Full name | Asociación Deportivo Cali |
---|---|
Nickname(s) |
Los Verdiblancos (The Green-Whites) Los Azucareros (The Sugarmakers) La Amenaza Verde (The Green Menace) La Tromba Verde (The Green Whirlwind) La Cantera de Oro (The Golden Quarry) |
Founded | 23 November 1912 |
Ground |
Estadio Deportivo Cali Palmira, Colombia |
Capacity | 55,000 |
Chairman | Álvaro Martínez |
Manager | Héctor Cárdenas |
League | Categoría Primera A |
2016 | 6th |
Website | Club home page |
Asociación Deportivo Cali is a Colombian sports club based in Cali, most notable for its football team.
Deportivo Cali is one of the most successful football teams in Colombia, winning nine national championships, one Copa Colombia and one Superliga Colombiana, for a total of eleven titles. Their stadium, Estadio Deportivo Cali, with an original capacity for 61,890, is the largest football stadium in Colombia and was officially inaugurated on 19 November 2008. In 2010 its capacity was reduced to 55,000 people due to renovations. Deportivo Cali's old home stadium was Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero, with capacity for 43,130. Deportivo Cali is the only Colombian football club that owns its own stadium. It was also the first Colombian team to reach the final of Copa Libertadores. In 2016, Forbes listed Deportivo Cali as the 36th most valuable team of America.
Cali Foot-ball Club was formed in 1908, by students who came back from Europe bringing football to the city of Cali, but in 1912 the students organized the team and renamed it as Deportivo Cali beginning practice under their first coach, Catalan born Francisco Villa Bisa. Their first match was between CFC "A" and CFC "B" in the Versailles pitch, the attendance was 300 spectators. By 1928 the name was changed to "Deportivo Cali A" and the club represented the Valle del Cauca Department in the National Olympics, earning the titles between 1928–30.
In 1945 several clubs decided to become part of the club adding new sports to the institution like athletics, basketball and swimming. During the next several years the club played against different teams from the country and by 1948 the team was ready to play its first professional season in the first division (Division Mayor de Football: Primera A). The first game was a defeat against Junior 2–0. Their first victory was against Atletico Nacional (then Atletico Municipal) 4–1. They would end the season in 8th place with a record of 6 victories, 4 draws and 8 defeats.