CF Universidad de Chile - last updated on 24 January 2008
(Courtesy of Johnny Beaufays)
Club name: Club de Fútbol Universidad de Chile
Foundation: May 24th 1927
City: Santiago
Colours: Blue, white and red
Website: www.udechile.cl
Honours:
Liga Chilena de Fútbol: Primera - 1 (1940, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2004)
Copa Chile - 3 (1979, 1998, 2000)
Liga Chilena de Fútbol: Primera B - 1 (1989)
A bit of history:
The club was founded on May 24, 1927 as Club Deportivo Universitario by the merger of Club Náutico and Federación Universitaria. Initially the club was formed by students of the Universidad de Chile and was the sport brand of the university, that was until 1980 when the university's rector and president of the club at the time (both of them appointed by the Pinochet regime) decided to separate the club from the university and created the CORFUCH to manage the football team. This move was a part of the atomization of the Universidad de Chile that was made by the military dictatorship in order to strength the private universities that were born in that time and reduce the state power. This was a major blow to the club, because it was left with nothing but a loyal fan base. From then the club started to decline in the results and the economy as the other major clubs were helped by main powers as the government, the catholic church and Codelco. This led to the team's relegation to second division in 1988 and the threats of dissolve the club by the university if the team didn't come back to the first division in one year, but La "U" get the 2nd division championship of 1989 and then started a return to the greatness that suppressed all the previous penuries.
Some ties to the university remain: the club logo is the same as the university's sport logo, an owl, used in the university as a symbol of wisdom. The uniform colors are, like the university's colors, the same. And instead of the logo, the shirt has a big red U. Administratively, there were minor ties, for example, the previous university's rector said that the club must change the name if the directive want to make it a private property, also the best students to enter to the university receive a member card of the club.
In 2006 the club was declared in bankruptcy and received an imposed administration that was very criticized by the supporters, as the new chairman immediately fired club symbols, and tried to transform the club into a private company of public stocks, being opposed to the decision of the club members in a previous assembly. The team finished the year with the worst campaign in the club history and the almost-sure transformation into private company due to the ties between the appointed chairman and several businessman.
The new university's rector make a turn in the relationship with the club after the bankruptcy and allowed the use of the university's name and symbols in a private club in exchange of a royalty. During 2007 the imposed administration sold the club to a private group (Azul Azul).
Universidad Católica is the traditional rival, as the teams inherited the universities rivalry in their origins. Since the 1973 military coup the club engaged in a fan-rivalry with Colo-Colo as Universidad de Chile supporters were more related to left-wing ideas and Colo-Colo was favored by the dictatorship and even named Pinochet their honorary president. Also during this time, the two teams emerged as the most populars Chilean clubs.
Club crests: (roll on the crest to get more informations)
CF Universidad de Chile
