Club Atlético Rosario Central (), more commonly referred to as Rosario Central, or simply Central, is a

sports club A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...

based in

Rosario Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city, located northwest of Buenos Aires on the west bank of the Paraná River, is the third-most populous city in the ...

, Argentina, that plays in the

Argentine Primera División The Primera División (; ), known officially as Liga Profesional de Fútbol, or Torneo Betano for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Argentina and the highest level of the Argentine football league system. Organ ...

. The club was officially founded on 24 December 1889, by a group of British railway workers, taking its name from the British-owned

Central Argentine Railway The Central Argentine Railway, referred to as CA below, (in Spanish: Ferrocarril Central Argentino) was one of the ''Big Four'' Indian gauge, broad gauge, Great Britain, British companies that built and operated railway networks in Argentina. T ...

company. One of the oldest Argentine and Latin American teams, it is considered a pioneer in its hometown and the only one of current Santa Fe province teams to have won an international title organised by

CONMEBOL CONMEBOL ( ) or CSF (; ; ), is the continental governing body of football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations. The oldest continental confederation in the world, its headquarters are located in Luque, Parag ...

, the

Copa Conmebol The Copa CONMEBOL () was an annual football cup competition organized by CONMEBOL between 1992 and 1999 for South American football clubs. During its time of existence, it was a very prestigious South American club football contest, similar to the ...

, won by the club in

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

. Originally a member of the Rosario's Football Association, the club affiliated itself to the

Argentine Football Association The Argentine Football Association (, ; AFA) is the governing body of football in Argentina based in Buenos Aires. It organises the main divisions of Argentine football league system, Argentine league system (from Argentine Primera División, Pri ...

(AFA) in 1939. Since then, Rosario Central has won the

Argentine Primera Division Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...

five times, with the last domestic title being the 2023

Copa de la Liga Profesional The Copa de la Liga Profesional (English: ''Professional League Cup''; officially named "Copa Diego Armando Maradona" in its first edition) was an official Argentine football cup competition. The cup was planned and organised by the "Liga Profes ...

. In addition, Rosario Central won six National cups, being the

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

Copa Argentina The Copa Argentina (English: ''Argentine Cup''), officially known as the "Copa Argentina AXION energy" due to sponsorship reasons, is an official football cup competition organized by the Argentine Football Association (AFA). The first editions ...

the last domestic cup title. Also, Rosario Central won the Copa CONMEBOL (the precursor of the current

Copa Sudamericana The CONMEBOL Sudamericana, also known as Copa Sudamericana (; ), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL, the governing body of football in South America, since 2002. It is the second-most prestigious club com ...

) in 1995. In 2012, the club was considered by

FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...

as one of the 11 most ''classical clubs'' in Argentine football. Rosario Central has a strong rivalry with

Newell's Old Boys Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys () is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario, Santa Fe. The club was founded on 3 November 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell of the English county of Kent, one of the pioneers of Argentine football. A ...

. The matches played between them are named " El Clasico Rosarino", The rivalry is among the most heated in Argentina. Nowadays Rosario Central has the biggest difference in history between both teams, due to, having 20 winnings more than his eternal rival. That dissimilarity in favor of Rosario Central is kept across 72 years ago. An extraordinary circumstance in the history of the Argentinian league, known as ''"The oldest paternity ever"''. Rosario Central's home stadium is Estadio Dr. Lisandro de la Torre, known simply as ''"El Gigante de Arroyito"'' (The Giant of Arroyito) is one of the stadiums where Argentina played in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

History

The beginning

By the end of the 1880s, a group of workers of British–owned company

used to play a kind of

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

game in fields located near Alberdi Avenue in Rosario. In the

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

eve of 1889 they met at a bar with the purpose of establishing a club. British English citizen Thomas Mutton suggested the name "Central Argentine Railway Athletic Club", which was approved. British Scotsman

Colin Calder Colin Bain Calder (16 April 1860 – 25 January 1907) was a Scottish immigrant to Argentina regarded as one of the founders (and then first president) of Rosario Central, C.A. Rosario Central. During many years Central Argentine played only internal matches or faced the Rosario Cricket Club (current

Club Atlético del Rosario Club Atlético del Rosario is an Argentina, Argentine sports club from Rosario, Santa Fe. One of the oldest clubs still in existence in the country, Atlético del Rosario was a pioneer of association football, football in Rosario, being the first ...

) occasionally. In 1904 the railway companies Central Argentino and Buenos Aires merged, which caused a high number of

criollo Criollo or criolla (Spanish for creole) may refer to: People * Criollo people, a social class in the Spanish colonial system. Animals * Criollo duck, a species of duck native to Central and South America. * Criollo cattle, a group of cattle bre ...

workers moved to Rosario. They quickly became football enthusiasts so the club increased its number of members to 130 people. During an assembly, executive Miguel Green (also forward of the team) suggested that people outside the railway company could be accepted as member of the club. The proposal was widely discussed until it was finally approved so the statute was modified, including the change of name to Spanish form "Club Atlético Rosario Central". Since those changes were approved, a significant number of workers of the city came to Rosario Central to become members of the club.

Liga Rosarina and National cups

The

Liga Rosarina de Football The Liga Rosarina de Football was the main body that organised the practice of association football in Rosario, Argentina, from 1905 to 1930. Rosario Central, Newell's Old Boys, Rosario A.C. and Atlético Argentino were its founding members.

(Rosario's Football League) was created in March 1905. The first tournament organised by the body was the "Copa Santiago Pinasco", named that way because the Mayor of Rosario, Santiago Pinasco, donated the trophy. Central debuted on 21 May 1905, defeating Rosario A.C. by 3–1. On June, Rosario Central player Zenón Díaz was called for a Rosario combined that played a friendly match v English club

Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founde ...

(that was touring South America). The first official title won by Rosario Central came in 1908, when the squad won the "Copa Nicasio Vila" (the first division of LRF). The team finished unbeaten with 48 goals scored and only 9 conceded. Some notable players were Zenón Díaz, Harry Hayes, Augusto Winn, J.H. Grant, Juan Díaz. Rosariocentral_copalanacion_1913

In 1913 the club disaffiliated from the Liga Rosarina, founding with other clubs the dissident "Federación Rosarina de Football". Central won this league in 1913. That same year, Rosario Central won its first national title, the

Copa de Competencia La Nación The Copa de Competencia "La Nación" (also called "Concurso por Eliminación") was an official Argentine football cup competition organized by dissident " Federación Argentina de Football" (FAF), being first held in 1913. The tournament only had ...

, a domestic cup organised by dissident

Federación Argentina de Football The Federación Argentina de Football (FAF) was a dissident football association of Argentina that organised its own championships from 1912 to 1914. The Argentine Football Association did not recognised those championships until both associations ...

. Rosario Central won the competition after defeating

Argentino de Quilmes Club Atlético Argentino de Quilmes, simply known as Argentino de Quilmes, is an Argentine association football, football club from Quilmes, Buenos Aires. The team currently plays in Primera B Metropolitana, Primera B, the third division of the ...

3–2 in Estadio G.E.B.A. of

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

. In 1914 Central would return to Liga Rosarina, winning the championship after playing 20 matches, winning 19 games with 1 draw. The team scored 99 goals and only conceded 10, being Harry Hayes the top scorer of the tournament with 51 goals. The squad also would win the 1915, 1916 and 1917 regional titles, becoming four-champion of the Rosarian League. In 1919, Central won the Rosario's league title again, winning 3–2 the final match against their history rivals: Newell's Old Boys. Rosario_Central_1916-Copa_Ibarguren

The second national title won by Rosario Central was the Copa Dr. Carlos Ibarguren, a trophy contested by the champions of Buenos Aires and Rosario. Central won the 1915 edition beating Racing Club (that had won three Primera División titles consecutively) 3–1 in the final. In 1916 Central won the

Copa de Honor Municipalidad de Buenos Aires The Copa de Honor Municipalidad de Buenos Aires was an Argentine official football cup competition. It was contested fourteen times between 1905 and 1920. Racing is the most winning team of the competition, with 4 titles. Overview This cup wa ...

after beating Independiente 1–0. That same year the Rosarino team won the

Copa de Competencia Jockey Club The Copa de Competencia Jockey Club was an official Argentine football cup competition contested between 1907 and 1933. The winner of this Cup was allowed to play the Tie Cup against the Uruguayan champion of Copa de Competencia. Alumni and Sa ...

defeating Independiente again. A new national title would come in 1920, when Central won the Copa de Competencia organised by dissident body

Asociación Amateurs de Football The Asociación Amateurs de Football (AAmF) was a dissident football association of Argentina that organised its own championships from 1919 to 1926. The Argentine Football Association did not recognise those championships until both associatio ...

(AAmF) against Sportivo Almagro. During the 1910 decade, Rosario Central won a total of five National cups. In 1920 Rosario Central left the Rosarian League again, and joined other clubs to establish a dissident league, winning the 1920 and 1921 titles. Two years later, Central and the dissident clubs would return again to the Rosarian league. In the following years, Central won the 1923, 1927, 1928 (won against Newell's in the final match), and 1930 championship, becoming the most successful team in Liga de Rosario's history. In 1931 football became professional in Argentina, so a new Association, "Asociación Rosarina de Fútbol", was created in Rosario to organize the first professional championships. The Copa Nicasio Vila changed its name to "Torneo Gobernador Luciano Molinas", honoring then Governor of

Santa Fe Province The Invincible Province of Santa Fe (, , lit. "Holy Faith") is a Provinces of Argentina, province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco Province, Chaco (divided by the 2 ...

Luciano Molinas. Rosario Central won the 1937 and 1938 titles.

Coming to Primera División

In 1939, Rosario Central and its arch-rival

requested

to be added to the main league championship of Argentina, the Primera División. The Association accepted the requirement therefore both clubs joined the top-flight division of Argentine football. Despite playing in the Primera División, Rosario Central continue contesting the Rosarian Football Association competitions with reserve teams formed by amateur footballers. During its first year in Primera División, Rosario Central finished 11° with 33 points earned (15 loses). In 1941 Rosario Central was relegated to the second division, Primera B, after losing 20 matches with only 6 won. Nevertheless, Central only lasted one season in second division, returning one year later, after 25 matches won and only 4 lost. In 1950 Central was relegated again after a poor campaign in Primera. As its precedent relegation, Central promoted to the top division one year after being relegated, so the team returned to Primera in 1951.

First league titles

Rosario Central won its first national league title, in the 1971 Nacional championship with Angel Labruna as coach defeating San Lorenzo in the final game. Central had previously beat arch-rival Newell's 1–0 in semi-finals with a goal scored by Aldo Poy, who dove to head the ball before it touched the grass (a way of heading popularly known as ''"palomita"'' in South America). That goal is still remembered by Central supporters who usually reunite on 19 December, to recreate the goal. Many times Poy himself has taken part of the celebration. The second league title for the club came two years later, winning the 1973 Nacional with Carlos Griguol as coach. Some of the most notable players were Poy, Carlos Aimar and Eduardo Solari. The most frequent line-up was: Carlos Biasutto, Jorge González, Aurelio Pascuttini, Daniel Killer, Mario Killer, Carlos Aimar, Eduardo Solari, Aldo Poy, Ramón Bóveda, Roberto Cabral and Daniel Aricó. For the 1974 season, Central acquired striker

Mario Kempes Mario Alberto Kempes Chiodi (, ; born 15 July 1954) is an Argentine former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker or Attacking Midfielder, attacking midfielder. A prolific g ...

from

Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba (commonly referred to as Instituto) is an Argentine sports club from the city of Córdoba, whose professional football team currently plays in the Primera División, the first division of the Argentine footba ...

(Kempes and Instituto mate

Osvaldo Ardiles Osvaldo César Ardiles (born 3 August 1952), more commonly known as Ossie Ardiles, is an Argentine football manager, pundit and former player. A competitive and skilled midfielder, Ardiles became a cult hero in England, along with Glenn Hoddl ...

were to be reunited in the national team that won the

1978 World Cup The 1978 FIFA World Cup was the 11th edition of the FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football world championship tournament among the men's senior national teams. It was held in Argentina between 1 and 25 June. The Cup was won by t ...

). After seven years without titles, Central won the 1980 Nacional with Ángel Tulio Zof on the bench. That team was called ''La Sinfónica (the Symphony Orchestra)'' because of the exquisite playing displayed by the team on the field. Central defeated

Racing de Córdoba Club Atlético Racing, known as Racing de Córdoba, is an Argentine sports club headquartered in the city of Córdoba. The football team currently plays in Primera Nacional, the regionalised second division of the Argentine football league sys ...

5–0 in the first final game, and lost 2–0 in the second match but proclaimed champion due to

goal average A goal or objective is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envision, plan, and commit to achieve. People endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines. A goal is roughly similar to ...

. Daniel Carnevali, Juan Carlos Ghielmetti, Edgardo Bauza, Oscar Craiyacich, Jorge García, José Gaitán, Daniel Sperandío, Eduardo Bacas, Félix Orte,

Víctor Marchetti Víctor Rodolfo Marchetti (born 1950) is an Argentine former footballer. He began his career with Club Atlético River Plate, and made 174 appearances for the club. He played for Unión de Santa Fe from 1975 to 1976 and again in 1984. In 1976 ...

and Daniel Teglia was the frequent line-up on the fields. After a few years with bad seasons, the team was relegated in 1984, but returned to first division just one year later after winning the Primera B championship, coached by Pedro Marchetta. Central returned to Primera to play the 1986–87 season, winning the title at the end of the tournament but coached by Zof again. This was a first in Argentine football (oddly,

Central Español Central Español Fútbol Club, usually known simply as Central Español is a Uruguayan football club based in Montevideo. History The F.U.F era Together with Peñarol, Central founded FUF (Uruguayan football federation) in 1923 after being expel ...

performed a similar feat in

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

in the years 1983–84, also a first). The 1986–87 team was formed by Alejandro Lanari,

Hernán Díaz Hernán Edgardo Díaz (born February 26, 1965) is an Argentine retired football right back. During his club career he played for Rosario Central, Los Andes, River Plate and Colón de Santa Fe. Early career Díaz started his career in the ...

, Jorge Balbis, Edgardo Bauza, Pedernera, Omar Palma, Adelqui Cornaglia, Roberto Gasparini,

Osvaldo Escudero Osvaldo Salvador Escudero (born October 15, 1960, in Paso de los Libres, Corrientes) is a former Argentine professional footballer. He was part of the Argentina Under-20 team that won the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship in Japan. Escuder ...

, Fernando Lanzidei and Hugo Galloni.

International titles

The first years of the decade of 1990 Central did not make good campaigns in domestic tournaments, although the team won the CONMEBOL Cup (the precursor of the current

) in

, being the only international title achieved by a

based team to date. Central defeated Brazilian squad

Atlético Mineiro Atlético, Spanish for ''athletics'', or Athletico in English, may refer to: Sports Teams Athletico *Athletico SC (Lebanon), a Lebanese football academy *Athletic Bilbao, or Atletico Bilbao, Basque students athletic club (also forming Athletic Cl ...

4–0 in Arroyito after losing by the same score in the first match in Brazil. Finally Central won the Cup by

Penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...

, with a score of 4–3. The club has participated in eleven editions of the

Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as Copa Libertadores de América (), is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in South American club football. The tournam ...

, and is currently tied for fifth place with

Estudiantes de la Plata ( lit. "La Plata Students"), simply referred to as Estudiantes de La Plata, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its histo ...

and Vélez Sársfield, all of which trail participation leaders

Boca Juniors Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its men's professional Association football, football team which, since its promotion in 1913 ...

, River Plate, Independiente, and

San Lorenzo de Almagro Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro is an Argentine professional sports club based in the Boedo neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its football team, which plays in the Primera División, the first tier of the Argentine foot ...

Decline and resurrection

After the 2010 Clausura, Rosario Central's poor form over the past three years forced it into a relegation/promotion play-off against Nacional B side

All Boys Club Atlético All Boys () is an Argentine sports club based in Floresta, Buenos Aires. The institution is mostly known for its association football, football team, which currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second division of the Arge ...

, which won the tie over two legs 4–1 on aggregate (defining the series with a thrashing 3–0 in Arroyito), relegating Rosario Central to

Primera B Nacional Primera Nacional (usually called simply Nacional B, (English "National B Division"), and known as Primera B Nacional until the 2019–20 season) is the second division of the Argentine football league system. The competition is made up of 38 team ...

, the second tier of Argentine football. It was the fourth time the club was relegated to play in the second division. Rosario Central spent several seasons in the B Nacional until 19 May 2013, when the squad secured the promotion to Primera División after beating

Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy Club Atlético Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy , (usually known as Gimnasia de Jujuy or just GEJ) is an Argentine sports club based in San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy Province. The club was founded in 1931 and is best known for its football team, whic ...

by 3–0. The three goals were scored by Javier Toledo. The team was coached by Miguel Ángel Russo.

The eleventh official title: the 2018 Copa Argentina.

In May 2018, the club saw the return of Edgardo Bauza as Central's coach in his second cycle.221 The coach stated that ‘I knew no other objective than to be champion with Central. ’. Edgardo Bauza led Rosario Central to the championship title after 23 years. In the Round of 32, the Auriazules faced

Juventud Antoniana Centro Juventud Antoniana is an Argentine football club from the city of Salta. The team currently plays in Torneo Regional Federal Amateur, the regionalised division of the Argentine football league system. Juventud Antoniana played in Primer ...

with a 6–0 win. Then, in both the Round of 16 and Round of 16, the Canalla drew both matches: the first goalless against

Talleres de Córdoba Club Atlético Talleres (; ), mostly known simply as Talleres ( in Rioplatense Spanish, Rioplatense accent and or in Cordobés Spanish, Cordobés accent; ), is an Football in Argentina, Argentine professional sports club based in the city of C ...

, advancing 5–3 on penalties. In the Round of 16, the Arroyito club drew 1–1 against Almagro and defeated them 5–4 on penalty kicks.224 In the quarter-finals, Central and Newell's played a new Rosario derby. As in 1969 and 1970, the 'Blue and yellows' again defeated their arch-rivals and advanced to the semi-finals with goals by Herrera and Zampedri, with Torres scoring the equaliser for Newell's.225 Central faced Temperley in the semi-finals. The match ended in a 1–1 draw after a goal by the light blue side in the last minutes of the match. However, ''Los Canallas'' eventually won on penalties 4-2, qualifying for their fourth Copa Argentina final.226 The cup final was played on 6 December at the Malvinas Argentinas stadium in Mendoza against

Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (; ''La Plata Gymnastics and Fencing Club''), also known simply as Gimnasia, is an Argentine professional sports club based in the city of La Plata, Buenos Aires Province. Founded in 1887 as "Club de Gimnasia ...

. In this final, both teams were looking to put an end to a streak of more than twenty years without silverware.227 Central won the first half with a goal by Zampedri, but in the second half Lorenzo Faravelli equalised. The tie remained equal throughout the ninety minutes, and a penalty shoot-out was forced. There, the Rosarinos scored four and Gimansia only one - previously one had been deflected and another had been saved by goalkeeper Jeremías Ledesma - to make Central champions of the Copa Argentina for the first time in their history. It also gave them qualification for the

2019 Copa Libertadores The 2019 Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores was the 60th edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL Libertadores (also referred to as the ''Copa Libertadores''), South America's premier club association football, football tournament organized by CONMEBOL. ...

and the 2018 Supercopa Argentina. Champion squad: Jeremías Ledesma,

Josué Ayala Josué Daniel Díaz Ayala (born 30 May 1988 in Buenos Aires), is an Argentine football goalkeeper, who currently plays for Sarmiento. Career Following the departure of goalkeeper Aldo Bobadilla in 2007, Ayala was promoted to the first team. Ay ...

, Miguel Barbieri, Matías Caruzzo, Óscar Cabezas,

Marcelo Ortiz Marcelo Damián Ortiz (born 13 January 1994) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Atlético Tucumán. Career Ortiz started off with Primera B Nacional's Boca Unidos, who loaned him out during the 2012–13 c ...

, Alfonso Parot, Elías Gómez, Gonzalo Bettini, Nahuel Gómez, Diego Arismendi, Leonardo Gil, Joaquín Pereyra,

Néstor Ortigoza Néstor Ezequiel "Johnny" Ortigoza (; born 7 October 1984) is a former professional footballer who last played as a midfielder for San Lorenzo de Almagro. Born in Argentina, he played for the Paraguay national team. Club career Ortigoza started ...

, Andrés Lioi, José Luis Fernández, Washington Camacho,

Federico Carrizo Federico Gastón Carrizo (born 17 May 1991, in Villa Giardino), commonly known as Pachi Carrizo, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Paraguayan Primera División club Cerro Porteño. Club career In 2014, Carriz ...

Maximiliano Lovera Maximiliano Alberto Lovera (born 9 March 1999) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a winger for Primera División club Rosario Central. Club career Rosario Central Lovera joined the Rosario Central senior squad for the 2016 ...

, Fernando Zampedri, Marco Ruben, Agustín Maziero and Germán Herrera. Manager: Edgardo Bauza

Miguel Angel Russo's return and the twelfth championship title: the Copa de la Liga 2023

On 19 December 2022, after Gonzalo Belloso won the presidential elections at Rosario Central, Miguel Ángel Russo was re-hired by the Rosario club to lead the team in the 2023 season, thus assuming his fifth cycle at the club, replacing Carlos Tévez. Miguel Russo arrived in January 2023 and was the champion coach with Central in December of that year. Under the experienced coach, Rosario Central had a very successful 2023: they were 8th in the first half of the year, and champions in the Professional League Cup 2023, played in the second half.231 In addition, the Auriazul team was the only team in the Primera División that did not lose at home in the whole calendar year, having made the Gigante de Arroyito a fortress. The champion's title (and also the accumulation of points in the Annual Table) allowed them to qualify for the

2024 Copa Libertadores The 2024 Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores was the 65th edition of the CONMEBOL Libertadores (also referred to as the ''Copa Libertadores''), South America's premier club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL. The competition began on 6 February an ...

. The second half of the year saw the 2023 Professional League Cup. The start of the tournament saw an inconsistent Central, winning home games but failing to win away. Everything started to improve on matchday 7, when the 'Auriazul' team defeated their classic rivals 1–0 at the

Estadio Gigante de Arroyito The Estadio Gigante de Arroyito () is a stadium in the city of Rosario, Santa Fe, Rosario, Argentina. It is owned by club Rosario Central, serving as home venue for association football, football matches. The Argentina national football team has p ...

, and from that victory against

, they did not know defeat for the rest of the championship. Finally, Central qualified for the playoffs on the last matchday of the regular phase, after defeating Arsenal 2–1 away. It finished in fourth place in its zone, and thus was able to fight for the championship. In the knockout rounds, the 'Canalla' went through beating big teams until they reached the definition for the title: they beat Racing Club in the quarter-finals on penalties (they had started 2-0, drew 2-2 and ended up winning on penalties). In the semis, they did the same against River Plate, in a tough 0–0 draw at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Córdoba, which was also decided by penalties, and showed Rosario goalkeeper Jorge Broun as the outstanding figure, saving 3 penalty kicks from the 12 steps. Finally, Rosario Central celebrated a new championship title at the Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades de

Santiago del Estero Santiago del Estero (, Spanish for ''Saint-James-Upon-The-Lagoon'') is the capital of Santiago del Estero Province in northern Argentina. It has a population of 252,192 inhabitants, () making it the twelfth largest city in the country, with a sur ...

, where more than 25,000 ''Canallas'' fans accompanied the team and filled the Santiago del Estero stadium with the illusion of a new title. In an even and hard-fought match, Rosario Central beat

Club Atlético Platense Club Atlético Platense is an Argentine sports club based in Florida, Buenos Aires. The club nickname is (Squid) after the journalist Palacio Zino said that the team moved "like a squid in its ink". Although the club hosts many activities, Pla ...

1–0 in the final with a beautiful goal by Maximiliano Lovera 39 minutes into the first half, and thus was able to crown the 12th official title in its history. Champion squad: Jorge Broun,

Axel Werner Axel Wilfredo Werner (born 28 February 1996) is an Argentine professional footballer as a goalkeeper for Rosario Central, on loan from Spanish club Elche CF. Club career Atlético Rafaela Born in Rafaela, Werner was an Atlético Rafaela youth g ...

, Valentino Quintero, Carlos Quintana,

Agustín Sández Gonzalo Agustín Sández (born 16 January 2001) is professional footballer currently playing as a left-back for Rosario Central. Born in Argentina, he plays for the Paraguay national team. Personal life Born in Argentina, Sández is of Paraguay ...

, Damián Martínez, Juan Cruz Komar, Facundo Mallo, Alan Rodríguez, Ulises Ciccioli, Ismael Cortéz,

Facundo Agüero Facundo Agüero (born 21 January 1995) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Independiente Santa Fe. Career Agüero had a period in the youth of Sportivo Independiente, which preceded his move to Instituto. Hi ...

, Kevin Silva, Fernando Rodríguez, Francis Mac Allister, Walter Montoya,

Agustín Toledo Agustín is a Spanish given name and sometimes a surname. It is related to Augustín. People with the name include: Given name * Agustín Adorni (born 1990), Argentine footballer * Agustín Allione (born 1994), Argentine footballer * Ag ...

, Ignacio Malcorra,

Jaminton Campaz Jaminton Leandro Campaz (born 24 May 2000) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Argentine Primera División club Rosario Central and the Colombia national team. Club career Campaz joined Campeonato Br ...

, Dannovi Quiñonez, Francesco Lo Celso, Lautaro Giaccone, Giovanni Bogado, Marcelo Acosta, Tomás O'Connor, Leandro Iglesias, Kevin Ortíz, Tobías Cervera,

, Octavio Bianchi, Juan Cruz Cerrudo, Luca Martínez Dupuy, Fabricio Oviedo, Agustín Módica. Manager: Miguel Ángel Russo

Uniform

Uniform evolution

;Notes

Kit manufacturers and jersey sponsors

Starting in 2025, all the clothing line is provided by

Le Coq Sportif Le Coq Sportif (, "the athletic rooster") is a French sportswear and sports equipment manufacturer based in Entzheim. Founded in 1882 by Émile Camuset, the brand first issued items branded with its now-famous rooster trademark in 1948. The com ...

Stadium

Rosario Central plays in the Gigante de Arroyito stadium, located in the confluence of Avellaneda Boulevard and Génova Avenue, in the

Lisandro de la Torre Lisandro de la Torre (6 December 1868 – 5 January 1939) was an Argentine politician, born in Rosario, Santa Fe. He was considered as a model of ethics in politics. He was a national deputy and senator, a prominent polemicist, and founder o ...

neighborhood (popularly known as ''Arroyito''), in north-east Rosario. It has an official capacity of 46,955 spectators. The stadium was one of the venues chosen for the

1978 FIFA World Cup The 1978 FIFA World Cup was the 11th edition of the FIFA World Cup, a Anniversary#Latin-derived numerical names, quadrennial international Association football, football world championship tournament among the men's senior national teams. It wa ...

. In that tournament, all three-second-round games of the

Argentine Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...

squad were played in the ''Gigante''. Local hero Kempes enjoyed the support of the fans and went on to become the top scorer of the tournament. Besides, the ''Gigante de Arroyito'' was one of the venues for the

1987 Copa América The 1987 Copa América was the 33rd edition of the Copa América, CONMEBOL's national team competition. It was the first Copa América under the new rotational hosting system. Argentina, as the first country alphabetically, hosted the tournament ...

, hosted by Argentina.

Nicknames

Central's common nickname is ''canallas'' ("rabble", "scoundrels", which is a rather mild insult in Argentina) because it is said that the club refused to play a charity match for a

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...

clinic in the 1920s; rival side Newell's acquired the ''leprosos'' (lepers) nickname when it did play in that event. Another version states that in 1928 the Central supporters burned down some canvas near the Club Belgrano stadium (which Central had a strong rivalry). When the Belgrano supporters saw that, they started to shout to them: "You're scoundrels! Scoundrels!". In January 2007,

Roberto Fontanarrosa Roberto Alfredo Fontanarrosa (November 26, 1944 – July 19, 2007), popularly known as ''El Negro'' Fontanarrosa, was an Argentine cartoonist, comics artist and writer. During his extended career, Fontanarrosa became one of the most acclaimed ...

a Rosario native and a devout fan of the club, created a logo that revised the definition and spelling of Central's nickname. The new spelling he gave was ''canaya'', because according to him, people from the city of Rosario use and pronounce the word with a "y" for the sole purpose of referring to the club fans. Central is also known as ''La Academia'' (like the fellow Argentine team Racing Club) due to the number of players that become professional from the youth teams; but also to the number of consecutive titles that the club won in the Rosario's League (at an amateur level), in comparison to what Racing Club did in the Buenos Aires' League.

Supporters

Rosario Central's supporters are considered one of the most significant of Argentina. The Newspaper Olé was published last 5 January 2008 by a recent study realized by the English magazine UK Football. The same one, published that a ranking with the 50 most vibrant supporters of the world. The results were the following ones: as first, Milan represents the supporters of the AC, then that of Real Madrid, and third that of the Galatasaray of Turkey. Between the Argentinians that of Rosario Central turns out to be like first in the position 14, second that of River Plate in the position 20, third turn out to be the supporters of Boca Juniors in 23, and fourth that of Racing Club in the place number 48. It is provided also with certain proper rituals, as being the " Throwing of Towel ", on 23 November in recognition to the party that Rosario Central imposed on his rival for 4 on 0 and this one was considered finished to 11 minutes of the second half, is known as the day of the abandonment, or the celebration of the " Day of the Friend Canaya ", which is celebrated on 19 July (date of death of Roberto Fontanarrosa) and the most important, the celebration of the Little dove of Poy, who celebrates all on 19 December in different cities of the world, raised an order so that between to the book Guinness as the most celebrated goal of the history

In popular culture

Rosario Central has featured in many films, books, songs and plays. The club has also featured on several occasions in prose.

's story ''19 de diciembre de 1971'' is about a fan who travels to Buenos Aires for a Semi-final match against Newell's Old Boys. Celebrity fans include Alberto "El Negro" Olmedo, Rita la Salvaje,

Libertad Lamarque Libertad Lamarque Bouza (; 24 November 1908 – 12 December 2000) was an Argentine and Mexican actress and singer, became one of the most iconic stars of the Golden Age of cinema in both Argentina and Mexico. She achieved fame throughout Latin A ...

, some writers such as

Osvaldo Bayer Osvaldo Bayer (18 February 1927 – 24 December 2018) was an Argentine writer and journalist. He lived in Buenos Aires. In 1974, during the presidency of Isabel Perón, he went into exile, residing in Linz am Rhein, Germany, throughout the Nationa ...

and Roberto Fontanarrosa, and some musicians as well as

Fito Páez Rodolfo Páez, popularly known as Fito Páez (; born 13 March 1963), is an Argentine rock and roll musician and filmmaker. He was member of the "Trova Rosarina" and is known as "The Troubadour of Argentine Rock", and is considered an important ...

, Juan Carlos Baglietto,

Joaquín Sabina Joaquín Ramón Martínez Sabina (born 12 February 1949) is a Spanish musician, singer, composer, and poet. His songs usually treat love, heartbreaks and society with significant use of literary figures as in the baroque-literature style. He ha ...

are all fans of the club. Some of the films in which Club Atlético Rosario Central plays a leading role are: "Un crimen argentino" (An Argentinean Crime) by director Lucas Combina, based on a true story that took place in 1980 in Rosario, written by the Rosario journalist and writer Reynaldo Sietecase, there are references to the championship won that year by Rosario Central, and to the semi-finals with Newell's Old Boys played in the aforementioned national tournament. There are also references to the fans of Central in the film released in 2001 called Rosarigasinos (named after a slang used by the proletarian and lumpen sectors of the city in the 1920s and 30s).

Ernesto "Che" Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...

, a major figure of the Cuban Revolution, was a Rosario Central fan.

Players

Current squad

Reserve squad

Out on loan

Individual records

Top scorers

;Notes

Current coaching staff

, - , Head coach , , Ariel Holan , - , Assistant coach , , Favio Fernández , - , Assistant coach , , Cristian Ferlauto , - , Assistant coach , , Javier Telechea , - , Fitness coach , , Alexis Olariaga , - , Fitness coach , , Miguel Quiroga , - , Goalkeeping coach , , David Oggero , - , Doctor , , Hernán Giuria , - , Doctor , , Carlos Buttó , - , Kinesiologist , , Eduardo Brienzo , - , Kinesiologist , , Leandro Arri , - , Kinesiologist , , Guillermo Sfalcini , - , Nutritionist , , Cecilia Delpupo , - , Nutritionist , , Jennifer Blati , - , Technical director , , Federico Lussenhoff , - , Performance analyst , , Alejo Berardi , - , Analyst , , Lisandro Vita , - , Technical secretary , , Gustavo Ricúpero , - , Security and kit man , , Jorge Cambiasso , - , Security and kit man , , Sergio Villareal , - , Security and kit man , , Héctor Cardozo , -

Former players

Managers

* György Orth (1945) * Hugo Bagnulo (1965) *

Manuel Giúdice Manuel Giúdice (15 July 1918 – 27 June 1983) was an Argentina, Argentine association football, football player and manager. He is mainly known for his successful managing spell at the helm of the Argentine powerhouse Club Atlético Inde ...

(1966) *

Omar Sívori Enrique Omar Sívori (, ; 2 October 1935 – 17 February 2005) was an Argentine-Italian Association football, football player and manager who played as a Forward (association football), forward. At club level, he is known for his successful tim ...

(1969–70) * Ángel Tulio Zof (1970–71) * Carlos Timoteo Griguol (1971), (1971) *

Ángel Labruna Ángel Amadeo Labruna (28 September 1918 – 19 September 1983) was an Argentine footballer and coach who played as a forward. With 323 goals scored in official matches, which include 294 league goals, Labruna is the 2nd all-time top scorer of ...

(1971–72) (won the 1971 Primera Division) * Ángel Tulio Zof (1972–73) * Carlos Timoteo Griguol (1973–75) (won the 1973 Primera Division) * José Ricardo De León (1975) * José María Silvero (1976) *

Alfio Basile Alfio "Coco" Basile (born 1 November 1943) is an Argentine football manager and former player. He played for Racing Club de Avellaneda and Huracán before becoming a manager. He coached many teams during his career, being most notable Racing Cl ...

(1976) * Carlos Timoteo Griguol (1977–78) * Ángel Tulio Zof (1979) * Roberto Saporiti (1980) * Ángel Tulio Zof (1980–82) (won the 1980 Primera Division) * Vicente Cayetano Rodríguez (1983) * Aurelio Pascuttini (1984) * Miguel Ángel López (1984) * Pedro Marchetta (1985) * Ángel Tulio Zof (1986–90) (won the 1986-87 Primera Division) * Carlos Aimar (1991) * Ángel Tulio Zof (1991) * Eduardo Solari (1992) * Carlos Aimar (1992) * Vicente Cantatore (1993) * Pedro Marchetta (1994-95) * Ángel Tulio Zof (1995–97) (won the 1995 Copa Conmebol) * Miguel Ángel Russo (1997–98) * Edgardo Bauza (1998–01) *

Juan José López Juan José "J. J." López, (born October 31, 1950) is an Argentine football manager and former player, who played as a midfielder. López spent the most part of his career in River Plate, where he won 7 titles. With Argentinos Juniors, where he ...

(2001–02) *

César Luis Menotti César Luis Menotti (; 22 October 1938 – 5 May 2024), known as ''El Flaco'' ("Slim"), was an Argentine association football, football player and Manager (association football), manager who won the 1978 FIFA World Cup as the head coach of the ...

(July 1, 2002 – 15 Nov 2) * Miguel Ángel Russo (2002–04) * Hugo Galloni (2004) *

Víctor Púa Víctor Haroldo Púa Sosa (born 31 May 1956 in Paso de los Toros) is an Uruguayan former football player and football manager who currently serves as an academy manager for Peñarol. Career He coached the Uruguay U-20 national team, finishing ...

(July 1, 2004 – 23 Aug 4) * Ángel Tulio Zof (2004), (2005), (2005–06) * Hugo Galloni (2006) * Carlos Ischia (March 26, 2007 – 23 Oct 7) *

Leonardo Madelón Leonardo Carol Madelón (born 25 January 1963) is an Argentine football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the current manager of Unión de Santa Fe. Career Madelón played club football for San Lorenzo, Unión de Sant ...

(July 1, 2007 – 30 June 8) * Pablo Sánchez (July 1, 2008 – 5 Oct 8) * Gustavo Alfaro (Oct 10, 2008 – 2 March 9) *

Reinaldo Merlo Reinaldo Carlos Merlo (born 20 May 1950) is an Argentine association football, football coach and former player, who played as a midfielder. Playing career Known as ''Mostaza'' (mustard) because of his off-blond hair, Merlo played his entire ca ...

(March 2, 2009 – 14 May 9) * Miguel Ángel Russo (April 17, 2009 – 13 July 2009) *

(March 28, 2010 – 30 June 10) *

(July 5, 2010 – 24 Oct 10) * Héctor Rivoira (Oct 24, 2010 – 28 March 11) * Omar Palma (March 29, 2011 – 30 June 11) * Juan Antonio Pizzi (July 1, 2011 – 5 July 12) * Miguel Ángel Russo (6 July 2012–14) * Hugo Galloni (2014) * Eduardo Coudet (2015–2016) *

Paolo Montero Rónald Paolo Montero Iglesias (born 3 September 1971) is a Uruguayan football manager and former player, who played as a central defender or left-back. Montero began his career in Uruguay with Peñarol in 1990 before moving to Italian side Ata ...

(2017) * Leonardo Fernández (2017–2018) * Edgardo Bauza (2018–2019) (won the 2018 Copa Argentina) *

Diego Cocca Diego Martín Cocca (born 11 February 1972) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player who played as a right-back. He is the current manager of Talleres. Playing career Club Cocca started his career with River Plate in 1 ...

(2019–2020) *

Kily González Cristian Alberto 'Kily' González Peret (born 4 August 1974) is an Argentine football manager and former professional player who played mainly as a left winger. He started his career with Rosario Central, which he would represent in three diff ...

(2020–2022) *

Carlos Tevez Carlos Alberto Tevez (; né Martínez; born 5 February 1984) is an Argentine professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player. A dynamic forward (association football), forward in his prime, Tevez ...

(2022) * Miguel Ángel Russo (2023–2024) (won the 2023 Copa de la Liga) * Matías Lequi (2024) * Ariel Holan (2024-present)

Honours

Senior titles

Other titles

Titles won in lower divisions: *

: 2012–13 * Primera División B (3): 1942, 1951, 1985

Regional

* Liga Rosarina ** Copa Nicasio Vila (10): 1908, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1930 ** Copa Damas de Caridad (4): 1910, 1914, 1915, 1916 ** Copa Estímulo (1): 1922 * Federación Rosarina (1): 1913 * Asociación Amateurs Rosarina (2): 1920, 1921 * Asociación Rosarina de Fútbol ** Torneo Luciano Molinas (2): 1937, 1938 ** Torneo Preparación (1): 1936 ** Torneo Hermenegildo Ivancich (1): 1937 *Federación Santafersina de Fútbol **Copa Santa Fe (1): 2017 ;Notes:

References

External links

*
de Rosario y de Central
{{Authority control Association football clubs established in 1889 Basketball teams in Argentina 1889 establishments in Argentina Football clubs in Rosario, Santa Fe Sports clubs and teams in Rosario, Santa Fe Field hockey clubs in Rosario, Santa Fe Railway association football teams in Argentina Copa CONMEBOL winning clubs 1889 in Argentine sport