Full name | Liga Deportiva Universitaria |
---|---|
Nickname(s) |
|
Founded | January 11, 1930 |
Ground | Estadio de Liga Deportiva Universitaria (Casa Blanca) |
Capacity | 41,575 |
Honorary President | Rodrigo Paz |
President | Guillermo Romero |
Manager | Gustavo Munúa |
League | Serie A |
2016 | 5th |
Website | Club home page |
Liga Deportiva Universitaria (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈliɣa ðeporˈtiβa uniβersiˈtarja]), often referred to as Liga de Quito, LDU or simply Liga, is an Ecuadorian professional football club based in Quito. They play in the Serie A, the highest level of the Ecuadorian professional football league. They play their home games at the Estadio de Liga Deportiva Universitaria, more commonly referred to as Casa Blanca. Rival clubs include Quito-based clubs Aucas, Deportivo Quito, El Nacional, and Universidad Católica, as well as Guayaquil-based clubs Barcelona and Emelec.
Liga de Quito has its roots in the semi-pro sports teams at the Central University of Ecuador, and was officially founded in 1930. They began making an impact in the provincial leagues, winning nine Pichincha titles (six in the professional era). Their provincial success continued into the national league, where they have won ten national title (3rd overall) having won their most recent title in 2010. They are the most successful Ecuadorian club in international competitions, where they were the first Ecuadorian club to win the Copa Libertadores (2008), the Copa Sudamericana (2009), and the Recopa Sudamericana (2009 and 2010). They are the most successful team on the Pacific coast in international competition and one of only five teams —Boca Juniors, Independiente, Internacional and São Paulo being the other four— to have achieved the CONMEBOL treble, winning all three continental club tournaments. LDU Quito is the only team to win all three mentioned cups one after another between the years 2008 to 2010 causing them to be rated as the best South American team of 2008 and 2009. LDU Quito was additionally the runner-up at the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup.