Junior from Barranquilla

The Club Deportivo Popular Junior Fútbol Club S.A., known as Junior de Barranquilla or simply Junior, is a soccer club based in Barranquilla, Colombia. It was founded on August 7, 1924, being known as Atlético Junior, a name it used until the beginning of the century XXI, becoming the third oldest club in the country. On a sporting level, it is the fifth most successful club in Colombian soccer with thirteen official titles in professionalism: nine First Division titles, two Copa Colombia titles and two Colombian Super League titles.

Internationally, it has been runner-up in the Copa Sudamericana and semifinalist in the Copa Libertadores de América. It is the most important team in the Caribbean Region. In addition, it has been the only one to represent Colombia as a national team in a Championship South American (current Copa América), obtaining the Mariscal Sucre Cup for the best selection among the Bolivarian teams.

The team officiates at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, which bears the name of the soccer player from Barranquilla, Colombia's historic striker at the time of non-professional sports. It was inaugurated on May 11, 1986 and is located in the metropolitan area in the south of the city, on the border between Barranquilla and the municipality of Soledad. Its total capacity is approximately 46,692 spectators.

His classic rival is Unión Magdalena de Santa Marta, with whom he disputes the coastal classic.

History

For more details, consult History of the Junior of Barranquilla

1924: Foundation

She was a lawyer.

The club was thought to be created in 1923 to represent the San Roque and Rebolo neighborhoods. The movement began when the Salesian College created the team Juventus, since they were of Italian descent, but later the team would be known as Juventus.

Junior in 1929.

A group of soccer fans, as well as the minor members of the Juventud created on August 7, 1924 on Calle 30 with Carrera 29 in Barranquilla, led by Micaela Lavalle de Mejía, the creation of the new club that was named Juventud Infantil. Rosendo Barrios, Armando Moya, Aurelio Roa, Valerio Molinares, Agustín Consuegra, Simeón Manjarrés, Enrique Lamadrid, Pedro Yépez, Néstor García, Francisco Ibáñez and Nicolás Pineda. The first game was on October 12, 1924 in the 7 de Abril square against Argentina F.B.C., which they beat 2-1.

In 1926 it entered the Atlantic Soccer League, in the Third Category, gaining promotion to the Second Category in 1927.

In 1929, after 2 years in the Second Category, he was promoted to the First Category, changing his name to Juventud Junior, which became champion in 1932.

He was a professional.

1948: Runner-up

In 1948, under the name Atlético Junior, it participated in the first season of Colombian professional soccer in the Major Division of Colombian Soccer (Dimayor), finishing runner-up with four points behind Santa Fe. At that time the team was known as the Miuras.

In 1949 he was required by Adefutbol to participate representing Colombia in the South American Championship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, being sanctioned by the Major Division of Colombian Soccer (Dimayor) for two years, breaking relations between Dimayor and the Afootball.

In 1950 he hired Heleno de Freitas.

From 1948 to 1953 Junior was nicknamed "Los Miuras", for his fierce way of playing. Miura is a breeding of bulls with unique characteristics forged by several generations of a cattle-breeding family, from 1842 to the present.

1953: Sports and economic crisis

In 1953 he finished 10th in the championship, with 15 points. He also faced a serious economic crisis that forced him to retire from Dimayor, going on to participate for 12 years in the amateur tournament of the departmental league, disappearing from professionalism Colombian.

1966: Return to professionalism

Dida, world champion 1958 with Brazil.

Garrincha, world champion 1958 and 1962.

In 1966 Junior returned to the first division after 13 years of financial problems. In this first tournament after 13 years of absence, Junior finished eighth in the tournament with 53 points.

In 1967, Junior manages to hire two world champions plus a third player from the Brazilian team: Garrincha, Dida and Quarentinha. At the end of the Junior tournament he finished fifth with 59 points. Garrincha only played one game against Santa Fe and also at the end of that same year the Brazilian stars of the team came out but remained in the collective memory of the citizenry.

In 1968 the mythical Colombian goalkeeper Efraín ‘El Caimán’ Sánchez returns. Since that year the tournament was divided into Opening and Finalization. In the Junior Opening Tournament he finished fourth with 35 points. In the Junior Completion Tournament he finished third with 35 points. Junior, with these two campaigns, qualifies to fight for the third annual place against Millionaires. Finally, he did not succeed after drawing one game and losing the other. At the end of the year, Efraín 'El Caimán' Sánchez left the team again.

In 1969, Junior hired the only player to have scored an Olympic goal in a World Cup, Marco Coll (in the 1962 World Cup in Chile). In the Torneo Apertura he finished fifth with 28 points. In the Finalization Tournament he finishes sixth with 29 points.

1970: The limelight returns

In 1970, one of the famous players of the first titles came to the team, Jesús ‘El Toto’ Rubio. In the Opening Tournament, Junior finishes second; and in the Completion Tournament he finished ninth with 23 points. Despite a regular Finalization Tournament, Junior managed to qualify for the final home run, where he faced Deportivo Cali, Santa Fe and Cúcuta Deportivo. In the end, Deportivo Cali won the championship. Despite having lost the championship, Junior qualified for his first Copa Libertadores.

1977: First Star

Juan Ramón Verón, author of the first professional title in 1977.

In 1977, the Argentine midfielder Eduardo ’El Indio’ Solari and Alfredo ’El Maestrico’ Arango joined the team. Defender Jesús ’El Toto’ Rubio returns. Under the direction of the Argentine coach José 'Puchero' Varacka, who had joined the team in 1975, Junior finished first with 35 points in the Apertura Tournament, two more than his pursuer Deportivo Cali. Thus, Junior won the Opening Tournament and automatically qualified for the Final Hexagonal. In the Finalization Tournament, Junior was placed in group A, finishing last with 18 points. After the departure of DT José Varacka, the Argentine Juan Ramón 'La Bruja' Verón took over the reins of the team in the final stretch of the season, who officiated in this case as player and coach at the same time. In the final hexagonal, Junior finished first with 15 points, three more than runner-up Deportivo Cali. Thus, Junior obtained his first title in the Colombian league and his second participation in the Copa Libertadores. At the end of the season the Argentines Eduardo 'El Indio' Solari, Juan Ramón Verón and Juan Carlos Delménico left the team.

1980: Second Star

In 1980 again under the direction of the Argentine coach José 'Puchero' Varacka, the Argentine goalkeeper Juan Carlos Delménico returned. In the Colombian championship, Junior finishes leading the Apertura Tournament with 35 points, with the same points as the second (Deportivo Cali). Junior and Deportivo Cali qualified for the Semifinal Quadrangulars. In the Finalization Tournament, Junior is last in group A with 10 points. In the Semifinal Quadrangulars, Junior finished leader of group B with 8 points, one more than the second Atlético Nacional, qualifying for the Final Quadrangular, where they would face Atlético Nacional, Deportivo Cali and América de Cali. Junior remains champion by not losing any game in the Final Quadrangular and reaping 9 points, taking Deportivo Cali by two, which was runner-up with 7 points. Junior thus got his second star and his third classification to the Copa Libertadores.

1993: Third Star

In 1993 Alexis Mendoza, Miguel 'Niche' Guerrero and Oswaldo Mackenzie returned. Jorge Bolaño began his professional career and Carlos 'El Pibe' Valderrama arrived (included in the top 50 of the best soccer players in history according to FIFA). In the Apertura Tournament, Junior was the leader of group B with 21 points (5 more than the second Atlético Nacional) qualifying for the final home runs. In the Finalization Tournament, Junior finished second with 35 points (4 less than the leader Independiente Medellín). From the two tournaments bonus, Junior received 1.50 points. In the final home runs, Junior is in group A along with Atlético Nacional, Millonarios and Once Caldas. Junior is second with the same points as the leader Atlético Nacional (8.50 points). In the final home run, Junior is the leader with 7 points (the same as Independiente Medellín). Miguel Ángel 'El Niche' Guerrero is the top scorer with 34 goals. Junior qualifies for his fifth Copa Libertadores and wins the Colombian championship for the third time by beating América de Cali 3-2 in the final match with a goal on the hour by Oswaldo Mackenzie.

1994: Copa Libertadores semifinalist

Carlos ‘El Pibe’ Valderrama, twice champion with Junior, semi-finalist of Copa Libertadores and Rey de América.

In 1994 the Chilean striker Cristian Montecinos arrived. Junior participates in his fifth Copa Libertadores. It was placed in group 1 along with Independiente Medellín, Olimpia and Cerro Porteño from Paraguay. Finish third in the group with 5 points. In the round of 16 they face Colo-Colo from Santiago de Chile, ending in a 3-3 aggregate result after in the second leg, Junior managed to equalize two initial goals from the hosts in the second half. On penalties on April 27, 1994 at the Monumental stadium, Junior won 4-3. In the quarterfinals, Junior faced Independiente Medellín winning 2-0. In the semifinals, they face the Argentine club Vélez Sarsfield. Each team wins a match 2-1 so the aggregate result ended 3-3. In the end, on penalties on August 17, 1994 in Buenos Aires, Junior was eliminated 5-4; remaining for the first time as a semifinalist in this tournament.

1995: Fourth Star

In 1995 he was champion of the Colombian tournament with 62 points (2 more than the runner-up América de Cali). Thus, Junior won the Colombian championship for the fourth time and qualified for his sixth Copa Libertadores. Iván René Valenciano is a scorer with 24 goals.

2004: Fifth Star

In the 2004 Apertura Tournament, Junior finished fifth with 30 points, qualifying for the Semifinals. In the home runs, Junior is placed in group A along with Atlético Nacional, América de Cali and Deportivo Pasto. Junior finishes last with 6 points. In the 2004 Completion Tournament, Junior qualified for the semifinal home runs, eighth with 28 points. It is located in group B together with Deportivo Cali, Independiente Medellín and Atlético Bucaramanga, qualifying for the final with 13 points (5 more than Deportivo Cali). In the Final, Junior faces Atlético Nacional. In the Barranquilla match, Junior won 3-0. In the Medellín match, Atlético Nacional defeated Junior 5-2, leaving an aggregate result of 5-5 and forcing a series of penalties where Junior won 5-4. Junior thus obtained his fifth national title and his ninth classification to the Copa Libertadores.

To commemorate 10 years and as a tribute to Andrés Escobar, a friendly tournament Copa Cotton USA-2004 was held in Medellín, of which Junior was champion.

2006-2008: Crisis

After participating in the Copa Libertadores, where they were eliminated in the round of 16 by Boca Juniors from Argentina, and almost being a finalist in the 2005 Finalization Tournament, for the 2006 Apertura Tournament, the historic Víctor Danilo Pacheco returns to the team, who would retire at the end of the year. In that contest, Junior finished 16th, making one of his worst campaigns in history with 17 points, being eliminated from the tournament. For the Finalization Tournament, the Argentine Omar Sebastián Pérez (from Mexico) and the team's top scorer in its history: Iván René Valenciano. Junior finished 15th with 17 points, being eliminated from the tournament. At the end of the year Hayder Palacio and Iván René Valenciano left.

For the 2007 Opening Tournament, the then unknown Teófilo Gutiérrez joined the team; but the great hiring of the team was the Argentine Gabriel Fernández. In this tournament, Junior finishes 11 with 23 points, being eliminated from the contest. In the middle of the year Gabriel Fernández and Omar Sebastián Pérez leave. For the Finalization Tournament comes a historic Luis Grau club and also Carlos Valderrama as sports director of the team, Junior finishes 13 with 18 points, being eliminated from the contest.

Final opening tournament 2009.

In early 2008 Junior was threatened with relegation so he hired Giovanni Hernández as the main attraction, and brought back Hayder Palacio (who had played last year at Deportivo Cali) for the Opening Tournament. In this tournament, Junior finishes 12 with 24 points, being eliminated. In the Colombia Cup, it ends as leader of group A with 20 points, one more than Unión Magdalena, qualifying for the second phase. Martín Arzuaga returned to the team for the second semester.

In 2008, amidst the worst crisis in the history of the club. Giovanni Hernández, was the team's playing axis, as well as a key player in the 2010-I and 2011-II titles.

In the Finalization Tournament, Junior finished second with 31 points (two less than the leader Deportes Tolima) qualifying for the semifinal home runs after two and a half years. In the Semifinal Quadrangulars, Junior was placed in group B along with América de Cali, Deportivo Pereira and Deportivo Cali, finishing third with 7 points and being eliminated from the tournament. In the Copa Colombia Junior he would be eliminated in the second phase at the hands of Envigado F.C. by losing 1-0 in Envigado and winning 3-2 in Barranquilla, classifying Envigado F.C for the most away goals. At the end of the year, Martín Arzuaga left the team.

Ricardo Ciciliano and Adrián Berbia arrive for the 2009 Opening Tournament as the main contracts. In this tournament, Junior finished second with 31 points (one less than the leader Deportes Tolima), qualifying for the semifinal home runs where he was placed in group B along with Deportivo Cali, Envigado F.C. and Cúcuta Deportivo, finishing leader with 9 points (the same as Deportivo Cali, which was harmed by Junior being in a better position in the All Against All phase) qualifying for the final. In the final, Junior faces Once Caldas. Junior loses both games 2-1 in Manizales and 1-3 in Barranquilla. Thus, Junior would get his sixth runner-up. Teófilo Gutiérrez is a scorer in the Apertura Tournament with 16 goals. Meanwhile, in the Colombia Cup, Junior finished 2nd in group A with 21 points (1 less than the leader Atlético de la Sabana), qualifying for the second phase of the tournament.

For the Finalization Tournament, Junior hired the experienced midfielder Freddy 'Totono' Grisales. Junior finishes sixth with 27 points (11 less than the leader Independiente Medellín), qualifying for the semifinal home runs, where after the draw he is placed in group A along with Independiente Medellín, Deportivo Pereira and Real Cartagena. Junior finished second with 9 points, 5 less than the leader Independiente Medellín, being eliminated from the tournament. However, Junior gets the third Colombian place in the Copa Libertadores as it is the team that achieved the most points in the year (76) surpassing Deportes Tolima by two points.

In the Colombia Cup, Junior faces Independiente Medellín, eliminating it with a 3-2 aggregate (3-1 in Barranquilla and 1-0 in Medellín), qualifying for the third phase, where they would face Deportes Quindío, drawing 0-0 -0 in Armenia and 2-2 in Barranquilla. From the penalties Junior classified to the semifinals, where he would face Deportivo Pasto, losing both games 3-1 and 1-2 in Pasto and Barranquilla respectively, being eliminated. Carlos Bacca manages to be crowned Colombian Cup scorer with 11 goals.

Despite having qualified for the Copa Libertadores as the team with the most points collected during 2009, coach Julio Comesaña is replaced by Diego Edison Umaña. At the end of the year, Teófilo Gutiérrez left the team (heading for Trabzonspor, a Turkish soccer club, sold as one of the most expensive players in the club's history) and Dúmar Rueda retires, these being the main casualties of the team for the next tournament..

2010: Opening, sixth star

For 2010, Paulo César Arango, Martín Arzuaga and the Panamanian defender Román Torres join the team as the main contracts. In the Copa Libertadores he is eliminated after losing the series with Racing de Uruguay 4-2.

In the Apertura Tournament it finished third in the round-robin with 32 points, two less than the leader Deportes Tolima after a long-suffering classification in which it was given the results it needed and beat Envigado F.C. 2-0. semifinal beat Independiente Medellín. In the final they faced Equidad, winning 3-2 in which it was defined by a carom goal from Carlos Bacca with four minutes to go in the match. Junior thus won his sixth Colombian championship and qualified for the Copa Libertadores. Carlos Bacca is a scorer with 12 goals, the same as Carlos Rentería from La Equidad. For the Colombia Cup, Junior manages to finish 2nd in group A with 18 points, the same as the leader Real Cartagena, who surpassed them on goal difference (5 against 4), qualifying directly to the round of 16, to be played the following semester. At the end of the championship, the Uruguayan goalkeeper Adrian Berbia left, as well as the forwards Martín Arzuaga and Emerson Acuña.

2011: Completion, seventh star

For the 2011 Copa Libertadores, players with names such as Sebastián Viera (from Greek soccer), John Viáfara, José Amaya, Sherman Cárdenas, Sergio Otálvaro and Juan David Valencia, as well as the recent Primera B goalscorer, Luis Páez, are hired. The team finishes as leader of group 2 with 13 points, 3 ahead of guard Gremio from Porto Alegre. In the round of 16 they face Jaguares de Chiapas, drawing 1-1 in Tuxtla Gutiérrez and 3-3 in Barranquilla, being eliminated by away goals.

Carlos Bacca was a winner for the second consecutive year in 2011-II.

Antonio Char is Arturo Char's successor as president of the club and on the way to the Finalization Tournament 2011 Cristian Mejía is presented as the main contract, coming from Uruguayan soccer. Just three months after assuming the technical direction and the first three rounds of the championship, with a defeat (0-3), a draw (0-0) and a victory (4-0), Jorge Luis Pinto would leave this one and accept an offer to manage the Costa Rica National Team. His replacement was José Eugenio 'Cheché' Hernández recommended by Jorge Luis Pinto himself. The team finished 1st in the all-against-all, for the first time in short tournaments, with a 1-point advantage over escort Itagüí Ditaires. Same In the quarterfinals, they faced Boyacá Chicó in a controversial series where they only played 45 minutes in Tunja due to the assault on Alejandro Gallejo, a linesman who had already had a precedent in a match between Deportivo Pasto and Real Cartagena in the 2009 Finalization Tournament that harmed the team from Nariño and that that season they were relegated to the Category First B. The checkered team Boyacá Chicó was penalized with the annulment of the point they had obtained up to that moment, the 2-2 draw in Barranquilla being enough (after being the match 0-2 against Junior) to qualify for the semifinals, where they will face Millonarios in an epic series, in which Junior lost 3-0 in Bogotá and came back with the same score in Barranquilla, in a match where the fans made themselves felt, defining the classification from penalties. Junior prevailed 5-4. In the final they would face Once Caldas, winning 3-2 in Barranquilla (after coming back from 0-2) and losing 2-1 in Manizales, defining the title with a 2-4 on penalties, achieving their seventh Colombian title and qualifying. to the 2012 Copa Libertadores. Likewise, Carlos Bacca won the Golden Boot for the 2nd consecutive year by scoring 12 goals (2 more than his pursuers Germán Cano from Pereira, Lionard Pajoy from Itagüí and his brother John Pajoy from Once Caldas).

2015: Colombian Cup Champion

Junior had an outstanding participation in the Colombia Cup 2015 finishing first in their group with 9 points, ahead of Real Cartagena, Barranquilla FC, Uniautonoma FC. Junior qualifies for the round of 16, facing Atlético Nacional; they lost 1-0 in the first leg with a goal from Jonathan Copete, but qualified for the quarterfinals, winning 2-0 in the second leg thanks to the good performance of Jarlan Barrera and Roberto Ovelar. In the quarterfinals, they faced Deportes Tolima; achieving a 2-1 victory at home at the Metropolitano stadium and achieving a suffered 1-1 draw at the Techo stadium in Bogotá, managing to qualify for the semifinals. In the semifinal instance, they face off against Independiente Medellín, winning 2-1 at the Metropolitano stadium; in the return game at the Atanasio Girardot stadium, they lost 2-1, forcing them to go to a penalty shootout after forcing them with a mid-range goal from midfielder Jarlan Barrera; that day, the team qualifies for the grand final winning 1(4)-1(5).

In the grand finale they face the capital team, Santa Fe, achieving an important result of 2-0 at the Metropolitano stadium with goals from Juan David Pérez and Jorge Aguirre, who was comfortable but not confident when they returned to the Campin Stadium. In the second leg, Independiente Santa Fe won 1-0, but Junior was crowned champion for having won the series 2-1 on aggregate, thus achieving their first Copa Colombia title (officially and for reasons of sponsorship, Copa Águila 2015).

2017: Colombian Cup Champion

It began its path to the final in Group A where it would face Real Cartagena, Barranquilla Fútbol Club and Jaguares de Córdoba, Jaguares being the only first division team of the past year. They won 4 games, drew 1 against Barranquilla and lost 1 against Real Cartagena at home (being Junior's only loss in the entire cup), leaving a complete undefeated away game. Junior postponed his classification to the next phase until June 28, being the first game of the second semester because the game on date 4 was postponed due to calendar issues against Jaguares, a team that also played the classification at home at the Armando Tuirán Paternina Stadium in Sahagún, with a single goal from James Sánchez from a pass from Jarlan Barrera at the beginning of the second half and who would later come out James Sánchez to give way to the debut of Marlon Piedrahíta.

Junior faced Once Caldas in the round of 16 where they would win both games, the first leg as a visitor in Manizales with a solitary goal by Roberto Ovelar, and the second leg at home, a 3-0 win where they would repeat the goal in one way almost traced Roberto Ovelar, would seal the victory Jarlan Barrera who was the figure of the match and David Murillo. In the quarterfinals he would see once again in another direct elimination series with Millonarios, a close series that would be defined in the last game in Barranquilla with a penalty goal by Jarlan Barrera caused by Luis Díaz, qualifying the team for the fourth consecutive time to a cup semifinal, this being a record.

With a string of matches, between the League and the Copa Sudamericana, Junior used a mixed roster to visit Patriotas Boyacá, a match that would end tied 1-1 with a goal by Sebastián Hernández after the rebound of a wasted penalty by Jarlan Barrera, and again provoked by Luis Díaz. At home, the players Yimmi Chará and Teófilo Gutiérrez, after having qualified with the Colombian National Team for the 2018 Soccer World Cup a day earlier in Peru, join the team's concentration and perform the 90 minutes of the game where a single goal from Roberto Ovelar, after a fabricated move between the aforementioned, Teo and Chará, giving Junior the pass to his third consecutive final.

Junior is crowned champion for the second time in its history of the Copa Colombia, in which they beat Independiente Medellín, drawing 1-1 in Medellín after going to rest losing with a goal from Jarlan Barrera and winning 2-0 in Barranquilla with a goal from Jarlan Barrera again from a pass from Teófilo Gutiérrez, and he would seal the title with a goal from Teo after a pass from Yimmi Chará at minute 88.

2018: Completion, eighth star and runner-up in the Copa Sudamericana

On December 16, Junior would reach his eighth star against Independiente Medellín, after winning by a wide score of 4-1 in the first leg played at the Metropolitan Roberto Meléndez de Barranquilla. The return match at the Atanasio Girardot would be 3-1 in favor of the Paisa team but it would be enough to win the series.

In the Copa Sudamericana Junior they would do well, reaching the final of the tournament for the first time in their history against Atlético Paranaense from Brazil. Both the first leg and the second leg would be tied 1-1 (2-2 aggregate), for which the series would have to be defined from the penalty spot. However, Junior would fall 4-3 on penalties, missing out on the possibility of getting his first official title at the continental level.

2019: The first Super League title

He faced Deportes Tolima on January 23 and 27 for having been champion in the second half of 2018. The first leg was played at the Metropolitano de Barranquilla, for reasons of the 2018 Reclassification Table, in the first minutes Luis Díaz opened the scoring for the Currambero team, but later the visiting team turned the score around with a double by Marco Pérez so that in the first leg the Tolimense team went with an advantage to Ibagué.

On January 27, in the return game, the team Tiburón tied the series in the city of Ibagué with a goal by Luis Carlos Ruíz in the last minutes of the game. The global match between Tiburones and Tolimenses was 2-2 and the match indicated that they were going to penalties, which suffered a lot from the Tiburón box > in 2018. Sebastián Hernández, Víctor Cantillo and Rafael Pérez scored the penalties for Tu Papá, while Sebastián Viera did not let Sergio Mosquera, Carlos Robles and Yeison Gordillo score the penalty for the local team. The visiting team was crowned champion for the first time in this contest, after losing it in 2012 against Nacional, becoming the Super Champion of Colombia.

2019: Opening, ninth star (two-time championship)

After the dismissal of the Colombian coach Luis Fernando Suárez in the middle of the semester, the Uruguayan coach Julio Comesaña once again directs the shark team. On June 8, it is measured against Deportivo Pasto in the final of the Águila League; the first leg is played in the city of Barranquilla with a 1-0 result in favor of Junior, the second leg is played in the city of Bogotá at the El Campín stadium due to remodeling at the Libertad de Pasto Departmental Stadium and the little security offered by the Ipiales municipal stadium, the final score was 1-0 in favor of Deportivo Pasto forcing the definition from the penalty spot with a final result of 5-4 in favor of the Atlantic team, thus achieving their ninth title of league and his first two-time championship.

In the 2019 final tournament, Junior played his third consecutive final, but América de Cali stopped his winning streak of titles, losing the opportunity to be the second three-time champion of short tournaments.

2020: The second Super League title

Junior faced América de Cali on September 8 and 11 as current champion of the Apertura Tournament. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both matches would be played behind closed doors, and would be the first matches for both teams in six months as part of the resumption of Colombian soccer. The first leg played at the Estadio Romelio Martínez (due to the fact that the Estadio Metropolitano was in the midst of renovations) was started by Junior winning with an early goal from a penalty by Miguel Borja. Despite going ahead on the scoreboard, defender Germán Mera was sent off at minute 23 and the shark team played with one less for the rest of the game. In the last ten minutes of the match, América de Cali was able to turn the score around through an own goal by Gabriel Fuentes and a shot by Duván Vergara. Despite losing the first leg at home, in the second leg Junior achieved an important 2-0 away victory at Pascual Guerrero with goals from Fredy Hinestroza and Carmelo Valencia, thus achieving his second Super League title.

Symbols

Shield

The team crest is Swiss-shaped in the proportion of 6 wide by 8 high, divided into two horizontal stripes. The lower strip is divided into 9 vertical bars of gules and silver of equal width, alternated, beginning and ending gules. In the upper part there is another horizontal strip in dark blue, in which the five-pointed stars (in silver) that symbolize each of the Colombian championships obtained are located. The shield has below the upper blue stripe, superimposed on the vertical bars gules and silver, a blue horizontal stripe that says JUNIOR.

Flag

Junior flag.

The Junior flag is made up of nine horizontal stripes, five red and four alternate white, the upper and lower ones being red. Superimposed on the stripes is a blue equilateral triangle, one side of which forms the end of the flag next to the pole. This triangle, on the vertical side, covers the entire width of the flag. On the triangle are superimposed the five-pointed white stars that symbolize each of the Colombian championships obtained.

Pet

Junior's mascot is a shark named Willy, who wears the uniform of the rojiblanco team.

Clothing

For more details, consult History of the uniform of the Junior of Barranquilla

Since 1904, when English engineers built the railway between Salgar, Puerto Colombia and Barranquilla, the clothing of those who made up the teams were red and white with vertical stripes and blue shorts, colors alluding to those of the English flag.

White uniform with shorts and black socks with a "J" large on the chest was characteristic of the amateur period and is replaced by the current rojiblanco. Since its adoption, the red and white striped jacket has been the main icon of the club, found in various styles and forms.

The flag of the red cross with a white background waving on the masts of the ships docked in Puerto Colombia, inspired the Juventud uniform. Doña Micaela Lavalle was the one who decided the colors of the team, she paid for everything.

First uniform

Evolution (see here)

Current uniform

Infrastructure

Stadium

For more details, consult Metropolitan Stadium Roberto Meléndez

Panoramic interior of the Metropolitan Stadium Roberto Meléndez.

1926-1936

The team played the first game in its history in the Siete de Abril square (current Almendra Tropical park), and after its admission to the Atlantic Football League in 1926, it began to use the Julio Torres Modern stadium located in the Montes neighborhood (Calle 30 with Carrera 24), which had a capacity for 1000 spectators.

1936-1986

In 1936, Junior moved to the recently built Municipal stadium, later baptized "Romelio Martínez", built for the 1935 National Athletic Games and with a capacity of 10,000 spectators. Since the arrival of professional soccer in Barranquilla in 1948, the need to expand the Romelio Martínez stadium to accommodate the fans that exceeded the capacity of the stage became imperative. At the beginning of the 1970s, the expansion of the stadium was projected with the construction of new stands for the sports arena, a need that had become evident after Junior's return to the Colombian soccer championship in 1966. However, an architectural error forced to reduce an important nearby road to expand a grandstand, so it was finally decided to demolish the still unfinished grandstand. Due to the unsuccessful extension of the Romelio Martínez, to studies that showed the impossibility of carrying out an adequate extension to said scenario, and to the achievement by Colombia of the headquarters of the 1986 World Cup, it was decided to build the Roberto Meléndez Metropolitan Stadium.

1986-present

The construction of the Roberto Meléndez Metropolitan Stadium took 7 years (1979-1986) and cost 1.5 billion Colombian pesos. It was inaugurated on May 11, 1986 with the Junior-Uruguay game, which ended with a score of 1–2 in favor of the austral selection. Subsequently, Junior faced the Argentine team of Diego Armando Maradona and Denmark.

In 1993 Junior and América de Cali played the last date of the final home run of that year. The official record indicates 65,000 people in the Metropolitan Stadium.

Metropolitan Stadium after remodeling for the 2011 Sub-20 World Championship.

On the occasion of the 2011 U-20 World Cup, a total renovation was carried out with a budget of 22,500 million pesos. As a result, seating was installed throughout the stadium (the one in the north and south stands without backs), two giant screens located in the north and south stands, repairs to the athletic track (delivered in 2014), a new parking lot behind the north stand, new lights, dressing rooms for ball collectors, restoration of the general structure, security camera system and the electrical and communications system was renewed, among other improvements. final. It was the headquarters of the Brazil U-20 team that played 4 of the 5 games, 3 in the group stage and 1 in the round of 16.

Romelio Martínez Stadium after remodeling for the Central American and Caribbean Games 2018.

After the remodeling of the Romelio Martínez Stadium in 2018, Junior used it again in official League matches with low attendance, and more frequently to play pre-season games and training sessions. Currently the stadium has the capacity to 8,600 spectators and is used for matches of the Barranquilla Fútbol Club team in the First B Category and the Junior Femenino.

In 2018 the Estadio Metropolitano was adequate to be able to count on VAR in the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of the Copa Sudamericana. In the final of the Finalization Tournament in the second half of 2019, it hosted the first game with VAR in the history of Colombia and its League; and from the Opening Tournament of the first semester of 2020, it is used in the regular phase.

Facilities

• Adelita sports headquarters in Char: At this headquarters are the trainings of the professional football table and the teams of the lower divisions, located north of the city of Barranquilla, in Sabanilla jurisdiction near one of the most important road intersections that communicate to the entire Metropolitan Area, with the rest of the department. Inside it is equipped with everything indispensable for the development of the sports activities of the club: regulatory football courts, gym, swimming pool for children and adults, therapeutic and slimming massage room, bathrooms, sauna, restaurant, parkaderos, halls with silletería and tables.

• Sports headquarters Bomboná: Located in the jurisdiction of the municipality of Malambo in the Metropolitan Area. It is the sports venue for the work of its minor divisions and the Barranquilla F.C. This complex is divided into two parts: one has to do with nine rooms with capacity for 27 footballers, and the second; an air-conditioned gym, sportswear and coaches, medical booths, offices, meeting room and television lounge.

• Administrative headquarters: The Club has 2 administrative headquarters, the main house of the city is located in the "Viejo Prado", a republican construction, early in the centuryXX.eclectic style, with neoclassical decorations and french references, according to an expert on the subject. At Junior's administrative headquarters are the games of desk, accounting, marketing plans, communications, logistics and other thousands of things that are behind the scenes of the sports show. The second headquarters, as it is now called "the former junerist headquarters" is located in the north of Barranquilla, are managed administrative, logistics and lottery topics.

Club details

• Historical position7o
• Seasons in 1.a: 78 (1948, 1950-1953, 1966 - Present).
• Seasons absent from 1.a : 13 (1949, 1954-1965).
• Best place in the league:
  • First A: 1.o (1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004-II, 2010-I, 2011-II, 2018-II, 2019-I).
• Worse placed in the league:
  • First A: 17.o (2002-II).
• Major invicto in league: 18 matches (1980).
• Major invict in league: 48 games, from November 27, 1975 to October 31, 1977 (Récord in Colombian professional football).
• Increased number of goals in a championship (Long Tournament): 114 (1968).
• Lower number of goals in a championship (long tournament): 34 (1990).
• Increased number of goals in a championship (Short Tournament): 43 (2009-I).
• Lower number of goals in a championship (Short Tournament): 17 (2007-II).
• Major goleadas got:
  • In national championships:
    • 8-1 to Atlético Bucaramanga on 22 June 1983.
    • 8-3 to the Independent Medellin on 31 October 1948.
    • 7-0 to Quindío Sports on 18 April 1982.
    • 6-0 to Eleven Deportivo on 14 November 1948.
    • 6-0 to the Sports Account on 9 October 1985.
    • 6-0 to Valledupar F. C. on 6 March 2013 (By Colombia Cup).
    • 6-0 to Boyacá Chicó on 22 November 2015.
  • In international tournaments:
    • 6-0 to the Maritime at the 1992 Conmebol Cup.
    • 5-0 to Melgar at the South American Cup 2015.
    • 5-1 to Guabirá in the Copa Libertadores 1996.
    • 4-0 to the Sarsfield Velez at the Freedom Cup 2001.
  • With classic rivals:
    • 5-0 to the Magdalena Union on 30 May 1989.
• Major targets against:
  • In national championships:
    • 7-2 with Once Caldas on 23 November 1980.
    • 5-0 Equity on 11 November 2007.
    • 0-4 with Atlético Nacional on 9 June 2004 and 17 October 2015.
  • In international tournaments:
    • 5-0 with Rosario Central in the Copa Libertadores 1981.
  • With classic rivals
    • 5-2 with Union Magdalena on 21 October 1998.
• Increased number of games won in a long tournament: 30 wins in 54 matches (1968).
• Lower number of games won in a long tournament: 6 wins in 40 matches (1990).
• Heavy streak of consecutive games without winning: 22 (from 27 June to 31 October 1971).
• Coach with more time in charge: Julio Comesaña (1992-1994).
• Coach with more victories: Julio Comesaña with 272.
• Coach with more titles: Julio Comesaña with 5 titles. Three Leagues (1993, 2018-II, 2019-I), a Colombia Cup (2017) and a Superlight (2020).
• Player with more titles: Sebastián Viera with 7 titles. Three Leagues (2011-II, 2018-II, 2019-I), two Cup Colombia (2015 and 2017) and two Superlights (2019 and 2020).
• Player with more contested matches: Sebastián Viera with 479 matches.
• Veces in which their players consecrate themselves: 11 times.
• Player who more times ended up scorer of a Colombian tournament: Iván René Valenciano, 3 times.
• Player who most times ended up in the Colombia Cup: Carlos Bacca, 2 times.
• Maximum scorer: Iván René Valenciano with 166 goals.
• Maximum scorer in a long tournament: Iván René Valenciano (36 goals).
• Maximum scorer in a short tournament: Teófilo Gutiérrez and Luis Carlos Ruiz (16 goals).
• Player with more goals in a short tournament match: Luis Carlos Ruiz (4 goals to Itagüí in the 2013 Finalization Tournament).
• First archer to mark a free shot goal: Sebastian See in front of Millionaires in the final quarter game 2016-I.

Records

• 1975: 48 games without falling as a local, this being the record in the FPC. Only until 1977 they lost again.

• 1985: Roberto Gasparini, with the reddish, marked 3 so many free shooting in the same game. He made them to Millonarios.

• 1993: Junior and America of Cali contested the last date of the final quadrangular of that year. Official record indicates 65 000 persons at the Metropolitan Stadium, record in Colombia.

• 1995: In the two First Division tournaments that were contested that year, Ivan René Valenciano 60 goals for the coastal team. No other footballer, in any other club, has made so many goals in two tournaments that started the same year.

• 2011: The ‘Tiburones’ became the only club capable of turning Olympics into the Five most important scenarios in the country; El Campín, El Pascual Guerrero, El Metropolitano, El Atanasio Girardot and El Palogrande.

• 2015: The goal with more consecutive touches for a Colombian club in history: 38 touches consecutively, in front of the Melgar, in the South American Cup 2015.

• 2017: Junior becomes the first team to qualify 4 times followed to semifinals and 3 times at the end Copa Colombia.

Historical evolution graph

• In 1949 it is required by the Adefútbol to participate representing the Colombia Selection in the South American Tournament of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, so it does not participate in the 1949 Colombian Championship.

International participations

Players

Template 2023-I

Players			Technical equipment
N.o Nac. Pos. Name Age Ult team. Porteros 12 Colombia! 0BY Jaime Acosta 21 years Barranquilla FC 22 Colombia! 0BY Sebastián Araújo 26 years Barranquilla FC 30 Colombia! 0BY Chiefrsson Martínez 29 years Sports Tolima Defence 2 Colombia! 1DEF Germán Gutiérrez 33 years Independent Medellín 3 Colombia! 1DEF Edwin Herrera 25 years Santa Fe 13 Colombia! 1DEF Nilson Castrillón 27 years Sports Tolima 15 Colombia! 1DEF Ivan Scarpeta 27 years Jaguares FC 21 Colombia! 1DEF Walmer Pacheco 27 years Equity 25 Colombia! 1DEF Alfonso Simarra 22 years Barranquilla FC 27 Uruguay! 1DEF Federico Andueza 26 years CA Sarmiento Midfielders 4 Colombia! 2MED Carlos Sierra 32 years Americas of Cali 5 Colombia! 2MED Jhon Vélez 19 years Barranquilla FC 6 Colombia! 2MED Didier Moreno 31 years Independent Medellín 7 Colombia! 2MED Léider Berrío 25 years Pereira 8 Colombia! 2MED Freddy Hinestroza 33 years Golden Eagles 10 Colombia! 2MED Juan Fernando Quintero 30 years River Plate 11 Venezuela! 2MED Cariaco González 32 years Sports Tolima 14 Colombia! 2MED Homer Martínez 25 years Atlético Bucaramanga 16 Colombia! 2MED Vladimir Hernández 34 years Independent Medellín 19 Colombia! 2MED Jordan Barrera 17 years Lower divisions 28 Colombia! 2MED Enrique Serje 27 years Santa Fe 29 Colombia! 2MED Omar Albornoz 24 years Sports Tolima 33 Colombia! 2MED Léider Berdugo 19 years Barranquilla FC 40 Colombia! 2MED Camilo Acosta 20 years Barranquilla FC Delanteros 9 Colombia! 3OF THE Brayan León 22 years Pereira 17 Colombia! 3OF THE Andrey Estupiñán 28 years Santa Fe 20 Colombia! 3OF THE Pablo Rojas 31 years Jaguares FC 36 Colombia! 3OF THE Esteban Mercado 20 years Lower divisions 37 Colombia! 3OF THE Carlos Daniel Durán 20 years Barranquilla FC 70 Colombia! 3OF THE Carlos Bacca 36 years Granada CF			Coach(s) Hernán Darío Gómez Field assistants Édgar Carvajal Luis Herney Melo Luis Grau Physical preparers César Gaitán Percy Moncada Juan Mauricio Roldán Porters coach José María Pazo Video analyst Stanley Sabbagh Medical Javier Fernández Geronimo Angarita Néfer Castro Kinesiologists Maikol Ortiz Iván Romero Nutritionist Miguel Cardona Psychologist Laionell Polo Utileros Luis Aguilera Leyder Frías Stiven Frías Augusto Villa Field delegate Héctor Fabio Báez Legend Pos.: Position Nac.: Nationality of sport Captain Mission BY / ARQ: Guardameta DEF: Defense MED / VOL: Camper OF THE: Delantero Updated on 10 June 2023 Official web template

Ups and downs 2023-I

Loan Players

Players that are owned by the team and are borrowed to act with another set, some with purchase option.

Cessions
Player	Position	Lost to	Till
Gabriel Fuentes		Real Zaragoza	June 2023
Fabian Angel		Newell's Old Boys	June 2023

Players on loan at the club

Players that are owned by another team and are borrowed at the club, some with purchase option.

Players in national teams

Note: in bold players part of the last call in their respective teams.

Country	Category	Player(s)
Colombia	Absolute	Walmer Pacheco, Homer Martínez, Juan Fernando Quintero, Freddy Hinestroza
	Sub-23	Luis Sandoval
	Sub-20	Jhon Vélez
Venezuela	Absolute	Luis González
Updated data on 7 January 2022.

Player Marks

Coaches

The first coach to direct Junior at a professional level was Roberto Meléndez, in 1948 he achieved runner-up in the first official Colombian league.

Presidents

Fuad Char, first president champion

Fuad Char assumes the presidency of the Junior in 1977 and breaks completely with the Brazilian school to venture into the Argentine, with the aim of seeking the long-awaited first star. The Brazilians were a nice game, but in the end, no titles. The first hire was coach José Varacka and brings Juan Ramón "La Bruja" Verón, Eduardo Solari, Juan Carlos Delménico, Julio Comesaña and César "Caballo" Lorea, complemented by the players Dulio Miranda, Gabriel Berdugo, Oscar Bolaño, Jesús " Toto” Rubio, Rafael Reyes and Alfredo Arango.

“It was possible to assemble a very professional human group. They had a lot of mystical and excellent players who gave it all to achieve the first star in Junior's history in professional football. It was my honor to be a champion in my presidency. It was an unforgettable thing, I was in the technical bank because I always used to be there. We defeated Santa Fe in Bogotá 3-1. I remember Barranquilla received us as heroes. As if we had won the third world war.”

Fuad Char.

Chronology

Chairman Period Ernesto Álvarez Correa 1948-1949 Mario Abello 1950 Ernesto McCausland 1951 Ernesto Álvarez Correa 1952 Jorge Garcés 1953 Arturo Fernández 1966-1970 Alberto Juan Pumarejo 1971-1976 Fuad Char 1977-1981 Orlando Victor Daccaret 1982 Fuad Char 1983

Chairman Period William Scaff 1984-1985 Alberto Mario Pumarejo 1986-1987 Fuad Char 1988 Hernan Yunis Pérez 1989-1990 Antonio Char 1991-1993 Pedro Salcedo 1994-1996 Ramon Jesurun 1996-1997 Antonio Char 1998 Juan B. Fernández 1999-2000 Antonio Char 2001

Chairman Period Hernan Yunis Pérez 2002 Arturo Char 2003-2004 Antonio Char 2004-2007 Alejandro Arteta 2008-2010 Antonio Char 2010-2013 Alejandro Arteta 2013-2014 Fuad Char 2014-2015 Alfredo González Rubio 2015-2016 Antonio Char 2017 -2020 Alejandro Arteta 2020-

Honours of Prizes

He was professional (13)

Official titles (13)

In bold current competitions.

National competition	Titles	Subcamponatos
First category A (9/10)	1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004-II, 2010-I, 2011-II, 2018-II, 2019-I.	1948, 1970, 1983, 2000, 2003-I, 2009-I, 2014-I, 2015-II, 2016-I, 2019-II.
Colombia Cup (2/2)	2015, 2017.	2016, 2022.
Colombia (2/1)	2019, 2020.	2012.

International competition	Titles	Subcamponatos
South American Cup (0/1)		2018.

She was an amateur (3)

Regional competition	Titles	Subcamponatos
Atlantic Football League (1)	1932.
Second Atlantic Division (1)	1927.
Third Atlantic Division (1)	1926.

Other sections and subsidiaries

Minor Divisions

Theophile in the final quarters of the World Cup Brazil 2014.

Players such as Teófilo Gutiérrez,, Luis Díaz Carlos Bacca, Macnelly Torres, Iván René Valenciano, Vladimir Hernández, Oswaldo Mackenzie, Alexis Mendoza, José Amaya, Jorge Bolaños, Luis Carlos Ruiz have emerged from the junior divisions, and Victor Danilo Pacheco.

Barranquilla F.C.

Junior's youth receive professional training through its affiliate Barranquilla Fútbol Club, which has participated in the Colombian First B soccer tournament since the 2005 season.

Women's team

In 2017, after a resolution by Dimayor that forced all professional Colombian soccer teams to have a women's team, the Junior de Barranquilla Femenino was founded, which would play its first tournament in the 2018 Women's League, sharing the group D with Atlético Nacional, Envigado, Real Cartagena and Unión Magdalena.

Social area and sociocultural dimension

Bloated

Hinchada Junior

Its fans are the largest in the Caribbean Region and one of the largest in the country. La Barra del Tiburón (which was later renamed Frente Rojiblanco Sur) was founded on March 15, 1998. It also has a very representative bar that is the Banda de los Cuervos, also founded in 1998.

Junior's fans hold the record for the highest attendance in a league match, which occurred on December 5, 1993 (against América de Cali), that day the team won its third title and led more than 60 000 people to the Roberto Meléndez Metropolitan Stadium.^{[citation required]}

Monument

The monument called Ventana de Campeones to the team together with the most important players and coaches in its history, comes from the same initiator of the Ventana al mundo monument and was promised to coach Julio Comesaña when he won the 2019 opening championship. The design chosen by popular vote is a rectangular portico whose opening is shaped like a shark fin, which is why it is popularly known as "the fin".

Rivalries

Junior vs. Union Magdalena

Stadium Romelio Martínez, stage where the classic coastal began.

The classic costeño is one of the traditional soccer matches in Colombia. It is mainly disputed by Junior de Barranquilla and Unión Magdalena.

Historically, the match has taken place at the Municipal (1948-1986) and Metropolitano de Barranquilla (since 1986) stadiums, and at the Eduardo Santos stadiums and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (since 2018).

To date, a total of 190 official classics have been played between these two clubs, 176 of them valid for the First Division of Colombian soccer.

However, because Unión has been relegated to the second division for several years, the continuity of the clásico has been interrupted. Since 2008 they have faced each other in the Copa Colombia since this championship brings together the teams of the First A and First B Categories.

Influence with other clubs

CD Junior from Managua (Nicaragua)

1,254 kilometers from Barranquilla there is a team with the same colors, shield and name as Junior; founded by a Barranquillero from Rebolo.

CD Atlético Junior of Honduras