Curicó Unido
Full nameClub de Deportes Provincial Curicó Unido
Nickname(s)Curi
Albirrojos (The red & white)
Torteros (The Cake-makers)
La Banda Sangre (The Blood Stripe)
Founded26 February 1973 (1973-02-26)
GroundEstadio La Granja
Capacity8,016
ChairmanFreddy Palma
CoachMiguel Riffo
LeaguePrimera B de Chile
2023Primera División, 16th of 16 (relegated)

Curicó Unido is a football club based in Curicó, Maule Region, Chile. They currently play in the Primera B de Chile, the second level of the Chilean football system. They are currently managed by Miguel Riffo.

History

Curicó Unido was founded on 26 February 1973, with Edmundo Rojas as the first President of the club. They became the fourth football team from the Curicó city to play at the professional level, after Alianza de Curicó, Luis Cruz Martínez and Bádminton de Curicó.

Curicó Unido played since the season 1974 at the Primera B, but after seven poor seasons they gained relegation to the third level to the season 1981, returning to Primera B two years later, in 1983.

1984 and 1985 were the best seasons of Curicó Unido history, disputing the promotion until the last week, but with bad luck at the final matches.

The next campaigns were average, with the exception of the season 1990, when they lose the category after the final match with Deportes Valdivia, when they won 4–1, two goals short what they needed to stay at Primera B.

Since then, they stayed at the Tercera División without real chances to return to the Primera B, until the 2003 season. But at the next year that changed.

In 2004 the albirrojos were really close to returned to the Primera B. At the last week of the season, in Chillán, they arrived as leaders, to face Ñublense who was three points behind at the table; however the Chillanejos won that game 2–1, forcing a tie breaker match in Linares, where Ñublense won 2–0, taking the title and the promotion.

However, the year 2005 Curicó Unido had his revenge. They disputed the title with Trasandino until the last week. While Trasandino tied with Municipal Iquique, Curicó crushed Iberia 4–0, and in this way, after 15 years of suffering, Provincial Curicó Unido returned to the Chilean professional football.

In 2006, in their return to the Primera B, Curicó Unido finished in fifth place.

The next year, Curico avoided relegation only at the end of the season; Deportes Temuco finished last and fell down to the third level of national football for the upcoming season.

Curicó won promotion to the Primera Division after a 1–0 win over Deportes Puerto Montt on the last home game of the 2008 season, which was enough to securing 1st place of the Primera B and automatic promotion. Only to return to Primera B the next season, after losing a promotion play-off against San Luis.

They returned to the top-tier in 2017, after winning the 2016–17 Primera B tournament.

Honours

2008, 2016–17
2005

Others

  • Copa Confraternidad (Tercera Div.): 1
1991

Records

South American cups history

Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate
2023 Copa Libertadores Second stage Paraguay Cerro Porteño 0–1 0–1 0–2

Team colours

Curicó Unido's official kit is a white shirt with a diagonal red stripe that crosses the chest from the right shoulder to the left side of the hip. The shorts are black and socks are white.

Kit evolution

Sponsorship

The club are currently sponsored by Multihogar and their technical sponsors are Dalponte.

Shirt Sponsors

  • 1976: Buses Galgo Azul
  • 1977–78: Cecinas Soler
  • 1981–82: Multifrut
  • 1983–95: Fideos Suazo
  • 1996–: Multihogar

Stadiums

Curicó Unido's traditional home-ground is the Estadio La Granja, located in Curicó city; an 8,000 football stadium with an athletic track around the pitch, located in the "La Granja sports complex", leased from Curicó city hall.

Curicó Unido have also used other grounds during their history.

The Estadio Carabineros de Curicó, was Curicó Unido's home in 1976 and 1977.

They also played their Tercera Division league home games of the season 1992, at the Estadio ANFA Luis H. Alvarez.

And recently, during the 2010 season, the Estadio Municipal Jorge Silva de San Fernando, was their temporary home ground due to the reconstruction of the Estadio La Granja.

Supporters

Curicó Unido fans traditionally come from Curicó itself; and from the rest of the Curicó Province, but in smaller numbers.

The largest supporters' group is the Marginales, created in 1997.

Curicó Unido supporters' current main rivals are Rangers de Talca, and Ñublense.

Current squad

Current squad of Curicó Unido as of 28 February 2023 (edit)
Sources: ANFP Official Web Site

No. Position Player
1  CHI GK Thomas Vergara
2  ARG DF Omar Merlo
3  ARG DF Matías Cahais
4  CHI MF Darko Fiamengo
5  URU MF Agustín Nadruz
6  CHI MF Diego Urzúa
7  CHI FW Felipe Fritz
8  CHI MF Mario Sandoval
9  ARG FW Tobías Figueroa
10  CHI MF Yerko Leiva
11  CHI FW Jason Flores
12  CHI GK Fabián Cerda
14  CHI FW Joaquín González
15  CHI FW Cristián Zavala
16  ARG DF Franco Bechtholdt
17  CHI MF Jorge Henríquez
No. Position Player
18  CHI MF Felipe Ortiz
19  CHI DF Ronald de la Fuente
20  ARG FW Federico Castro
21  CHI MF Matías Ormazábal
22  CHI GK Juan Ruz
23  CHI DF Kennet Lara
24  CHI DF Augusto Barrios
25  CHI MF Rony Albornoz
26  CHI FW Benjamín Ortiz
27  URU FW Diego Coelho
28  CHI DF Sebastián Cabrera
30  CHI GK Luis Santelices
31  CHI MF Nicolás Barrios
33  CHI DF Diego Muñoz
34  CHI FW Cristián Bustamante
35  CHI DF Jorge Alarcón

2023 Summer transfers

In

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF Argentina ARG Omar Merlo (from Sporting Cristal)
— DF Chile CHI Augusto Barrios (from Unión Española)
— DF Chile CHI Sebastián Cabrera (from Coquimbo Unido)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF Chile CHI Cristopher Barrera (from Palestino)
— FW Chile CHI Jason Flores (from Antofagasta)
— FW Argentina ARG Tobías Figueroa (from Antofagasta)

Out

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
9 FW Argentina ARG Rodrigo Holgado (to Coquimbo Unido)
11 MF Chile CHI Bayron Oyarzo (to Ñublense)
13 DF Chile CHI José Rojas (Released)
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 DF Chile CHI Juan Pablo Gómez (to Universidad de Chile)
17 MF Chile CHI Martín Cortés (Released)
32 DF Chile CHI Yerson Opazo (Released)

Managers

References

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