Real Estelí FC

Real Esteli Fútbol Club is a Nicaraguan professional football club playing in the top flight of Nicaragua's league system, the Campeonato Nacional de Fútbol de Primera División. The club play out of their home stadium, Estadio Independencia, based in the northern city of Estelí.

Real Estelí has national championships, second most out of every team in Nicaragua, only trailing Diriangén. They also won a CONCACAF record eight consecutive championships from 2006 to 2014.

History
The club was founded in 1960 as Estelí FC, adding Real to its name in 1961. Estelí FC plays at the Estadio Independencia, one of the biggest stadiums in Nicaragua, with a capacity of 4,800. The club is known by the nickname, El Tren del Norte (Train of the North), coming as it does, from the northern region of Las Segovias.

Real Estelí has finished in the top five of Nicaragua's top flight every year since 1986. In that time, they have also achieved traditionally high attendance numbers. However, it took time for the club's burgeoning popularity to translate into championships.

The club under Leonidas "Cascarilla" Rodriguez and Honduran Roy Posas were able to win the club first silverware, winning both the League and cup double. Players that contributed with players such as Otoniel Olivas, Salvadoran Julio "El Cura" Barahona, Honduran Samuel Nunez, and Ramon "ElChino" Mejia then added another in 1999. Nonetheless, their fierce rivals Diriangén FC remained the dominant power in Nicaraguan football.

This began to change in 2002–2003. The two clubs met for a two-legged tie to determine the year's champion. Diriangén won the first leg 1–0, but Real Estelí answered by winning the return match 3–0, claiming the title 3–1 on aggregate. That was the last year Nicaragua determined their championship with a "long season"; for 2003–2004, the league adopted an Apertura/Clausura format. Real Estelí won both tournaments, and each time they defeated Diriangén in the finals.

The following September, Real Estelí made history in Nicaraguan football by eliminating favorites Real España in the First Round of the Copa Interclubes UNCAF. They thus became the first Nicaraguan football team in history to advance to the second round of the tournament.

Back home, Diriangén won the next two championships, but quickly gave way to Real Estelí, who embarked on their dominant run of eight championships in a row from 2006 to 2014. Then, after a brief interruption by Walter Ferretti, Estelí won two more.

Real Estelí FC has finished in the top five of Nicaragua's top division every year since 1986 and has achieved some of the highest attendances in the league during this period.

In 2023 CONCACAF Central American Cup, Making their first appearance in the modified Tournament, Real Esteli finished second in group, where they defeated highly rated opponents FAS, Xelaju and Olimpia, The club only loss was against Independiente who toped the group. In the Quarter Final, Real Estelí Made history by winning their two legs series against Concacaf heavyweight Saprissa 3-2. Not only becoming the first Nicaraguan club to defeat Saprissa but also the first Nicaraguan to qualify to the semi final of an international tournament. In the semi-finals against Independiente they defeated the Panamanian side 3-2 in two legs to advance to the first international final in the club's history. However, in the final played over two legs, Costa Rican Giants Alajuelense would beat Real Esteli 4–1.

Real Esteli entered the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup in the first-round and faced off against seven-time champions Club America. Esteli won the home leg 2–1, which marked the club's first win in the competition in 31 matches.

Crest
The club crest consists of a crown, representing 'Real' (meaning 'Royal'). Similar crowns can be seen on the crests of many other clubs with the prefix 'Real', such as Spanish clubs Real Betis, Real Zaragoza and Real Madrid

The two gold stars of the crest mark the first two national championships won by the club (in 1991 and 1999), while the red and white striped shield represents the club colours as used on team shirts. The logo was redesigned and digitalised in 2000 by Nakor'd J. García and Michael D. Raney (current President/CEO of the World Football Organization), based on the original design by Arnulfo Rivera Zeledón and Johnny Herrera Vallejos.

'El Clásico' rivalry
There is often a fierce rivalry between the two strongest teams in the national league, where the game between Real Estelí and Diriangén has become known as El Clásico (The Classic).

Honours
Real Esteli is historically the second most successful team in Nicaragua football, as they have won the second most Primera División de Nicaragua with nineteen. They are also Nicaragua's most successful team in international competitions, having finished runner up in CONCACAF Tournament.

League

 * Primera División de Nicaragua and predecessors
 * Champions (19): 1991, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2019 Clausura, 2019 Apertura, 2020 Clausura, Apertura 2020, 2022 Apertura, 2023 Clausura.

Domestic Cups

 * Copa de Nicaragua
 * Champions (2) : 1991, 2023

CONCACAF

 * CONCACAF Central American Cup
 * Runners up (1) : 2023

Current squad
As of 31 March 2024

Notable players
Players with senior international caps:


 * 🇳🇮 Dshon Forbes (capped for Nicaragua)
 * 🇭🇳 🇳🇮 Elmer Mejía
 * 🇳🇮 🇲🇽 Manuel Rosas
 * 🇳🇮 🇵🇦 Raúl Leguías

Records and statistics
Real Esteli biggest league victory was 13-2 against Chinandega in the 2001 season.

List of coaches
Real Esteli has had various coaches since its formation in 1961. Ramón Otoniel Olivas and Honduran Roy Posas has served two terms as head coach. Ramón Otoniel Olivas was the club's most successful coach, having won Primera División titles and finished as runner up in 2023 Central American Cup, following closely is Roy Posas, Sergio Rodriguez and Holver Flores & Leonidas Rodriguez won one Primera titles.

Performance in CONCACAF competitions

 * CONCACAF Champions Cup: 12 appearances
 * Best: Round of 16 in 2021
 * 1991 : First Round
 * 1992 : First Round
 * 1996 : First Round
 * 1998 : First Round
 * 2008-09 : Preliminary Round
 * 2011-12 : Preliminary Round
 * 2012-13 : Group stage
 * 2013-14 : Group stage
 * 2014-15 : Group stage
 * 2016-17 : Group stage
 * 2021 : Round of 16
 * 2024 : Round One


 * CONCACAF League: 5 appearances
 * Best: Quarter-finals in 2020
 * 2017 CONCACAF League: Round of 16
 * 2019 CONCACAF League: Round of 16
 * 2020 CONCACAF League: Quarter finals
 * 2021 CONCACAF League: Round of 16
 * 2022 CONCACAF League: Preliminary Round


 * CONCACAF Central American Cup: 1 appearance
 * Best: Runner up in 2023
 * 2023 CONCACAF Central American Cup: Runner up


 * Copa Interclubes UNCAF: 5 appearances
 * Best: Quarter-finals in 2004
 * 2000 : First Round
 * 2003 : First Round
 * 2004 : Quarter-finals
 * 2006 : First Round
 * 2007 : First Round

Record versus other nations

 * As of 14 February 2024

The Concacaf opponents below = Official tournament results: (Plus a sampling of other results)