Deportivo Táchira

The Deportivo Táchira Fútbol Club, better known as Deportivo Táchira or simply Táchira, is a Venezuelan professional football club based in San Cristóbal, Táchira state. It currently plays in the Primera División of Venezuela and plays its home matches at the Estadio Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo.

It was founded on 11 January 1974, on the initiative of the Italian Gaetano Greco (together with Fantino Cappocione, Lino Mulazzi, Andrea Carnevale, Mario Palaveccino, Francisco "Paco" Méndez, Alfonso López, Rafael Galvis, Gregorio González Lovera, Luis Moret, Germán Pineda Romero, Orlando Maldonado, Enrique Dugarte, Aurelio Ontiveros and Luis Trejo), under the name San Cristóbal Fútbol Club, from the amateur youth team "Juventus de San Cristobal", previously founded by the same Gaetano Greco. San Cristóbal played its first matches in a blue shirt and white shorts. These colours, similar to those of the Italy national team, recalled that Greco had initially thought of calling this team "Deportivo Italia de San Cristóbal", as a team of the local Italian community.

Its beginnings were in the cup "X Feria de San Sebastián", where it beat the Mérida selection on its debut and then drew with Norte de Santander, to be proclaimed champion of the tournament. On 1 March 1975 it began its professional path by facing Universidad de Oriente in the Copa Venezuela and reached the runner-up spot in that tournament, after overcoming Portuguesa, which was one of the strongest teams of the time. This achievement led Deportivo Táchira to be known throughout its life as "El equipo que nació grande" ("The team that was born big").

It has taken part in the Primera División of Venezuela since 1975, which makes it the oldest Venezuelan team that has never been relegated to, or played in, the lower division. It currently holds first place in the all-time table of the Primera División of Venezuela with 2,268 points.

Internationally, it is the Venezuelan team with the most appearances in the Copa Libertadores. Its best international performance was advancing undefeated to the quarter-finals of the 2004 Copa Libertadores, and it has had other notable ones. It is the only Venezuelan team to advance past the first phase of the Copa Libertadores de América.

Deportivo Táchira has an affiliate team called Deportivo Táchira "B", which takes part in the 2019 Venezuelan Tercera División. It also has a women's football team called Deportivo Táchira (Femenino), which takes part in the Superliga Femenina, and a futsal team called Deportivo Táchira Fútsal Club, which is part of the Liga Venezolana de Fútbol Sala and the Torneo Superior de Futsal. It also has a cycling team called Club de ciclismo Deportivo Táchira.

Its fiercest rival is Caracas Fútbol Club, against whom it plays the clásico of Venezuelan football. It also plays the so-called clásico andino against Estudiantes de Mérida and the clásico andino-llanero against Zamora Fútbol Club.

In January 2014 it was named Cultural and Sporting Heritage of the State of Táchira. It is also the pride of the people of Táchira, who are characterised by being a demanding fan base.