Caracas F.C.
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| Full name | Caracas Fútbol Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Los Rojos del Avila | ||
| Founded | 1967 | ||
| Ground | Cocodrilos Sports Park Estadio Olímpico de la UCV Caracas, Venezuela | ||
| Capacity | 15,000; 30,000 | ||
| Chairman |  Guillermo Valentiner | ||
| Manager | Noel Sanvicente | ||
| League | Primera División Venezolana | ||
| Clausura 2009 | 1º | ||
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Caracas Fútbol Club, usually known as Caracas F.C. or just Caracas, is a Venezuelan football team from Caracas. The club has won ten First Division titles making it the most successful in Venezuelan football history.
They are nicknamed Los Rojos del Ávila, or the "Reds from Ávila". This refers to their red jerseys as well as Cerro El Ávila, a mountain near Caracas.
History
Early Years
Caracas F.C. was founded in 1967 under a group of friends lead by José Berascasa, with the name Yamaha F.C.. The team was entered as an amateur team to the Football Federation of the State of Miranda. The purpose of the club was to allow for Berascasa and his friends to have somewhere to enjoy their free time. As a result, Berascasa created one of the most historical and winning sports franchises in Venezuelan history.
In 1984, renamed Caracas-Yamaha FC after successful seasons in the amateur league, the team was admitted into the Second Division. Their first season in the professional league they won the Second Division and gained promotion to the First Division.
Turmoil in the First Division
Their first season in the First Division was unstable as they barely survived relegation. After an acceptable second season in 1986, where relegation was not a huge threat, they were renamed Caracas F.C. when RCTV bought part of them and had joint leadership with Yamaha. Under the guidance of Manuel Plasencia and Luis Mendoza as the managers of the club, the subsequent 1987 season was their best to date.
Reaching the last set of games in the eight-team tournament, they needed a place in the top two in order to qualify for the Copa Libertadores and compete on an international level. However, they lost on the last weekend to now arch-rivals Deportivo Táchira and barely missed out on international competition. The next year brought changes for the First Division as it would now follow the European format of games being played from the Fall to Spring.
The 1988-89 season started well for Caracas F.C. and they even lifted the Copa de Venezuela but suspensions and injuries in the second half of the season almost lead to the collapse of the team. However, even after many of the teams players left, the team was saved by the Cocodrilos Sports Organization which was lead by Dr. Guillermo Valentiner who is still the owner today.
Success in the First Division
Despite a primarily amateur squad, the team finished fourth in the league during the 1989-90 season. Two years later in the 1991-92 season, under manager Manuel Plasencia, who had stayed through the turmoil, Caracas F.C. won their first national championship. They went on to win the next two seasons, with the third title in 1993-94 being won under a new manager, Pedro Febles. However, after an unsuccessful 1994-95 season, Plasencia returned to lead the team to a title in the 1995-96 season. It is also worth noting that during this time Caracas F.C. won the Copa de Venezuela twice, though historically that competition has been marked by instability and anonymity.
After four years of title-less competition, they won their fifth national championship under Carlos Moreno. However, the 1999 season saw Caracas F.C. reach the semi-finals of the Copa Merconorte, their greatest success to date in international competition. The next year marked the appointment of the then 37 year-old Noel Sanvicente took over the club and continues to manage it today. He is Caracas' most successful manager as he was able to win five titles in 2002-03, 2003-04, 2005-06, 2006-07, and most recently in 2008-09. He also has lead Caracas F.C. to its best ever position in South America's most prestigious club competition, the Copa Libertadores. They are currently in the quarter finals of the Copa Libertadores 2009, which is, as it stands, their best ever finish in that competition.
Colors and Uniform
The club's colors are red, white and black.
- Home Uniform: A red top with black stripes down the side and on the borders. Paired with black shorts and socks.
- Away Uniform: A white top with red stripes down the side and on the borders. Paired with white shorts bordered in red and white socks.
- Third Uniform: A black top with red stripes down the side and on the borders. Paired with black shorts with red borders and black socks.
Stadium
Caracas Fútbol Club has played their home matches at Cocodrilos Sports Park since the season 2006-07. Cocodrilos Sports Park has a maximum capacity of 3,500 people, with future expansions planned to 6,000 people, and then to 15,000. The field has a artificial grass surface.
For bigger national league or international tournaments games, the club has used the Brígido Iriarte Stadium. This stadium is also used by another professional Caracas club, Deportivo Italia. It has an official capacity of 12,000 people; however, there have been crowds of 20,000 spectators in games against Deportivo Táchira (their historical rival), São Paulo and other teams.
Recently Caracas Fútbol Club has played at the Estadio Olímpico de la UCV which has a maximum capacity of 30,000 spectators. This has been used primarily for the Copa Libertadores along with important First Division matches. Since the 2007-08 season the Estadio Olímpico de la UCV will be used as the temporary home ground because of the expansion and redesign of Cocodrilos Sports Park which is being used as a training facility in the meantime.
Titles
- Primera División Venezolana (10): 1991-92, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1996-97, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09
- Segunda División Venezolana (1): 1984 (as Caracas - Yamaha)
- Copa de Venezuela (4): 1988, 1992, 1994 and 2001
Performance in CONMEBOL competitions
- Copa Libertadores: 10 appearances
- Best: Quarter Finals in 2009; Second Round in 1995 and 2007
- Copa Merconorte: 2 appearances
- 1998 - Group Stage
- 1999 - Semi-Final
- Copa CONMEBOL: 1 appearance
- 1993: Quarter-Final
Current Roster
As of February 21, 2009. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Selected famous players
Historical matches in South America
*Caracas FC at one point were winning 0-2 visiting Santos, who were unbeaten in the first round