Rosario Central

Rosario Central

Full name	Club Atlético Rosario Central
Nickname(s)	El Canalla (The Scoundrel) Los Guerreros (The Warriors) La Academia Rosarina (The Academy of Rosario)
Founded	December 24, 1889 (1889-12-24)
Ground	Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
Ground Capacity	41,824
Chairman	Raúl Broglia
Manager	Eduardo Coudet
League	Primera División
2015	3rd
Website	Club home page
Home colours Away colours

Club Atlético Rosario Central (Spanish pronunciation: [roˈsaɾjo senˈtɾal]) is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina, that plays in the Argentine Primera División. The club was officially founded December 24, 1889 by a group of railway workers, taking its name from the British-owned Central Argentine Railway company. One of the oldest Argentine teams, it is considered a pioneer in its hometown and the only one of current Rosarian teams to have won an international title organised by CONMEBOL and recognised by FIFA: the Copa Conmebol, won by the club in 1995.^[1]

Originally member of the Rosario's Football Association, the club affiliated to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) in 1939. Since then, Rosario Central has won the Argentine's First Division four times; its last domestic title was the 1986–87 season. In addition, Rosario Central won the Conmebol Cup (the precursor of the current Copa Sudamericana)^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]} once, in 1995, being the only team in Santa Fe province which has won an official international title recognised by FIFA.

In 2012, the club was considered by FIFA as one of the 11 most classical clubs in Argentine football.^[8][9]

Rosario Central has a strong rivalry with Newell's Old Boys. The matches played between them are named "El Clasico Rosarino", and is amongst the most heated rivalries in Argentina due to both teams and due to Rosario Central's local popularity. Rosario Central's home stadium is Estadio Dr. Lisandro de la Torre, known simply as "El Gigante de Arroyito" (The Giant of Arroyito), is the largest stadium in the city.

History

The beginning

The club was founded as the Central Argentine Railway Athletic Club on December 24, 1889, by 16 British railway workers of the British-owned Central Argentine Railway company as a football club. They wanted to be unlike Rosario Cricket Club (then Club Atlético del Rosario) which was focused on rugby union.

Both the first president (Colin Bain Calder, a Scot) and the first vice-president (Thomas Hooper, an Englishman) were British. The recently created club played its first match with the crew of an British ship, playing it in May 1890. The game ended 1–1 so a new game was played, that was won by the Argentine club by 2–1.

During many years Central Argentine played only internal matches or faced the Rosario Cricket Club occasionally. The British-owned railway did not allow people from outside the company to become a member. In 1904 the railway companies Central Argentino and Buenos Aires merged so the club's members decided to modify the name of the institution. The club changed to "Club Atlético Rosario Central" and also decided to accept new members with no restrictions.^[10]

The Liga Rosarina de Football (Rosario's Football League) was created in March 1905, formed by teams from the city of Rosario, Santa Fe. The first tournament managed by the league was the "Copa Santiago Pinasco", named that way because the Mayor of Rosario, Santiago Pinasco, donated the trophy.

Central debuted on May 21, 1905, defeating Rosario Athletic by 3–1. On June, Central played a friendly match against English team Nottingham Forest, losing 5–0. Rosario Central won its first regional title in 1908.

In 1913 the club disaffiliated from the Liga Rosarina, founding with other clubs the dissident "Federación Rosarina de Football". Central won this league in 1913.

In 1914 Central would return to Liga Rosarina, winning the championship after playing 20 matches, winning 19 games with 1 draw. The team scored 99 goals and only conceded 10, being Harry Hayes the top scorer of the tournament with 51 goals.^[11]

The squad also would win the 1915, 1916 and 1917 regional titles, becoming four-champion of the Rosarian League.^[12] In 1919, Central won the Rosario´s league title again, winning 3–2 the final match against their history rivals: Newell's Old Boys.^[13]

In 1920 Rosario Central left the league again, and joined other clubs to form the Asociación Amateur, winning the 1920 and 1921 titles. Two years later, Central and the dissident clubs would return again to the Rosarian league.

In the following years, Central won the 1923, 1927, 1928 (won against Newell´s in the final match),^[14] and 1930 championship, becoming the most successful team in Liga de Rosario's history.

National cups

The first national title came in 1913 when Rosario Central won the Copa de Competencia La Nación after defeating Argentino de Quilmes by 3–2.^[15]

In 1915 Central won its second national title, obtaining the Copa Dr. Carlos Ibarguren. That was a trophy contested by the champions of Buenos Aires and Rosario. Central defeated Racing Club 3–1 in the final match.^[16]

In 1916 Central won the Copa de Honor Municipalidad de Buenos Aires after beating Independiente 1–0. That same year the Rosarino team won the Copa de Competencia Jockey Club defeating Independiente again. A new national title would come in 1920, when Central won the Copa de Competencia against Almagro.

In 1931 football became professional in Argentina, so a new Association, the Asociación Rosarina de Fútbol was created in Rosario to organize the first professional championships. The Copa Nicasio Vila changed its name to Torneo Gobernador Luciano Molinas, honoring then Governor of Santa Fe Province Luciano Molinas. Rosario Central won the 1937 and 1938 titles.

Primera División

In 1939, Rosario Central and its arch-rival Newell's Old Boys requested Argentine Football Association to be added to the main league championship of Argentina, the Primera División. The Association accepted the requirement.

In 1941 Rosario Central was relegated to Primera B, after losing 20 matches with only 6 won. Nevertheless, Central only lasted one season in second division, returning one year later, after 25 matches won and only 4 lost. In 1950 Central was relegated again after a poor campaign in Primera. As its precedent relegation, Central promoted to the top division one year after being relegated, so the team returned to Primera in 1951.

Rosario Central won its first national league title, the in 1971 National championship with Angel Labruna as coach defeating San Lorenzo in the final game. Central had previously beat arch-rival Newell's by 1–0 in semi-finals with a goal scored by Aldo Poy, who dove to head the ball (a way of heading known as "palomita" in South America). That goal is still remembered by Central supporters who usually reunite on December 19, to recreate the goal. Many times Poy himself has taken part of the celebration.^[17]

The second professional title for the club came two years later, winning the 1973 Nacional with Carlos Griguol as coach. Some of the most notable players were Poy, Carlos Aimar and Eduardo Solari. The most frequent line-up was: Carlos Biasutto, Jorge González, Aurelio Pascuttini, Daniel Killer, Mario Killer, Carlos Aimar, Eduardo Solari, Aldo Poy, Ramón Bóveda, Roberto Cabral and Daniel Aricó.

For the 1974 season, Central acquired striker Mario Kempes from Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba (Kempes and Instituto mate Osvaldo Ardiles were to be reunited in the national team that won the 1978 World Cup).

The 1980s

After seven years without titles, Central won the 1980 Nacional with Ángel Tulio Zof on the bench. That team was called La Sinfónica (the Symphony Orchestra) because of the exquisite playing displayed by the team on the field. Central defeated Racing de Córdoba 5–0 in the first final game, and lost 2–0 in the second match but proclaimed champion due to goal average. Daniel Carnevali, Juan Carlos Ghielmetti, Edgardo Bauza, Oscar Craiyacich, Jorge García, José Gaitán, Daniel Sperandío, Eduardo Bacas, Félix Orte, Víctor Marchetti and Daniel Teglia was the frequent line-up on the fields.

After a few years with bad seasons, the team was relegated in 1984, but returned to first division just one year later after winning the Primera B championship, coached by Pedro Marchetta. Central returned to Primera to play the 1986–87 season, winning the title at the end of the tournament but coached by Zof again. This was a first in Argentine football (oddly, Central Español performed a similar feat in Uruguay in the years 1983–84, also a first).

The 1986–87 team was formed by Alejandro Lanari, Hernán Díaz, Jorge Balbis, Edgardo Bauza, Pedernera, Omar Palma, Adelqui Cornaglia, Roberto Gasparini, Osvaldo Escudero, Fernando Lanzidei and Hugo Galloni.

International titles

The first years of the decade of 1990 Central did not make good campaigns in domestic tournaments, although the team won the CONMEBOL Cup (the precursor of the current Copa Sudamericana) in 1995, being the only international title achieved by a Santa Fe Province based team to date. Central defeated Brazilian squad Atlético Mineiro 4–0 in Arroyito after losing by the same score in the first match in Brazil. Finally Central won the Cup by Penalty shoot-out, with a score of 4–3.

The club has participated in eleven editions of the Copa Libertadores, and is currently tied for fifth place with Estudiantes de la Plata and Vélez Sársfield, all of which trail participation leaders Boca Juniors, River Plate, Independiente, and San Lorenzo de Almagro.

Decline and resurrection

After the 2010 Clausura, Rosario Central's poor form over the past three years forced it into a relegation/promotion play-off against Nacional B side All Boys, which won the tie over two legs 4–1 on aggregate (defining the series with a thrashing 3–0 in Arroyito), relegating Rosario Central to Primera B Nacional, the second tier of Argentine football. It was the fourth time the club was relegated to play in the second division.

Rosario Central spent several seasons in the B Nacional until May 19, 2013, when the squad secured the promotion to Primera División after beating Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy by 3–0. The three goals were scored by Javier Toledo. The team was coached by Miguel Ángel Russo.^[18][19]

Kit and badge

Uniform evolution

1890–1903

1903–04 [lower-alpha 1]

1904–present

Kit manufacturers and jersey sponsors

Since July 2012, Rosario Central's clothing was supplied by the company Olympikus, who provided their uniforms up to the casual sports clothing. Starting in 2015 all the clothing line will be provided by Nike. In turn, the jacket is sponsored by the Argentinean bank: Banco Municipal.

Badge evolution

• 
  1903-73 ^{[lower-alpha 2][21]}
• 
  1973–present ^{[lower-alpha 3][21]}

Stadium

Rosario Central plays in the Gigante de Arroyito stadium, located in the confluence of Avellaneda Boulevard and Génova Avenue, in the Lisandro de la Torre neighborhood (popularly known as Arroyito), in north-east Rosario. It has an official capacity of 41,654.

In that tournament, all three-second-round games of the Argentine squad were played in the Gigante. Local hero Kempes enjoyed the support of the fans and went on to become the top scorer of the tournament.

Nicknames

Central's common nickname is canallas ("scoundrels", which is a rather mild insult in Argentina) because it is said that the club refused to play a charity match for a leprosy clinic in the 1920s; rival side Newell's acquired the leprosos (lepers) nickname when it did play in that event.

Another version states that in 1928 the Central supporters burned down some canvas near the Club Belgrano stadium (which Central had a strong rivalry). When the Belgrano supporters saw that, they started to shout to them: "you're scoundrels! scoundrels!".^[22]

In a January 2007 press conference presenting the New Jersey, Rosario native Roberto Fontanarrosa revised the definition and spelling of Central's nickname. The new spelling he gave was canaya, because according to him, people from the city of Rosario do not use the Spanish word canalla for any other reason than referring to the club.

Central is also known as La Academia (like the Argentine team Racing Club) due to the amount of players that become professional from the youth teams, and to the amount of consecutive Rosario's League titles that the club won in the amateur era, in comparison to Racing Club (called La Academia), that won a lot of championships in the Buenos Aires' League at the same time too.

Supporters

Rosario Central's supporters are considered one of the most significant of Argentina. The Newspaper Olé was published last January 5, 2008 by a recent study realized by the English magazine UK Football. The same one, published that a ranking with the 50 most vibrant supporters of the world. The results were the following ones: as first, Milan represents the supporters of the AC, then that of Real Madrid, and third that of the Galatasaray of Turkey. Between the Argentinians that of Rosario Central turns out to be like first in the position 14, second that of River Plate in the position 20, third turn out to be the supporters of Boca Juniors in 23, and fourth that of Racing Club in the place number 48.^[23] It is provided also with certain proper rituals, as being the " Throwing of Towel ", on November 23 in recognition to the party that Rosario Central imposed on his rival for 4 on 0 and this one was considered finished to 11 minutes of the second half, is known as the day of the abandonment, or the celebration of the " Day of the Friend Canaya ", which is celebrated on July 19 (date of death of Roberto Fontanarrosa) and the most important, the celebration of the Little dove of Poy, who celebrates all on December 19 in different cities of the world, raised an order so that between to the book Guinness as the most celebrated goal of the history

In popular culture

Rosario Central has featured in many films, books, songs and plays. The club has also featured on several occasions in prose. Roberto Fontanarrosa's story 19 de diciembre de 1971 is about a fan who travels to Buenos Aires for a Semi-final match against Newell's Old Boys.

Celebrity fans include Alberto "El Negro" Olmedo, Rita la Salvaje, Libertad Lamarque, some writers such as Osvaldo Bayer and Roberto Fontanarrosa, and some musicians as well as Fito Páez, Juan Carlos Baglietto, Joaquín Sabina are all fans of the club.

Ernesto "Che" Guevara, a major figure of the Cuban Revolution, was a Rosario Central fan.

Players

Current squad

Current squad of Rosario Central as of September 29, 2016 (edit)
Sources: Football Squads

No. Position Player 1  URU GK Sebastián Sosa (on loan from C.F. Pachuca) 2  ARG DF Esteban Burgos (on loan from Godoy Cruz) 3  URU DF Hernán Menosse (on loan from Once Caldas) 4  ARG DF Paulo Ferrari 5  ARG MF Damián Musto 6  ARG DF Marco Torsiglieri 7  ARG FW Fabián Bordagaray 8  ARG MF Walter Montoya 9  ARG FW Marco Ruben 10  ARG MF Giovani Lo Celso (on loan from Paris Saint-Germain) 11  ARG MF José Luis Fernández 13  ARG MF Joaquín Pereyra 14  ARG MF Félix Banega 15  URU MF Washington Camacho (on loan from Racing Club) 16  ARG MF Mauricio Martinez 17  ARG FW Germán Herrera (on loan from Vasco da Gama)

No. Position Player 18  ARG DF Renzo Alfani 19  ARG FW César Delgado 20  ARG MF Gustavo Colman 21  ARG GK Diego Rodríguez (on loan from Independiente) 22  ARG MF Pedro Ojeda 23  ARG DF Mauro Cetto 24  ARG FW Ezequiel Rodríguez 25  ARG DF Javier Pinola 27  ARG MF Jonás Aguirre 28  ARG MF Agustín Coscia 29  COL FW Teófilo Gutiérrez (on loan from Sporting Lisbon) 30  ARG GK Jeremías Ledesma 32  ARG DF Victor Salazar 33  ARG DF Cristian Villagra 34  ARG FW Maximiliano Lovera   SUI FW Dylan Gissi

Manager: Eduardo Coudet

Honours

National

League

• Primera División (4): 1971 Nacional, 1973 Nacional, 1980 Nacional, 1986–87
• Primera B Nacional (1): 2012–13
• Primera B (3): 1942, 1951, 1985

National cups

• Copa de Competencia La Nación (1): 1913 ^{[lower-alpha 4][24]}
• Copa Dr. Carlos Ibarguren (1): 1915 ^[24]
• Copa de Honor Municipalidad de Buenos Aires (1): 1916 ^[24]
• Copa de Competencia Jockey Club (1): 1916 ^[24]
• Copa de Competencia (Asociación Amateurs) (1): 1920 ^[24]

International

• Copa Conmebol (1): 1995

Regional

• Liga Rosarina:
  • Copa Nicaso Vila (10): 1908, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1930
  • Copa Estímulo (1): 1922
• Federación Rosarina (1)²: 1913 ^[25]
• Asociación Amateurs Rosarina (2)²: 1920, 1921 ^[25]
• Asociación Rosarina de Fútbol:¹
  • Torneo Luciano Molinas (2): 1937, 1938 ^[25]
  • Torneo Preparación (1): 1936 ^[25]
  • Torneo Hermenegildo Ivancich (1): 1937 ^[25]

Notes

• ¹ In 1939 the senior squad of Rosario Central begun to participate in the Argentine's top division, Primera División. From then on, the club has taken part in regional tournaments by the ARF with reserve teams only.
• ² Dissident associations.

Managers

Notes

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Club Atlético Rosario Central.

• Official website (Spanish)
• Official Site
• RosarioCentral.org (not official)
• Canalla.com
• Canalla a Muerte
• La Akd (fan site)
• De Rosario y de Central
• De Central