Clásico Regiomontano
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The Clásico Regiomontano, Clásico Regio, Clásico del Norte or Clásico Norteño is a
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 ...
derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...
in
Nuevo León Nuevo León, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León, is a Administrative divisions of Mexico, state in northeastern Mexico. The state borders the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí, San Luis ...
,
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, between crosstown
rival A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
teams
C.F. Monterrey Club de Fútbol Monterrey Rayados, A.C., simply known as Monterrey or by its nickname Rayados, is a Mexican professional association football, football club based in the Monterrey metropolitan area, Nuevo León, that plays in Liga MX, the top d ...
and
Tigres UANL Club Tigres de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, abbreviated as Tigres UANL and simply known as Tigres or internationally as Tigres de México, is a Mexican professional Association football, football club based in the Monterrey metropo ...
. Since the first Clásico in 1974, the two teams have competed over 100 times for bragging rights and city honour. It is known for being one of the most intensely competed derbies in Mexican football, even being regarded by people in the state of
Nuevo León Nuevo León, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León, is a Administrative divisions of Mexico, state in northeastern Mexico. The state borders the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí, San Luis ...
and Northern Mexico as the most important Mexican derby. The match is the biggest game of the season in Nuevo León, and every year, fans wait in line for days outside the stadium just to get tickets, which are often priced at two or three times their regular value. Historically, and thanks to its founders, Monterrey has been associated with the Monterrey-born society of the city; however, today its fans bring together people of all walks of life. Tigres, nicknamed locally as "the people's team," was associated with the working classes; however, today, its supporters include prominent businessmen and politicians from Nuevo León. Paradoxically, in the state's poorest neighborhoods, Monterrey has a large following, just as in the more affluent neighborhoods, there is a significant presence of Tigres fans. In August 2018,
Monterrey Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...
and Tigres had the most expensive squads in
Liga MX Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divis ...
.


History

The first Clásico Regio was actually played in the Second Division of Mexican professional football. In the 1959-1960 season, the Jabatos de Nuevo León team changed its name for the second round, becoming the Tigres del Universitario de Nuevo León. On the penultimate matchday of the championship, March 13, 1960, the two teams met for the first time. The match has been dubbed by some sports media as the "clásico 0." ''Rayados'' won that first encounter 2-0. The next meeting between these rivals would not be until 1974, when both clubs were already in the First Division, where they tied 3-3. In 1978, the
Mexican Football Federation The Mexican Football Federation (), abbreviated as FMF is the official governing body of football in Mexico. It administers the men's and women's national teams with all its youth teams, the national teams of futsal and beach soccer, Liga MX wit ...
(FMF) organized the Nuevos Valores tournament, in which participating clubs were required to field at least five youth-team players or debutants, although neither complied with the rule. Monterrey and Tigres shared a group and faced each other twice in July of that year, with the ''Rayados'' winning both matches but not the tournament itself, as
Leones Negros UdeG Club Deportivo Leones Negros de la Universidad de Guadalajara, abbreviated and simply known as Leones Negros UdeG, is a Mexican professional football club based in Guadalajara, Jalisco, that currently plays in Liga de Expansión MX, the second l ...
was the tournament champion. The twelfth Clásico was also the first time the two teams faced each other in the knockout phase; the 1978-79 season's playoffs were played using a group elimination system, with the top eight teams in the league divided into two groups of four, with the leader of each group contesting the final. Tigres were placed in Group 2, along with
Pumas UNAM Club Universidad Nacional, A.C., simply known as Pumas UNAM, is a professional football club based in Mexico City. The club competes in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Founded in 1954 as Club Deportivo Universidad, and they play ...
and
Zacatepec Zacatepec Fútbol Club is a Mexican professional football club based in Zacatepec, Morelos, that competes in Liga Premier, the third level division of Mexican football. Founded in 1948 as Club Social y Deportivo Zacatepec by workers of the Me ...
. In the first leg played on June 6, 1979, at the Estadio Universitario, Tigres claimed a narrow victory. In the next Clásico on June 16, 1979, the two teams tied with goals from Raúl Isiordia for Monterrey and Gerónimo Barbadillo for Tigres. Although Tigres shared first place in the group with Pumas UNAM, the latter advanced to the final on goal difference. On September 17, 1983, in a match corresponding to the 22nd round of the 1982-83 season, Monterrey would win with a score of 2-0 over Tigres, ending an unbeaten streak of thirteen consecutive classics without winning that began in 1978. It was the longest unbeaten streak in the history of the rivalry until 1997, when ''Rayados'' reached that mark with the same number of editions of the classic without losing. On March 24, 1996, during the 1995-96 season, one of the most memorable matches of this rivalry took place, in which Monterrey defeated Tigres with a score of 2-1, leaving them with no chance of staying in the First Division, so the match was popularly known as the ''Clásico del Descenso''. Outside of the sporting arena, the match also gained notoriety when the song " Non c'è" by Italian singer
Laura Pausini Laura Pausini (; born 16 May 1974) is an Italian Pop music, pop singer. She rose to fame in 1993, winning the newcomer artists' section of the Sanremo Music Festival 1993, 43rd Sanremo Music Festival with the song "La solitudine", which becam ...
was sung in the stadium while sports commentator Roberto Hernández Jr. regretting the defeat of Tigres. In mid-1997, Tigres, who had regained their place in the First Division, faced Monterrey on Matchday 10 of the Invierno tournament on July 19 of that year. They won the match 3-2, not only avenging their defeat from the previous year but also breaking a streak of thirteen consecutive Clásicos without a win. On February 26, 2000, Tigres won 3-6 at ''Rayados Estadio Tecnológico in a match corresponding to the seventh round of the Verano tournament. However, the off-field controversy arose when the score was annulled due to the visiting team fielding Brazilian player Donizete Pantera, whose contract had been compromised. The match was replayed on April 5, ending in a goalless draw. In 2003, after winning their respective matches in the
Clausura The ' () and ' () tournaments is a split season format for Spanish-speaking sports leagues. It is a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional association football season from August to May is ...
playoffs quarterfinals, the two clubs met in the semifinals, their first meeting in this phase since the introduction of short tournaments in Mexican football. In the first leg on June 4, ''Rayados'' achieved a historic victory as the visiting team, winning 4-1; three days later in the second leg, Tigres returned the favor by defeating their bitter rivals 2-1 at the Tecnológico. This proved to be insufficient, as the aggregate score ended 5-3 in favor of Monterrey, who later went on to claim their second league title by defeating Monarcas Morelia. A year after the playoffs, on August 26, 2004, the most lopsided result to date in the Clásicos would occur, with Tigres making the most of their home advantage by winning 6-2 in the second round of the
Apertura The ' () and ' () tournaments is a split season format for Spanish-speaking sports leagues. It is a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional association football season from August to May is ...
tournament. Initially, Monterrey was affected by the result, although they would later finish second in the league in that same tournament against
Pumas UNAM Club Universidad Nacional, A.C., simply known as Pumas UNAM, is a professional football club based in Mexico City. The club competes in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Founded in 1954 as Club Deportivo Universidad, and they play ...
. The 2005 Apertura tournament would see a series of classics in the playoff phase for the second time, again in the semifinal round. On December 7, 2005, in the first leg, Tigres won 1-0; and three days later, Monterrey won 2-1 thanks to a famous header from striker Guillermo Franco. Despite the aggregate draw, ''Rayados'' advanced to the final thanks to their superior position in the standings, although, as in December, they finished runner-up after losing to Deportivo Toluca 6-3 on aggregate. In 2013, the two clubs met for the third time in playoff matches, but the first time in the quarterfinals in Clausura tournament. This time, Tigres came in as the overall leader with 30 points and the team with the best defense (they had conceded only 14 goals in 17 matches), while Monterrey barely made it in despite finishing ninth with the same number of goals scored and conceded (22). Technically, they were out of the playoff, but following the relegation of Querétaro (eighth place), it was decided to award that team's spot to ''Rayados''. On May 8, in the first leg, Monterrey won 1-0 at home, and after a 1-1 draw in the second leg following an infamous own goal by Tigres player Israel Jiménez, they reached the semifinals, where they were eliminated by Club América. In October 2013, Monterrey and Tigres faced each other in a knockout match in the
Copa MX Copa MX, also known as Copa Corona MX for sponsorship reasons, was an association football competition in Mexico and the domestic cup tournament for clubs at the highest and second levels of Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Copa ...
held at the Tecnológico. In the first half, the ''felines'' led 2-0 with goals from Emanuel Villa and
Juninho Juninho, Portuguese for "little Junior", is a common nickname in Brazil for those whose full name includes Júnior. It is often combined with an epithet, sometimes a demonym (a word derived from their place of origin). The following association foo ...
, but Monterrey was able to react in the second half with a pair of goals from César Delgado and Luis Madrigal. With the score tied 2-2, the match went to a
penalty shootout 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 ...
, where Monterrey ended up winning, converting all of their shots while Tigres missed two of theirs, eliminating them from another tournament in less than six months. On March 5, 2016, in the Clausura tournament, Monterrey defeated Tigres 1-0 in what was the first Clásico Regio played at the new Estadio BBVA Bancomer on March 5. Later in the same tournament, the two teams met in the quarterfinals, and both triumphed as visitors (Monterrey winning 3-1 at the ''Volcan'' and Tigres winning 2-1 at the BBVA); the score was 4-3 in favor of Monterrey, who advanced to the final, where they finished runner-up after losing to Club Pachuca. Throughout 2017, both Tigres and Monterrey demonstrated their enormous progress in both their structural and footballing aspects, with signings and results they hadn't been used to in previous years, such as facing each other in the playoffs of the two annual short tournaments. In the Clausura, Tigres easily defeated Monterrey in the quarterfinals after defeating them 4-1 in the first leg and 2-0 in the second leg. French forward
André-Pierre Gignac André-Pierre Christian Gignac (born 5 December 1985) is a French professional footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward. Gignac began his career in his home Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône, playi ...
's performance stood out, scoring four of his six goals, resulting in Tigres exacting revenge for their previous eliminations at the hands of their direct rival. However, they finished runners-up after failing to defeat
Club Deportivo Guadalajara Club Deportivo Guadalajara S.A de C.V. (;), nicknamed ''"Chivas"'' () and simply known as Guadalajara or internationally as Chivas de Guadalajara, is a Mexican professional football club based in the Guadalajara metropolitan area, Jalisco. It c ...
in the final. In the Apertura, the two teams met for the first time in a Liga MX final. After a 1-1 draw in the first leg on December 7, Tigres defeated Monterrey in the second leg on December 10 with goals from Eduardo Vargas and Francisco Meza. The latter result gave Tigres their sixth title in their history. 2019 would be a historic year for Nuevo León football, as it was not only the first time that Tigres (winning the final against
Club León Club León is a Mexican professional Association football, football club based in León, Guanajuato, León, Guanajuato, that competes in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football league system, Mexican football. The club was founded in 1944 ...
in the Clausura tournament) and Monterrey (winning the final against
Club América Club de Fútbol América S.A. de C.V., commonly known as Club América, is a professional association football, football club based in Mexico City. Nicknamed ''Las Águilas'' (The Eagles), it competes in Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican football ...
in the Apertura tournament) were the champions of the annual tournaments, but they would also face each other in another final, this time in the
CONCACAF Champions League The CONCACAF Champions Cup, formerly known as CONCACAF Champions League (2008–2023), is an international association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for clubs from North America, Central America, ...
. In the first leg held on April 24, 2019, at the ''Volcán'', Monterrey achieved a solid 1-0 victory with a goal by Argentine midfielder Nicolás Sánchez. The return match took place on May 1, 2019, at the BBVA Bancomer. Although it ended in a 1-1 draw, the aggregate score favored the ''Rayados'', earning their fourth international tile and avenging their previous final loss. In the 2023 Clausura tournament, both clubs faced each other in the semifinals between May 17 and 20 of that year, which ended with a 1-1 draw in the first leg and a 1-1 victory for Tigres in the second leg, resulting in a 2-1 aggregate score. In the final, Tigres faced
Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
in a rematch of the 2017 final, although this time they managed to win with an incredible '' remontada''. In the
Leagues Cup The Leagues Cup is an annual soccer competition between clubs from Major League Soccer (MLS), the main soccer league in the United States, and Liga MX, the main soccer league in Mexico. It is hosted in Canada and the United States. It began in ...
tournament, which brings together clubs from Liga MX and
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
, the two teams met in the
round of 16 A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...
. The match was also the first Clásico Regio to be played in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
since 2007. With a last-minute penalty kick converted by Spanish forward
Sergio Canales Sergio Canales Madrazo (; born 16 February 1991) is a Spanish professional Association football, footballer who plays as an Midfielder#Attacking midfielder, attacking midfielder for Liga MX club C.F. Monterrey, Monterrey. After starting out at ...
, Monterrey won 1-0.


Team summaries


Notable players


Most appearances

*32, Nahuel Guzmán and
André-Pierre Gignac André-Pierre Christian Gignac (born 5 December 1985) is a French professional footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward. Gignac began his career in his home Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône, playi ...
, Tigres players with the most Clásicos played and the whole derby. *31, Jesús Arellano, Monterrey player with the most Clásicos played.


Most goals

*14,
André-Pierre Gignac André-Pierre Christian Gignac (born 5 December 1985) is a French professional footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward. Gignac began his career in his home Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône, playi ...
, leading goalscorer for Tigres and the whole derby. *11, Mario de Souza Mota "Bahía", leading goalscorer for Monterrey. *8, Walter Gaitán"Pega duro el Tigre"
(In Spanish; Requires Subscription), '' El Norte'', "El argentino (Gaitán) liquidó a los Rayados, al anotar su octavo gol en el Clásico Regio, para empatar al chileno Claudio "El Diablo" Núñez como mejor anotador felino en la historia del duelo."
*8, Claudio Nuñez


Other famous players

* Luis "El Matador" Hernandez, the first player to have scored with both teams, first with Monterrey. * Sebastián "El Loco" Abreu, the first foreign player (born 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 ...
) to have scored with both teams, first with Rayados and most known in Rayados. * Gaston Fernandez, the second foreign player (born in
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
) to have scored with both teams, first with Rayados. * Aldo de Nigris, the first player to have scored first with Tigres in a derby and then with Rayados. He is also the first player that was born in the city of Monterrey to score for both teams. * Luis Rodríguez, the first player ever to become champion with both teams. ''Chaka'' first became champion of
Liga MX Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divis ...
with Monterrey in 2010 with few games played. With Tigres has won
Liga MX Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divis ...
in 2016 and 2017.


Notable managers

* Carlos Miloc, managed Tigres and never lost an official Clásico Regiomontano for a total of 13 undefeated games * Victor Manuel Vucetich, managed both teams, having two stints with Tigres to varying degrees of success. With Tigres, he won the Copa Mexico in '96 but was relegated from the Liga MX that season. With Monterrey, he won the Liga MX twice and the
CONCACAF Champions League The CONCACAF Champions Cup, formerly known as CONCACAF Champions League (2008–2023), is an international association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for clubs from North America, Central America, ...
thrice. *
Ricardo Ferretti Ricardo Ferretti de Oliveira (born 22 February 1954), also known as Tuca, is a Brazilian-Mexican professional football manager and former player who currently works for ESPN Deportes and ESPN Mexico as an analyst. As a player, Ferretti was ...
, “El Tuca”, former player for Monterrey in the 86–87 season, and former manager of Tigres in three different periods: 2000–2003, 2006 and 2010–2021. His third tenureship has been his most successful winning five Liga MX titles (Apertura 2011, Apertura 2015, Apertura 2016, Apertura 2017 and Clausura 2019) and three campeón de campeones titles (2016, 2017, 2018) * Antonio Mohamed, “El Turco”, former player and manager for Monterrey, known for his large frame, spiked blond hair, and for winning a Liga MX and two Copa MX titles with Monterrey. It was under Mohamed that Monterrey got to play the first Clasico Regio as a competition final against a Tigres team led by Ferretti.


See also

* Clásico Regiomontano Femenil *
List of sports rivalries A sports rivalry is intense competition between athletic teams or athletes, affecting participants, management, and supporters all to varying degrees. One of the first known sports rivalries occurred in the Roman Empire between the Blues and the ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clasico Regiomontano Football rivalries in Mexico Tigres UANL C.F. Monterrey 1974 establishments in Mexico