120 years of Atlético Tucumán: from the first “bianconero” of Argentine football to this dream of a champion

Atletico Tucumán was founded in a building in Rivadavia 100, around the corner of Plaza Independencia, in the heart of the city, in a meeting that September 27, 1902, which brought together, among others, José Fierro, Angenor Albornoz, teachers of the Normal School, Mr. Percy Hill, perhaps the most enthusiastic promoter of this gringo sport that the Creoles gradually adopted, calling him “fulbo”. Of patrician origin, the rector’s club gathered the boys who were already playing it in the courtyard of the school. Shortly after he organized a friendly match against a team from Salta on 9 July 1903 and there he made his shirt official: the first light blue and white with vertical stripes that existed in the country.

In 1922 he built the first concrete stadium in the North: the Grand Stadium, for 5,000 people, and already in 1925 he had given the national team his first footballer: Donato Penella, who later excelled in Boca. Juan Armando Benavidez, Maestro Villalba, Hugo Ginel, Antonio Graneros were other greats of the sepia era, never broadcast on television. And his sports complex “José César Salmoiraghi” was the first in the region.

Between 1957 and 1964 the only Argentine club – until today – to win its championship for eight consecutive seasons, crowned in 1960 by the National Championship of Champions Clubs from which Martín Canseco, the “tank” Muñoz, and who was perhaps his biggest figure: José Rafael Albrechtwhat happened playing in the Tucuman paddocks at Wembley in 1966 and to which the San Lorenzo fans still rejoice.

The old national teams had a great entertainer in Atlético between 1973 and 1985, they reached the last instances twice in dazzling teams in which they looked like “pepe” Solórzano, “Lito” Espeche, Kila Castro and Ricardo Villa; yes, “Dio” also played in Atlético.

His final arrival at the first AFA tournaments was achieved in 2015 and has since maintained his prestige, which reached international levels in Copa Libertadores and Sudamericanas from 2017 to 2019, becoming among the eight best teams on the continent.

The present has his loyal fans in a state of grace: he has been a pointer on 13 of the 21 dates of the Professional League, which he entered as a “point” and now he can make the big leap, which would be unprecedented in a team from the deep inside. and not directly affiliated. If the dean is champion, the party will never be seen before. Not even in the dreams of those glorious pioneers.