Fortaleza C.E.I.F.
Full nameFortaleza C.E.I.F. Fútbol Club
Nickname(s)Forta
Rey del Twitter (King of Twitter)
Los Amix[1] (The Friends)
Founded15 November 2010; 13 years ago (2010-11-15)
GroundEstadio Metropolitano de Techo
Capacity8,000
ChairmanCarlos Barato
ManagerSebastián Oliveros
LeagueCategoría Primera A
2023Primera B, 1st of 16 (promoted)
WebsiteClub website

Fortaleza C.E.I.F. is a professional Colombian football team based in Bogotá, currently playing in the Categoría Primera A, the top tier of Colombian football. The team has been promoted to the Categoría Primera A thrice, in 2013, 2015 and 2023. From 2018 to 2020, they played their home games at the Estadio Municipal de Cota,[2] moving afterwards to the Estadio Metropolitano de Techo in Bogotá.

History

The club was founded on 15 November 2010[3] as Fortaleza F.C., based in the municipality of Soacha. The club joined the Categoría Primera B after buying the licence of the recently dissolved club Atlético Juventud.[4]

In the 2013 Primera B season, the team was champion of the Finalización tournament, allowing them play the finals against Uniautónoma. The team lost the title, losing the home match with a 0–2 score, and drawing 1–1 in the away match. However, the team was promoted to the Primera A after winning against Cúcuta Deportivo in the Promotion/relegation playoff with a 2–1 global score.

Fortaleza was relegated after its first year in the Primera A. The club ranked 16th in the Apertura tournament and 13th in the Finalización tournament, being the worst team in the Relegation table.

In 2015, the club was renamed Fortaleza C.E.I.F. after merging with the amateur football club C.E.I.F. (Centro de Entrenamiento Integrado para el Fútbol), founded in 2008.[5] That season, the club was promoted after reaching the finals, however they lost the title against Atlético Bucaramanga with a 0–2 aggregate score. Fortaleza's second spell in the top flight also lasted one season, sealing their relegation back to Primera B with three matches to go after losing to Patriotas on 22 October 2016.[6]

After two seasons of mid-table performances, Fortaleza found themselves contending for promotion in the 2019 Primera B season, in which they made it to the Torneo II semi-finals but were knocked out at that stage by the eventual runners-up Boyacá Chicó,[7] and were a serious contender in the final tournament of the 2021 season. They advanced to the semi-finals after placing fourth in the first stage, and were leading their group with 10 points prior to the final matchday. Fortaleza needed to hold on to the top spot in order to achieve promotion, which they would manage by avoiding defeat against Bogotá, while at the same time Llaneros and Unión Magdalena were playing their match in Villavicencio, with the latter side having a chance at promotion if they won and Fortaleza lost their match. Despite losing their match to Bogotá, Fortaleza were promoting to Primera A since Llaneros were winning their game, however, two goals scored by Unión Magdalena in stoppage time ended Fortaleza's promotion chances and triggered a match-fixing inquiry.[8][9] Although Fortaleza officially requested to get the match played in Villavicencio annulled and Unión Magdalena's promotion reversed,[10] the inquiry failed to find any irregularity.

Fortaleza returned to Primera A at the end of the 2023 Primera B season, sealing promotion after defeating Cúcuta Deportivo in the Torneo II finals and securing the top spot in the season's aggregate table.[11] They eventually ended as season runners-up after losing the grand final to Patriotas.[12]

Honours

Current squad

As of 11 February 2024[13]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Colombia COL Juan Diego Castillo
3 DF Colombia COL Daniel Rivera (captain)
4 DF Colombia COL Juan Pertúz
6 MF Colombia COL Yesid Díaz
7 MF Colombia COL José Luis García
8 MF Colombia COL Kevin Padilla (on loan from Junior)
9 FW Colombia COL Jesús Arrieta
10 MF Colombia COL Sebastián Navarro
11 MF Colombia COL Nicolás Rodríguez
12 GK Colombia COL Jordan García
13 MF Colombia COL Ronaldo Pájaro
14 MF Colombia COL Leonardo Pico
16 DF Colombia COL César Hinestroza
17 MF Colombia COL Adrián Balanta
18 MF Colombia COL Hayen Palacios
19 DF Colombia COL Alejandro Moralez (on loan from Santa Fe)
20 DF Colombia COL Daniel Viáfara
21 DF Colombia COL Cristian Berrío
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 GK Colombia COL Michael Barragán
23 DF Colombia COL Juan José Guevara
24 FW Colombia COL Jhonier Salas
26 DF Panama PAN Iván Anderson
27 FW Colombia COL Yeiner Londoño
28 MF Colombia COL José Guzmán
30 FW Colombia COL Adrián Parra
32 FW Colombia COL Roger Andretty Murillo
33 DF Colombia COL Joyce Ossa (on loan from América de Cali)
80 DF Colombia COL Juan Camilo Castillo
— GK Colombia COL Marlon Flórez
— DF Colombia COL José Ampudia
— DF Colombia COL Jonathan Herrera
— MF Colombia COL Jerónimo Barrera
— MF Colombia COL Kevin Castro
— MF Colombia COL Johan Hinestroza
— MF Colombia COL Jeirye Hurtado
— FW Colombia COL Jorge Rivaldo

Managers

Source: Worldfootball.net

See also

References

  1. ^ "Fortaleza es de la A: los 'Amix' vencieron al Cúcuta" [Fortaleza belongs to the A: the Friends beat Cúcuta] (in Spanish). El Deportivo. 18 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Fortaleza FC cambia de sede y técnico – Código Fútbol". Archived from the original on 2018-02-10. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2016-05-28.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "Soacha volverá a tener fútbol profesional, con Fortaleza FC". Archived from the original on 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
  5. ^ "DIMAYOR | División Mayor del Fútbol Colombiano". Archived from the original on 2015-09-29. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
  6. ^ "Fortaleza cae ante Patriotas y sentencia su regreso a la segunda división" [Fortaleza go down against Patriotas and seal their relegation to the second division] (in Spanish). Caracol Radio. 22 October 2016. Archived from the original on 27 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Un sueño llamado ascenso: Boyacá Chicó certificó su paso a la final" [A dream called promotion: Boyacá Chicó certified their passage to the final] (in Spanish). Futbolred. 16 November 2019. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Fortaleza reviviría una de sus pesadillas: así fue como le habrían "robado" el ascenso en 2021" [Fortaleza would relive one of their nightmares: this is how they would have been "robbed" of promotion in 2021] (in Spanish). Infobae. 6 November 2023. Archived from the original on 27 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Match-fixing inquiry ordered after bizarre Colombian match between Llaneros, Union Magdalena". ESPN. 6 December 2023. Archived from the original on 27 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Carlos Barato, presidente de Fortaleza: "Solicitamos la nulidad de Unión Magdalena vs Llaneros"" [Carlos Barato, Fortaleza's chairman: "We request the nullity of Unión Magdalena vs Llaneros"] (in Spanish). Gol Caracol. 6 December 2021. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Fortaleza vence a Cúcuta y asegura su ascenso a primera división" [Fortaleza beat Cúcuta and secure their promotion to first division] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Patriotas se corona campeón del torneo de ascenso y regresa a la primera división" [Patriotas are crowned champions of the promotion tournament and return to the first division] (in Spanish). Caracol Radio. 29 November 2023. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  13. ^ "FORTALEZA C.E.I.F". Dimayor.com.co. División Mayor del Fútbol Colombiano. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Soacha volverá a tener fútbol profesional, con Fortaleza FC". Archived from the original on 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
  15. ^ "Hernán Pacheco es el nuevo técnico de Fortaleza Fútbol Club".

External links

Categoría Primera A (Liga BetPlay Dimayor)
Categories