Atlético Junior

Club Deportivo Popular Junior F.C. S.A., commonly known as Junior de Barranquilla, by its old name Atlético Junior, commonly as Junior FC, or simply as Junior, is a Colombian professional football team based in Barranquilla, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. Junior is the main Caribbean team in the top flight of Colombian football. As of 2022, they sit in the 25th place of the best South American teams.

The club was founded on August 7, 1924. Known as Los Tiburones (The Sharks), or El Equipo Tiburón (The Shark Team). Junior have won the Colombian professional football championship ten times (1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004 Finalización, 2010 Apertura, 2011 Finalización, 2018 Finalización, 2019 Apertura, and 2023 Finalización). Some of the most notable players that have played for the club include Heleno de Freitas, Garrincha, Dida, Juan Ramón Verón, Efraín Sánchez, Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama, Iván Valenciano, Teófilo Gutiérrez, Carlos Bacca, Julio César Uribe, Giovanni Hernández, Sebastián Viera and Luis Díaz.

History
In the early 1920s a team named Juventus came into being at the Colegio Salesiano in the San Roque neighborhood of Barranquilla, made up primarily of Italian immigrants. Soon after its launch the name was changed to the Spanish Juventud, though both translate the same in English: youth. In August 1924 some of the younger members of Juventud along with other young men from San Roque created an offshoot of Juventud: Juventud Infantil.

Around the 1940s (and the club's name was shortened to simply Junior) they became known as one of the country's best clubs. In 1945 the players of Junior were selected to represent Colombia at the South American Championship (now known as the Copa América), finishing a respectable fifth (though losing 7–0 to Uruguay and 9–1 to Argentina along the way). In 1949 they were again selected to represent Colombia (finishing last place) but this time their decision to play would have its consequences.

In 1948 Junior were founder members of División Mayor del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano (commonly known as the Dimayor). Their debut match as a professional outfit came at home on August 15, 1948, against Deportivo Cali, which ended in a 2–0 victory for the home side. Early the following year they were again chosen to play as the de facto Colombia national team. Because of ongoing strife between Adefutbol (the original amateur Colombian football association) and the Dimayor, Junior were threatened with expulsion from the Dimayor if they participated. They went ahead and did so and were initially given a two-year suspension from the league. This was later reduced to one year and they returned to the Dimayor for the 1950 season.

This was the golden age of Colombian football commonly referred to as El Dorado, a time when the Dimayor was a "rebel league" unaffiliated with FIFA and many high-profile players from around the world broke their contracts and came to play. Junior were no exception, picking up players from Brazil, Argentina, Hungary and the Czech Republic in these years. But El Dorado eventually came to an end for Colombian football.

A way ahead surfaced in the mid-1960s when a rift had again developed in Colombian football, this time between Adefutbol and the newly created Federación Colombiana de Fútbol, an organization devoted to developing professional football in the country. Adefutbol was still the official body in the eyes of FIFA and organized the national team in this period and additionally Colombian clubs did not enter the Copa Libertadores. Peace was finally made and the bulk of the amateur team that had attempted to qualify for the England World Cup signed up for Junior, who returned to the Dimayor in 1966. Junior have remained in the top level ever since.

In 1977 Junior won their first Colombian championship, finishing first place in the Apertura. They won further championships in 1980, 1993, 1995, the 2004-II (Finalización), the 2010-I (Apertura), the 2011-II (Finalizacion), the 2018-II (Finalización) and the 2019-I (Apertura). They also won Copa Colombia in 2015 and 2017. Junior have appeared in the Copa Libertadores seventeen times (reaching the semi-finals in 1994), the Copa Sudamericana 7 times (reaching the final in 2018), and the Copa CONMEBOL 1 time.

Badge
The team's badge has a Swiss shape; it is 6 cm wide by 8 cm tall, divided into two horizontal stripes. The inferior stripe is divided into 9 vertical white and red stripes. The superior part is another horizontal blue stripe where the stars are placed. The stars have 10 points; each star represents a league championships the team has won.

Flag
Junior's flag is composed of 9 horizontal stripes representing the 9 stars they have now, 5 red and 4 white ones which alternate, the superior and the inferior ones are red. Overlapped on top of the strips there is a blue triangle. This triangle occupies all the wide of the flag on its vertical side. The white stars are superimposed on the triangle.

Domestic

 * Categoría Primera A
 * Winners (10): 1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004–II, 2010–I, 2011–II, 2018–II, 2019–I, 2023–II
 * Runners-up (10): 1948, 1970, 1983, 2000, 2003–I, 2009–I, 2014–I, 2015–II, 2016–I, 2019–II


 * Copa Colombia
 * Winners (2): 2015, 2017
 * Runners-up (1): 2016


 * Superliga Colombiana
 * Winners (2): 2019, 2020
 * Runners-up (2): 2012, 2024

International

 * Copa Sudamericana
 * Runners-up (1): 2018


 * Reebok Cup
 * Winners (1): 1997

Performance in CONMEBOL competitions

 * Copa Libertadores: 18 appearances
 * 1971: Group stage
 * 1978: Group stage
 * 1981: Group stage
 * 1984: Group stage
 * 1994: Semifinals
 * 1996: Quarterfinals
 * 2000: Round of 16
 * 2001: Round of 16
 * 2005: Round of 16
 * 2010: Preliminary round
 * 2011: Round of 16
 * 2012: Group stage
 * 2017: Third stage
 * 2018: Group stage
 * 2019: Group stage
 * 2020: Group stage
 * 2021: Group stage
 * 2024: In process


 * Copa Sudamericana: 7 appearances
 * 2004: Quarterfinals
 * 2015: Second stage
 * 2016: Quarterfinals
 * 2017: Semi-finals
 * 2018: Runners-up
 * 2020: Quarterfinals
 * 2021: Round of 16
 * 2022: Group stage
 * 2023: First stage


 * Copa CONMEBOL: 1 appearance
 * 1992: Quarter-finals

World Cup players
The following players were chosen to represent their country at the FIFA World Cup while contracted to Junior de Barranquilla.


 * 🇨🇴 Carlos Hoyos (1990)
 * 🇨🇴 Alexis Mendoza (1994)
 * 🇨🇴 José María Pazo (1994)
 * 🇨🇴 Luis Carlos Perea (1994)
 * 🇨🇴 Carlos Valderrama (1994)
 * 🇨🇴 Iván René Valenciano (1994)
 * 🇨🇴 Jorge Bolaño (1998)
 * 🇵🇪 Alberto Rodríguez (2018)

Club captains

 * 🇨🇴 Hermenegildo Segrera (1966–1971)
 * 🇨🇴 Dulio Miranda (1972–1973)
 * 🇨🇴 Gabriel Berdugo (1974–1982)
 * 🇨🇴 Dulio Miranda (1983–1985)
 * 🇨🇴 Alexis Mendoza (1985–1990)
 * 🇨🇴 Gabriel Martínez (1990–1992)
 * 🇨🇴 Carlos Valderrama (1993–1995)
 * 🇨🇴 Jorge Bolaño (1996–1999)
 * 🇧🇷 Marquinho (1999–2004)
 * 🇨🇴 Roberto Peñaloza (2004–2005)
 * 🇨🇴 Hayder Palacio (2005–2007)
 * 🇨🇴 Giovanni Hernández (2008–2012)
 * 🇺🇾 Sebastián Viera (2012–2023)
 * 🇨🇴 Carlos Bacca (2023–present)

Historic players

 * 🇦🇷 Carlos Babington
 * 🇦🇷 Edgardo Bauza
 * 🇦🇷 Juan Carlos Delménico
 * 🇦🇷 Carlos Ischia
 * 🇦🇷 Omar Pérez
 * 🇦🇷 Walter Ribonetto
 * 🇦🇷 Fabián Sambueza
 * 🇦🇷 Juan Ramón Verón
 * 🇧🇷 Paulo César Caju
 * 🇧🇷 Cassiano
 * 🇧🇷 Dida
 * 🇧🇷 Garrincha
 * 🇧🇷 Heleno de Freitas
 * 🇧🇷 Quarentinha
 * 🇧🇷 Víctor Ephanor
 * 🇨🇱 Cristián Montecinos
 * 🇨🇴 José Amaya
 * 🇨🇴 Alfredo Arango
 * 🇨🇴 Martín Arzuaga
 * 🇨🇴 Carlos Bacca
 * 🇨🇴 Orlando Ballesteros
 * 🇨🇴 Gabriel Berdugo
 * 🇨🇴 Jorge Bolaño
 * 🇨🇴 Miguel Ángel Borja
 * 🇨🇴 Déiber Caicedo
 * 🇨🇴 Víctor Campaz
 * 🇨🇴 Víctor Cantillo
 * 🇨🇴 Yimmi Chará
 * 🇨🇴 José Luis Chunga
 * 🇨🇴 Víctor Cortés
 * 🇨🇴 Gustavo Cuéllar
 * 🇨🇴 Luis Díaz
 * 🇨🇴 José Enamorado
 * 🇨🇴 Fernando Fiorillo
 * 🇨🇴 Gabriel Fuentes
 * 🇨🇴 Miguel Ángel Guerrero
 * 🇨🇴 Teófilo Gutiérrez
 * 🇨🇴 Giovanni Hernández
 * 🇨🇴 Vladimir Hernández
 * 🇨🇴 William Knight
 * 🇨🇴 Homer Martínez
 * 🇨🇴 Roberto Meléndez
 * 🇨🇴 Alexis Mendoza
 * 🇨🇴 Dulio Miranda
 * 🇨🇴 Didier Moreno
 * 🇨🇴 Luis Narváez
 * 🇨🇴 Víctor Pacheco
 * 🇨🇴 Hayder Palacio
 * 🇨🇴 José María Pazo
 * 🇨🇴 Rafael Perez
 * 🇨🇴 Marlon Piedrahita
 * 🇨🇴 Efraín "El Caimán" Sánchez
 * 🇨🇴 Iván Valenciano
 * 🇨🇴 Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama
 * 🇨🇴 Alex "Didi" Valderrama
 * 🇭🇺 Béla Sárosi
 * 🇵🇦 Román Torres
 * 🇵🇪 Julio César Uribe
 * 🇺🇾 Lorenzo Carrabs
 * 🇺🇾 Julio Comesaña
 * 🇺🇾 Santiago Mele
 * 🇺🇾 Héctor Gerardo Méndez
 * 🇺🇾 Nelson Silva Pacheco
 * 🇺🇾 Sebastián Viera
 * 🇻🇪 Luis Daniel "Cariaco" González

International players
The following players, despite not having been able to establish themselves as idols, had a stage as internationals with their national teams.


 * 🇦🇷 Daniel Carnevali
 * 🇦🇷 Santiago Santamaría
 * 🇨🇴 Luis Carlos Perea
 * 🇨🇴 René Higuita
 * 🇨🇴 Carlos Hoyos
 * 🇨🇴 Juan Fernando Quintero
 * 🇨🇱 Matías Fernández
 * 🇨🇱 Nelson Tapia
 * 🇵🇦 Román Torres
 * 🇵🇪 Alberto Rodríguez

Notable fans

 * Freddy Cricien, hardcore punk singer; Madball lead singer.
 * Diomedes Díaz, vallenato singer.
 * Martín Elías, vallenato singer.
 * Gabriel García Márquez, novelist, journalist and short-story writer; 1982 Nobel Prize Literature.
 * Melissa Martínez Artuz, journalist
 * Ernesto McCausland,journalist writer and filmmaker.
 * Rafael Orozco Maestre, vallenato singer.
 * Edgar Perea, politician and football radio and television commentator.
 * Shakira, pop singer.
 * Paulina Vega, TV Host ,model and beauty queen; Miss Universe 2014.
 * Sofía Vergara, actress.

Affiliated clubs

 * 🇨🇴 Barranquilla Currently in the second division