| Full name | Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | El Lobo (The Wolf) Los Triperos (The gut-handlers) Mensanas Subcampeones Basureros (Garbagemen) [1] |
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| Founded | June 3, 1887 | ||
| Ground | Estadio Juan Carlos Zerillo, La Plata, Argentina (Capacity: 24,544[2]) |
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| President | Héctor Atilio Delmar | ||
| Manager | Pedro Troglio | ||
| League | Primera B Nacional | ||
| 2011 Clausura | 18th (Relegated via playoff) | ||
| Website | Club home page | ||
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Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkluβ ðe ximˈnasja i ezˈɣɾima la ˈplata], also known as CGE or GELP, (English: La Plata Gymnastics and Fencing Club) is a professional Argentine football club based in La Plata, Buenos Aires. Founded in 1887 as Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima,[3] the team plays in the Nacional B.[4]
Gimnasia y Esgrima was promoted to the first division after becoming champions of the División Intermedia of Argentine football in 1915. Later, in 1929, the club would become champions of the Primera División. Once in the professional era, Gimnasia became champions of the Argentine 2nd division in 1944, 1947 and 1952 and won the Copa Centenario de la AFA in 1994. Additionally, the squad has been a runner-up in the Primera División on five occasions.[5] [6][7] The club has remained at the top level of Argentine football for 69 seasons, giving it the eighth longest participation at this level.
The "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata" was founded on June 3, 1887 as a civil association, and thus is the oldest surviving football club still participating in the Argentine Football League. The club also claims to be the oldest football club in the Americas,[8][9] despite other football clubs, such as the Lima Cricket and Football Club, have older foundation dates. Its foundation came barely five years after the creation of the City of La Plata in 1882.[10] In 1887, after a meeting carried out in the Sala Comercial of the city of La Plata, the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima was founded as a social and sports organization. The meeting was presided by Saturnino Perdriel (the one who was then the first president of the club) and it counted with the presence of more than 50 founding associates. In addition, it was designated a commission formed by Domingo Echeverri, Ramón Lorenzo Falcón, Julio Llanos, Dante Pelanda and Guillermo Pintos, whose purpose was to prepare the preliminary design of statute.[11]
The first sports offered to its members were, as its Spanish name indicates, gymnastics and fencing. Clubs supporting these sports were common among the upper classes at the end of the 19th century (cf. the prior foundation of Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires in 1880). Later on, other disciplines were added, including track and field, football, basketball and rugby.[12]
The institution changed name a few times: from April to December 1897 it was called a "Club de Esgrima" (in English, "Fencing Club") because fencing was the only activity practised at that moment. On December 17, 1897 it returned to its original name: "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima" ("Gymnastics and Fencing Club"). From July 1952 to September 30, 1955, the club was named "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima de Eva Perón" ("Gymnastics and Fencing Club of Eva Perón"), because the city of La Plata itself had been renamed "Eva Perón" in 1952, after Eva Perón's death. The city returned to its previous name during the government of the "Liberating Revolution", and so did the club. However, it remained unduly identified legally as "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata" ("Gymnastics and Fencing Club of La Plata"), a mistake that was corrected on August 7, 1964 after the new statute was approved.[13][14]
Gimnasia had to abandon its original field at the corner of 13th and 71st streets, in 1905, because in that place the city had to build an educational institution;[15] at that time, it chose to discontinue the practice of football and to devote the club mainly to social activities. As a result, some members who were interested in playing football left and founded a club devoted principally to that activity: Estudiantes de La Plata. Later, in 1912, a group of football players who were in conflict with Estudiantes de La Plata joined Club Independencia, which later merged with Gimnasia y Esgrima in 1914, thereby returning to the practice of football. In 1915 Gimnasia y Esgrima joined the "División Intermedia", and won the championship and promotion to the Primera División Argentina. In that year, Gimnasia obtained two cups; "Copa Competencia Adolfo J. Bullrich" ("Adolfo J. Bullrich's Competition Cup") and "Copa Campeonato Intermedia" ("Intermediate Cup Championship").[13][16]
On April 27, 1916, Gimnasia played against Estudiantes de La Plata, its rival in the La Plata derby, for the first time. The match took place at the Estudiantes de La Plata' field, where Gimnasia y Esgrima won 1–0.[17][18] That year, Gimnasia finished the championship in fourth place, behind Racing Club, Platense and River Plate, with nine victories, nine ties and three defeats. In 1921 Gimnasia would again reach fourth place, behind Racing Club, River Plate and Independiente, as a result of 23 victories, six ties and nine defeats.[19]
On April 27, 1924 the new stadium was inaugurated, located in La Plata's main park ("El Bosque", the Forest); it was named Estadio Juan Carlos Zerillo. Gimnasia y Esgrima remained undefeated in its new stadium for 15 months (from its first official meeting until July 1925).[20] [21] On that year, Gimnasia achieved second place, behind San Lorenzo, with 15 victories, seven ties and one defeat.[22]
In 1929, Gimnasia y Esgrima obtained its only First Division title in the amateur era, after a campaign that included fourteen victories and three defeats. The championship of 1929 was organized along the Copa Estímulo format, that is, teams where separated in two zones ("even" and "odd"), the title being defined in a game between the winners of each zone. Gimnasia y Esgrima won the first place in the "odd zone", which included River Plate, Racing Club, Huracán, and Estudiantes de La Plata, among other teams. The "even zone" was won by Boca Juniors, that qualified thus for the final meeting.[23][24]
The final took place on February 9, 1930 at the old stadium of River Plate (at the intersection of Alvear and Tagle in Recoleta). On that day, Gimnasia fielded: Scarpone, Di Giano and Delovo; Rusciti, Santillán and Belli; Curell, Varallo, Maleani, Díaz, and Morgada. After being down 0–1 at half time, the team turned the result and won 2-1 with two goals by Martin Maleani. That same year Gimnasia won the "Reserve" championship.[25] Consequently, Gimnasia y Esgrima became the first club of La Plata to earn a title in a competition organized by an Association recognized by FIFA.[26]
Between December 1930 and April 1931, Gimnasia's team, which later would be known as "El Expreso" (in English, "The Express"), toured Europe and Brazil. Gimnasia became the first Argentine club from outside Greater Buenos Aires to compete in Europe, and the first ever to play in Portugal, Czechoslovakia, Austria and Italy.[27][28] In the European portion of the tour, Gimnasia played twenty-two games, winning eleven and losing six.[29]
On February 15, 1931, Gimnasia defeated Sportverein München 4-0 at Munich, in a game remarkable for being the first match played by an Argentine team on a snow-covered pitch.[30] On March 8, Gimnasia won 3-1 over AC Sparta Praha at Prague, a team that was arguably the strongest in Europe at the time, and that no South American team had yet defeated.[31] Gimnasia also won its matches against three of the most important European clubs: a 3-2 victory against Real Madrid (at Madrid, on January 1, 1931, first South American team to ever defeat Real Madrid at Madrid),[32] 2-1 against FC Barcelona (at Barcelona, on January 6, 1931), and 1-0 against Benfica (at Lisbon, on March 29, 1931).[33][34]
Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata entered into the history of Argentine football with a famous team known as "El Expreso" (The Express). The "1933 Express" comfortably won the first round of the First Division championship. In the second round, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata led the championship, until it faced Boca Juniors and San Lorenzo de Almagro. In these matches, it is claimed that Gimnasia was subject to openly biased arbitration.[35][36] In the latter game, the referee Rojo Miró favoured San Lorenzo that the Gimnasia players famously refused to continue with the charade, and "went on strike." They simply sat on the field, while San Lorenzo scored unopposedly, before the referee terminated the game with a 7–1 outcome. The 1933 team ended in the fourth place (San Lorenzo was the champion) with a record of 21 victories, four draws and nine defeats.[37] However, the legendary Express had been born, and it never left the memory of its fans. The top scorer of The Express was Arturo "El Torito" Naón with 33 goals.[38]
In 1934, Gimnasia finished in ninth place after securing 14 wins, 10 draws and 15 defeats, with Arturo Naón as scorer with his 25 goals. The following year, the team finished in the number 13 position, where the highlights were the victories River Plate (6:4), Platense (8-2) and the champion Boca Juniors (1:0).[39][40][41]
During the decade of the 40s, Gimnasia had an erratic performance, which cost him two drops at the Primera B (second division). In 1943 Gimnasia made a bad campaign, where it finished in last position and descends to the second division of professional soccer in Argentina. The following year, Gimnasia through 31 victories, 4 draws and 5 defeats, achieved the first place, obtaining this way the second division championship and promotion to the first. In 1945, the newly promoted team, finished the championship in the last place to suffer like this again declining. Gimnasia remained in the Primera B during the first two seasons (1946 and 1947). In 1947, the team was crowned champion after 25 wins, 7 draws and 6 defeats and returned to the first division. In 1948 the team again made a bad campaign, which comes last in the table of positions, but in that year there were no declines. The following two years, Gimnasia made modest campaigns.[42][43][44]
In 1951, the Gimnasia's first team finished last in Leaderboard and fell of category again. In 1952 it was crowned champion of the second division and returned to first division. During the remaining years of the decade (1953–1960), Gimnasia disputed all the championships of first division finishing most of the times by the middle of the table of positions.[44][45][46]
This Cup was disputed in 1960 and was organized by the club Estudiantes de La Plata. It was called "Gobernador de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Dr. Oscar Alende Cup" (in English, "Governor of Buenos Aires Dr. Oscar Alende Cup"). The cup was an international tournament, comprising friendly matches between Estudiantes, Gimnasia, Club Nacional de Football and Club Atlético Peñarol, the latter being the two main football clubs from Uruguay.[47]
Gimnasia won both meetings against the Uruguayan teams: 5–2 against Nacional and 1–0 against Peñarol. Estudiantes lost its respective games for 0–1 and 2–5. In the last match, Gimnasia tied with Estudiantes 2–2. On February 13, 1960, Gimnasia was crowned champion of the Gobernador Alende Cup, at the stadium of its archrival.[48]
In 1962, Gimnasia ranked third in the First Division championship with 16 wins, 6 draws and 6 defeats. This was a good campaign team platense that after a patchy start, managed to remain unbeaten for 15 dates (between the 9th day of the first round and 10th in the second round) with 9 consecutive wins (including the 15th day of the first and the 9th round of the second), to lead the championship dates to before its completion.[49]
The team was led by Uruguayan Enrique Fernández Viola until the match with Estudiantes, who lost by 0:1 in a local, so he left his charge. Eliseo Prado assumed the interim leadership until Adolfo Pedernera took over the team. Pedernera lasted in charge until three dates before the end of the tournament and the post was occupied by an interim Infante.[50]
The scorer of the team was Alfredo "Tanque" Rojas with 17 goals, followed by Bayo Diego with 10 goals. Gimnasia managed to score 47 goals, and received 28 goals, leaving a positive balance of 19 goals.[50]
The starting eleven for the team were: Carlos Minoian; Pedro Galeano and José Marinovich; Walter Davoine, Daniel Carlos Bayo and Domingo Lejona; Luis Ciaccia, Héctor Antonio or Eliseo Prado, Alfredo "Tanque" Rojas, Diego Francisco Bayo and "Huaqui" Gómez Sánchez. Also played in the first team: Francisco Gerónimo (goalkeeper), Antonio López, Héctor Trinidad, José Perillo, Natalio Sivo, Jorge Mallo, Antonio Arena and Hugo Carro.[50]
In 1963, Gimnasia finished the championship in 13th position, at just three points from the last position. The highlight of that season was the victory of the derby by 5:2, with goals from Ciaccia, Gómez Sánchez, Diego Bayo and 2 from "Tanque" Rojas. The following year Gimnasia ended in the same position.[50]
In 1965, Gimnasia finished the penultimate Leaderboard, above Chacarita Juniors by just one point. In 1966, Gimnasia improved its performance and finished the championship in 8th position with 13 wins, 13 draws and 12 losses.
After almost a decade alternating good and bad performances, there were realized restructurations in the accomplishment of the championships organized by the Argentine Football Association (AFA). These were the "Metropolitano", with the teams affiliated directly to the AFA divided in two zones, and the "Nacional", in whom some teams affiliated to the AFA were taking part and whom they classified under the first positions of the Metropolitano. The rest of the teams was taking part in the "Promocional" and in the "Reclasificatorio", together with other teams that were representing other leagues of the country.[50]
In the first year, 1967, Gimnasia y Esgrima devoted itself champion of the "Promocional" tournament.
One of the teams most remembered by Gimnasia fans is "La Barredora" ("The Sweeper").
In 1970, Gimnasia y Esgrima finished second the zone "B" behind Chacarita Juniors, and qualified for the "Nacional" semifinal against Rosario Central, who had occupied the first position in the zone "A". At that time, a conflict developed between the players and the club's administration on a disagreement about the salary paid to the players. Unable to solve the issue, the President Oscar Venturino fielded the club's third division on the semifinal at Rosario. The final result was a 3–0 victory for Rosario Central.[51] [52][53]
The starting eleven for the team were: Hugo Orlando Gatti; Ricardo Rezza, José Bernabé Leonardi, José Masnik, Roberto Zywica, Roberto Gonzalo; Héctor Pignani, José Santiago, Delio Onnis, José Néstor Meija, Jorge Castiglia. José Varacka was the coach.[54][55]
After a forgetful performance in the Campeonato Metropolitano, the wolf must play the quadrangular to determine three decreases of that year against Platense, Chacarita Juniors and Atlanta. With 3 won games, 1 drawn and 2 lost, 7 goals to favor and 8 in against, Gimnasia descends to the Second category.[56]
In that tournament Carlos Dantón Seppaquercia successed the most rapid goal into the Argentine league of football. Against Club Atlético Huracán after 5 seconds on March 18, 1979.[57][58][59]
The base team was: Vidallé; Magallán, Pellegrini, Sergio Castro and Alí; Tutino, Avelino Verón and García Amaijenda; Cerqueiro, Montagnoli and Forgués. DT: Antonio Ubaldo Rattín. Also played: Carlos Dantón Seppaquercia, Oscar Perez, Restelli, Labaroni, Cragno, Villarreal, Gutiérrez, Solari and Esquivel.
Gimnasia remained in the Primera "B" from 1980 up to 1984. The first year obtained the fourth place in the table of positions after obtained 19 victories, 8 ties and losing the remaining 11 games. The team was directed by Roberto Iturrieta during the first dates and then his position was occupied by Jose Santiango.
In 1981 it obtained the seventh place with 14 victories, 17 ties and 11 defeats, what it left the team without possibilities of achieving the ascent. In this tournament the scorer of the team was Jorge "Potro" Domínguez with 17 goals.
In 1982 it worked out first from the group A with 17 victories, 15 ties and 10 defeats. This way it classified to play the octogonal for the ascent, but it was eliminated after losing by penalties in the semi-final against Temperley. Gimnasia was the most scorer team of the tournament with 73 goals, and its main scorer was again Jorge "Potro" Domínguez with 21 goals.
And in 1983, Gimnasia had a very weak campaign that positioned it in the last position with 8 victories, 15 ties and 19 defeats.
In 1984, Gimnasia achieve the longed return to the First Division after obtaining the third place in the table of positions with 18 victories, 10 ties and 14 defeats, qualifying this way to dispute the Octogonal for the second ascent to First "A".[60] In the octogonal formed part Racing Club, Argentino de Rosario, Club Atlético Tigre, Defensores de Belgrano, Club Atlético Lanús, Nueva Chicago and Deportivo Morón.
Gimnasia eliminated of the octogonal in quarters of final Argentino de Rosario after tying 1:1 as visit, and to win 2:1 at home. Then, in the semi-final it faced Defensores de Belgrano achieving a tie 2:2 as visitor and a victory 1:0 at home. By this way, it reached the final instance where it managed to conquer in two opportunities Racing Club (3:1 as visitor and 4:2 at home). After these victories, Gimnasia returned to First Division in 1985 and has been playing there ever since.[61]
The team was conformed by football players as Ricardo "el pulpo" Kuzemka, Carlos Carrió and Osvaldo Ingrao, whereas its trainer was Nito Veiga. The scorers of the team were Carlos Carrió and Osvaldo Ingrao with 12 goals each one and Gabriel Pedrazzi with 10 goals.
In 1993, The AFA organized a cup-style (elimination) tournament named Copa Centenario ("Centennial Cup"), to celebrate its hundredth anniversary. Each first division team played its derby rival in two rounds in a double elimination system. Gimnasia eliminated its classic rival Estudiantes 1–0 with a goal by Guillermo Barros Schelotto, and qualified for the next round after a 0–0 tie in the return match. Then, Gimnasia successively eliminated Newell's Old Boys, Argentinos Juniors and Belgrano de Córdoba to win the "round of winners". River Plate won the "round of losers" and qualified for the final, with Gimnasia having home field advantage.[62]
Gimnasia won the final 3–1 with goals by Hugo Romeo Guerra, Fernández and Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Gimnasia's winning team included Lavallén; Sanguinetti, Morant, Ortiz, Dopazo, Fernández, Bianco, Talarico, Gustavo Barros Schelotto, Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Guerra.[63]
After winning this cup, Gimnasia was invited to participate on the Sanwa Bank Cup in 1994. The match was played in the National Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and ended regular time with a 2-2 tie, and was defined with penaltys, where Verdy Kawasaki won 4-2.[64]
With veteran coach Carlos Timoteo Griguol at the helm, Gimnasia took second place in the 1995 Clausura tournament, and repeated the performance in 1996 and 1998.[65][66][67] At the reinauguration of Boca Juniors' stadium (La Bombonera) on May 5, 1996, Gimnasia defeated the home team by 6–0.[68][69][70] Also Gimnasia took second place in 2002 coached by Ramaciotti.[71][72]
Gimnasia also obtained second place in 2005 under Pedro Troglio's management, after an excellent campaign that had them fighting neck to neck with Boca Juniors until the very end of the championship. These strong showings allowed Gimnasia to take part in the top club-level competitions in South America: the Copa Sudamericana during the 2006 and 2007 editions of the Copa Libertadores.[73]
On September 10, 2006, during the halftime of a match against Boca Juniors, club president Juan José Muñoz confronted (and allegedly threatened) referee Daniel Giménez, who called off the match immediately, with Gimnasia leading 1–0. Muñoz was reprimanded by the football association and temporarily removed from its executive committee.[74] A few days later, Gimnasia was eliminated from the Copa Sudamericana by the Chilean champions Colo Colo, following a quarter final match where a player of Gimnasia was injured by a piece of cement thrown by Chilean supporters.[75] Due to Gimnasia's physical play in the second leg of the quarter finals in Argentina, Argentine Football Association's president Julio Grondona wrote a personal letter to the president of the ANFP (the Chilean football federation) apologizing for the "roughness" of the Gimnasia players.[76]
The pending second half against Boca Juniors was played on November 8, 2006. Boca Juniors scored four goals and won the match. After the match, Troglio and some of the players hinted that the team had received death threats from some supporters, who wanted to benefit Boca in its championship bid against Gimnasia's archrivals Estudiantes. Nevertheless, Estudiantes obtained the title at the end of the Apertura 2006.[77]
After a string of losses in the local championship and the Copa Libertadores, there were renewed calls for Muñoz to resign.[78] Coach Troglio felt the burden of responsibility and quit his post on April 2, 2007.[79] Gimnasia hired first famed Colombian trainer Francisco Maturana, and then Julio César Falcioni, but both had limited success.[79]
In the December 2007 election, Muñoz did not run, and the candidate he supported lost to the opposition. New club president Walter Gisande hired former player Guillermo Sanguinetti as team coach and tried to convince former players, notably Diego Alonso and Guillermo Barros Schelotto, to return to Gimnasia. Only Alonso, who was playing in China, made the leap.[79][79][80]
Sanguinetti quit after a string of bad results that left Gimnasia in serious danger of relegation. Under new coach Leonardo Madelón, team results improved markedly, and the team staved off relegation in a play-off against Atlético de Rafaela. In the second half of 2009, team performance deteriorated again, forcing Madelón's exit.[81]
The new management also campaigned for a return to the Bosque grounds. In April 2008 the stadium underwent a structural engineering evaluation after security measures requested by authorities were put in place.[82] On June 2008, the stadium was re-opened for a match against Lanús, the last game of the Clausura 2008 championship.
Mayor Pablo Bruera has indicated that the city will allow Gimnasia to buy or lease city-owned lands to erect a sports complex.[82]
On November 27, 2010 were carried out of the club's presidential election. These were three candidates: Hector Delmar, Carlos Gaskin and Daniel Papasodaro. With a good turnout of members (5210 members voted), was elected president, Hector Delmar with 62.82% of the vote.
Upon assuming the presidency Hector Delmar, the body headed by interim coach Paul Morant decided to return to their posts in the lower divisions of the club. The steering committee quickly hired the renowned technical Angel Cappa, signing the contract on December 22, 2010.
On January 14, 2011, the "mellizo" Guillermo Barros Schelotto returned to the club to play for at least six months and was welcomed at "Estancia Chica" for more than seven thousand fans of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata.
On June 26, 2011, Gimnasia played its third straight playoff to remain in Primera División Argentina, facing San Martín (SJ) in San Juan. Gimnasia lost the first leg as visitors 1-0. In the second leg, played on June 30, Gimnasia was down a goal by the 2nd minute, and were forced to score at least 2 goals, but they were unable to, drawing with San Martin by a score 1-1, which relegated the team.[83] Notably, this was the last game featuring club idol Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who had announced that the relegation games were to be his last before he retired.
The Clásico Platense (La Plata derby) is the nickname given to the match between La Plata's two main football teams: Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and Estudiantes de La Plata. The first official derby took place as part of the Asociación Argentina de Football First Division Championship on August 27, 1916. On that occasion, Gimnasia won 1–0 over Estudiantes, with an owngoal by Ludovico Pastor.[84]
The first derby of the professional era took place on June 14, 1931. Since then, they have played 142 official matches in tournaments organized by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino. To date, Estudiantes has won 48 times, with 207 goals, and Gimnasia has won 44 times, with 190 goals. There have been 50 draws.[85]
Between August 12, 1932 and September 9, 1934 Gimnasia won five consecutive La Plata derbies, the longest run of victories in that derby until Estudiantes emulated that feat in 2006-08. On June 25, 1963 Gimnasia obtained a 5–2 victory, this being the best result so far against Estudiantes. On the other hand, Gimnasia worst result was a 7–0 defeat on October 15, 2006.[87]
A curiosity among the derbies occurred on April 5, 1992, when Gimnasia won over Estudiantes 1–0 at the latter's stadium. On that date, as the stands erupted and Gimnasia's fans shouted in celebration at the goal being scored, the seismograph of the local Astronomical Observatory registered a low-intensity seismic event. That goal was scored by the Uruguayan José Perdomo on a freekick, and it has been known ever since as "El gol del terremoto" ("The earthquake goal").[86][88][89]
Through more than 120 years of history, the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata has had 55 Presidents, who are elected individuals who took on the responsibility of steering the Institution. Many of them contributed to the growth of the club over the years. Some of them have remained more vivid in the fans' memory for their achievements or outstanding works.[90]
Saturnino Perdriel was the founder and first president of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. Perdriel was a merchant during the first few years of the city of La Plata, in addition to being a civil servant at the Treasury Department of the Province of Buenos Aires. He died prematurely in 1888, after one year as Club president.[91]
Currently, the President of Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata is chosen by its associates, by means of general elections that take place every three years.[92] Any club member over 18 years of age, and with at least three years membership of the Club, have a right to vote. Members with over seven years membership have a right to be elected to the Club governmental body, the Management Commission or "Directory".
The current President of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata is Walter Gisande, who won the 2007 elections over Gabriel Pellegrino by 16 votes.[93][94][95]
Below is detailed how is composed the management board of the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata elected in 2010:[96]
The official anthem of Gimnasia was written in the year 1915 by the popular poet born in Magdalena Délfor B. Méndez and the music was composed by the master Juan Serpentini, who was composing versions of the National Argentine Anthem and "El tambor de Tacuarí", with Rafael Obligado's letter.
The official anthem of Gimnasia was intoned by the first time on July 9, 1915 on the occasion of the reception that was given to the delegation of the club River Plate of Uruguay. In 1967 the official anthem was recorded by the musical ensemble of the Buenos Aires Police.[14]
The shield of the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata is a wreath in which, in the top part, a helmet is outlined with a heraldic crest. At the center, on enamel and with the colors of the club (white and navy blue), is the club monogram appears. In the top cantons, like a guard, there appears the hilts of a saber and a foil, with their sharp points emerging in lower part of the shield. To the sides of the center laurels spread around the helmet.[97][98]
Since its inception, the club shield has undergone some modifications. From 1887 until 1928, the shield used was devised by Emilio Coutauret, and it was characterized by a handcrafted and adorned design. In 1964, following a reform of the foundational statute, Gimnasia's shield adopted a simpler form, while still keeping the essence of the original one. The new design of the logo is the one in current use, and often displayed on the team's jerseys.[99]
During Héctor Domínguez's presidency, the abbreviation CGE (Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima) at the center of the shield was replaced by GELP (Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata). Since the beginning of Walter Gisande's presidency, it was decided to return to the original abbreviation of 'CGE'.[100]
The official historical uniform of Gimnasia y Esgrima is based on the colours displayed in the club shield, as established in the institutional statute.
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Titular
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Alternative
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In the first years of the institution, the colors adopted were white and light blue, seeking to highlight the fact that it was an Argentine club. The first vest used by the team had vertical white and light blue stripes.[101]
In 1905, it was decided to change the colors to make it distinct from Racing Club. This resulted in a vest with vertical stripes of white and navy-blue color.[101]
Finally, in 1910, the design was modified, changing the vertical stripes into the horizontal band of navy-blue color over a white jersey, which has been used ever since.[102]
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1903
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1905
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1910–present
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The following table details the companies that provided the team's apparel, and sponsored the team, from the years 1980 and 1990 respectively:
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During the year 2009, the apparel of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata will be provided by Kappa, and jerseys by La Nueva Seguros.[116]
Within the city of La Plata and its environs, Gimnasia's fan base used to be identified with the working class, in contrast with the mostly middle class Estudiantes' constituency. This characterization is no longer true. Most of Gimnasia y Esgrima fans are from the Greater La Plata area.
The fans' collective name for itself is "La 22", after 22nd street in La Plata where many famous fans lived, notably Marcelo Amuchástegui. Known as Loco Fierro, Amuchástegui was famous for his exploits, such as hanging a 100-meter Gimnasia flag in the Bombonera stadium. He was shot to death by Rosario police in a murky episode on May 28, 1991, allegedly during an armed robbery.[117]
As is the case with other clubs in the Argentine First Division, the fans celebrate the "Worldwide Day of Gimnasia's Fans" on December 10 with a large party and outside gathering.[118][119][120]
Since the 1960s, Gimnasia has been known as El Lobo (short for "El Lobo del Bosque", Spanish for "the wolf in the Forest") after the story of "Red Riding Hood", since its historical football field is located in the middle of La Plata's main park, known as El Bosque ("the forest").[121] Another nickname, mensanas, derives from the Latin motto used in the shield: Mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body).[122]
An original nickname was (and still is) triperos ("tripe" or "gut-handlers"). This name has its origin in the fact that many of Gimnasia's original supporters worked in the meat-processing plants of nearby Berisso. In newspaper caricatures from the early 1900s, Gimnasia was accordingly depicted as a "butcher", instead of the current "wolf". however, Gimnasia is still often greeted by its fans with a resounding "Tripa corazón!" (Spanish for "Heart of tripe!"). Curiously, the same nickname is applied when referring to the population of Porto in Portugal, although the meaning of the nickname in Portuguese is closer to "tripe-eaters".[121]
Another nickname is basureros ("garbage or waste collectors"), acquired during the presidency of Mr. Venturino in the 1970s, who also managed the private company dealing with trash pickup in La Plata.[121][123]
The Juan Carlos Zerillo stadium, known as El Bosque (Spanish for "the forest", because it is located in the La Plata park of the same name) had a capacity of 31,460 and was used continuously until 2005.
When a new city stadium was built for La Plata, both Gimnasia and Estudiantes initially chose to stay at their respective fields, but this arrangement collapsed when both fields were closed down due to new security regulations. In the 2006 Clausura tournament, Gimnasia began to use the city stadium for home games.[124]
Beginning on March 2008, Gimnasia made various reforms to its old stadium, seeking to secure the permit for its use at selected games. Finally on June 2008, the "El Bosque" grounds were reapproved for First Division competitions. On Saturday June 21, 2008, in the last game of the Clausure 2008 championship, Gimnasia returned to its old home in a match against Lanús.[125][126] Now the Juan Carlos Zerillo stadium has a capacity of 24,544.[2]
In its 121-year history, the team has had more than 800 players play for their first team. From its low divisions they have arisen a great quantity of football players of national and international renown, as being Guillermo and Gustavo Barros Schelotto, Mariano Messera, Lucas Lobos, Roberto "Pampa" Sosa, Andrés Guglielminpietro, Sebastián Romero, Lucas Licht, Hernán Cristante and Leandro Cufré, among others.[138]
The AFA allowed football teams to have a maximum of four foreign football players; Gimnasia y Esgrima has historically formed its squads with a mixture of local and foreign players, being the Uruguayans who prevail in the preferences, with 49 football players.
Current squad of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata as of August 13, 2011 ()
Sources: Official site and BDFA
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Manager: Osvaldo Ingrao
Since the beginning of the professional era, the Club Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata has had a total of 63 managers (coaches). The first one was Emérico Hirschl, a Hungarian who trained the team between 1932 and 1934.[13][139]
Several prominent coaches for the team have been Nito Veiga (who led the team to promotion in 1984), Roberto Perfumo (who was coach in the final of the Centenary Cup), Carlos Timoteo Griguol (who led the team for ten years) and former footballer Pedro Troglio.
On September 30, 2008, the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata hired Leonardo Madelón as manager.[140]
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