5] In the domestic league, Nacional won the championship 43 times, playing in the first division since its debut in 1901, with the record of 11 titles in the amateur era and 32 titles in the profesional era. With a total of 144 official titles won, 123 domestic titles and 21 international titles (9 of them recognized by either Conmebol or FIFA), Nacional is the most successful club in Uruguay in terms of number of titles.[6]
Nacional is identified with the white, blue and red colours inspired by the Uruguay's national hero José Gervasio Artigas flag.[7] In spite of hosting some games at the Montevideo's city property Estadio Centenario, Nacional plays most of its home matches at the Parque Central, located in the La Blanqueada neighbourhood and popularly known as El Parque, where on July 13, 1930 Belgium and the United States played one of the two opening games of the 1930 FIFA World Cup, and where Argentina and Brazil, among others, made their debut in FIFA World Cup. Besides, Parque Central was the only venue in the 1923 and 1924 edition of the Copa América.[8]
Nacional has fierce rivalries with many clubs, notably with cross-town team Peñarol, in clashes known as El clásico del fútbol uruguayo.[9]
According to CONMEBOL, Nacional is the uruguayan team with the best international performance in the last five years.[10]
In May 2011, Nacional surpassed the number of 40.000 associates.[11]
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Nacional was founded as the first "criollo" football side in Uruguay, being the first club that was not founded or controlled by British or other foreigners. Its players started developing already around 1900 a new playing style that introduced a less physical and more imaginative game, made out of fast combinations and frequent dribblings. Magariños says: "The action of these teams [the British-Uruguayan teams, that is] was conducted according the purest and standardized virtues of British sport: positional play, long passes, furious shots, and strong physical play. The body was used as a weapon, both offensively and defensively. (...) Nacional, formed mainly by smaller and faster players (...) abandoned the physical confrontation that was allowed back then, and chose to play according to their own possibilities. They chose to perform dribblings, fast and short passing, very fast sprints, and a hectic activity in the pitch."[[12]] After two very successful initial decades in the national league of Uruguay and at the regional level, Nacional became the foundation of Uruguay's first international success at the world level. In 1924, Nacional contributed six players (Mazali, Urdinarán, Scarone, Romano, Zibechi and Somma) for Uruguayan national representative that won the Summer Olympics in Paris. Nacional made also a substantial contribution to the Uruguayan teams of 1928 and 1930, Olympic and world champions respectively. As a matter of fact, Nacional is the only Uruguayan club that contributed players to every Uruguayan national team that won international tournaments. In 1925, due to the success of Uruguay and of Nacional players in the Olympics, Nacional was invited to make an extensive European tour, playing 38 matches over six months. During that tour, Nacional played against both national squads and professional club teams from 9 European countries. Nacional won 26 matches, tied 7, and lost 5. An estimate of about 800,000 tickets were sold during that tour.[13]
In 1927, Nacional made an American tour, with similar results to the ones obtained in the European adventure made two years before.
The international reputation of Nacional was formed in tournaments played in the first half of the twentieth century in the Río de la Plata region, where the most important international tournaments in America were played before the Copa Libertadores was created. The historical rivalries with long time enemy Peñarol and famous Argentinian teams like Boca Juniors, C.A. River Plate, Racing Club, Independiente, San Lorenzo, Rosario Central and Newell's Old Boys, among others, were established in the Copa Río de la Plata, and the Copa de Honor and the Copa de Competencia.
In 1971 Nacional won its first Copa Libertadores, beating Estudiantes de La Plata from Argentina in the final disputed in Lima, Peru. In the same year, Nacional won its first World Club title, the 1971 Intercontinental Cup, in memorable matches against Panathinaikos from Greece, with goals from striker Luis Artime. Panathinaikos played because the reigning European champion, AFC Ajax, refused to play due to the violent conduct common among top South American teams during this period. The following year, Nacional won its first Copa Interamericana, defeating Cruz Azul from Mexico.
Nacional repeated its achievement in the Copa Libertadores in 1980, beating Internacional from Brazil in the final, in a Estadio Centenario packed with Nacional fans. After becoming South American champions, Nacional won the Intercontinental Cup for the second time, defeating European champions Nottingham Forest from England 1–0, with goal from forward Waldemar Victorino.
Nacional won its third copa Libertadores in 1988, beating Argentine side Newell's Old Boys 3–0 in the Estadio Centenario, with goals from Vargas, De León and Ostolaza. That same year, Nacional would contest its third Intercontinental Cup. In a breath-taking final against Dutch side PSV Eindhoven coached by Guus Hiddink, Nacional would win in the penalty shootout after the game ended 2–2. "El Bolso" remains as the only team to win all the Intercontinental finals it participated in. In the next year, Nacional won its second Interamerican Cup, this time beating C.D. Olimpia.
In 1989, Nacional won the Recopa Sudamericana, defeating Racing from Argentina.
Nacional's home kit is a white jersey, with blue shorts and socks (although it is also common for them to wear an all white strip). The away jersey is red, which is used both with blue or white shorts and socks. The third kit is a blue jersey with blue shorts and white socks. The colours of the uniform were amalgamated from the merged clubs,the red was taken from Montevideo Football Club,blue from Uruguay Athletic (original colours) and later the adding of white from club Defensa
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1899–1901
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1902–...
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Special
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1902–1994
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Team B 1908
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1995–1997
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1998
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1999
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2000–2001
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2002–...
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Nacional plays most home games at its own stadium, the 25,000 (and growing)[14] capacity Gran Parque Central (soon to be 30,000), built in 1900. In recent decades the stadium has not been used very often because Nacional played at the national stadium Estadio Centenario, sharing it with Peñarol. High-risk matches and derbies are still played at the Centenario. In 2005, the renovation of Parque Central allowed Nacional to play home matches there more often.
Parque Central is located in "Quinta de la Paraguaya" a historic place where an Uruguayan military hero was named "Jefe de los Orientales" Uruguayan leader (military speaking) in 1811.[15]
The Spanish word to describe football fans is "hincha", and it was coined by Nacional fans. An employee of Nacional of the early 1900s, Prudencio Miguel Reyes, was famous for his continuous support to the team. The other fans that attended the games started to call him by one of his duties: pumping air to the balls (in Spanish: "inflar" the balls, in Uruguay: "hinchar" the balls). Within a few games, Reyes was known as the "hincha" of Nacional. This is the origin of a word that is frequently used by Spanish speakers worldwide.[16][17]
Nacional is nicknamed “tricolores” (“three colours”), and “bolsilludos”, later shortened to “bolsos” (“bolsillo” being the Spanish word for pocket – Nacional used to play with a jersey that had a pocket on the chest). “La blanca” (The white) is less common also called the albos.
Current squad of Club Nacional de Football as of August 21, 2011 ()
Sources: Official Site
| 1 | URU | GK | Rodrigo Muñoz |
| 3 | ARG | MF | Alexis Rolín |
| 2 | BRA | DF | Jadson Viera |
| 4 | URU | DF | Christian Núñez |
| 5 | BRA | MF | Facundo Píriz |
| 6 | URU | DF | Darwin Torres |
| 10 | URU | FW | Tabaré Viudez |
| 8 | URU | MF | Matías Cabrera |
| 9 | URU | FW | Alexander Medina |
| 20 | URU | FW | Alvaro Recoba |
| 11 | URU | FW | Gonzalo Bueno |
| 12 | URU | GK | Leonardo Burian |
| 14 | BRA | DF | Diego Placente |
Manager:Marcelo Gallardo
Notable playersRecords
World Champion playersIn 1903, Uruguay, fully represented by Nacional's team members beat Argentina 3–2, winning the first international match ever (of national teams) in the history of Uruguayan football (the first club match ever was won by Albion over Argentine team Retiro 3–1 in 1896 in Buenos Aires). In 1924, Nacional was the club that contributed more players to the Uruguayan team that won the Olympic gold medal in football of that year. The same thing happened with the Uruguayan teams of 1928 and 1930, Olympic and world champions respectively, in which Nacional contributed the majority of players. As a matter of fact, Nacional is the only Uruguayan club that contributed players to every Uruguayan national team that won international tournaments.[18] Below, the list of Nacional players that were part of Uruguay's Olympic and world champions teams.
Notable coaches
List of presidents
HonorsDomestic
International
Other International
FriendlyAmerica
Europe
Asia
Domestic Friendly (53)
Youth Tournaments (90)Domestics (83)[20][21]
Internationals (83)
Other sportsBasketballNacional participates in the tournaments organised by the Uruguayan basketball federation Federación Uruguaya de Basketball (known as FUBB) since 1932. The club won the championships of 1935 and 1937. Nowadays, Nacional takes part in the Torneo Metropolitano, Uruguayan basketball second division.
CyclingNacional participates in the championships organised by the Uruguayan Cycling Federation Federación Ciclista del Uruguay since its beginnings. The club won the most important competitions in several occasions: Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay and Rutas de América, individually and by teams. Nowadays, Nacional cycling team has the presence of Milton Wynants, winner of a silver medal for Uruguay in the 2000 Summer Olympics. Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay (9)
Rutas de América (6)
Mil Millas Orientales (1)
Vuelta Ciclista del Paraguay (2)[30]
TennisNacional has a lot of tennis courts in Parque Central, behind the stand Talud Abdón Porte, in which several stages of the tournaments organised in Uruguay are disputed. In 2005, the club had the honour of holding various games played by Uruguay in the American Zone II of Davis Cup. VolleyballNacional has its volleyball court in Parque Central, in the gymnasium of Jaime Cibils street. In that stadium, the club plays its home games of the championships organised by the Uruguayan volleyball federation Federación Uruguaya de Vóleibol in every category. Men (6)
Women (3)
Women's footballNacional was part of the tournaments organised by the Department of Femenine Football of the Uruguayan Football Association, since its establishment in 1996. The club won various league titles and its main rival in Uruguay was Rampla Juniors. Internationally, Nacional played in various South American championships. The club dissaffiliated in 2005 and returned to the league in 2009 ending third in the annual standings. Official national tournaments (4)
Other national tournaments (2)
Youth tournaments (2)
FutsalNacional participates in the championships organised by de Futsal Delegated Commission of the Uruguayan Football Association. The club won the Uruguayan league title in various occasions and is nowadays the Uruguayan champion. Internationally, Nacionals main achievement is the second place in the South American Futsal Cup Copa Libertadores de América de Futsal in 2003. Affiliate FIFUSA – AMF / FUdeFSTorneos nacionales (10)
Torneos internacionales (1)
Affiliate FIFA / AUFTorneos nacionales (20)
Torneos internacionales (1)
Campeonatos Uruguayos Juveniles Futsal (AUF)(5)
References
External links
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