Celaya F.C.
Full name | Club Celaya | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | Los Toros (The Bulls) | ||
Founded | 7 February 1954 | as Celaya Fútbol Club||
Ground | Estadio Miguel Alemán Valdés Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico | ||
Capacity | 23,182 | ||
Owner | José Hanan Budib | ||
Chairman | Carlos Benavides Escardó | ||
Manager | Cristian Paulucci | ||
League | Liga de Expansión MX | ||
Clausura 2022 | 3rd (Semi-finals) | ||
Website | Club website | ||
|
Club Celaya
History
Early years (1954–1970)
Celaya was established as a football club on 7 February 1954 as Celaya Fútbol Club, A.C. by Miguel Iriarte Montes, the first club president. Celaya registered in the
In 1957–58 the club achieved promotion after winning the season. The club did not lose in their first 18 games. The club's promotion became official on 15 December 1957 when the club defeated
The club made its first division appearance on 13 July 1958 against América, losing 4–1. The first goal scored in the top division was by Felipe Negrete in a confusing play, although Mateo De la Tijera possibly should have been credited. The club struggled in its first games and did not win till round 8 when they beat Zamora 3–2. The club managed to stay in its league by just one point over last-place Cuautla. That year the club finished 13 in the league with 19 points, winning 4 games. Ranulfo "Chapulin" Rosas was the club's top scorer with 8 followed by Jones and Appicciafoco with 5.
For the 1959–60 tournament the club showed little improvement, finishing 12th in the league with 12 points, leaving the relegation fight to
The club's mediocre play caught up with it in the 1960–61 tournament. After finishing last with a record of 6 wins, 7 draws and 13 losses totaling 19 points it was relegated. The club had started the tournament red hot but cooled when trainer Florencio Caffaratti left, elevating Gabriel Uñate who failed to win a single game. In that relegated squad Quaglia, J. Mercado and Ismael Ferreyra were the few players who had a good year scoring 7, 5, and 4 goals in order.
1970–1993
The club spent the 1960s in Second division where after 10 mediocre years, the club finally folded in the 1970s. A few years later the club along with club Tecnológico de Celaya was brought back to give Celaya professional football. Club Celaya enrolled in the
The club spent the 1980s playing on and off in the
Atletico Celaya era (1994–2004)
The club returned in 1994 when the two second-division clubs Atlético Cuernavaca (Morelos) and Escuadra Celeste de Celaya (Guanajuato) merged. Another team, Atlético Español – not to be mistaken for the
All merging clubs brought a piece of their old identity into the new club: Atlético Cuernavaca offered its name; Celeste de Celaya offered their light blue colors and Atlético Español provided their mascot, the bull, engendering their nickname toros (bulls).
In the 1996–97 tournament the club finished last in group 4 at 5/10/2 for a total of 17 points.
Thereafter the club inhabited the lower regions. They had financial problems which led to the sale of their first-division-license in winter 2002–03. When Atlético Celaya has disappeared, their older city neighbor Club Celaya was reactivated again when
Modern times
The club once again revived in 2007 when the city and First division club
Stadium
Estadio Miguel Alemán was built and opened in 1954 in Celaya, Guanajuato. It was rebuilt 40 years later to the guidelines of the Mexican Football Federation and host to the first league meet. It was renamed in honor of President Miguel Alemán Valdés. Local teams including FC Celaya (1958–61) and Atletico Celaya Bulls (1995–02) played there.
Capacity stands at 23,182 spectators. Its design is similar to a traditional English stadium grandstand.
Crest and colours
The club's original colors in the 1950s were red and white. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the club started using black and white with a topical v shape across the chest for home games and a black stripe shirt for away games, which they still use to this date.
Colours
- First kit evolution
Away 2007
|
Home 2009
|
Home 2010
|
Away 2011
|
Home 2021-22
|
Away 2021-22
|
Third 2021-22
|
Honours
- Mexican Primera División
- Champions (1): 1956
- Runners-up (1): 1995–96
- Segunda División
- Champions (2): 1957–58, Apertura 2010
- Tercera División de México
- Champions (1): 1973–74
Records
- Tournaments in Primera División: 14
- Season in Primera División "A": 1
- Best year Primera División: 4° (1995–96)
- Worst finish in Primera División: 18° (Invierno 2000)
- Largest win margin: 5–0 against Guadalajara (Invierno 1999)
- Largest loss margin: 6–0 Against Atlante (Invierno 1996) and América (Invierno 1999)
- Most points in a tournament
- Long tournaments: 52 in 1995–96
- Short tournament: 24 in Verano 1999
- Most goals in a tournament
- Long tournaments: 49 in 1995–96
- Short tournament: 29 in Verano 1999
- Most wins in a Tournament
- Long tournaments: 14 in 1995–96
- Short tournament: 6 in Invierno 98 and Verano 99
- Most consecutive wins: 5, 1995–96
- Most losses in a tournament: 10, Invierno 96 y 2000
- Most consecutive games without winning: 14, 1958–59
- Least number of wins in a tournament: 2, Verano 1997
- Least number of losses in a tournament: 5, Verano 1999
- Player with most goal scored: Emilio Butragueño with 14 in 1995–96
- Player with most goals scored in a game: Veracruzin the 1994 Semi-finals.
Personnel
Management
Position | Staff |
---|---|
Chairman | Carlos Benavides Escardó |
Director of football | Fernando Fernández Pecile |
Source: Liga MX
Coaching staff
Position | Staff |
---|---|
Manager | Cristian Paulucci |
Assistant manager | Cristian Salazar |
Fitness coach | Emiliano Fleitas |
Physiotherapist | Isaác Berriel |
Team doctor | Richard Ramírez |
Players
First-team squad
- As of 31 January 2023[2]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
Reserve teams
- Lobos ULMX
- Reserve team that plays in the Liga Premier in the third level of the Mexican league system.
- Celaya F.C. (Liga TDP)
- Reserve team that plays in the Liga TDP, the fourth level of the Mexican league system.
Managers
- Sergio Rubio (2007)
- Miguel de Jesús Fuentes(2009–12)
- Gustavo Díaz (2015–2017)
- Ricardo Valiño (2017–2018)
- Enrique Maximiliano Meza(2018)
- José Islas (2018–2019)
- Héctor Altamirano (2019–2020)
- Israel Hernández Pat (2020–2022)
- Paco Ramírez (2022–present)
See also
- Mexican Primera División
- Liga de Ascenso
- Segunda División Profesional
Footnotes
- ^ "COPA MX - Página Oficial de la Liga Mexicana del Fútbol Profesional".
- ^ "Club Celaya". Liga BBVA Expansión MX (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 January 2021.