Defensor Sporting

Defensor Sporting Club is a sports club based in Montevideo, Uruguay. Founded in 1913, Defensor has several sports sections, with football and basketball being the most important and the ones in which the club has achieved significant achievements in Uruguay and internationally.

It is the third most highest winning club in Uruguay, with 24 official titles, only surpassed by Peñarol and Club Nacional de Football. The club's best performance at the international stage was in 2014, when they reached the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores, eventually losing to Club Nacional 2–1 on aggregate. They have won the Uruguayan Championship four times: in 1976, 1987, 1991, and 2007-08. Their 1976 title win was especially notable in Uruguay's football history as it ended 44 years of dominance by Nacional and Peñarol.

History
Founded on March 15, 1913, as Club Atlético Defensor, the name of the club was changed in 1989 to Defensor Sporting Club after a merger with Sporting Club Uruguay. They played in the first professional league season in Uruguay, the 1932 Uruguayan Primera División

Defensor has won many qualifying tournaments (Pre-Liguilla) to the Copa Libertadores and has represented Uruguay on numerous occasions internationally. Regarded as one of the teams that creates and develops many players in Uruguay that become successful players worldwide, It is the first club of numerous players like Jorge "Polilla" da Silva, Sergio "Manteca" Martínez, Sebastián Abreu, Andrés Fleurquin, Marcelo Tejera, Darío Silva, Gonzalo Vargas, Diego "Ruso" Pérez, Nicolás Olivera, Martín Cáceres, Maxi Pereira, Álvaro González, and Tabaré Viúdez.

Legendary coach Prof. José Ricardo de León brought Defensor to the national championship in 1976 and originated a football (fútbol) school of thought, consistently criticized as ultra defensive, that is still present nowadays in several teams and coaches.

In September 2007, the club was considered the World's Club Team of the Month by the IFFHS.

Defensor Sporting's most famous supporter is singer/composer Jaime Roos.

Stadium
Defensor plays its home games at its own stadium called Estadio Luis Franzini which has a capacity for 18,000 spectators. The stadium was opened on 31 December 1963, and is located in Parque Rodó, Montevideo.

Rivalries
Defensor Sporting has had a rivalry with Danubio in recent years, because of the two clubs being the next biggest clubs in Uruguay after the historical two: Peñarol and Nacional. Matches between them are called the "Clásico de los medianos" (Spanish for Classic of the Mediums).

Other titles
Titles won in lower divisions:

Performance in CONMEBOL competitions

 * Copa Libertadores: 17 appearances
 * 1977: Group Stage
 * 1980: Group Stage
 * 1982: Group Stage
 * 1990: Round of 16
 * 1992: Round of 16
 * 1994: Round of 16
 * 1996: Round of 16
 * 2001: Group Stage
 * 2006: First Round
 * 2007: Quarter-finals
 * 2009: Quarter-finals
 * 2012: Group Stage
 * 2013: First Stage
 * 2014: Semi-finals
 * 2018: Group Stage
 * 2019: Third Qualifying Stage
 * 2024: First Qualifying Stage


 * U-20 Copa Libertadores: 1 appearance
 * 2012: Runner-up


 * Copa Sudamericana: 8 appearances
 * 2005: Second Round
 * 2007: Quarter-finals
 * 2008: Round of 16
 * 2010: Round of 16
 * 2015: Quarter-finals
 * 2017: First Stage
 * 2018: Second Stage
 * 2023: First Stage


 * Copa CONMEBOL: 2 appearances
 * 1995: First Round
 * 1997: First Round

Notable former players

 * Diego Jaume

Notable coaches

 * 🇺🇾 Hugo Bagnulo (1952–1957; 1960–1961)
 * 🇺🇾 Gregorio Pérez (1983–1984)
 * 🇺🇾 Juan Ahuntchaín (1996)
 * 🇺🇾 Ricardo Ortiz (1996–1997)
 * 🇺🇾 Juan Tejera (2004–2005)
 * 🇺🇾 Jorge da Silva (2005–2009)
 * 🇺🇾 Gustavo Ferrín (2009–2010)
 * 🇺🇾 Pablo Repetto (2010–2011)
 * 🇺🇾 Gustavo Díaz (2011–2012)
 * 🇺🇾 Tabaré Silva (2012–2013)
 * 🇺🇾 Fernando Curutchet (2013–2014)
 * 🇺🇾 Mauricio Larriera (2015–2016)
 * 🇺🇾 Eduardo Acevedo (2016–2018)