Cúcuta Deportivo
Cúcuta Deportivo Fútbol Club S. A. (Spanish pronounced [ˈkukuta ðepoɾˈtiβo fuðˈbol ˈkluβ]), commonly referred to as Cúcuta Deportivo, is a professional Colombian football club from the city of Cúcuta. Founded on 10 September 1924, it is one of the oldest active football clubs in the country; specifically the fourth oldest club. Since the 1950 season, it takes part in the Colombian professional football league, year in which it joined professionalism after a long stint in amateur football and since that season it plays their home games at the Estadio General Santander, with a capacity for 42,000 spectators. It currently plays in Categoría Primera B, the second level of the Colombian football league system.
| Full name | Cúcuta Deportivo Fútbol Club S. A. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | El Doblemente Glorioso (The Doubly Glorious), Los Motilones (The Motilones), Los Rojinegros (The Red and Blacks), El Equipo Fronterizo (The Border Team), La Furia Motilona (The Motilon Wrath) | |||
| Founded | 10 September 1924 | |||
| Ground | Estadio General Santander | |||
| Capacity | 42,000 | |||
| President | Wilmar Sánchez | |||
| Head coach | Federico Barrionuevo | |||
| League | Categoría Primera B | |||
| 2023 | Primera B, 3rd of 16 | |||
| Website | Club website | |||
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Identified by its red and black colors –by which they are known as the «rojinegros»–, Cúcuta Deportivo is one of Colombia's historical clubs. It won the title of champion in the Colombian first division championship in the 2006–II season. It also has three Second Division titles, won in the 1995–96, 2005 and 2018 seasons. It participated in the 2007 Copa Libertadores, achieving an outstanding continental performance by reaching the semi-finals, stage in which it faced Boca Juniors of Argentina, eventual champions of the tournament; and in the 2008 Copa Libertadores, achieving another good participation, in which it reached the round of 16, stage in which it lost to Brazilian side Santos. On 22 November 2007, it won several awards and recognitions from the television network Fox Sports Edition Colombia due to its participation in the 2007 Copa Libertadores.
In 2012, the IFFHS published a ranking of clubs in South America with statistical data from 2001 to 2012, in which Cúcuta was highlighted as one of the best Colombian teams, ranked 92nd at continental level in the 21st century. It also ranks 146th in the all-time club world rankings according to the IFFHS, being the fifth best placed Colombian team on the list.
Its classic rival is Atlético Bucaramanga, against which it plays in the Clásico del Oriente Colombiano in which it leads the all-time series of clashes. Cúcuta has one of the largest fanbases in the country.