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Sporting Cristal
Sporting Cristal Logo.png
Full name Club Sporting Cristal
Nickname(s) Los Cerveceros
Los Rimenses
Los Celestes
La Fuerza Vencedora
La Máquina Celeste
Founded 13 December 1955; 69 years ago (1955-12-13)
Ground Estadio Alberto Gallardo
Ground Capacity 11,600
Owner Innova Sports
President Joel Raffo
Manager Guillermo Farré
League Liga 1
2024 Liga 1, 2nd of 18

Club Sporting Cristal S.A. is a Peruvian sports club located in the city of Lima, best known for its football team. It was founded on 13 December 1955 in the Rímac district by engineer Richard Bentín Mujica and his wife Esther Grande de Bentín, stockholders of the Peruvian brewery Backus and Johnston. The club and the brewery have been closely linked since its inception, and it is for this reason that it is popularly known as los Cerveceros ("the brewers").

The team has played in the Primera División since 1956, where it obtained the title that year. Due to this achievement, Cristal is often referred to as "El club que nació campeón". Since their first participation, they have won the league title 19 times and are one of the few teams in Peru to have never been relegated from the top division. Sporting Cristal is also the first Peruvian team to have been crowned tricampeóns, successively winning the 1994, 1995, and 1996 seasons. In 1997, they were runners-up of the Copa Libertadores, losing the final to Brazilian side Cruzeiro. Cristal holds the longest undefeated streak in the tournament; 17 games without suffering a loss.

Cristal has a heated rivalry with Club Universitario de Deportes. One of the main reasons for the enmity between the two sides is the series of transfers of Universitario's star players to los Celestes. The club also has rivalries with Alianza Lima, Deportivo Municipal, and Sport Boys.

Sporting Cristal plays its home games at the Estadio Alberto Gallardo. They play at the Estadio Nacional for international competitions such as the Libertadores or Sudamericana. The Estadio Nacional is also the venue for matches against Universitario and Alianza Lima.

In addition to football, the club has teams specializing in Esports, futsal, women's football, and volleyball.

History

Ricardo Bentín Mujica, with the support of his wife, co-owners of Backus and Johnston brewery, was the man who is credited with achieving the company's goal. A club from Rímac ward, known as Sporting Tabaco founded in 1926 and originally belonging to the tobacco growers' union, was already playing in the professional Peruvian First Division. Never having won a national championship, the club was in dire economic straits. Bentín decided to buy the club and search for a playing ground, so that the club could develop and be able to play better at the professional level. The club found a lot in the neighborhood of La Florida of 137,000 m2.

SportingTabaco
Sporting Tabaco
1926–1955

On 13 December 1955 the club was founded as Sporting Cristal , after Backus' best-known beer brand, Cristal. The new club from the Rímac ward debuted in 1956 in the professional Primera Division and won their first national title that same year. Journalists thus called them the club born a champion (nació campeon). The team managed to win more titles over the years and was known as one of the best football clubs in Peru after Universitario and Alianza Lima.

Even before its foundation, the Sporting Cristal Backus project had more than one opponent: articles from the time point out how certain sports journalists and football clubs viewed with displeasure that a team was financed by a private company. Even the Peruvian Football Federation itself put legal obstacles in the way of the team before and after its merger; until March 1956 the FPF did not authorize Cristal's participation in that year's championship, arguing from the prohibition of advertising in the clubs to the fact that they should have names of national heroes, places or institutions of the country. Various legal outlets were used for the impositions of the Federation, however, the controversy did not end until 1968,when the word "Backus" was finally removed from the club's name.

As a champion of Peru in 1956, Cristal was invited to tour various parts of the world, this being the first tour made by a champion team of Peru. The series of matches began in the United States, continued through several Asian cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Malacca City and Tehran, and culminated in Spain. There were a total of 30 matches played over two months, of which 20 were won, 7 were drawn and there were only 3 defeats. The star of this tour was Alberto Gallardo, who scored 37 goals. The club shook up the market again when they signed the legendary Brazilian player, Didí in 1962, a world-famous footballer who had just won the 1962 World Cup title with his national team. Didí arrived to be the team's coach and implemented the attacking and possession style of play characteristic of Brazil's football. The Brazilian formed an eye-catching team that used to provide a show, however, he had to settle only for the runners-up in 1962 and 1963.

After retiring from football, Didí returned to take over the technical direction of the club for 1967, again obtaining the runner-up position that year. The revenge came the following season, in which Sporting Cristal obtained the highest score along with the Juan Aurich club, due to this the champion of the Descentralizado 1968 had to be defined in an extra match in which the brewers were victorious 2-1 thanks to two goals by Alberto Gallardo. In addition to its local titles, the young institution gained prestige for its international performances. During the 1962 edition until the 1969 edition of the Copa Libertadores, Sporting Cristal went on a 17-game undefeated streak, the longest unbeaten streak in the Copa Libertadores history, winning 8 games, and drawing 9.

The following years would bring new titles, the first of them in 1970, under the technical direction of the Argentine Vito Andrés Bártoli, in a tournament that was hard fought with Universitario de Deportes and that was defined in the Final Liguilla of the tournament. In this last stage, Cristal had the best performance and the highest accumulated score, thus winning a new title. Their last match was against Juan Aurich, defeating them 4-2.Of the 32 games played that year, the team won 18, drew 9 and lost 5.

Sporting Cristal changed its shirt color from blue to light blue. They are known as "Los Celestes". During a brief period between 1978 and 1981, they again used blue shirts. In 1982 they returned to light blue as the color of the club.

The 1990s were the most successful decade as they claimed 4 national titles (including 3 in a row) with coach Juan Carlos Oblitas. Under Oblitas, Cristal won 1991, 1994 and 1995 domestic league. Then, guided by Sergio Markarián head coach they won 1996 league. By 1997, the team, led by Uruguayan coach Sergio Markarián, reached the finals of the Copa Libertadores, where they faced the Brazilian club Cruzeiro. The first leg was a home game, in which they ended in a scoreless draw; in the second leg, they lost 1–0. This is the closest Team Peru has come to the Copa Libertadores Final since 1972, when Universitario had a similar fate playing against Independiente.

The club stayed on the top spots of the national tournament during most of the 2000s and gained qualification to the Copa Libertadores eight years in a row from 2000 to 2007. It would only win two titles during the decade which were obtain in 2002 and 2005 with many notable players as Sergio Leal, Jorge Soto and Luis Alberto Bonnet. However, during the 2007, Cristal would come four points away from relegation. It would make a comeback during the 2008 season and qualify to the Copa Libertadores once again.

Trofeo2012
Cristal celebrating their victory in 2012

In 2009, the Primera División Peruana would change the tournament structured which caused Sporting Cristal to have mediocre results for the next few years into the new decade. After a seven-year dry spell it would become the national champion once more during the 2012 season when it defeated Real Garcilaso in the finals. They qualified to the 2013 Copa Libertadores where they did not pass the tournament's group stage. In the 2013 season, they played on the same liguilla as Real Garcilaso and fought for a place in the final up to the last match of the season in which they finished third and qualified for the 2014 Copa Libertadores once more.

In the 2018 season, they conquered another historical feat, they became the best Team Peru in the Historic Table during the Professional Era (1966 - 2018). As of 2018, they surpassed Universitario for the first spot, 3264 points to Universitario's 3236 points.

In the 2020 season, after a bad start in Liga 1 and Copa Libertadores, the club announced the departure of coach Manuel Barreto, days later Roberto Mosquera returned as technical director after 7 years. Sporting Cristal was unable to play in Phase 3 of the 2020 Copa Libertadores, as they lost 4-0 to Barcelona S.C., but won 2-1 in Lima, as an aggregate result of 5-2 against them. On March 12, the Torneo Apertura was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru. When the competition returned, the team finished in third place. In the Clausura Tournament they won group A and qualified for the definition against Ayacucho FC, they would be defeated by the foxes in the penalty kicks. Cristal, for being first in the accumulated table, would also play the semifinal with Ayacucho, in the first match they would win 2-1 and in the second they would win again with a resounding 4-1 qualifying for the national final. Sporting Cristal would achieve its twentieth title by beating Universitario in an aggregate of 3-2 in the final.

Stadium

Estadio Alberto Gallardo
Estadio Alberto Gallardo

Sporting Cristal plays its matches at home at Estadio Alberto Gallardo, owned by the Peruvian Sports Institute and with the right to use it by the club until 2022.The sports venue is located in the district of San Martín de Porres in Lima; in addition, it is located on the banks of the Rimac River, one of the longest rivers in Peru. The stadium was officially inaugurated on 9 June 1961, with the name of "Estadio Fray Martín de Porres". On 19 May 2012, the former "Estadio San Martín de Porres" was officially renamed "Estadio Alberto Gallardo", in honor of former footballer Alberto Gallardo who was a champion with Sporting Cristal as a footballer and as a coach. On certain occasions, the club plays at the Estadio Nacional del Perú.

Rivalries

Sporting Cristal has had longstanding rivalries with Universitario, and Alianza Lima, as these teams are considered the big three of Peruvian football. The matches played between them are called classics and are usually the most attractive of tournaments. Cristal also has rivalries with Deportivo Municipal and Sport Boys, both located in Callao.

Alianza Lima

Sporting Cristal is characterized by the practice of the colorful game, even stipulating it as a condition in the employment contracts of its coaches. Alianza Lima, in the same way, usually plays an offensive style game, so the matches played between these teams are among the most attractive in the tournament, the matches are usually very even. Both teams have defined championships on several occasions, the first of them was in 1961, when Sporting Cristal beat the Alliance 2-0 and was crowned champion. Highlighting the final of the 2018 Torneo Descentralizado, where Cristal won 1-4 away and 3-0 at home, obtaining a resounding aggregate result of 7-1 in favor of the brewers,being the largest final in the history of Peruvian football. The last national championship played between the two teams was in 2021.

Sporting Cristal got its biggest result against Alianza Lima in 1960, when it beat them 5-0. On the other hand, their biggest defeat occurred in 2004, when they lost 5-0; although the sky-blue team played on that occasion with an alternate team. In 1987, Sporting Cristal got its biggest win ever against Alianza on the road, defeating them 4-0 at the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva.That Alianza Lima squad was known as the foals. In the Copa Libertadores the biggest results were two: In 1995 there was a 3-0 win in favor of the Rimense team,while in 1978 they lost by the score of 4-1.

Universitario

The match played between Sporting Cristal and Universitario de Deportes is one of the most important rivalries in Peru, both clubs are the ones that won the largest number of titles since the Peruvian Primera División began to be played from 1966, giving 18 titles for Sporting Cristal and 16 for Universitario, this succession of championships made there be a great rivalry between both teams,being sporadically called as the Modern Classic of Peruvian Football, although the name was not widespread (before it was associated with the matches between Universitario and Deportivo Municipal).

Supporters

Cristal has three ultra or barra bravas known as Extremo Celeste, Fverza Oriente Gvardia Xtrema. Fverza Oriente was the first ultra of Cristal, founded in 1975. They are located on eastern grandstand of the stadiums. Extremo Celeste was formed in 1991 when a group of young fans from Fuerza Oriente decided to form a new group for young energetic supporters. Extremo Celeste has become one of the biggest barras bravas in Peru. And in 2007 a smaller third ultra was created in the western grandstand to support the team. Sporting Cristal had supporters on every grandstand on Estadio Alberto Gallardo.

Honours

Senior titles

Keys
  •      Record
  • (s) Shared record
Type Competition Titles Runner-up Winning years Runner-up years
National
(League)
Primera División 20 15 1956, 1961, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 1962, 1963, 1967, 1973, 1977, 1989, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2015, 2021, 2024
Half-year / Short
tournament

(League)
Torneo Apertura 4 8
2003, 2015, 2018, 2021
1997, 2001, 2006, 2008, 2016, 2019, 2023, 2024
Torneo Clausura 6 5
1998, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2014, 2016
2000, 2008, 2020, 2021, 2022
Torneo de Verano 1
2018
Liguilla Pre-Libertadores 2 1
1992, 1997
1993
Torneo Apertura 1
1994
Torneo Regional 3
1989–I, 1991–I, 1991–II
Torneo Descentralizado 1
1988
Torneo Interzonal 1
1972
Campeonato de Apertura (ANA) 1 1
1961
1957
National
(Cups)
Copa Bicentenario 1
2021
International
(Cups)
Copa Libertadores 1
1997

Friendlies

Type Competition Titles Runner-up Winning years Runner-up years
International
(Cup)
Copa El Gráfico-Perú 2 1 1999, 2003 2002–II
Marlboro Cup 1 1988

Under-20 team

Type Competition Titles Runner-up Winning years Runner-up years
National
(League)
Torneo de Promoción y Reserva 4 1 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023 2017
Half-year / Short
tournament

(League)
Copa Modelo Centenario 1 2016
U-18 Copa Generación 1 2021
Torneo del Inca 1 2014
Torneo Clausura 1 2015
Torneo de Verano 2 2017, 2018

Performance in CONMEBOL competitions

1962, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Runners-up (1): 1997
Quarter-finals (2): 1993, 1995
2018: First Stage
2019: Round of 16
2021: Quarter-finals
2023: KO play-offs
  • Copa CONMEBOL: 1 appearance
1994: Quarter-finals
  • Copa Merconorte: 4 appearances
1998: First Round
1999: First Round
2000: First Round
2001: First Round
  • U-20 Copa Libertadores: 2 appearances
2012: Group Stage
2024: Group Stage

Other sports

Women’s football

Type Competition Titles Runner-up Winning years Runner-up years
National
(League)
Liga Femenina 2 1 1998, 1999 1997
International
(Cup)
Campeonato Sudamericano de Fútbol Femenino 1 2000

Women's volleyball

Type Competition Titles Runner-up Winning years Runner-up years
National
(League)
Liga Nacional Superior de Voleibol 1 2013–14

Players

Current squad

.

No. Position Player
1 Peru GK Matías Córdova
2 Peru DF Benjamín Villalta
3 Peru DF Quembol Guadalupe
4 Peru DF Gianfranco Chávez
5 Peru DF Rafael Lutiger
6 Peru MF Jesús Pretell
7 Argentina FW Santiago González
8 Uruguay MF Leandro Sosa
9 Uruguay FW Martín Cauteruccio
10 Peru FW Alejandro Hohberg
11 Peru FW Irven Ávila
12 Peru GK Renato Solís
15 Peru DF Jhilmar Lora
16 Peru MF Adrián Beltrán
17 Peru FW Diego Otoya
19 Peru MF Yoshimar Yotún
No. Position Player
21 Uruguay DF Franco Romero
22 Peru MF Gonzalo Aguirre (on loan from Nueva Chicago)
23 Peru FW Maxloren Castro
24 Peru FW Fernando Pacheco
25 Peru MF Martín Távara
26 Peru MF Ian Wisdom
27 Peru MF Adrián Ascues
28 Argentina DF Nicolás Pasquini
29 Peru DF Alejandro Pósito
30 Peru MF Jostin Alarcón
31 Peru GK Diego Enríquez
32 Peru DF Leonardo Díaz
39 Peru FW Luis Iberico
55 Brazil MF Gustavo Cazonatti (on loan from Tombense)

Out on loan

No. Position Player
Peru GK Alejandro Duarte (at Alajuelense)
Peru DF Rafael Lutiger (at Sport Boys)
Peru FW Adrián Ugarriza (at Deportivo Garcilaso)
Peru DF Flavio Alcedo (at Sport Boys)
No. Position Player
Peru DF Gilmar Paredes (at Cienciano)
Peru MF Aldair Vásquez (at Atlético Grau)
Peru FW Marlon Perea (at Comerciantes FC)

Presidential history

 
Name Years
Blas Loredo Bascones 1956–59
Alfonso Raul Villegas 1960–63
Augusto Moral Santisteban 1964
Cesar Freundt 1965
Augusto Galvez Velarde 1966–71
Josue Grande Fernandez 1972–79
Jaime Noriega Zegarra 1980–88
Federico Cúneo de La Pierda 1989–93
 
Name Years
Francisco Lombardi Oyarzub 1994–95
Alfonso Grados Carraro 1996–99
Francisco Lombardi Oyarzub 2000–01
Jaime Noriega Bentin 2002–04
François Mujica Serelle 2005–10
Felipe Cantuarias Salaverry 2011–14
Federico Cúneo de La Pierda 2014–2018
Carlos Benavides 2019
Cristian Emmerich 2019–

Records

Year-by-year

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by Sporting Cristal. For the full season-by-season history, see: List of Sporting Cristal seasons.

Season League Position National Cups Continental / Other Tournament Top goalscorer(s)
Competition Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos Play-offs Name(s) Goals
2016 Torneo Descentralizado 44 21 12 11 70 48 77 1st 1st
Copa Libertadores GS
2017 Torneo de Verano 14 6 4 4 27 16 22 3rd DNQ
Copa Libertadores GS Peru Irven Ávila 22
Torneo Apertura 15 6 5 4 22 20 23 7th
Torneo Clausura 15 5 3 7 27 24 19 9th
2018 Torneo de Verano 14 10 3 1 42 15 33 1st 1st DNQ
Copa Sudamericana R1 Argentina Emanuel Herrera 40
Torneo Apertura 15 9 5 1 27 7 32 1st 1st
Torneo Clausura 15 7 3 5 37 14 24 5th
2019 Torneo Apertura 17 9 5 3 28 13 32 2nd 3rd Copa Bicentenario QF Copa Libertadores
Copa Sudamericana
GS
Ro16
Uruguay Cristian Palacios 13
Torneo Clausura 17 9 4 4 31 20 31 3rd
2020 Torneo Apertura 19 9 6 4 38 23 33 3rd 1st Copa Bicentenario
Copa Libertadores R2 Argentina Emanuel Herrera 20
Torneo Clausura 9 7 2 0 20 9 23 2nd

Managerial history

List of Sporting Cristal managers through club history.

 
Years Nationality Name
1956–58 Chile Luis Tirado
1958–59 Argentina César Viccino
1960 Argentina Carlos Peucelle
1960 Peru Víctor Pasache
1961–62 Peru Juan Honores
1962 Peru Víctor Pasache
1962–64 Brazil Waldir Pereira "Didí"
1964–66 Peru Alberto "Toto" Terry
1966 Brazil Yaldo Barbalho
1967–69 Brazil Waldir Pereira "Didí"
1969 Peru Víctor Pasache
1969–70 Argentina Vito Andrés "Sabino" Bártoli
1971 Germany Rudi Gutendorf
1972–74 Peru Marcos Calderón
1974 Peru Rafael Asca
1974–75 Peru Eloy Campos
1976 Peru Juan Honores
1976 Peru Víctor Pasache
1976–77 Peru Diego Agurto
1977 Peru Alberto Gallardo
1977–78 Uruguay Roque Máspoli
1978 Peru Alberto Gallardo
1978–79 Peru José Fernández
1979–81 Peru Marcos Calderón
1981–82 Peru Alberto Gallardo
1982–83 Paraguay César Cubilla
1984 Peru José Chiarella
1985 Peru Alberto Gallardo
1985 Peru José del Castillo
1985–86 Peru Héctor Chumpitaz
1987–88 Peru Miguel Company
1988 Peru Óscar Montalvo
1988–89 Peru Alberto Gallardo
1989–90 Argentina
Argentina
Oscar López
Oscar Cavallero
1990 Peru Fernando Mellán
1990 Chile Eugenio Jara
 
Years Nationality Name
1990–92 Peru Juan Carlos Oblitas
1993 Brazil José Carlos Amaral
1993–95 Peru Juan Carlos Oblitas
1996 Brazil José Luis Carbone
1996 Peru Roberto Mosquera
1996–97 Uruguay Sergio Markarián
1997–98 Chile Miguel Ángel Arrué
1998 Colombia Luis García
1998–99 Peru Franco Navarro
1999 Argentina Rodolfo Motta
1999–01 Peru Juan Carlos Oblitas
2001 Argentina Horacio Magalhaes
Jan 1, 2002 – Dec 31, 2002 Brazil Paulo Autuori
2003 Brazil Renê Weber
2003–04 Peru Wilmar Valencia
2004 Peru Eduardo Asca
2004–05 Argentina Edgardo Bauza
May 22, 2005 – Dec 17, 2006 Peru José del Solar
Jan 1, 2007 – May 5, 2007 Argentina Jorge Sampaoli
2007 Argentina Walter Fiori
July 1, 2007 – Dec 31, 2009 Peru Juan Carlos Oblitas
Jan 1, 2010 – Dec 9, 2010 Peru Víctor Rivera
Dec 21, 2010 – April 19, 2011 Argentina Guillermo Rivarola
April 20, 2011 – Nov 23, 2011 Peru Juan Reynoso
Nov 23, 2011 – Dec 31, 2011 Peru Francisco Melgar
Jan 1, 2012 – Aug 7, 2013 Peru Roberto Mosquera
Aug 7, 2013 – Aug 18, 2013 Peru Francisco Melgar (int.)
Aug 18, 2013 – Dec 19, 2013 Argentina Claudio Vivas
Jan 1, 2014–15 Argentina Daniel Ahmed
Jan 4, 2016 – Dec 19, 2016 Argentina Mariano Soso
Jan 4, 2017 – Jun 25, 2017 Peru José del Solar
Jun 25, 2017 – Dic 3, 2017 Peru Pablo Zegarra
Jan 4, 2018 – Dic 18, 2018 Chile Mario Salas
Jan 7, 2019 – Feb 5, 2019 Colombia Alexis Mendoza
Feb 8, 2019 – Sep 10, 2019 Argentina Claudio Vivas
Feb 8, 2019 – Sep 10, 2019 Peru Manuel Barreto
Feb 23, 2020 – Nov 08, 2022 Peru Roberto Mosquera
Nov 09, 2022 – Brazil Tiago Nunes

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Club Sporting Cristal para niños

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