Verdes FC

Verdes FC (''previously Hankook Verdes'') is a Belizean association football club which competes in the Premier League of Belize. They are currently based in San Ignacio, Belize, a town situated in the district of Cayo, Belize. The club was established in 1976 as Real Verdes Football Club and changed their name to Hankook Verdes in 2004. They are now known only as Verdes FC, locally being called only Verdes. The club is one of the oldest active professional football teams in Belize and has been in existence since the inception of the Football Federation of Belize. Their home games are played at Norman Broaster Stadium.

The club has established an excellent reputation for the development of many past and current members of the Belize national football team, despite not having won any club championships at the national level until 2008. Verdes had previously won the amateur Belize National Football Association championship in 1986. In 2004, Hankook Verdes announced that they would opt out of the Belize Premier Football League due to unprofessional conduct, including late arrivals by officials and the other team, prior to a match against Kulture Yabra. Verdes FC's recent league championships include the opening season of the 2019–20 Premier League and both seasons of the 2021–22 FFB Top League, where they went undefeated.

In 1985, Hankook Verdes was the first team to represent Belize in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. They have appeared in eight editions of the competition and twice in its successor, the CONCACAF Champions League. Throughout the history of Belizean football, Real Verdes has represented its country more than any other club in Belize. The list of CONCACAF opponents includes professional teams such as Cruz Azul, UNAM, Santos Laguna, Querétaro (Mexico); Real España, Platense, Pumas UNAH ( Honduras); Xelajú, Municipal, Comunicaciones, ( Guatemala);San Francisco (Panama); and Luis Ángel Firpo ( El Salvador);Arcahaie ( Haiti). Hankook Verdes has the most UNCAF Club Tournament appearances of any Belize football club.

Verdes FC appeared in three consecutive editions of the CONCACAF League from 2020 to 2022 and were the second Belizean club to participate in the tournament. Their first attempt in 2020 was halted by a COVID-19 outbreak among the players and the need to quarantine in Panama rather than being able to transit to the CONCACAF League venue in Santo Domingo. Their preliminary round match was cancelled and their opponents, Haitian side Arcahaie FC, was awarded a 3–0 walkover victory. In 2022, they became the first Belizean club to win a competitive series in the competition.

Achievements

*Premier League of Belize: 3
*: 2014–15 C, 2017-18 O, 2019-20 O
* Belize Premier Football League: 1
*: 2007–08

Performance in International competitions

* CONCACAF Champions' Cup and Champions League: 10 appearances
*::Best: Group stage in 2015–16
*::1986 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
*::1987 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
*::1988 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
*::1991 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
*::1994 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
*::1995 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
*::1997 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
*::1998 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
*:: 2008–09: Preliminary Round
*:: 2015–16: ''Group stage''
*CONCACAF League: 3 appearances
*::Best: Round of 16 in 2022
*::2020: Withdrew
*::2021: Preliminary Round
*::2022: Round of 16
*Copa Interclubes UNCAF: 4 appearances
*::Best: First Round in 1995, 1999, 2006
*::1993: Preliminary Round
*::1994: Preliminary Round
*::1995: First Round
*::1999: First Round
*::2006: First Round

::

International level

* ''As of 21 August 2015''

* ''Friendly matches not included.''
* ''Games decided by penalty shootout are counted as ties.''

Current squad

Notable former players

* Erwin Contreras (Captain, Belize national football team, 1990–93)
* Jorge García (Captain, Belize national football team, 1994–97)

Managers

Real Verdes

*Antonio Carlos Vieira

Verdes Hancock

* Nayo Waight (2005)
* Ramon Cayoc (2008)

Verdes FC

* Alberto Rafael "Chapay" Contreras (1980s-1990s)
* Walter Salazar (2013)
* Pablo Cacho (2014–15)
* Walter Salazar (2015–2017)
* Marvin Ottley (2017–)
* Martín Dimas Dall'orso (2019–2021)
* David Pérez Asensio (July 2021 –)

References

External links

Hankook Verdes

{{Premier League of Belize

Football clubs in Belize
Association football clubs established in 1976
1976 establishments in Belize