National Football Club

The National Football Club is a Uruguayan sports institution. It was founded on May 14, 1899 in Montevideo, at the initiative of young students of the time, with the intention of consolidating a soccer institution for Creole Uruguayans against the predominance of European clubs and foreign practitioners of this sport, particularly English and German. Thus being considered the "first Creole team" in the country and one of the first clubs founded by nationals in America.

Although it acquired a multi-sports nature that led him to venture into various sports, it is in soccer where he obtained his main sporting glory, constituting one of the most successful and recognized entities in the world, being awarded nationally and internationally.

It is one of the most iconic and traditional teams in the local area. The so-called Dean of Uruguayan football has the record of having maintained the category since his debut in 1901, and holds the sum of 49 Uruguayan Champion titles, (he also came out first in the 1925 and 1948 tournaments, but he was not awarded the title of "Uruguayan Champion" because they did not finish). In total, it has 165 official titles of which 143 are national and 22 international, which makes it the club with the most official titles in the country and the club with the most official titles of the world. In addition to the 49 Uruguayan championships, it is the club that has won the most titles organized by the AUF when taking other tournaments into account. It is also the only club to have had at least one player in the Uruguayan soccer team, as long as they won the Copa América, the Olympic Games and the World Cup.

At an international level, it won the Copa Libertadores de América three times —1971, 1980 and 1988—, and it is the club with the second most points in the historical table of the continental competition along with other records, such as being the club with the most participations, the one that played the most games (401), the third club with the most games won, the second with the most goals converted, the fourth with the greatest goal difference in favor, the club that has won the most games in visitor status, the one that has qualified for the round of 16 the most times, or the one with the most consecutive participations (uninterrupted since 1997). Through said cup, he qualified to play the today discontinued Intercontinental Cup, crowning himself champion every time he played it, becoming the first undefeated three-time champion of said competition in 1988 and the first to win this tournament since it began to be played in Japan in 1980 being also the most successful club in said competition together with Boca Juniors, Real Madrid, Milan and its greatest rival, Peñarol.

It is also the club that has won the most international titles during the time of the River Plate competitions, played between clubs from Argentina and Uruguay, prior to the development and organization of official club competitions at the South American level, during the first half of the XX century, having won 13 titles, surpassing Argentine River Plate with 6 and being the most successful club with 6 titles against the 5 of the Argentine River Plate in the Aldao Cup, the most prestigious competition of the old Río de la Plata cups.

In total, it has 22 official international titles, of which 9 correspond to tournaments organized by Conmebol and by Conmebol in conjunction with other confederations such as UEFA and Concacaf and 13 to tournaments organized jointly between the AFA and the AUF, being the Uruguayan club with the most international titles and being the club with the largest number of official international titles in America, which is why it is also nicknamed "King of Cups". number of official international titles in the World during practically the entire XX century until being surpassed in the early years of the XXI for Real Madrid with 29 titles and Al-Ahly with 24. In addition, it is the only Uruguayan club to have won the Inter-American Cup —1972 and 1989— and the Recopa Sudamericana, a competition of which he is the first champion in history, by winning the 1989 edition against Racing Club de Argentina.

Nacional is identified with the colors white, blue and red, taken from the Artigas Flag. He officiates at the Estadio Gran Parque Central, which he owns, located in the La Blanqueada neighborhood, where on July 13, 1930, the teams from Belgium and the United States played one of the first two matches in the history of the World Cups and where the teams from Argentina and Brazil made their World Cup debuts. It was also the sole venue for the 1923 and 1924 editions of the Copa América.

Its clásico rival in Uruguayan soccer is Peñarol, the oldest soccer rivalry outside the British Isles and one of the most important clásicos in world soccer. Matches between Nacional and Peñarol are among the top three clásicos most attractions in the world, according to the British magazine FourFourTwo.

History

Foundation and early years (1899-1911)

Uruguayan and Argentine football players, after the party of September 13, 1903 between Uruguay and Argentina.

At the end of the XIX century, the incipient practice of soccer in Uruguay was dominated by English residents in the country. In this context, two initiatives arose among young students to create a purely national football institution. On the one hand, the Montevideo Football Club, created in a cafe near the Monument to the Gaucho, and on the other, the Uruguay Athletic Club, based in La Unión. On May 14, 1899, in the house of Ernesto Caprario, members and players from both clubs founded the Club Nacional de Football. America. In that first constitutive session, the symbols of the club were chosen, which were inspired by the colors of the flag of the hero José Gervasio Artigas.

On June 25, 1899, Nacional played its first match, beating Uruguay Athletic 2:0. Nacional formed with Alejandro Cordero, Arturo Corradi, Jorge Ballestero, Félix N. Rosati, Carlos Carve Urioste, Bernardino Daglio, Jaime Gianetto, Sebastián Puppo, Domingo Prat, Juan Vallarino and Melitón Romero. It should be noted that six of these players held the presidency of the club.

In 1900, players from the Universitario Football Club and Defensa Football Club joined the club —among them the brothers Amílcar, Bolívar and Carlos Céspedes, who left a great mark on the club, becoming known as The Club of los Céspedes—, and also received in usufruct the facilities of Parque Central, in what were then the outskirts of Montevideo. The club achieved its affiliation with The Uruguay Association Football League in 1901, after in 1900 the clubs of foreign origin did not allow their entry. Nacional managed to debut in the 1901 Championship, finishing runner-up. They won five games, drew two and lost only one. In 1902 they won the Uruguayan championship, winning all the games. He achieved his first victory over CURCC by 2:1. On August 10, in the key match for the definition of the championship, they beat CURCC again 3:1 in Villa Peñarol, winning their first title.

National in 1905. In that year he won the Cup of Honor Cusenier after defeating the remembered Argentine team Alumni.

At the end of the 1903 championship, Nacional and the CURCC were once again at the top of the standings, but the final had to be suspended due to the imminence of the 1904 Revolution. The Association set the final for August 28, 1904 Nacional defeated CURCC 3:2 and was crowned Uruguayan champion for the second time in a row.

At the beginning of the XX century, the Uruguayan and Argentine national teams faced each other in an annual match, with interspersed localities. For the 1903 match, the AUF Commission summoned players from the tricolor team, which was the undefeated champion, to defend the team. Annoyed by this situation, CURCC resigned from being part of the team, so Nacional assumed with all its players the representation of the Uruguayan team. It seemed that the match would be easy for the Argentine national team, which the previous year had thrashed as a visitor —0:6 in Parque Central— But the match ended 3:2 in favor of the Uruguayan team and brought the historic first international victory of the eastern team, an event that was recorded in the history of Nacional and Uruguayan football.

In 1905 Nacional won its first official international title organized by AFA and AUF, the Copa de Honor Rioplatense, beating the Argentine Alumni Athletic Club in Montevideo 3:2. That same year Bolívar and Carlos Céspedes died prematurely, the product of a smallpox epidemic. The impact was very hard for the club, which entered a process of sporting and institutional decline, which was aggravated in mid-1910, when several working-class players were admitted to the first team, generating the opposition of a group of elitist associates. Finally, in an assembly in 1911, the populist majority led by President José María Delgado and leaders such as Manuel Rovira Urioste, triumphed in their popular conception of the club. As a consequence, several leaders, members and prominent footballers left for Bristol Football Club. In return, the club opened its doors to various working-class players, including Abdón Porte, a historical symbol of the institution.

On the River Plate scene (1912-1929)

National in 1915, posing with the three trophies won that year: Tie Cup, First Division and Cup of Honor Cusenier.

At the local level, Nacional won a total of eleven Uruguayan championships in the amateur era. First, he cut a nine-year local drought and emerged champion in 1912, then he obtained the Uruguayan Cup by winning the three-time championship 1915-16-17 and obtained the titles of 1919, 1920, 1922, 1923 and 1924.

At an international level, he won three Aldao Cups in 1916, 1919 and 1920; three Cusenier Honor Cups in 1915, 1916 and 1917 —he already had the one from 1905—; and two trophies from the Chevallier Boutell Competition Cup (1913 and 1915). In these tournaments, he defeated Argentine teams of the likes of Racing Club, Boca Juniors, River Plate, Independiente, San Lorenzo de Almagro, Rosario Central and Newell's Old Boys, among others.

Letter from the Uruguayan Association of Football to National in which it recognizes it as the oldest club of the association in July 1924, when Peñarol was disaffiliated from it.

National Plant in Paris, during the 1925 Tour.

In the mid-1920s, motivated by the excellent performance of the Uruguayan team during the 1924 Paris Olympic Games —where the base of the team was made up of tricolor players and Uruguay won the gold medal—, the squad de Nacional traveled to the European continent to start the famous "25 Tour". This lasted 190 days, between February and August 1925, and is considered the longest in the history of world football.

It comprised nine countries —France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, and Portugal— and twenty-three cities, lasting 190 days between February and August 1925. The tour included among its most resounding results the victory 3:0 over Genoa, then champion of Italy, and the wins over the teams of the Netherlands (7:0), France (6:0), Belgium (5:1) and Switzerland (5:1). In total, Nacional played thirty-eight games of which they won twenty-six, drew seven and lost five, scoring one hundred and thirty goals and conceding thirty. Héctor Scarone, Héctor Castro, Pedro Petrone and José Nasazzi participated in this tour, who was a guest.

The Show Team (1932-1943)

In front of the National who achieved the so-called Quinquenio de Oro. From left to right: Volpi, Aníbal Ciocca, Atilio García, Ballesteros and Bibiano Zapirain.

In 1932 Uruguayan soccer became professional, and in 1933 Nacional formed a great team that was known as "La Máquina Blanca." He started the season with bulging results, scoring twenty-eight goals in just four games: four against Newell's, seven against Flamengo, eight against Rampla Juniors and nine against Central. The 1933 championship was the longest in the world, since Nacional became champion on November 18, 1934, after several finals against Peñarol during that year: the first in April was suspended, remembered as the classic goal from the suitcase, and continued in August and the last one in November, which ended 3:2, with three goals from Héctor Castro for Nacional, while Peñarol won 0:1 at the end of the first half.

In 1938, the Argentine Atilio García arrived at the club, who would be the institution's top scorer. That year Nacional won the "Nocturno Rioplatense", defeating the big clubs from the River Plate. Between the years 1939 and 1943, with the former soccer player Héctor Castro as the team's coach, the first Quinquennium in the history of Uruguayan soccer was achieved.

In 1940 Atilio García scored four goals against Peñarol, all of them headers, in a 5:1 victory. That year Nacional surpassed its traditional rival by thirteen points. To obtain the 1941 title, the club won all the games played, including a 6:0 victory against Peñarol. Between 1938 and 1943, twenty-three classics were played with eighteen Nacional victories and only four defeats. In addition, on November 21, 1943, the tenth consecutive victory over Peñarol in the Uruguayan Championship was celebrated. Likewise, Nacional obtained between 1938 and 1943, the conquest of the Tournament of Honor, the only AUF team to win it six consecutive times.

The Quest for International Glory (1950s and 1960s)

At the local level, the club obtained the Uruguayan championships in 1946, 1947, 1950 and 1952. The championship achieved in 1950 was special, because Nacional became champion in the world champion country. Between 1955 and 1957, led by Ondino Viera, Nacional won a new three-time championship.

Plantel de Nacional, Champion of the Escobar-Gerona Cup, title shared with Boca Juniors, 1945.

He participated for the first time in the Copa Libertadores in the 1962 edition, in which he was eliminated in the semifinals by Peñarol. The following year, Zezé Moreira replaced Hugo Bagnulo as coach, implemented the Brazilian 4-2-4 tactic, and won the 1963 Uruguayan. They then reached the final of the continental tournament in 1964, but were defeated by Independiente de Avellaneda. In 1966 he won the Uruguayan champion title again, and the following year he again reached the final of the Copa Libertadores, after beating Cruzeiro and Peñarol in the semifinals. The final, against Racing de Avellaneda, was defined in a third game played in Lima where the Argentines won 2:1.

With Miguel Restuccia as president, Nacional began to put together a team that would bear fruit over time: Luis Ubiña, Juan Martín Mugica, Julio Montero Castillo, Víctor Espárrago and Julio César Morales, joined by Brazilian goalkeeper Manga and the youthful Atilio Ancheta. Then came Ángel Brunell, Mamelli, Silveira and Luis Cubilla, as well as the great Argentinian striker Luis Artime. In the 1969 Libertadores, after eliminating Peñarol in the semifinals, they lost the final for the third time, this time against Estudiantes de La Plata, who won their second consecutive title.

Undefeated three-time intercontinental national champion (1971-1980-1988)

First intercontinental title (1971)

National Plant in 1971.

National Champion of the Copa Libertadores 1971 and the Intercontinental Cup 1971.

In 1971 Zezé Moreira's outstanding tenure at the club ended, and Washington Etchamendi arrived, beginning his glorious cycle in charge of the technical direction. Nacional began its great campaign in the 1971 Copa Libertadores in the group that it was part of along with Peñarol and the Bolivians Chaco Petrolero and The Strongest. He surpassed the group winning the two classic matches. In the semifinals they faced Universitario from Peru and Palmeiras from Brazil, highlighting the victory over Palmeiras at the same Pacaembú Stadium in São Paulo by 3:0. They had to play the finals against the then three-time champion Estudiantes de la Plata, as in the 1969 final. Both games ended 1:0 with a win for the local team. The third and final match was played on June 9 in Lima. Nacional won 2:0 with goals from Espárrago and Artime, obtaining their first Copa Libertadores.

This victory allowed the club to compete for two more international trophies: the 1971 Intercontinental Cup and the 1972 Inter-American Cup. To win the Intercontinental, Nacional had to face Panathinaikos, the European runner-up. On December 15, the first final was played, 1:1 at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, with a goal from Luis Artime. The rematch was a 2:1 victory for Nacional with goals from Luis Artime. On December 28, 1971, Nacional obtained the world champion title for the first time. The following year, it won its first Inter-American Cup, defeating the Mexican Cruz Azul, being the only Uruguayan club to have this trophy in its record.

At the same time, he achieved the four-time local championship —1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972—, maintaining a record of unbeaten matches against his classic rival: from March 2, 1971 to January 31, 1974, 16 classics were played, of which Nacional did not lose any.

Second intercontinental title (1980)

Football National Club of 1980.

On January 26, 1980, a new era began with the election of Dante Iocco as president. The club was going through a poor sporting moment, and the new board of directors urgently appointed the 1971 champion Juan Martín Mugica as coach and Esteban Gesto as physical trainer to finish the 1979 Liguilla. Mugica made some changes in the team and in the plan, imposing marking man to man all over the field.

With the new Nacional technical team, they eliminated Peñarol 2:0 and qualified for the 1980 Copa Libertadores. They beat Defensor and the Bolivians The Strongest and Oriente Petrolero in the group stage, and O'Higgins in the semifinals from Chile and Olimpia from Paraguay, qualifying to play the final against Internacional de Porto Alegre. On July 30, in Porto Alegre, the first leg was played, and there were many Uruguayans, more than 22,000, who traveled the thousand kilometers, in what the tricolors called the second exodus of the eastern people . The first leg was 0:0 and the rematch, on August 6 at the Centenario, was a 1:0 victory with a goal by Victorino with a header.

This same year, the Intercontinental Cup was played for the first time in a single match in Japan, thanks to the management of the tricolor leaders, who were able to convince the Europeans who refused to participate in the competition. It was in February 1981 when Nacional won its second Intercontinental Cup, beating Nottingham Forest of England 1:0, with a goal from Waldemar Victorino.

Third intercontinental title (1988)

Plantel de Nacional, Copa Libertadores 1988 champion and one year later he would win his third Intercontinental Cup.

At the end of the 1980s, the club, like all of Uruguayan soccer, was mired in serious financial problems. However, Nacional formed a team that, despite its humility, would give great satisfaction. The coach was Roberto Fleitas, who had recently won the 1987 Copa América with the Uruguayan National Team. During the 1988 Copa Libertadores, the club beat Wanderers, América de Cali and Millonarios de Bogotá in the group stage. Then they had to beat Universidad Católica and Newell's Old Boys. Approaching the defining stages, the club repatriated Hugo De León, who was the emotional leader the team needed. Nacional again beat América de Cali in the semifinals, and in the final they had to face Newell's again, who won the first match 1:0. The rematch at the Centenario, with 75,000 people in the stands, was defeated by Nacional 3:0, with goals from Ernesto Vargas, Ostolaza and Hugo De León.

Later, Nacional achieved its third world title by defeating PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands. In what was considered one of the most emotional finals in the history of the Intercontinental Cup, Nacional defeated the Dutch team on penalties. The game had ended tied 1:1 in regular time and 2:2 after extra time, both goals being the work of Ostolaza. In the penalty shootout, Jorge Seré saved four, and Tony Gómez converted the last one —the twentieth of the shootout—. With this victory, Nacional established itself as the first undefeated three-time world champion, a feat equaled years later by São Paulo FC of Brazil.

For the definition of the continental titles to which obtaining the Libertadores gave them the right, Nacional kept a good part of the squad in 1989, but with a change of coaching staff —former club player Héctor Núñez took over. That year they won their second Inter-American Cup, this time defeating Olimpia from Honduras, and the South American Recopa, defeating Racing Club de Avellaneda. With these new successes, Nacional equaled Peñarol as one of the two Uruguayan teams with the most official international titles organized by Conmebol-FIFA, with a total of nine achievements. These, added to the thirteen obtained in the Rio de la Plata tournaments, give a total of twenty-two international titles.

Recent history (1989-present)

Throughout most of the 1990s the club had irregular campaigns. He won the 1992 Uruguayan Championship with a great performance by the Panamanian Dely Valdés and the Argentine Antonio Vidal González. Six years later, with the debut of Hugo De León as technical director and the figure of Rubén Sosa on the field, Nacional obtained the Uruguayan Championship in 1998, being the first time that the same team obtained both the Opening and Closing Tournaments, since which was divided each season into two short tournaments in 1994. Since then only Danubio won the title in the same way, in the 2006-07 season.

Recognition of CONMEBOL and AFA to National for its 100 years of history.

On May 14, 1999, Nacional celebrated its centenary under the slogan "100 Years of Truth", alluding to the controversy over the founding date of Club Atlético Peñarol, and celebrated the event with a match against its rival in the final of the 1988 Intercontinental Cup, PSV Eindhoven at the Centenario Stadium. That same year, the tricolor fans released what they called "the biggest flag in the world".

Based on the same squad, Nacional dominated the local arena for three consecutive years —2000, 2001 and 2002—. In 2002, led by Daniel Carreño, hopes for international achievements returned: the club advanced to the quarterfinals in the Copa Libertadores, being eliminated by Grêmio, and was about to reach the final of the Copa Sudamericana, being eliminated on penalties. in the semifinal for Atlético Nacional de Colombia. In the 2003 Libertadores the team was even more powerful, and starred in memorable clashes against Santos, ending 4:4 in Montevideo and 2:2 in Vila Belmiro.

2004 is remembered for the classic comebacks: in the Apertura they won 2:1 and in the Clausura they won 3:2 after losing 0:2. In 2005, in addition to the arrival of Martín Lasarte, it was decided to remodel the Great Central Park and the return of the team to its mythical stadium, after 75 years of being local at the Centenario Stadium. As soon as it was re-inaugurated, the Park would be site of two consecutive Olympic rounds: Nacional won the 2005 Uruguayan undefeated and in the 2005-06 season came the two-time championship. This last championship is remembered because Nacional finished champion and Peñarol finished in the last step —it should be noted that the AUF took 12 points from Peñarol— having a plaque at the headquarters remembering the event.

After three years, Nacional regained the title of Uruguayan champion in the 2008-09 season led by Gerardo Pelusso. As a highlight, the team triumphed in the three classics of the season —1:0 in the Apertura, 2:1 in the friendly summer tournament and 3:2 in the Clausura with three goals from Gustavo Biscayzacú—.

Picture of the meeting held before Atlético de Madrid by the EuroAmerican Cup 2013.

In 2009, Nacional achieved its best participation in the Copa Libertadores in the last twenty-one years. Led by Gerardo Pelusso, they reached the semifinals of the Cup, after beating Argentine River Plate, Paraguayan Nacional and Peruvian San Martín in the group stage, and Brazilian Palmeiras. In that instance he faced Estudiantes de La Plata, a club that ended up becoming champion.

The death of the young starting left back Diego Rodríguez, which occurred on September 11, 2010 as a result of a traffic accident, was another hard blow for the club. President Ricardo Alarcón decided to hire Juan Ramón Carrasco as the new coach, after the short period of Luis González. The change paid off, since the team quickly changed their footing and the results improved: they achieved second place in that Apertura and were champions of the Clausura Tournament, also obtaining first place in the Annual Table, both with a game in advance. This gave the team led by JR the right to define the Uruguayan Championship against Defensor, champion of the Apertura Tournament. It took just one match, as Nacional defeated Defensor and was crowned champion.A few days later, Carrasco resigned from his position.

He took over for the 2011-12 Uruguayan First Division Championship as a former soccer player, retired from the previous championship, Marcelo Gallardo, who in his first semester won the Apertura Tournament, with the participation of Álvaro Recoba as the main figure of the team. In the Clausura Tournament, he finished second behind Defensor Sporting but returned to get the Annual Table, taking 5 points ahead of his most immediate pursuers. On June 16, 2012, he played the semifinal of the 2011-12 season against Defensor Sporting, becoming two-time champion of Uruguayan Soccer after winning 1:0. Thus, he obtained his 44th Uruguayan Championship, triumphing in the two classics of the season with the decisive participation of Álvaro Recoba, who converted a penalty goal on the hour in the Apertura classic for the 2:1 victory and another free kick for the 3:2 of the Closing. As if that were not enough, it is worth noting that Nacional was also the team that sold the most tickets in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.

Match against Boca Juniors, for the final quarters of the Copa Libertadores 2016.

Marcelo Gallardo, once the championship was over, decided not to renew his contract with the club and the Board of Directors appointed Gustavo Díaz, a former Defensor Sporting coach in the recent semifinal played the previous season, for the following season. Due to Due to the irregular results, at the beginning of March 2013 the Board of Directors replaced him with an interim made up of former player Juan Carlos Blanco together with the coach of the 3rd Division squad, Gustavo Bueno, as assistant. This interim lasted until the end of that month, when it was announced that the Argentine Rodolfo Arruabarrena would be the new Technical Director of the main squad, a position he assumed at the beginning of April. The team finished the 2012-13 season in third place in the Annual Table and qualified for the First Phase of the 2014 Copa Libertadores, in what was its forty-first appearance in the Cup. It will also be the eighteenth consecutive participation, which constitutes a record at the level of said competition. After finishing third in the 2013 Apertura Tournament, Arruabarrena resigned from his position, being replaced by Gerardo Pelusso.

By not winning any title in 2013, Nacional closed a singular cycle of sporting achievements, since in the eighteen years between 1995 and 2012 it was champion of at least one official tournament. However, despite not obtaining any sporting achievement that year, 15,080 new members joined, reaching 65,738 members in December 2013. Under the leadership of Pelusso, Nacional carried out its worst ever campaign for the 2014 Copa Libertadores, harvesting just one point in the group stage. The new coach, Álvaro Gutiérrez, won the 2014 Apertura with an almost perfect score (42 points out of a possible 45) -having won the classic 2:1 with two goals scored in discounts-, and after achieving the annual table he became Uruguayan champion by beating Peñarol –Clausura winner– by 3:2.

After Gutiérrez left, hired by Al-Shabab, Nacional was led by Gustavo Munúa, who until then had worked as goalkeeper and captain. Munúa's team had a good performance for the Copa Libertadores, being Eliminated on penalties by Boca Juniors. At the local level, they did not achieve any title, which led to the departure of DT, but finishing second in the annual table left Nacional classified for the Libertadores 2017. In the second half of the year the Special Uruguayan Championship was played to allow the return to the dispute of the seasons by calendar year instead of the European one. Nacional obtained its forty-sixth Uruguayan Championship directed by Martín Lasarte. They won all the games played at home in the Great Central Park, finishing five points over their fans.

In 2017 Nacional won the first edition of the Intermediate Tournament, but by not getting the Apertura or the Clausura, it was left out of the definition of the Uruguayan Championship, which determined the departure of Lasarte from the technical direction. This was succeeded by the until then third division coach, Alexander Medina. Despite a difficult start, with two consecutive classic defeats, the "Cacique" team quickly recovered, but despite the fact that they won the Apertura Tournament at the local level and again the Intermediate Tournament, they suffered a severe international setback when they were Eliminated in the group stage of the Libertadores. As a result of this elimination, Nacional entered the second phase of the Copa Sudamericana where they eliminated Sol de América, and San Lorenzo in the round of 16. In that edition, he was defeated in the quarterfinals, by Fluminense.

Victory before Omiya Ardija, by the Saitama City Cup 2020.

For the 2019 season, José Decurnex assumed the presidency of the club. One of the first measures taken by the new leadership was not to renew any of the fourteen contracts that expired on December 31, with the exception of striker Gonzalo Bergessio, the previous year's top scorer. At the beginning of January, the Argentine Eduardo Domínguez was appointed as coach, whose stay at the institution was brief. Although under his direction the team won the 2019 Super Cup against Peñarol and at the international level he achieved two victories for the 2019 Copa Libertadores, for the Apertura Tournament he was quickly relegated with only three points after the first five dates. This situation led to the dismissal of Domínguez, who was replaced by Álvaro Gutiérrez.

With the new coach appointed, the course of the championship improved considerably, finishing the Apertura Tournament in 3rd position; the winner of this tournament was Peñarol. In the 2019 Intermediate Tournament, Nacional would discount points in the Annual Table, harvesting 14 units out of 21, and would also win the classic match by a resounding 3-0; Despite this, Nacional could not qualify for the final of the tournament, which Liverpool would win. They would then play the Closing Tournament, Nacional ended up even on points with Peñarol, due to this, they would face each other in a single final, in which the tricolors won 2-0, thus consecrating themselves champion of the tournament. This, added to having won the Annual Table, gives him an advantage in the definition of the championship. Nacional, as the winner of the Annual Table and the Closing Tournament by definition of the Championship, faces the winner of the Opening Tournament, Peñarol; with a goal from Matías Zunino he would win 1-0, thus obtaining his 47th title as Uruguayan Champion; this championship would be well remembered by the fans for having won 3 classic finals in one year, 2 of them in 4 days.

Symbols

Shield and flag

Official flag Official shield

The Nacional statute establishes that the colors that represent the club are blue, white and red, as a reflection of the national symbols of Uruguay and taken from the flag of the greatest hero of Uruguayan independence, José Gervasio Artigas.

The club's flag was created on May 23, 1902 at the initiative of Domingo Prat. The person in charge of designing it was Ernesto Caprario, co-founder of the club, who proposed completing the sports uniform with a small flag located on the left side of the shirt, over the heart, thus forming the shield.

The flag is made up as follows: on a blue background, a white diagonal stripe, drawn from left to right and from bottom to top, on which the initials C appear in red. N of F. For its part, the club's shield is made up of exactly the same arrangement of colors and initials.

Shield evolution

1902	1932	1949	1967	1981	1988	1990

1994	2004	2006	2008	2012	2014	2019-presente

Anthem

The Nacional anthem was composed in 1911 by the poet and club president, José María Delgado. The hymn is sung at various Nacional events, highlighting the awarding of medals to associates who have completed thirty or fifty uninterrupted years in the institution.

Uniform

Home uniform

Uniform tricolor corresponding to the 2019 season.

First white shirt and replica, commemorating its 120th anniversary

Nacional's statute establishes that the sports uniforms of all the entity's teams must be composed, like the flag of José Gervasio Artigas, with the colors blue, white and red.

The first jersey, worn from the club's founding in 1899 until 1902, was red with a blue collar and sleeve. The players wore a red cap with a blue tassel. In March 1902, the team changed its jersey at the request of the AUF, avoiding the similarity of colors with the Albion club and also because the red shirt faded and a better quality one could not be obtained. The new uniform would be a shirt white with a pocket —which gives rise to the nickname pockets and bags—, blue pants and a red sash. In addition, the shield with the initials C was added. N of F. on the shirt pocket.

Then, in 1909, a red belt began to be used, however, it stopped using it at the end of the 20s. By the end of 1950, the red sash and the pocket were abandoned, adopting the uniform current: white shirt with blue and red piping, blue pants and socks with white and red piping, although you can also wear white pants and socks.

In addition to the modifications indicated, the starting uniform of Nacional practically did not change throughout history. In the modern era of participation in international cups, precisely from the 1960s, the uniform with pants predominated and white socks, accompanied by red and blue, representing the three colors, a tradition that lasted several decades, especially for night games.

In May 2018, Nacional made news because a shirt from 1904 was found, being the oldest non-restored shirt in the world. It, valued at fifteen thousand dollars, was going to be auctioned, but a Uruguayan businessman paid the amount so that the auction would not take place and the oldest jacket in the world would remain in the possession of the club.

First uniform

Second uniform

(See evolution)

Current uniform

Alternate Uniform

As far as the alternate kit is concerned, the red shirt was traditionally considered. officer an innovative blue background coat with an almost vertical red band. The blue tone will last a few more years, even in the year 2000 a curious uniform with light blue and light blue tones was presented, which imitated the format of the Pepsi can, at that time the main sponsor of the club. In 2002, red was restored as an official alternative, and since then, season after season, despite the innovative designs, Nacional has two alternatives, red being official, and blue as the third option.

Alternative uniform (1902-1993)

(See evolution)

Current alternative uniform

Third Uniform

As the third uniform, the shirt is used with a predominant blue accompanied by red and white details.

2018	Current third

Special Uniforms

In 1906, Nacional presented two teams in the Uruguayan Championship, and Team B used a blue and black jacket with horizontal stripes. On September 13, 2011, Nacional presented a light blue jersey in A tribute to exactly one hundred and eight years since the first victory of the Uruguayan team, represented entirely by Nacional on that occasion.

In September 2013, to commemorate the 110th anniversary of this victory, the club launched a limited edition of the light blue jersey, which, unlike the previous ones, faithfully reflects the design of the one used in 1903, adding a diagonal white stripe. As in the starting uniform, the three Intercontinental Cups are included on the shield as a tribute to the club's greatest sporting achievements, adding the Uruguayan flag on the back along with the date of said match. Since 2011 it has been established as the starting uniform when Nacional officiates at the premises during the month of September.

Team B 1906

September 2011

September 2012

September 2013

September 2014

September 2015

September 2016

September 2017

Tribute to Abdón Porte

September 2018

Homenage 120 years

September 2019 - 2020

Symbols

Symbols present in the national sports teams

For several years Nacional has used the inscription "Dean" on its official uniforms. For its part, in recent seasons it incorporated the three intercontinental cups on top of the shield, except for the 2014-15 season, which replaced the traditional shield with the mythical "pocket". For the 2013-14 season, he wore the "King of Cups" logo on his back, alluding to his 21 international conquests.

The 2010 and 2011 uniforms featured a logo with a sun and the number 21, in honor of Diego "Oreja" Rodríguez, footballer of the club who died in a car accident. On the other hand, for the 2011-12 season, the club wore the logo of the Bicentennial of the Instructions of the year XIII on its uniforms.

In the case of the light blue jersey, which Nacional has used since 2011 during the month of September, most of them usually carry some commemorative inscription or an institutional logo, which varies in each edition. The 2013 jersey carried the motto "We are Uruguay", while the 2014 edition had a logo with the phrase "First Creole club of America&# 34;, in memory of the fact that Nacional is the first Latin American club founded by people born in the same country as the club.

Clothing and sponsorship

Starting in the 1980s, Nacional began using sponsors on their jerseys. Throughout its history, it has worn the logos of multinational companies from different sectors on its uniforms, such as Pepsi, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Vodafone, Goodyear, 888.com or Fox Sports. In the case of the television network, the agreement was going to be for both local and international competitions, but in the end it was the main sponsor of Nacional only for the Copa Libertadores.

The link with the American beverage brand Pepsi is one of the most remembered and significant, since instead of being a simple sponsorship it was a marketing campaign that included advertisements on television, photo albums, posters, etc. Between 1999 and 2002, Pepsi was the only sponsor in Nacional's uniform, its logo appearing on more than one occasion on the same shirt. During that period, Pepsi issued a series of advertisements under the slogan "National Madness" and "Life is always tricolor", in which they sought to identify fans Bags with the brand, taking advantage of the similarity of colors between the American multinational and the tricolor.

Indumentary

Period Logo Supplier 1980-1985 Adidas 1986-1988 Topper 1988-1989 Puma 1990 Uhlsport 1991-1992 Nanque 1993–1995 Topper 1996–1997 Umbro 1998 New Balance 1998–2000 Fila 2001–2004 Umbro 2005 Uhlsport 2006- Present Umbro

Main sponsor

Period	Sponsor
1985	Come on.
1988	Volkswagen
1989-1990	Union of Banks Uruguay
1991-1993	Banesto
1994–1998	Renner
1999–2002	Pepsi
2003	1899 - 2003
2004-2005	Goodyear
2006	Uruguay Natural
2006	Mercedes-Benz Sinteplast
2007	Claldy Sinteplast
2007–2008	Macri Sport Center Sinteplast
2009-2011	Macri Sport Center Ancel
2011–2012	Macri Sport Center Antel
2012 - present	Antel

Secondary Sponsor

Period	Sponsor
1993-1995	Topper
1996-1997	Umbro
1998	Renner
1999-2002	Pepsi
2003-2004	Umbro
2004-2005	Goodyear
2006–2012	Emergency One
2008	Macri Sport Center
2012	Layout
2013–2015	Emergency One Conaprole Redpagos
2016	Redpagos Nissan
2017	Redpagos Nissan Banco BBVA
2018 - 2020	Nissan Banco BBVA
2021 - present	Renault Banco BBVA

Tertiary Sponsor

Period	Sponsor
2003	Ega
2004-2005	Central Agency
2006-2011	Turil
2012–2016	Turil Tramontina
2016–2021	Turil
2021	Turil Rexona
2022–	Assist Card Turil Rexona

Infrastructure

Stadium

Aerial view of the Great Central Park.

The Grand Central Park hosted several international events, as well as Uruguayan selection parties.

FIFA Plaque in the Great Central Park, in recognition of the first game of the world.

Located in the Montevidean neighborhood of La Blanqueada, the Gran Parque Central Stadium, remodeled at the beginning of 2005, is the playing field of the National Football Club.

The Great Central Park is considered a historical setting. Built in 1900, it is the oldest stadium in America and the fifteenth in the world. The Park was also the headquarters of the Uruguayan national team, both in soccer and in other disciplines. Since its creation and until 1930 it was the main sports arena in Uruguay, so until the inauguration of the Centenario Stadium, the Uruguayan soccer team officiated at the Gran Parque Central.

The property has a total of 43,324 square meters. The stadium is located there with a capacity for almost 34,000 spectators and complete facilities for two concentrations, two gyms, two paddle tennis courts, two basketball courts, a weights room, a restroom, a laundry room, meeting rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, a dining room., kitchen, storage, etc.

The Great Central Park is commonly called by the tricolor partiality as the first World Cup stadium. In this regard, the Templo Tricolor has received several awards, including a plaque placed by FIFA in 2005 commemorating the celebration in this stadium of the first match in the history of the Soccer World Cups. For the occasion, a FIFA delegation came to visit the works, headed by its president, Sepp Blatter, and accompanied by Eugenio Figueredo, Nicolás Leoz, Ricardo Teixeira and Julio Grondona. This monolith was placed at the exit of the tunnel that connects to the changing rooms with the field, and in 2011 it was transferred along with other recognitions for the new sector, called "Quinta de la Paraguaya", which is located in the accesses to the official tribune. This square It was inaugurated to commemorate the two hundred years since José Artigas was named "Head of the Orientals", on the land where Central Park is currently located.

It has also received recognition from specialized portals. In 2014, the site Impedimento.org compiled a list of the 33 must-see stadiums in South America and placed the Great Central Park in first place. The portal states that "there are few stadiums as heavy in terms of history" as the tricolor stage.

For matches that are supposed to have attendances that exceed the capacity of the Central Park, the Centenario Stadium is used, municipal property located in the Batlle Park in Montevideo and inaugurated on July 18, 1930. It has a total capacity of 60,235 spectators (including the slope), while the pitch has dimensions of 110 x 70 m.

During 2013, the expansion works were completed in the Héctor Scarone grandstand (second tray) and the "elbow" that joins the Abdón Porte and Atilio García grandstands, significantly increasing the rental capacity of El Parque —as it is popularly known—

Between 2015 and 2016, several works are being carried out on the property, which include the construction of new facilities, a third tray in each of its stands and a subsequent roof, in order to widely exceed the capacity of 40,000 seated spectators required by both Conmebol to host all the Copa Libertadores matches, as well as FIFA to be able to consider it as a venue for the 2030 World Cup. In addition, the accesses will be reformed, 450 parking spaces will be placed, lighting with 2,500 lights, two state-of-the-art giant screens, a club museum, a sports medical clinic, a five-star hotel, two restaurants, a convention center, two ballrooms and several commercial premises. The cost of the final stage of the expansion project amounts to the sum of US$ 20,000,000.

Since the end of 2012, Nacional has been promoting the inclusion of the Great Central Park as the second stadium of the Montevideo headquarters for the candidacy of Uruguay and Argentina with a view to achieving a global future in 2030. The argument that will be presented so that FIFA endorses the tricolor request, it will be the history of the sports scene as The first World Cup stadium. Nacional's idea is for the Park to once again receive the opening match of the cup as it did in 1930 along with the now-defunct Pocitos Stadium.

Headquarters

The Crystal Palace or Glass Headquarters is the headquarters of the Football National Club.

Interior of the Dante Iocco Crystal Hall.

Main entrance to the tricolor headquarters, on Avenida 8 de Octubre.

Located in a block adjacent to the Great Central Park, and also known as the "Palacio de Cristal", the headquarters was inaugurated on April 25, 1957 under the presidency of José Añón and is an outstanding building of modern architecture, work of the architect Ildefonso Aroztegui.

The main entrance is located on Avenida 8 de Octubre, in the La Blanqueada neighborhood, in the geographic center of Montevideo. There, all the trophies that the club has won throughout its history are exhibited in its showcases.

The original headquarters were 3,475 square meters, but after efforts initiated in 2018 by the former tricolor president Eduardo Ache and continued by the president José Decurnex, on June 1, 2021 the use of the headquarters as a social club was inaugurated, with sports activities that their associates can develop. Currently the clubhouse has 4,371 square meters, and at the end of the works it will have a total of 7,975 square meters, to be able to receive the activity of up to 10,000 members. For this reform, two swimming pools and eight gyms will also be built, and it is also projected that the headquarters (which is located one street away from the Nacional stadium), will be directly connected to Central Park.

The social club currently has 4 tennis courts, 2 synthetic grass courts, an open swimming pool, a multi-sports gym, a physical preparation room for competitive teams, an outdoor space for multisports, weight rooms, a spinning room, 3 fitness gyms, changing rooms, multi-sports roof terrace, fitness rooms, multi-sports gym and children's play gym. Additionally, on August 15, 2022, two closed swimming pools were inaugurated, one measuring 10 x 12.5 meters and another 25-meter long semi-Olympic pool with 6 ropes, both 1.30 meters deep, ending phase two. of the social club project.

Ciudad Deportiva Los Céspedes

Twelve kilometers from the center of Montevideo, the sports complex was named in memory and homage to the Céspedes family, symbols of the club in its early years. It was acquired in 1968 under the presidency of Don Miguel Restuccia and is currently a twenty-two-hectare sports complex that has five soccer fields where the club's teams train, a gym with a weight room, dining room, kitchen, chalet for the coaching staff, bedrooms, bathrooms and rooms for First and Third Division players, Health, storage, garage, laundry, etc.

On May 14, 2015, the first FIFA synthetic grass field owned by a club in Uruguay was inaugurated in Los Céspedes. The new field is aimed mainly at the training divisions, it is a field of play with official FIFA 2-star quality measures (the maximum granted by the governing body of world football for this type of work).

Recently, 700 meters of concrete wall were built, which allows the perimeter fencing of the complex, greatly improving security and privacy. This is part of the first stage of the remodeling works projected by the club. The complex currently has eight playing fields, one of them with stands and changing rooms for youth division matches, with internal roads and its own irrigation.

As part of the Master Works Plan that has been carried out since 2013, a swimming pool and a 550 m2 gym with state-of-the-art equipment and flooring were recently inaugurated, which has a functional sector and a rehabilitation sector. This Major Gym will be used not only by the main squad but also by the youth and women's soccer.

The works will continue in the future to continue transforming Los Céspedes into a first class sports city. The next thing to do to complete stage 1 called "Walter Ferreira Mission" it is a new wardrobe, props, concentration and health.

Youth Residence

Originally, the location of the training residence was adjacent to the corporate headquarters. There, Nacional rented a house to house the soccer players from the youth divisions who came from the interior of the country or from abroad. That house was called Eugenio Galvalisi, in homage to a footballer from the club in the 1940s.

In previous years, young people who came from the interior of the country lived in the Parque Central facilities before it was renovated and then they were housed in a house located on Calle Durazno. Due to its great comfort and its proximity to the headquarters, it was decided to settle in said house, which had five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a reading and computer room, a room for administrative work and other additional services, in addition to a large collection. The permanence in the residence of the young people depends on their good behavior, their soccer performance and their performance in studies.

The rental of said house ended, and Nacional installed his new residence within the facilities of Parque Central (between the Atilio García and Héctor Scarone stands). The construction of this complex began in 2021 and plans to build an elbow above said structure, similar to the one between the Atilio García tribune and the Abdón Porte tribune.

Central Park Tennis Section

The tennis section of Parque Central, located on the same block as the soccer stadium —behind the Abdón Porte Tribune— on Calle Gral. Urquiza between J. Cibils and Cdte. Braga Portón 1 has its origins in the thirties, where a group of Englishmen founded a Tennis Club that had four courts. Later it was incorporated into the Central Park and integrated into the National Football Club, as an independent section. As of 1942, extensions are made, reaching today with ten fields for the practice of the aforementioned sport, where minor ATP championships have been played and even Davis Cup matches, a gym, a swimming pool, club house and complete facilities. with about four hundred and fifty square meters of buildings. It also runs a tennis school and has air-conditioned changing rooms, a gym and a swimming pool.

Caprario family home

It is the home of Ernesto Caprario, founding member of the National Football Club. It is there where the institution was founded. It is located on Calle Soriano No. 922, next to what is now the Teatro Verdi, in the department of Montevideo.

In 2000, under the presidency of Dante Iocco, the club's board of directors announced the launch of a fundraising campaign aimed at the acquisition of the Caprario house, where the club was founded and where the first headquarters of the the institution. The price of the house was 105,000 US dollars. The idea was to turn it into a museum dedicated to the history of Nacional. On September 5, 2000, Nacional acquired ownership of the house.

In 2002, a group of renowned Nacional associates, including Dante Iocco, Miguel Restuccia, Ceferino Rodríguez, Daniel Scheck, Enrique Tarigo and Washington Nion, presented a note to the National Cultural and Artistic Heritage Commission, requesting that the Casa de los Caprario be declared a National Historic Monument.

National University Football Club Complex

On May 14, 1966, the National University Football Club was founded by a nucleus of university students who ran tricolor blood through their veins and who acted with passion, commitment and teamwork, like that of 1899. In 1992, the National University Club acquired a property located at kilometer 28,500 of National Route 101 for the construction of a high-level sports complex.

Currently, the Nacional Universitario Sports Complex has three soccer fields with regulation measures (one with synthetic grass) in excellent condition and with a great floor. It has a large open pool, a spacious and stylish Club House, suitable for receptions and parties. It has large changing rooms with showers and jacuzzis, decorated with Italian ceramics and fine finishes.

This complex is sometimes used by the National Football Club for training of the main team.

Bloated

Pictures of the swollen National

The Nacional supporters, popularly known as La Banda del Parque, are one of the largest and most representative in Uruguay, competing for first place with the Peñarol supporters. the club, having organized several events to support the institution. In addition, several fans have composed songs in his honor, as a way of expressing the passion that the club arouses, and have even collaborated in the reconstruction works from his stadium.

The club is known for its large and enthusiastic supporters. In turn, the tricolor fans usually accompany the team, despite the fact that sometimes the sporting results are not the best.

The first fan

The first fan in the history of world football was a fan of this club. The turn of the century XX prop man, Prudencio Miguel Reyes, was famous for his continuous encouragement of the tricolor team. The supporters who attended the matches recognized him for one of the main tasks of the props: "inflate" the balls, "inflate them" —as they say in lunfardo from the River Plate—. People began to refer to Reyes as "the fan." It is from there that the word "fan" arose, used in the Spanish-speaking world to designate the followers of soccer teams. For this reason, the fans of Nacional call themselves The First Fan of the World.

Abdon Porte

Abdon Porte wearing the National T-shirt.

Abdón Porte was a defensive midfielder who was a multiple champion both nationally and internationally with Nacional and also champion of the 1917 Copa América with the Uruguayan team. In 1918, Abdón Porte, a symbol player of the institution, committed suicide in the central circle of the Gran Parque Central stadium, because he had to retire from the main team due to his age.

This act had varied repercussions. It was reflected in the story Juan Polti by the Uruguayan writer Horacio Quiroga. Nacional named the west stand of the Great Central Park Abdón Porte, and in the games played in that stadium a flag that reads "For the blood" can be seen on its stand. de Abdón" and has the face of the idol. It can also be seen on the giant flag made with the contribution of the fans. On March 5, 2008, the Uruguayan Post Office issued a stamp in his honor. On August 18, In 2013 the Nacional fans made a mosaic in the Atilio García tribune in which the face of Abdón Porte was seen.

The capture of Porto Alegre

In the 1980 Copa Libertadores, Nacional obtained its second conquest after 9 years, after beating Sport Club Internacional. The first final of the cup was played in the city of Porto Alegre on July 30, 1980, ending in a draw at zero. The Nacional team arrived in the Capital of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, accompanied by about 30,000 fans, who shook the stands of the Beira-Rio Stadium. This event of such dimensions is popularly known as The capture of Porto Alegre. On the other hand, the second leg was victory for the Bag by the slightest difference, with a goal from Waldemar Victorino.

The biggest flag in the world

Panoramic view of the world's largest flag, deployed to the Atlético de Madrid in the Centennial Stadium. Image of the design on the Olympic Tribe (South).

At the end of 2010, an initiative of partial Nacional aimed at the tricolor having a huge curtain, as happened eleven years ago with the flag of the hundred years.

After raising $55,000 from the fans, through collaborations organized by the fans themselves, and being made entirely in Uruguay, on April 4, 2013 the World's Largest Flag was released., which entered the Guinness Record. It was inaugurated within the framework of the penultimate match of group 1 of the 2013 Copa Libertadores against Toluca in front of 50,000 spectators, a match in which the purse won 4 to 0 and ensured their ticket to the round of 16. The gigantic curtain measures 600 meters long by 50 meters high, totaling 30,000 square meters, and covered three of the four stands of the mythical Centennial Stadium (Tribuna Colombes, Tribuna Olímpica and Tribuna Amsterdam). The tricolor flag was displayed twice, before the start of the first and second half. The premiere of the giant flag had already been frustrated on two occasions due to rain forecasts (against Deportes Iquique and Liga de Loja for the 2012 Copa Sudamericana).

Largest flag in the world, the day of its premiere, in the Copa Libertadores (view from the Colombes, Olympic and Amsterdam Tribune).

The flag weighs approximately 5,000 kilos and four hundred fans were needed to transport it. It bears the club's colours, with a red upper stripe, a blue lower stripe, and a large white stripe in the center. The white stripe illustrates the club's shield, the Uruguayan flag, the Artigas flag, the international titles won, the Central Park and the mythical Abdón Porte, as well as the names of the more than 5,000 people who collaborated to raise the funds. $55,000 cost to make. It has written the phrases "Father and Dean of Uruguayan Soccer", "The first Creole club in America", "The bag is made great by its people", "La Banda del Parque never gives up", "The true King of Cups" and «More international and local official titles».

The news traveled the world, echoing in several countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Honduras, Mexico, the United States, Greece, Spain, France, the United Kingdom Kingdom, and Belgium.

The largest flag in the world was unfurled again in the match played between Nacional and Atlético de Madrid for the EuroAmerican Cup.

Nicknames

The motto Dean of Uruguay Soccer is present in many of the club's sports articles.

The club is nicknamed King of Cups allusion to their local and international titles.

• Albo: Because of his house alba —blanca—the club quickly adopted this nickname in the early times of Uruguayan football.
• Tricolor: Also known diminutively as The Trickor tricolor in its plural version, to refer to its fans. Over the years, the condition began to stand out more Tricolor the club, recalling the importance attached to the 3 colors since its foundation.
• Bolsilludo: The club began to be nicknamed this way by virtue of the pocket in his homemade. Over time, especially in the last decades of the centuryXX. the term Bolsilludo It was simplifying Bag, being the best known nickname for the club and for its fans.
• Bag: This nickname is used as a diminutive Bolsilludo.
• Dean: Term used to refer to the origins of the club. While there is no official resolution on this issue, and there are few mentions as such in the press or national documentation as a controversial issue, at the international level the club is indisputably nicknamed as such. Dean. Some refer to the club as "El Decano" or "El Decano del Fútbol Uruguayo". Even the club uses the term as its own motto. The most important supporting publications Dean as a name, as the website Dean.com or the magazine Dean. Although National is nicknamed Dean, the use of this term is involved in the discussion of the decanato. In recent times, it has happened that the Conmebol has greeted National for sporting triumphs or foundation anniversaries mentioning it as "Dean of Uruguayan football" and then has had to withdraw those greetings, for generating negative reactions in the fans of its traditional rival, Peñarol.
• The White: Popularized nickname at the end of the centuryXX. and beginnings of the centuryXXIIt refers, once again, to the color of the shirt. Unlike previous nicknames, this nickname only refers to the t-shirt or the team, but not to its fans.
• Parquenses: In reference to the club stadium, the Great Central Park, therefore the fans are also known as "the ones in the Park".
• King of Cups: It is thus called in allusion to its national and international titles, or its 160 official titles.
• Team Criollo: At the beginning of the club, it was usual to refer to the characteristic that defined the team since its foundation, to form a club for the Uruguayans, in a football dominated by the British ensembles in those late centuryXIX, so it is known as First Criollo Team of America.
• The Guest Club: Occasionally it is called in this way in allusion to The Grass Brothers; they were three footballers early in the centuryXX. and in the first years of life of the institution; main drivers of the National Champion of the first Uruguayan championships of his history, in 1902 and 1903. His connection with the Club was so great, that the club earned this nickname, concept that is still being used.
• The Inexhaustible quarry: Term used to refer to the training divisions of the club.

In addition, the nickname "La Máquina" or "La Máquina Blanca" was used to refer to the star team formed in 1933, which marked the prelude to the South American team in Lima, in 1935.

Fan Survey

Throughout history there has never been a certainty on the subject, which has been a lot of discussion for Uruguayans when it comes to wondering who is half plus one. Various studies and surveys have been carried out, giving results in favor of one and the other, reaching the conclusion that between the two most popular teams in Uruguay there is a very clear parity, almost impossible to clarify. In 2009, a survey was carried out over a three-week period on the sportsvs.com website, which gave Nacional the winner by a narrow margin. 126,798 people participated in it, mainly from the two big Uruguayan soccer clubs. When asked "Who has more fans?", 63,840 voted in favor of Nacional. Peñarol, for its part, reached 62,958. In percentage terms, this represents that Nacional had 50.35% of the votes and Peñarol 49.65%.

Songs

Gerardo Matos Rodríguez, author of the famous tango La cumparsita, composed the tango Nacional for ever for the club in 1917, to celebrate winning the first Uruguayan Cup in property. In 1951 Julio Martel was summoned by the José Puglia and Edgardo Pedroza orchestra to record the tango Nacional, in which he narrated a kind of history lesson by referring to various milestones of the club, such as the tour for Europe and the first victory of the Uruguayan team, in which the Uruguayan team was made up of eleven Nacional players. He also names emblematic players such as Héctor Scarone, José Nasazzi and Pedro Petrone. Jaime Marella made a candombe called 13 de septiembre in honor of the first victory of the Uruguayan team.

In 1999, with the encouragement of Dante Iocco, the publicist Elbio Acuña composed the lyrics of The Centennial Song, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Nacional. This song is popularly known for the interpretation of Canario Luna, although there is also a version by the murga Los del Parque. At the end of 2011, Nacional broadcast a television advertisement for a version of this song, with the same rhythm but with a new lyrics, sung by the players of the main squad, the youth and children's divisions, the women's team and the basketball team in gratitude to the fans. They also sing Sebastián Coates, Luis Suárez, Sebastián Abreu and Rubén Sosa.

Other emblematic songs are Take out the handkerchiefs by Carlos Soto, Tricolores, tricolores by Carlos Modernell and Nació de un grito by Ernesto Eastman.

Songs have been made for emblematic players, such as Rubén Sosa with the song The Little Prince of Joy, Sebastián Abreu with the song Loco el 13 and Álvaro Recoba the song Gracias Chino, all composed by Daniel Núñez.

In January 2012, an album was released with ten songs dedicated to Nacional, performed by the murga "Los del Parque".

Affiliates

It has official subsidiaries in the nineteen departments of Uruguay, reaching a total of one hundred and four. It also has subsidiaries in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Canada, Catalonia, Galicia, Florida, New York, Valencia and Madrid.

In 2010, the club's board of directors met at the headquarters of the subsidiary in Argentina, located in Buenos Aires, this being the first time that such an event was held outside of Uruguay.

The subsidiaries are not only a meeting place for Nacional fans in places far from Montevideo, but they have carried out various acts of militancy such as attracting new members and providing materials for the training and children's divisions.

The classic

Before a Uruguayan superclassic.

As for confrontations with Peñarol, the tricolor's staunch rival, Nacional holds several noteworthy records. An example is having been undefeated sixteen classics between 1971 and 1974. Likewise, he has the record of having won ten consecutive classics for the Uruguayan Championship between 1939 and 1942. Among these ten classics is the biggest win recorded in the history of Nacional - Peñarol: on December 14, 1941, Nacional defeated Peñarol 6:0, in a day that is remembered as Day of 10 to 0 because, in addition to the six goals from the game, of the First Division, Nacional beat Peñarol 4:0 in the Reserve game.
Nacional has the top classic scorer in history: the Argentine Atilio García, with 34 goals. It is also the team that won the most classic finals, and the one that won the most classics from behind —games in which they started at a disadvantage to end up triumphing—.

Nacional maintained a streak of ten undefeated classics between January 27, 2004 and November 26, 2006. It is worth adding that although it currently does not have the lead in the classic history, it maintained the hegemony during the greater part of history from 1913 to the 1980s.

Among the many classics remembered throughout history is the final for the 1933 Uruguayan Championship on May 27, 1934, remembered as the goal from the suitcase, due to a curious play happened in that game. At a certain moment Peñarol advanced and the low cross left the field, bounced off the suitcase of Juan Kirschberg, the kinesiologist of the bag, and returned to the field. Braulio Castro, from Peñarol, just in case, pushed the ball towards the goal. The referee, Telesforo Rodríguez, made strange signs that no one understood, so they believed that he had scored a goal, a riot broke out and Labraga and Nasazzi, both from Nacional, were expelled. The meeting was suspended, because there was no longer natural light to continue with their dispute. The game continued on August 25 and is remembered as the classic of the Nine against Eleven since Nacional had to face it with 9 players during the remaining 84 minutes. The Hungarian coach Américo Sziguetti mapped out a brilliant strategy to minimize the difference in men, and Nacional dominated the match tactically and emotionally, even had the best options, ending the match with a feat 0:0. Finally, the tournament was defined on November 18. Peñarol was leading 0:2 at the end of the first half, and everything suggested that it would be the champion, however, in the second half, three goals from Manco Castro appeared for the final 3:2 and the unforgettable tricolor olympic round

Statistics

Nacional is the Uruguayan club with the largest number of official titles (national and international) in history, with 165 victories (143 national and 22 international). Among his national titles, his 49 Uruguayan Championships stand out.

At the local level, it is the only club in the country to have played every season in the First Division since it joined in 1901. In addition, it is the only team in Uruguay that has never been relegated, nor finished last, nor played a promotion for maintain the category, nor was he disaffiliated from the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF).

In front of the image, the Uruguayan Cup 2010-11. In the background, other trophies obtained by Nationalamong them the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup.

The 165 official titles of the club are divided into 143 at the national level and 22 at the international level, among which 9 were organized by Conmebol and FIFA, while 13 were organized jointly between AFA and AUF.

National tournaments

Nacional is the club that has won the most official titles at the local level, counting in addition to the 49 Uruguayan championships, another 94 trophies also awarded by the Uruguayan Football Association. This has organized official championships since 1900, dealing with amateur tournaments until 1931, and since 1932 professional tournaments.

Organized by AUF
National competition	Titles
Uruguayan Championship (49):	1902, 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1933, 1934, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1963, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1977, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1992, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005-11, 2008-09,
Opening Tour (12):	1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2018.
Closing Tour (8):	1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2019 and 2022.
Intermediate Tournament (4):	2017, 2018, 2020 and 2022.
Supercopa Uruguaya (2):	2019, 2021.
Honorary Tournament (15):	1935, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1948, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1962 and 1963.
Competition Tournament (10):	1934, 1945, 1948, 1952, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1989.
Pre-Liberators of America (8):	1982, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2007, 2008.
Quadrangular Tournament (7):	1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1962, 1964 and 1967.
Competition Cup (7):	1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1919, 1921 and 1923.
Honor Cup (7):	1905, 1906, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916 and 1917.
Major League (3):	1975, 1976 and 1977.
Copa León Peyrou (3):	1920, 1921, 1922.
General Artigas National Championship (2):	1961 and 1962.
José Serrato Engineer Championship (1):	1928.
Albion Cup (1):	1919.
Fermin Tournament Garicoits (1):	1965.
Montevideo City Tournament (1):	1973.
Olympic Champions Tournament (1):	1974.
Centenary Stadium Championship (1):	1983.

International tournaments

The club has twenty-two international titles. Nine of them correspond to tournaments organized by Conmebol and FIFA, and the remaining thirteen to tournaments organized jointly between the AFA and the AUF.

Organized by FIFA and CONMEBOL
International competition	Titles	Subcamponatos
Intercontinental Cup (3/0)	1971, 1980, 1988. (shared record)
Copa Libertadores de América (3/3)	1971, 1980, 1988.	1964, 1967, 1969.
Inter-American Cup (2/1)	1972, 1989.	1981.
South American Recouple (1/0)	1989.
South American Super Cup (0/1)		1990.

Organized by AFA and AUF
International competition	Titles	Subcamponatos
Honor Cusenier Cup (4/2)	1905, 1915, 1916, 1917.	1906, 1913.
Dr Cup. Ricardo C. Aldao (6/4)	1916, 1919, 1920, 1940, 1942, 1946.	1917, 1939, 1941, 1947.
Cup Tie Competition (2/2)	1913, 1915.	1912, 1919.
Escobar-Gerona Confraternity Cup (1/0)	1945.

International Youth Tournaments

Titles by decade

• Only here are the official Uruguayan League championships (all of their editions, both amateur and professional), the First Division Cups, the Rio de Janeiro Cups and the official international titles of Conmebol and FIFA.

In addition, when including all the official competitions carried out by the AUF, such as the cups to qualify for international tournaments (the so-called Liguillas), Nacional is the most successful club, with 138 official national titles.

Statistics in international competitions

In the international arena, it is one of the institutions with the greatest number of official titles in the world, adding 22 conquests, behind the 29 of Real Madrid Club de Fútbol and the 24 of Al-Ahly. In turn, it is the second best team in the historical table of the Copa Libertadores de América (583 points) and the only Uruguayan club to win the Inter-American Cup (2) and the South American Recopa (1).

• Updated 16 September 2015
• PJ = Players; PG= Winned Parties; PE= Empatized Parties; PP= Lost Parties.

Clubs with the most international titles

In the international arena, counting all the official consecrations obtained, it is the third institution with the highest number of official titles in the world: 22, equaled with Barcelona and Boca Juniors, surpassing Milan (21) and only below Real Madrid (31) and Al-Ahly (28).

International titles
Equipment	Country	Championships
Real Madrid	SpainSpain	31
Al-Ahly	EgyptEgypt	28
National	Uruguay Uruguay	22
Boca Juniors	Argentina	22
Barcelona	SpainSpain	22
Milan	ItalyItaly	21

Sports organization chart

Players

The "Chino" Collects, celebrating with National.

Atilio García, maximum scorer National with 468 goals.

Since it was founded in 1899, there have been hundreds of soccer players who have played at least one match with the Nacional first team jersey. The one who played the most games with the club was Emilio "Cococho" Álvarez, with five hundred and eleven appearances between 1959 and 1970. In addition, the player who has scored the most goals was Atilio García (468 goals), followed by Héctor Scarone (301 goals).

On the other hand, Nacional has contributed greatly to the formation of the Uruguayan team. It should be noted that on September 13, 1903, the tricolor team represented Uruguay in its first official victory against the Argentine team, with a favorable score of 3-2. The goals were scored by Carlos Céspedes on two occasions, and Bolívar Céspedes the remaining goal. The squad that became champion of the 1924 Paris Olympics, had six Nacional players among its members: goalkeeper Andrés Mazali, midfielder Alfredo Zibechi and forwards Santos Urdinarán, Héctor Scarone, Ángel Romano, Pascual Somma and Pedro Petrone —this turned out to be the tournament's top scorer., plus forwards Pedro Cea and Juan Píriz. Likewise, the squad that became champion of the 1930 Soccer World Cup, had eight Nacional players among its members: defenseman Emilio Recoba, midfielder José Leandro Andrade and the forwards Santos Urdinarán, Héctor Scarone, Pedro Cea, Héctor Castro, Pedro Petrone and Conduelo Píriz.

The team that won the 1950 World Cup was attended by five members of the tricolor team: goalkeeper Aníbal Paz, defender Eusebio Tejera, midfielders Schubert Gambetta, Rodolfo Pini and striker Julio Pérez. In the Tabárez era that obtained fourth place in the 2010 World Cup and first place in the 2011 Copa América, Uruguay had numerous former Nacional players, including Diego Lugano, Diego Godín, Andrés Scotti, Mauricio Victorino, Sebastián Eguren, Nicolás Lodeiro, Luis Suárez and Sebastián Coates.

Throughout history there have always been tricolor soccer players in the consecrations of official championships obtained by the Uruguayan team, including the two Olympic Games, the two World Cups and the fifteen Copa América. In addition, the club holds the following world records:

• It is the club with more players ceded to the national selection: 255.
• It is the club that has the most players official tournament champions with the national selection: 70.
• In addition, throughout the history it is the one who the most official tournament champions contributed their respective selections with 95 football players.

Squad

Players	Technical body		More used tactical scheme
N.o Nac. Pos. Name Age Eq. provenance Cont. INT. Porteros 1 URU! 0BY Sergio Rochet 30 years Sivasspor 31-12-2023 Absolute 25 URU! 0BY Ignacio Suárez 21 years Formed in the quarry 31-12-2023 Sub-17 32 URU! 0BY Salvador Ichazo 31 years C. A. River Plate 31-12-2024 Sub-20 P Defense 2 COL! 1DEF Daniel Bocanegra 36 years Freedom 31-12-2023 Absolute 3 URU! 1DEF Maximilian Perg 31 years Queretaro F.C. 31-12-2023 6 URU! 1DEF Camilo Candido 27 years Liverpool F.C. 31-07-2025 13 URU! 1DEF Christian Almeida 33 years Liverpool F.C. 31-12-2023 16 URU! 1DEF Leandro Lozano 24 years C. A. Boston River 31-12-2024 18 ARG! 1DEF Fabian Noguera 30 years L.P. students. 31-12-2023 23 URU! 1DEF Diego Polenta 31 years Union 31-12-2023 Sub-23 27 URU! 1DEF Lucas Morales 23 years Cerro Largo F.C. 31-12-2024 P Campers 4 URU! 2MED Thiago Helguera 17 years Formed in the quarry 31-12-2025 Sub-17 5 URU! 2MED Yonathan Rodríguez 29 years C. S. Cerrito 31-12-2023 8 URU! 2MED Santiago 20 years Montevideo City Torque 31-12-2023 Sub-17 14 URU! 2MED Marcos Montiel 27 years C. A. River Plate 31-12-2024 15 URU! 2MED Diego Rodríguez 33 years San Lorenzo 30-06-2023 Sub-23 17 URU! 2MED Francisco Ginella 24 years Los Angeles F.C. 30-06-2023 Sub-23 20 URU! 2MED Gastón Pereiro 27 years Cagliari Calcio 30-06-2023 Absolute 22 URU! 2MED Diego Zabala 31 years C. A. Rosario Central 31-12-2023 24 URU! 2MED Manuel Monzeglio 21 years Formed in the quarry 31-12-2024 33 URU! 2MED Rodrigo Chagas 19 years Formed in the quarry 31-12-2025 Sub-20 P Delanteros 7 URU! 3OF THE Federico Martínez 27 years Club León 31-12-2023 Absolute 9 ARG! 3OF THE Emanuel Gigliotti 35 years Club León 31-12-2023 Absolute 10 URU! 3OF THE Franco Fagúndez 22 years Formed in the quarry 31-12-2024 11 URU! 3OF THE Juan Ignacio Ramírez 26 years Liverpool F.C. 31-12-2024 Sub-23 19 URU! 3OF THE Alfonso Trezza 23 years Formed in the quarry 31-12-2023 21 URU! 3OF THE Renzo Sánchez 19 years Formed in the quarry 31-12-2026 Sub-20 28 URU! 3OF THE Juan Manuel Gutiérrez 21 years U. D. Almería 30-06-2023 Sub-17 29 URU! 3OF THE Bruno Damiani 21 years Formed in the quarry ?	Coach(s) Álvaro Gutiérrez Deputy(s) Mario Picún Physical Preparer(s) Javier Noble Luis Salsamendi Julio Moreno Pablo Balbi Coach(s) of porters Leonardo Romay Doctor(s) Alvaro Arsuaga Edgardo Barbosa Gonzalo Harretche Legend Captain Mission quarry (club-trained) Training (association-trained) European passport Aliens Extracommunity without restriction Lost to the club Granted to another club Discarded / No chip Updated on April 15, 2023 Official web template		4-2-3-1 URU! BY 1 DEF 16 DEF 18 DEF 23 DEF 6 MED 17 OF THE 11 MED 15 MED 7 MED 20 MED 22

International players

Selection	Category	#	Player(s)
Uruguay Uruguay	Absolute	3	Sergio Rochet, Federico Martínez, Gastón Pereiro
	Sub-23	4	Diego Polenta, Diego Rodríguez, Francisco Ginella, Juan I. Ramírez
	Sub-20	3	Salvador Ichazo, Rodrigo Chagas, Renzo Sánchez
	Sub-17	4	Ignacio Suárez, Santiago Cartagena, Thiago Helguera, Juan M. Gutiérrez
Argentina	Argentina	1	Emmanuel Gigliotti
ColombiaColombia	Colombia	1	Daniel Bocanegra

Note: in bold players part of the last call in the corresponding category.

Pass market 2023

Altas
Opening
Pos.	Nac.		Player	Proceedings	Type	Cost
			Leandro Lozano	Boston River	Purchase option	US$ 120,000
			Ignatius Velázquez	Cerro	Return after assignment	US$ 0
			Santiago Cartagena	Montevideo City Torque	Return after assignment	US$ 0
			Adriana Vila	Cerrito	Return after assignment	US$ 0
			Maximilian Perg	Querétaro	Free	US$ 0
			Salvador Ichazo	River Plate	Free	US$ 0
			Juan Ignacio Ramírez	Liverpool	Transfer	US$ 1,500,000
			Lucas Morales	Cerro Largo	Free	US$ 0
			Diego Polenta	Union	Free	US$ 0
			Fabian Noguera	Students	Free	US$ 0
			Daniel Bocanegra	Freedom	Free	US$ 0
			Marcos Montiel	Villa Teresa	Transfer	-
Loans
Pos.	Nac.		Player	Proceedings	Till	Cargo
			Juan Manuel Gutiérrez	Almería	30-06-2023	-
			Yonathan Rodríguez	Cerrito	31-12-2023	-
			Francisco Ginella	Los Angeles F. C.	30-06-2023	-
			Federico Martínez	León	31-12-2023	-
			Gastón Pereiro	Cagliari	30-06-2023	-

Low
Summer
Pos.	Nac.		Player	Destination	Type	Cost
			Felipe Carballo	Grêmio	Transfer	US$ 4,000.000
			Mario Risso	Wanderers	End of contract	US$ 0
			Santiago Marcel	Phoenix	End of contract	US$ 0
			Guillermo Centurion	Cerro	End of contract	US$ 0
			Angelo Gabrielli	Phoenix	End of contract	US$ 0
			Gonzalo Vega		End of contract	US$ 0
			Martín Rodríguez	Guaraní	End of contract	US$ 0
			Mathías Laborda	Vancouver Whitecaps	End of contract	US$ 0
			Leonardo Coelho	Atletico San Luis	End of assignment	US$ 0
			Juan Left	Liverpool	End of contract	US$ 0
			Alex Castro	Golden Eagles	End of contract	US$ 0
			Luis Suárez	Grêmio	End of contract	US$ 0
			José Luis Rodríguez	Vasco da Gama	Transfer	US$ 2,000.000
			Leandro Otormin	Liverpool	Contract termination	US$ 0
Loans
Pos.	Nac.		Player	Destination	Till	Cargo
			Adriana Vila	Cerro Largo	31-12-2023	US$ 0
			Santiago Ramírez	Wanderers	31-12-2023	US$ 0
			Joaquin Translator	River Plate	31-12-2023	US$ 0
			Mathias Bernatene	Renters	31-12-2023	US$ 0
			Lautaro Pertusatti	Renters	31-12-2023	US$ 0

Coaches

Nacional has used a coach since the 1920s.

First Division coaching staff

Hector Castro is one of the most laureated technicians in the National team, getting the Gold Quinquenio.

Marcelo Gallardo, Uruguayan champion as a player and technician.

The members of the coaching staff are as follows:

• Coach: Álvaro Gutiérrez
• Technical Assistant: Mario Picún
• Physical Preparedness: Javier Noble
• Physical Preparedness: Julio Moreno
• Physical Preparedness: Pablo Balbi
• Coach of Archers: Leonardo Romay
• Assistant: Ruben Sosa
• Sports Manager: Sebastián Taramasco
• Technical Secretary: Óscar Javier Morales

Health of the National Football Club

• Chief Medical Officer: Alvaro Arsuaga
• Medical: Edgardo Barbosa
• Medical: Gonzalo Harretche
• Kinesiologist: Daniel Calimares
• Kinesiologist: Diego Seoane

Training trainers

Training coordinator: Fernando Curutchet

Sports consultant: Pierre Sarratia.

• 3.a division: Alvaro Recoba
• Sub 19: Tabaré Alonso
• Sub 17: Rodrigo Lemos
• Sub16: Santiago Espasandín
• Sub 15: Dardo Pérez
• Sub 14: Gustavo Machaín

Coach Timeline

Coach Period Ondino Viera 1930-1933 Américo Szigeti 1933-1934 Carlos Blas Carlomagno 1935-1936 William Reaside 1938-1939 Héctor Castro 1940-1943 Enrique Fernández 1946 Ricardo Faccio 1947 Enrique Fernández 1950-1952 Héctor Castro 1952 Adolfo Pedernera 1954 Ondino Viera 1955-1960 Juan Carlos Corazzo 1960 Roberto Porta 1961 Hugo Bagnulo 1962 Zezé Moreira 1963-1964 Ricardo Dies 1964 Fernando Riera 1966 Roberto Scarone 1966-1967 Zezé Moreira 1968-1969 Washington Etchamendi 1970-1972 Miguel Ignomiriello 1974 Juan Eduardo Hohberg 1976 Juan Ricardo Faccio 1976 Luis Cubilla 1977 Pedro Dellacha 1977 José Ricardo De León 1978 Pedro Dellacha 1979 Juan Martín Mugica 1980-1981

Coach Period Alfio Basile 1982 Juan Masnik 1982 Miguel Basílico 1983 Victor Asparagus 1983 Luis Garisto 1984-1985 Ildo Maneiro 1985 Victor Asparagus 1985 Luis Cubilla 1985 Walter Roque 1986 Sergio Markarián 1987 José Ricardo De León 1987 Roberto Fleitas 1987-1988 Héctor Núñez 1989 Saul Rivero 1990 Juan Carlos Blanco 1990-1991 Raúl Möller 1991 Roberto Fleitas 1991-1993 Miguel Angel Piazza 1993 Héctor Salvá (int, 3p) 1993 Eduardo Luján Manera 1994 Hugo Fernández 1994-1995 Héctor Salvá 1995-1996 Gustavo Bueno (int, 1p) 1996 Miguel Puppo 1996-1997 Roberto Fleitas 1997 Hugo De León 1998-2001 Daniel Carreño 2002-2003 Santiago Ostolaza 2004

Coach Period Hugo De León 2004 Martin Lasarte 2005-2006 Daniel Carreño 2006-2007 Daniel Enríquez (int, 1p) 2007 Gerardo Pelusso 2007-2009 Luis González (int, 5p) 2009 Eduardo Acevedo 2009-2010 Luis González 2010 Gustavo Bueno (int, 1p) 2010 Juan Ramón Carrasco 2010-2011 Marcelo Gallardo 2011-2012 Gustavo Díaz 2012-2013 Juan Carlos Blanco (int, 7p) 2013 Rodolfo Arruabarrena 2013 Gerardo Pelusso 2014 Álvaro Gutiérrez 2014-2015 Gustavo Munúa 2015-2016 Martin Lasarte 2016-2017 Alexander Medina 2018 Eduardo Domínguez 2019 Álvaro Gutiérrez 2019 Gustavo Munúa 2020 Jorge Giordano 2020-2021 Martín Ligüera (int, 4p) 2021 Alejandro Cappuccio 2021 Martín Ligüera 2021 Paul Repetto 2022 Ricardo Zielinski 2023 Álvaro Gutiérrez 2023-

Presidents

Picture of the Dr. Atilio Narancio, president of National in two periods.

Both the president and the Board of Directors of the club, made up of eleven members, are elected by the members authorized to vote —over 18 years of age with five years of seniority— through elections held every three years.

Since its founding in 1899, Nacional has had a total of thirty-four presidents, seven of whom held that position for more than one term. The first president was Sebastián Puppo, founding member of the club, as well as a player. The one who held the position for the most consecutive years was Miguel Restuccia, coming to remain for twelve years in the presidency between 1968 and 1979. During his management, the tricolor team won five Uruguayan championships —1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1977—, the 1971 Copa Libertadores, the 1971 Intercontinental Cup and the 1972 Inter-American Cup.

It is worth noting the presidency of the Argentine founding partner Bernardino Daglio, in 1901, as the first foreigner in the highest position of the institution. In addition, José Añón and Ceferino Rodríguez, both of Spanish nationality, held the presidency of the club during the periods 1955-61 and 1992-97 respectively.

Campaigns

The club is looking for the 100,000 partners.

During Ricardo Alarcón's presidency, since he became president in 2007, a new administrative policy for the club was developed. A project called "National Culture" was implemented aiming to reinforce the institutional structure, increasing the flow of members, expanding the Great Central Park, generating cultural values, and in the economic-sports field, an exporting soccer club, betting on its own quarry, in order to balance finances. In recent years, the club has reinforced its policy of inferiors, and from 2003 to date, players of the stature of Diego Lugano, Juan Ángel Albín, Gonzalo Castro, Sebastián Viera, Mauricio Victorino, Luis Suárez, Bruno Fornaroli, Mathías Cardaccio, Martín Cauteruccio, Diego Arismendi, Nicolás Lodeiro, Santiago García, Sebastián Coates, Gastón Pereiro, among others, which has allowed the club to position itself with better prospects, both in sporting and economic terms. On a social level, on March 12, 2010, it was announced that the club reached 29,564 members, thus surpassing the record for the club, and for Uruguayan soccer, of 29,563 registered members in 1992, during the presidency. by Ceferino Rodríguez.

In June 2012, under the presidency of Ricardo Alarcón, the club had more than 50,000 members. During 2014, 15,080 new members were incorporated, which would mean a 30 percent increase, being the highest growth in the history of the institution. Months later, the goal of member number 75,000 would be reached. During the Ache presidency, a campaign was started to increase the social flow, seeking to reach the figure of 100,000 associates. During the tenure of José Luis Rodríguez, the objective was maintained and a new campaign was launched to continue the increase towards 100,000 members, under the slogan "Pride forever".

Timeline of Presidents

Throughout its history, the club has had the following presidents:

Chairman Period Sebastián Puppo 1899 Jorge A. Ballestero 1900 Bernardino Daglio 1901 Carlos Carve Urioste 1902 Domingo Prat 1903-1904 Luis Laventure 1905 José María Reyes Lerena 1906-1907 Domingo Prat 1908 Francisco Del Campo 1909 Domingo Prat 1910 José María Delgado 1911-1921 Rodolfo Bermúdez 1922-1923 Numa Pesquera 1923-1925 Ramón Pedro Díaz 1926 Óscar Bottini 1927

Chairman Period Meliton Romero 1928 José María Delgado 1929-1932 Rodolfo Bermúdez 1933 Atilio Narancio 1934-1935 José María Reyes Lerena 1936 Aníbal Zapicán Falco 1937 Raúl Blengio Salvo 1938 Atilio Narancio 1939 Rodolfo Gorriti 1940-1945 Roberto Espil 1946-1949 Gregorio Baldizán 1950-1951 Santiago De Brum Carbajal 1952-1953 Manuel González 1953-1954 José Añón 1955-1961 Eduardo Pons Echeverry 1962-1967

Chairman Period Miguel Restuccia 1968-1979 Just Alonso Leguísamo 1979-1980 Dante Iocco 1980-1982 Rodolfo Sienra 1983-1985 Mario Garbarino 1986-1988 Roberto Recalt 1989-1991 Ceferino Rodríguez 1992-1997 Dante Iocco 1998-2000 Eduardo Ache 2001-2005 Victor Della Valle 2006 Ricardo Alarcón 2007-2012 Eduardo Ache 2013-2015 José Luis Rodríguez 2016-2018 José Decurnex 2019-2021 José Fuentes 2022-

Club details

• Seasons in 1.a: 118 (temporary 2022 inclusive)
• Seasons in 2.a0
• Best position in First Division: 1.o (48 times)
• Worse First Division: 7.o (1988)
• Big deal.:
  • In national championships:
    • He was amateur: 11:0 to Charley in 1920
    • He was professional: 10:0 to River Plate in 1938
  • In international tournaments:
    • By the Copa Libertadores: 6:0 to 9 October in 1984
• Greatest classic male goleada: 6 to 0 in 1941 (maximum classic victory)
• Greatest female classic goleada: 7 to 0 in 2013 (maximum classic victory)
• Greatest streak of consecutive wins:
  • For the Uruguayan Championship: 32 matches (1940-1942)
  • In international tournaments:
    • By Copa Libertadores: 6 matches (1967)
• Greatest streak games without losing consecutive:
  • For the Uruguayan Championship: 34 matches (1915-1918; 1940-1942; 1971-1972)
  • In international tournaments:
    • By Copa Libertadores: 12 matches (1968-1969)
• Undefeated championships: 7 (1902, 1903, 1916, 1917, 1924, 1941, 2005)
• Championships obtained without ceding points: 2 (1902, 1941)
• More years at the club: Hector Scarone (20 years, 1916-1926; 1927-1931; 1934-1938)
• More contested parties: Emilio Álvarez (511 matches)
  • More matches by Copa Libertadores: Julio César Morales (76 matches)
• Maximum scorer: Atilio García (468 goals)
  • Maximum Copa Libertadores scorer: Julio César Morales (30 goals)
• Porter with more minutes without receiving a goal:
  • For the Uruguayan Championship: Gustavo Munúa, 963 minutes without receiving goals (2003)
  • In international tournaments:
    • By Copa Libertadores: Manga, 612 minutes without receiving goals (1971)
• Increased number of matches with undefeated fence: 11 (1933)
• More national championships won: Alfredo Foglino, José Vanzzino, Schubert Gambetta and Aníbal Paz (9 championships)
• Players assigned to national selection: 250 (global agreement)
• Official tournament champions players with their respective selections: 92 (global agreement)
• Official Tournament Champions with National Selection: 67 (global agreement)
• Best short tournament: Opening Tournament 2014 with 42 points on 45 possible

Other sports disciplines

The National Football Club also participates or has participated in other sports disciplines, namely:

Chess

The National Chess team was Interclub National Champion three times —1993, 1994, 1997—. He also holds 16 titles in the Uruguayan Chess Championship (individual), organized by the Uruguayan Chess Federation. —1937, 1944, 1947, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1998— including Walter Estrada with 6 championships and Alfredo Olivera with 5 victories.

He also obtained third place in the II Interclub Pan American Championship in 1993.

Basketball

The club's basketball section began operating on January 26, 1933, when the club's Board of Directors approved the incorporation of Springfield to represent Nacional. He won the titles of 1935 and 1937; in addition to the Liguillas of 1982 and 1983. Esteban Batista, a self-confessed fan of the club, was the only Uruguayan basketball player to play in the NBA in history.

Cycling

Championships organized by the Uruguayan Cycling Federation since its inception. He won several times the most important competitions: the Uruguay Cycling Tour and Rutas de América, both individually and by teams. Milton Wynants, who won a silver medal for Uruguay at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, and Leandro Noli, who won the first edition of the Cycling Tour in 1939, stand out on the club's squad.

The Nacional team won the Team Routes of America five times —1993, 1994, 1995, 2000 and 2001— and an individual one with Gustavo Figueredo in 2000. Mil Millas Orientales in 1960. Gustavo Figueredo won the Paraguay Cycling Tour in 1998. In the National team category, he won the Uruguay Cycling Tour five times —1960, 1968, 1994, 1999 and 2000— Leandro Noli won the first title, Jorge Correa also won in 1968 and Milton Wynants in 1996.

Women's Soccer

Nacional has participated in the women's soccer tournaments of the Uruguayan Soccer Association since its creation in 1996. It won the Uruguayan Championship in 1997, 2000, 2010 and 2011-2012 and 2020, being the second team that was crowned champion the most times, behind Rampla Juniors (9 wins). Meanwhile, the club was runner-up in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021.

In 2005 he resigned from the AUF and returned in 2009, obtaining third place in the annual table. In 2010 he won the Uruguayan championship. In the following season, Nacional again conquered the Uruguayan league in the final against Cerro, crowning a league with victory in the Opening and Closing Tournaments and the Annual Table, achieving the Uruguayan Bicampeonato 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and achieving thirty-nine games without losing to local level. In 2010 Nacional was crowned champion of the friendly tournament Joseph Blatter.

The Nacional team has been distinguished with the award for the least beaten hurdle on four occasions —2000, 2010, 2011-2012, 2012—. The Nacional player Mariana Pion was distinguished with the Charrúa award in the 2010-2011 and 2011 editions. In 2012 he was the only representative of Uruguay in the Women's Copa Libertadores played in Brazil, being eliminated in the first phase.

In 2012, for the first time, Peñarol, the classic rival of Nacional at an institutional level, presented a women's soccer team. In this way, and in a match for the 2013 Uruguayan Championship, aurinegras and bolsilludas faced each other in the historic first official women's football classic on April 13, 2013. The match was played at the José Pedro Damiani Stadium and Nacional won overwhelmingly 7:0.

Football

While Nacional was affiliated with FIFUSA, it won the Metropolitan Championship 8 consecutive times —1990-1997—, the National Championship of Champion Clubs twice —1994 and 1997— and the South American Championship of Champion Clubs in 1996.

After Nacional joined FIFA, in championships organized by the Futsal Delegate Commission of the Uruguayan Football Association, the club won the league title on several occasions. At the international level, Nacional's best participation was in 2003, when it obtained the Vice Championship in the South American Futsal Club Tournament. He won the Uruguayan Championship title nine times, in the years 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2017 and 2018. He also won the Apertura Championship 5 times —1998, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009— and the Clausura Championship three times —1998, 2002 and 2009—. He won the Copa de Honor in 2006, 2010 and 2011. He also won the Metropolitan Championship 5 times (2002, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2009).

In 2003 he obtained an international title by winning the South Zone of the Copa Libertadores de Futsal. Then he faced Carlos Barbosa, champion of the North Zone, in the final, with whom he was defeated 8:2 and 5:1 in Brazil. He represented Uruguay in the Copa Libertadores de Futsal in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009.

College Football

On May 14, 1966, a group of university students created a soccer team to participate in the Uruguayan University Sports League. Since its promotion to the first division, in 1968, it has won twenty-four leagues, as well as several Champions Leagues, Summer Championships and Honor Cups, making it the most successful club in Uruguayan amateur football.

Tennis

It has several tennis courts in Parque Central, behind the Abdón Porte tribune, where various stages of the tournaments organized in Uruguay take place. It has its origins in the thirties, where a group of Englishmen founded a Tennis Club that had four courts. Later it was integrated into the National Football Club, as an independent section. As of 1942, extensions are made, reaching today that it has ten fields for the practice of the mentioned sport. In 2005, it was the headquarters in which Uruguay played several of its series for the American Zone II of the Davis Cup. The facilities have ten clay courts, heated changing rooms, equipment room, swimming pool and a barbecue area with capacity for sixty people. There is a tennis school for children and another for adults.

Volleyball

He owns his volleyball court in Central Park, in the closed gym on Jaime Cibils street. In that venue, the club's matches are played in the championships organized by the Uruguayan Volleyball Federation in all its categories: minors, youth and seniors. The Club Nacional men's team is four-time champion of the Uruguayan Volleyball Super League, having won the tournament in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013. Nacional currently has several teams competing in both women's and men's volleyball.