Vélez Sarsfield

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Lore & Background

Vélez Sarsfield's journey began on 1 January 1910, founded by Julio Guglielmone, Martín Portillo, and Nicolás Marín Moreno after an interrupted game near the Vélez Sarsfield railway station. The nickname 'el Fortín' ('the Small Fort') was coined by journalist Hugo Marini in 1932, referencing the team's formidable home record at Villa Luro. Between 1934 and 1935, Vélez went 24 games unbeaten there; later, a record 28-game home streak occurred at the José Amalfitani Stadium between 1967 and 1969. The club's greatest era arrived in recent decades, securing 17 trophies since 1993, including eleven Primera División titles and five international cups.

In Their Own Story

The club faced early turbulence, disaffiliating from the AFA in 1912 to join the FAF, then re-joining AFA in 1915 before leaving again in 1919 over discriminatory promotion policies. That year, they debuted in the first division of the rival Asociación Amateurs de Football (AAF), finishing as runners-up behind Racing Club after winning nine games and scoring twenty-one goals. In 1928, their Villa Luro stadium hosted Argentine football's first night game, where the Olympic national team defeated a local selection 3–1. A historic Pan-American tour in 1930–1931 saw the squad play twenty-five matches across five nations, winning twenty and scoring eighty-four goals, featuring stars like Bernabé Ferreyra (38 goals) and Francisco Varallo (16 goals). In 1931, Vélez joined nineteen other clubs to form the Liga Argentina de Football, marking their entry into professional football.

Reader's Guide

Founded in Liniers, Buenos Aires, on 1 January 1910, Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield originally played at a block between Ensenada, Provincias Unidas, Mariano Acosta, and Convención streets. The club moved frequently in its early years: to Quinta de Figallo in Mataderos in 1913, then to Villa Luro in 1914, where they established a stadium inaugurated on 16 March 1924 with a 2–2 draw against River Plate. José Amalfitani, accepted as a member in February 1913, served as president for thirty years starting from his election on 13 March 1923. The club's modern identity solidified in 1933 when they adopted their current kit colors of white shirts and shorts with blue details. Their first major title came in 1968, launching a period where they won eleven Primera División championships domestically and five international cups, including the Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup.

Did You Know?

• The club was founded on 1 January 1910 in the house of co-founder Nicolás Marín Moreno after a rainstorm interrupted an informal game near the railway station.
• In 1928, the Villa Luro stadium hosted the first night game in Argentine football history between the Olympic national team and a local selection.
• During their 1930–1931 Pan-American tour, loaned players Bernabé Ferreyra and Francisco Varallo scored 38 and 16 goals respectively out of the squad's total 84.
• The nickname 'el Fortín' was given in 1932 by journalist Hugo Marini to describe the team's strength at their Villa Luro home ground.
• Vélez Sarsfield is one of only eight teams in history to have won CONMEBOL's treble.