Club Universitario de Deportes

"Universitario" and "Los Cremas" redirect here. For other uses, see Universitario (disambiguation) and Crema (disambiguation).

Universitario
Full nameClub Universitario de Deportes
Nickname(s)Los Cremas
Los Merengues
Short nameLa U
Founded7 August 1924; 100 years ago (1924-08-07), as Federación Universitaria[1]
GroundMonumental
Capacity80,093
ChairmanManuel Barreto
ManagerFabián Bustos
LeagueLiga 1
2023Liga 1, 1st of 19
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Club Universitario de Deportes, popularly known as Universitario or simply as La "U", is a Peruvian sports club based in Lima, which has football as its main activity. It also has women's football, voleyball and basketball sections. The club was founded in August 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of San Marcos but was forced to rename in 1931.[1] Since 1928, the club competes in the top tier of Peruvian football, the Liga 1, which makes it the Peruvian team that has remained unrelegated for the longest time. In 2000, they opened the 80,000-capacity Estadio Monumental, currently the largest stadium in Peru and second-largest in South America, retiring their smaller Estadio Teodoro Lolo Fernández. Universitario and Alianza Lima participate in the Peruvian Clásico, which has its roots in the club's first participation in the Peruvian Primera División in 1928.[2] It also has rivalries with Sporting Cristal, Deportivo Municipal, and Sport Boys.

The club won its first Peruvian title in 1929, one year after its debut in the first division. The club won its first double in the 1945 and 1946 seasons and won its only treble after conquering the 2000 season.[3] Since then, Universitario has won twenty-seven first division titles, becoming the most successful club in Peru and was the first Peruvian club to reach the final of the Copa Libertadores in 1972.[4] Universitario is one of the two most popular teams in Peru.[5][6] Universitario's youth team is U América FC which currently participates in the Copa Perú. According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, an international organization recognized by FIFA, Universitario was the best Peruvian club of the 20th century and the 28th most successful in South America.[7]

  1. ^ a b Nieto Tarazona, Carlos Manuel (29 January 2009). "Universitario de Deportes". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2009.
  2. ^ "ASI NACÍO EL CLÁSICO. A BASTONAZOS" (in Spanish). CRONICAS DE FUTBOL PERUANO. 26 September 2007. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Revive el fantástico tricampeonato de Universitario de Deportes" (in Spanish). El Bocón. 7 August 2018. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  4. ^ Pulgar-Vidal Otálora, Jaime (7 March 2007). "Universitario de Deportes finalista de la Copa Libertadores de América de 1972" [Universitario de Deportes 1972 Copa Libertadores finalist] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 5 October 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2007.
  5. ^ Peralta Liñán, Norka (5 August 2007). "Nuestras aspiraciones y verdades" [Our aspirations and truths] (in Spanish). El Comercio. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  6. ^ Compañía Peruana de Estudios de Mercado y Opinión Pública (26 May 2008). "Equipo de futbol de la liga profesional del cual es simpatizante o hincha" [Professional league football team you are a sympathizer or fan of] (PDF). Estudio de Opinión Pública a Nivel Perú Urbano (in Spanish). p. 49. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
  7. ^ "South America's club of the Century". IFFHS official website. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 17 September 2009.