Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata

Lore & Background

The club was founded on 3 June 1887 as a civil association, making it the oldest surviving football club still participating in the Argentine league. Its first sports were gymnastics and fencing. The club changed names several times: from April to December 1897 it was called "Club de Esgrima"; from July 1952 to 30 September 1955 it was named "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima de Eva Perón". The club won its first Primera División championship in 1929 and has been a runner-up in the Primera División on five occasions. The Clásico Platense derby against Estudiantes de La Plata began on 27 August 1916, with Gimnasia winning 1–0.

Reader's Guide

Gimnasia's home stadium is Estadio Juan Carmelo Zerillo, also known as El Bosque, with a capacity of approximately 24,544 spectators. The club also has a 160-hectare training property called Estancia Chica, a children's football campus called El Bosquecito, and a sports complex called Polideportivo Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, which hosts basketball and volleyball. The club's facilities include a kindergarten, a primary school, and a high school.

Did You Know?

• The club's official anthem was written in 1915 by Délfor B. Méndez and composed by Juan Serpentini.
• On 5 April 1992, a goal by Uruguayan José Perdomo in a derby against Estudiantes caused a seismic event registered by the local Astronomical Observatory, known as 'El gol del terremoto'.
• The club's first president was Saturnino Perdriel, who died in 1888 after one year in office.
• Gimnasia has remained at the top level of Argentine football for 73 seasons, tying with Newell's Old Boys for the eighth longest participation.