Atlético Tucumán

Club Atlético Tucumán Sociedad Civil (popularly known as Atlético Tucumán, or simply Atlético) is an Argentine sports club founded in Tucumán on 27 September 1902. Its main activity is football, in which it plays in the Liga Profesional. The club also practises sports such as women's football, futsal, handball, volleyball and basketball.

The club was founded by Agenor Albornoz (who was also the institution's first president), accompanied by José Fierro, Tomás Barber, Manuel Pérez and Federico Rossi.

At national level, Club Atlético Tucumán is the 15th oldest team, and the fifth oldest of those currently taking part in the Argentine Primera División; likewise, its stadium is the third oldest, surpassed only by the stadiums of Estudiantes de La Plata (reinaugurated in 2019) and Newell's.

It plays its home matches at the Estadio Monumental José Fierro (known in its early days as Grand Stadium), which bears this name in honour of one of the founders of Club Atlético Tucumán and the club's second president. It was founded on 21 May 1922 and is located on the streets 25 de Mayo, Chile, Laprida and Bolivia (in the Villa 9 de Julio neighbourhood), with a capacity of 35,200 spectators. It was the first stadium in the province of Tucumán and in the whole of northern Argentina.

It is considered one of the big clubs of the interior. In addition, its supporters have achieved great recognition at national and international level, being called the best in the interior.

On 9 July 1903, in a match against Club Atlético Salteño (today Gimnasia y Tiro de Salta), it became the first team in the country (even before the Argentina national team and clubs such as Argentino de Quilmes and Racing Club) to wear the sky-blue and white shirt in vertical stripes. This was confirmed by the CIHF in 2003.

During the 1950s and 1960s Atlético set a record, which still stands in Argentina, by being annual champion for eight consecutive years, between 1957 and 1964, becoming the first and only octachampion of Argentine football.

On 30 January 1960 it won its first title at national level by being crowned champion of the Copa de Campeones de la República. After this title it played a match against the Argentina national team (drawing 2-2) and sold practically its entire squad to metropolitan football. The team was managed by Don Roberto Santillán.

In 1973 it reached the AFA Torneo Nacional for the first time, after winning the 1972 Torneo Anual of the Federación Tucumana de Fútbol. It also played in the Nacionales of 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1984. Its participation in 1979 stands out, when it finished third, behind River Plate and Unión, this being the best campaign by a team from northern Argentina in the Primera División. It has also played 8 seasons in the Primera División since the change of format: 2009-2010, 2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2021 and 2022.

Throughout its history it won the 2004 Clausura of the Argentino A under Andrés Rebottaro; a Torneo Argentino A championship in 2008 with Jorge "el Indio" Solari as coach, after beating Racing de Córdoba in the final on penalties 4-2, following a 3-3 draw on aggregate on 15 June; and two Primera B Nacional championships, in 2008/2009 with Héctor "el Chulo" Rivoira and in 2015 with Juan Manuel Azconzábal, achieved on 7 June and 8 November respectively.

The club has the distinction of being, together with Talleres and Central Córdoba (SdE), the only teams to achieve 2 consecutive promotions to the B Nacional and to the Primera.

On 14 October 2016 it obtained qualification for the 2017 Conmebol Libertadores, becoming the first and only team from northern Argentina to take part officially in a Conmebol international competition.

Its international debut took place on 31 January 2017, when at its home stadium it drew 2-2 with El Nacional of Ecuador, a historic event for the club.

On 18 September 2018, El Decano ("The Dean") became the first team indirectly affiliated to the AFA to play in the quarter-finals of the Conmebol Libertadores, an event that came about on 28 August when it managed to reach that stage.

It currently stands in 100th place in the world club ranking compiled by the IFFHS, being the best team from the north in the ranking. On 1 October 2018 it reached 17th place, 5th among Argentine clubs, below only four of the five big clubs, and the club's best position in the ranking. It also holds 47th place in the all-time Libertadores ranking, and 84th place in the all-time table of the same competition.

As for the Primera División, it stands in 33rd position in the all-time table, with 359 points from 105 wins, 88 wins and 106 defeats in 299 matches played.

Its traditional classic rival is San Martín, with whom it plays the Clásico tucumano, which is recognised as one of the best attended, most passionate and most important in the country and has been played 283 times, with Atlético 5 matches ahead. The first derby between the two took place on 28 May 1911, with a 2-0 victory for El Decano.

Another of its classics is against Sportivo Guzmán, with whom it plays the Clásico de Villa 9 de Julio, but the difference in division between the two means that this match takes place only in the Liga Tucumana matches.