Atlético Rafaela

La Asociación Mutual Social y Deportiva Atlético de Rafaela, better known as Atlético Rafaela, is a sports institution in Argentina located in the city of Rafaela, in the province of Santa Fe. It was founded on 13 January 1907. Its main activities are professional football and motor racing. It currently plays in the Primera Nacional, the second division of Argentine football.

The colours that identify the club are sky blue and white, with golden details, with which the crest and the sports shirt were designed. The club is popularly known in Argentina as "La Crema" ("The Cream"), and for this reason its supporters are nicknamed cremosos/celestes. Its stadium is the Estadio Nuevo Monumental, located in the city of Rafaela, in the Alberdi neighbourhood, bounded by the streets Urquiza, Primera Junta, Víctor Manuel and Dentesano. It is popularly known as "Monumental de Barrio Alberdi" and has a capacity of 20,660 spectators.

Important players who have come through its youth academy include Gustavo Alfaro, Gabriel Schürrer, Marcelo Barovero, Marcelo Asteggiano, Ezequiel Medrán, Lucas Aveldaño, Guillermo Sara, Fabricio Fontanini, Lucas Bovaglio, Juan Domingo Rocchia, Juan José Meissen, Axel Werner and Lucas Albertengo, among others.

In addition, other disciplines are practised at the institution, such as basketball, women's hockey, artistic gymnastics, artistic and sports gymnastics, tennis, roller skating, volleyball, frontón, dance school, swimming, chess school, trap shooting, enduro and a summer camp.

On 13 January 2007 the centenary of the club's birth was celebrated. That year, after finishing third in the 2008/09 season of the Primera B Nacional, it had to play the promotion play-off for a place in the Primera División against Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, winning the first match at home 3-0 and losing the second match 3-0, so Gimnasia de La Plata retained its category with an aggregate of 3-3 thanks to its sporting advantage.

On 24 May 2014 it played a tiebreaker match against Colón, for survival in the Primera División, after which it managed to keep its place by winning 1-0, causing the relegation of the team from the capital of Santa Fe.

Historically its traditional rival is 9 de Julio de Rafaela, although they have not competed against each other for many years because they are in different categories. In Atlético's last spells in the Primera B Nacional, it played some matches of great rivalry against Ben Hur, also from Rafaela, because the latter had been promoted to that category. Currently both teams are in different divisions.