Atlético Nacional guide - history, logo, stadium map
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Full Name: Corporación Deportiva Atlético Nacional Official Website: atlnacional.com.co Description:The Verdolaga of Atlético Nacional, the green half of the Colombian city of Medellín, are one of the country's traditional powers and the first-ever Colombian club to win the Copa Libertadores. Their haul of ten national championships is third behind only América de Cali and Millonarios and they are one of only three clubs never to have been relegated from the first tier of professional football in Colombia. History:On March 7, 1947 the Club Atlético Municipal de Medellín (Medellín Municipal Athletic Club) was founded with the intention of developing sports (mainly football and basketball) along professional lines in Medellín. They did not have a playing staff of their own and quickly incorporated an already exisiting club - Unión - who were founded in 1935 and played in a local amateur league, the Liga Antioquia. The following year Atlético Municipal were involved in the organization of the first professional football league in Colombia, the División Mayor, better known as the Dimayor. On August 15, 1948 they even played in the league's inaugural match, recording a 2-0 victory over Universidad Nacional de Bogotá.
Three years later, in 1951, the club's name was changed to Atlético Nacional to reflect their wider ambitions and the fact that their players came from all of Colombia and not just Medellín. And they not only came from all of Colombia in those early years, they came only from Colombia. For the first decade or two of its existence Atlético Nacional utilized a puros criollos policy, employing only Colombian players. This gradually changed and the importation of foreign players was critical to achieving their first title in 1954.
Also in the 1950s the Verde began playing in the first properly constructed stadium in Medellín, the Estadio Atanasio Girardot, which they share with city rivals Independiente. It is named for Atanasio Girardot, a Medellín native and a hugely important figure in Colombia's independence struggle in the early 19th century. The stadium has also been the scene for many battles with the previously-mentioned Independiente, in matches referred to as the Clásico de la Montaña and the Clásico Paisa. Medellín is a city located in the Andes mountains (mountain = montaña) and in the Paisa region of northwestern Colombia.
The club's typical nicknames, Verde and Verdolaga, both mean The Green or The Green Ones, a reference to the club's green and white colors. These colors are found in the flag of Antioquia, the departamento in which the city of Medellín is located. Besides including these colors and the acronym AN, the club's logo is also topped by a crown which can be found in the coat of arms of the city of Medellín. Estadio Atanasio Girardot:
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 August 2010 08:03 |
Comments (2)
1Sunday, 18 October 2009 14:50
JUANITA
ME ENCANTA MI NACIONAL LO AMO ES COMO UNA PARTE DE MI LOS QUIERO ATODOS LOS QUE HAGAN PARTE DE EL
2Tuesday, 24 August 2010 20:23
carlos montoya
SOY DEL VERDE DESDE QUE NACI Y NO ME ARREPIENTO MIS MEJORES MOMENTOS Y ALEGRIAS ME LOS A DADO DIOS MI HESPOSA HE HIJOS Y MI VERDE QUE TE QUIERO VERDE.
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