Leones Negros UdeG

Leones Negros UdeG
Full nameClub Deportivo Leones Negros de la Universidad de Guadalajara
Nickname(s)Leones Negros (Black Lions)
FoundedJanuary 1, 1970; 54 years ago (January 1, 1970), as Venados UdeG
GroundEstadio Jalisco
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Capacity56,713
OwnerUdeG
ChairmanJosé Alberto Castellanos Gutiérrez
ManagerAlfonso Sosa
LeagueLiga de Expansión MX
Apertura 2024Regular season: 3rd
Play–offs: Semi–finals
Websitehttp://www.leonesnegrosudg.mx/

Club Deportivo Leones Negros de la Universidad de Guadalajara, abbreviated as Leones Negros UdeG, and simply known as Leones Negros or UdeG, is a football club based in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The club currently plays in the Liga de Expansión MX, the second level division of Mexican football. The club was founded in 1970 as Venados UdeG, two years later it changed to its current name.

History

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The Universidad de Guadalajara football club, nicknamed Leones Negros (Black Lions) started in the Tercera División, where they played for two seasons after which they gained promotion to Segunda División.

They reached the top division by acquiring the Primera Division's franchise of Torreón.

During their first years in the top flight they had several skilled Brazilian players, reason for which noted sports broadcaster Ángel Fernandez started to call them "Leones Negros" (the Black Lions), a nickname that stuck and remains part of the folklore of Mexican football.

In the seasons 1975–76, 1976–77 and 1989–90 the team achieved the runners-up in the Primera División.[1] In addition, in 1978 the club won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup together with the clubs Comunicaciones F.C. from Guatemala and Defence Force F.C. from Trinidad and Tobago.[2]

Disappearance of los Leones Negros de la UdeG

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After 20 years in top flight football the team was in decline, alleged questionable financial dealings, a very poor squad and hardly any local fans (who are loyal to more popular teams like Guadalajara, better known as "Chivas" and to a lesser extent, Atlas) Leones Negros were acquired by the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación, to make way for the reduction in the number of teams in the Primera División. Their last game was on May 27, 1994 against Atlas, in which they lost 2–1.

New Era

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After the disappearance of the team by the Federación Mexicana de Futbol, the franchise maintained the third division reserve squad, that become the main team, the club obtained a title in the verano 1997 tournament, gaining promotion to the Primera División "A" where they stayed until the franchise was sold and moved to Orizaba in 2002. During this time the franchise was named Atlético Bachilleres,[3] name it had since the 1970s when the reserve team was established.

Between 2002 and 2009 the team played as Cachorros UdeG in Segunda División Mexicana in the Norte region and a few seasons back was close to gaining promotion to the Primera División A, first losing the final against, Académicos and then losing to Chivas La Piedad. For the Apertura 2007 season they changed stadium to Estadio Municipal Santa Rosa de Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco, but have stated that some of their home games will still played at their traditional home in twice worldcup host Estadio Jalisco. In 2009 Cachorros UdeG became the reserve team of the club, a situation that remained until 2014, when it became Leones Negros UdeG Premier.[4]

Return to the Primera División A

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For some time businessmen, among them Jorge Vergara, tried to return the team of Club Universidad de Guadalajara to the top divisions of football in Mexico, this was achieved through the purchase of the franchise of Primera División A's CD Tapatio for $800,000 USD from Guadalajara of which CD Tapatio was a subsidiary.

On May 21, 2009 it was confirmed that team Club Universidad de Guadalajara entered the Primera División A instead of C.D. Tapatío, which disappeared completely.

Apertura 2013 Champions and promotion to Liga MX

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In the Apertura 2013 tournament, Leones Negros finished 5th and entered the Liguilla, where they reached the final and ended as Champions beating Necaxa 2–1, earning the right to compete in the Final de Ascenso and the possibility to be promoted to the 2014–15 Liga MX.

After a hard Clausura 2014 tournament, Leones Negros ended in 4th place, but lost in the quarterfinals against Oaxaca. However, as Apertura 2013 champions, they played the Final de Ascenso against Estudiantes Tecos, who were the Clausura 2014 Champions.

After two very disputed games, both of them ended in a tie, the Promotion was defined in a penalty shoot-out, in which goalkeeper Humberto "Gansito" Hernández scored the final and decisive penalty, giving the Leones Negros the promotion and the right to play in the 2014–15 Liga MX season.

Club Universidad de Guadalajara was officially relegated after only one season in the Mexican top flight on May 9, 2015. Despite winning the match against Cruz Azul 2–0, relegation rivals Puebla managed to obtain a 2–2 tie, thus giving them more percentage in the relegation table. As a result, UdeG returned to Ascenso MX. In the Clausura 2018 tournament the team was close to returning to Liga MX, however, in the final of the championship the team was defeated by Cafetaleros de Tapachula.

In June 2020, UdeG became a member of the Liga de Expansión MX when it replaced Ascenso MX.[5]

Honours

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National

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Leones Negros UdeG honours
Type Competition Titles Winning editions Runners-up

Top division
Primera División 0 1975–76, 1976–77, 1989–90
Copa México 1 1990–91 1974–75, 1988–89
Promotion divisions Liga de Expansión MX 0 Clausura 2024
Ascenso MX 1 Apertura 2013 Clausura 2018
Campeón de Ascenso 1 2013–14
Segunda División 0 1973–74

International

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Type Competition Titles Winning editions Runners-up

Continental CONCACAF
CONCACAF Champions Cup 1 1978

Friendly

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  • Copa de Guadalajara con Pelé: 1975

Personnel

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Coaching staff

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Position Staff
Manager Mexico Alfonso Sosa
Assistant managers Mexico Juan Carlos Chávez
Mexico Julio Herrera
Goalkeeper coach Mexico Roberto Hernández
Fitness coach Mexico Sergio Hernández
Physiotherapist Mexico Alan Fuentes
Team doctor Mexico Eduardo Ortega

Players

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First-team squad

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As of 26 July 2024[6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF Mexico MEX Jonathan Sánchez
4 DF Mexico MEX Arturo Ledesma
5 DF Mexico MEX Ulises Torres
6 MF Mexico MEX Alejandro Organista
7 FW Mexico MEX Édson Rivera
8 FW Mexico MEX Carlos Fierro
9 MF Mexico MEX Edson Torres
10 MF Mexico MEX Jesús Henestrosa
11 MF Mexico MEX Joel Pérez
No. Pos. Nation Player
13 FW Mexico MEX Alberto Ocejo (on loan from Santos Laguna)
14 MF Mexico MEX Adrián Villalobos
15 MF Mexico MEX Alejandro Carreón
20 DF Mexico MEX Bryan Flores
24 DF Mexico MEX Juan Aguayo
25 GK Mexico MEX Oziel Cantú
26 MF Mexico MEX Jahaziel Marchand
28 DF Mexico MEX Alejandro Bravo
30 GK Mexico MEX Felipe López

Reserve teams

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Leones Negros UdeG Premier
Reserve team that plays in the Liga Premier, the third level of the Mexican league system.
Leones Negros UdeG (Liga TDP)
Reserve team that plays in the Liga TDP, the fourth level of the Mexican league system.

Managers

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References

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  1. ^ "Historia". Leones Negros UdeG (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  2. ^ "El día que Comunicaciones fue campeón de Concacaf junto con Leones Negros". TUDN (in Spanish). 26 February 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  3. ^ Collazo, Jonathan (20 April 2020). "Bachilleres, Gavilanes, Truenos y otras franquicias 'extrañas' de la Primera 'A'". mediotiempo.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Cachorros U. de G." Liga BBVA MX (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  5. ^ "Dan forma a la nueva Liga de Expansión MX". EL Informador (in Spanish). 27 June 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Universidad de Guadalajara". Liga BBVA Expansión MX (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 January 2021.
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