Club Nacional

For the Uruguayan team, see Club Nacional de Football. For other clubs named Nacional, see Nacional (disambiguation).
Nacional
Full name Club Nacional
Nickname(s) La Academia, Tricolor
Founded 5 June 1904
Ground Estadio Arsenio Erico
Capacity 5,000
Chairman Robert Harrison
Manager Paraguay Gustavo Morínigo
League Primera División
2013 Aggregate

Club Nacional is a Paraguayn football (soccer) team, based in the neighbourhood of Barrio Obrero in Asunción, founded in 1904. Internationally, the club is referred to as Nacional Asunción, in order to distinguish itself from Uruguay's Club Nacional de Football and Colombia's Atlético Nacional.[1]

History

The club was founded on June 5, 1904 by a group of alumni of the Colegio Nacional de la Capital, one of the oldest public schools in Asunción. The club was originally named Nacional Football Club, taking the name "Nacional" from the school the founders attended. Its first president was Víctor Paredes Gómez and white was selected as the team color because that was the color of the Nacional de la Capital School uniform. For the emblem of the club, the colors of the Paraguayan flag were chosen.

Nacional is one of the traditional teams in the Paraguayan league and they have won a total of nine championships so far. Their nickname "La Academia" (the academy) was given to them because of their excellent youth system that produced great players such as Arsenio Erico, who is considered as the best Paraguayan footballer of all time.

In 2009 Nacional won the Clausura 2009 title after 63 years.

In 2014, Club Nacional Asunción made history after reaching the final of a Copa Libertadores competition for the first time, during the 2014 edition.[2]

Current squad

As of 10 August 2014.[3][4] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Argentina GK Ignacio Don
2 Paraguay DF Angel Almiron
3 Paraguay DF Leonardo Cáceres
4 Paraguay DF David Mendoza
5 Paraguay DF Marcos Miers
6 Paraguay MF Silvio Torales
7 Paraguay FW Julián Benítez
8 Paraguay DF Juan Argüello
9 Paraguay FW Benjamin Pedrozo
10 Paraguay MF Hugo Lusardi
11 Paraguay FW Marco Prieto
12 Paraguay DF Ramón Coronel
13 Paraguay MF Hugo Cabrera
14 Paraguay MF Marcos Melgarejo
15 Paraguay DF Raúl Piris
No. Position Player
16 Paraguay FW Fredy Bareiro
17 Paraguay MF Carlos Ruíz Peralta
18 Paraguay MF Derlis Orué
19 Paraguay MF Nicolás Martínez
20 Paraguay MF Luis Rodríguez
21 Paraguay MF Sandino Sosa
23 Paraguay DF Fabián Balbuena
24 Paraguay MF Christian Melida
25 Paraguay GK Oscar Agüero
26 Paraguay FW Brian Montenegro
28 Paraguay DF Marcos Riveros
29 Paraguay FW Julio Santa Cruz
30 Paraguay GK Eduardo Giménez
32 Paraguay MF Enrique Araújo
33 Paraguay FW Elías Zimnavoda

Notable players

To appear in this section a player must have either:

2000's

2010's

Non-CONMEBOL players

Managers

Honors

References

External links