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Defensor Sporting

Full name	Defensor Sporting Club
Nickname(s)	El Violeta La Viola El Tuerto El Defe La Farola La Cometa
Founded	15 March 1913; 111 years ago (1913-03-15)
Ground	Estadio Luis Franzini, Montevideo, Uruguay
Capacity	16,000
Chairman	Alberto Ward
Coach	Álvaro Navarro
League	Primera División
2024	Primera División, 4th of 16
Website	www.defensorsporting.com.uy
Home colours Away colours

Defensor Sporting Club is a sports club based in Montevideo, Uruguay. Founded in 1913, Defensor has several sports sections, with football and basketball being the most important and the ones in which the club has achieved significant achievements in Uruguay and internationally.

It is the third most highest winning club in Uruguay, with 24 official titles, only surpassed by Peñarol and Club Nacional de Football. The club's best performance at the international stage was in 2014, when they reached the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores, eventually losing to Club Nacional 2–1 on aggregate. They have won the Uruguayan Championship four times: in 1976, 1987, 1991, and 2007-08. Their 1976 title win was especially notable in Uruguay's football history as it ended 44 years of dominance by Nacional and Peñarol.

History

Founded on 15 March 1913, as Club Atlético Defensor, the name of the club was changed in 1989 to Defensor Sporting Club after a merger with Sporting Club Uruguay. They played in the first professional league season in Uruguay, the 1932 Uruguayan Primera División

Defensor has won many qualifying tournaments (Pre-Liguilla) to the Copa Libertadores and has represented Uruguay on numerous occasions internationally. Regarded as one of the teams that creates and develops many players in Uruguay that become successful players worldwide, It is the first club of numerous players like Jorge "Polilla" da Silva, Sergio "Manteca" Martínez, Sebastián Abreu, Andrés Fleurquin, Marcelo Tejera, Darío Silva, Gonzalo Vargas, Diego "Ruso" Pérez, Nicolás Olivera, Martín Cáceres, Maxi Pereira, Álvaro González, and Tabaré Viúdez.

Legendary coach Prof. José Ricardo de León brought Defensor to the national championship in 1976 and originated a football (fútbol) school of thought, consistently criticized as ultra defensive, that is still present nowadays in several teams and coaches.

In September 2007, the club was considered the World's Club Team of the Month by the IFFHS.

Stadium

Defensor plays its home games at its own stadium called Estadio Luis Franzini which has a capacity for 18,000 spectators. The stadium was opened on 31 December 1963, and is located in Parque Rodó, Montevideo.

Rivalries

Defensor Sporting has had a rivalry with Danubio in recent years, because of the two clubs being the next biggest clubs in Uruguay after the historical two: Peñarol and Nacional. Matches between them are called the "Clásico de los medianos" (Spanish for Classic of the Mediums).

Honours

Senior titles

Keys

•   Record
• Shared record

Performance in CONMEBOL competitions

• Copa Libertadores: 17 appearances

1977: Group Stage

1980: Group Stage

1982: Group Stage

1990: Round of 16

1992: Round of 16

1994: Round of 16

1996: Round of 16

2001: Group Stage

2006: First Round

2007: Quarter-finals

2009: Quarter-finals

2012: Group Stage

2013: First Stage

2014: Semi-finals

2018: Group Stage

2019: Third Qualifying Stage

2024: First Qualifying Stage

• U-20 Copa Libertadores: 1 appearance

2012: Runner-up

• Copa Sudamericana: 8 appearances

2005: Second Round

2007: Quarter-finals

2008: Round of 16

2010: Round of 16

2015: Quarter-finals

2017: First Stage

2018: Second Stage

2023: First Stage

• Copa CONMEBOL: 2 appearances

1995: First Round

1997: First Round

Kit evolution

1913

1915–present

1922–25

1989 away

1960s–1980s & 1993

2001 away

Current squad

As of 6 October 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  URU Matías Dufour 2 DF  URU Lucas Ymbert 3 DF  URU Guillermo de los Santos 4 DF  URU Rodrigo Cabrera 6 MF  URU Mauricio Amaro 7 FW  ARG Claudio Spinelli 8 MF  URU Francisco Barrios 11 FW  URU Lucas Agazzi 12 GK  URU Kevin Dawson 13 FW  URU Augusto Cambón 14 DF  ARG Renzo Giampaoli (on loan from Boca Juniors) 15 DF  URU Juan Viacava 16 DF  URU José Álvarez 17 FW  ARG Felipe Cadenazzi

No. Pos. Nation Player 18 MF  URU Agustín Soria 19 FW  URU Pablo Viudez 20 DF  URU Patricio Pacífico 21 MF  URU Joaquín Valiente 22 MF  PER Alfonso Barco 23 GK  URU Bruno Simone 24 FW  URU Brian Mansilla (on loan from Peñarol) 25 MF  MEX Xavier Biscayzacú 27 MF  URU Juan Manuel Jorge 28 MF  BRA Luan Brito (on loan from Fluminense) 29 FW  URU Rodrigo Dudok 30 MF  URU Erico Cuello 32 MF  ARG Walter Montoya

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  URU Facundo Labandeira (at CRB until 31 December 2024) — MF  URU Nicolás Wunsch (at Cerro until 31 December 2024)

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  URU Diego Abreu (at Deportivo Toluca until 31 December 2024)

Notable former players

• Diego Jaume

Notable coaches

• Hugo Bagnulo (1952–1957; 1960–1961)
• Gregorio Pérez (1983–1984)
• Juan Ahuntchaín (1996)
• Ricardo Ortiz (1996–1997)
• Juan Tejera (2004–2005)
• Jorge da Silva (2005–2009)
• Gustavo Ferrín (2009–2010)
• Pablo Repetto (2010–2011)
• Gustavo Díaz (2011–2012)
• Tabaré Silva (2012–2013)
• Fernando Curutchet (2013–2014)
• Mauricio Larriera (2015–2016)
• Eduardo Acevedo (2016–2018)

References

1. "The World's club Team of the Month". IFFHS. 20 December 2007. Archived from the original on 21 December 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2020.

External links

• Official website

• 1913 establishments in Uruguay
• Association football clubs established in 1913
• Defensor Sporting
• Football clubs in Uruguay