Alianza F.c.

Founded in 1958, Alianza was almost immediately successful, winning its first championships in the 1966 and 1967 Salvadoran seasons. Even more significantly, Alianza was the first Central American and Salvadoran club to win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in 1967, and is currently one of only three Salvadoran teams to have done so.

Alianza

Full name	Alianza Fútbol Club
Nickname(s)	Los Paquidermos (The Bachyderms) Los Elefantes Blancos (The White Elephants) Los Albos (The Whites) El Mimado de la Capital (The Capital's Pampered Team) La Orquesta Alba (The White Orchestra)
Founded	12 October 1958; 65 years ago (1958-10-12) (as Atlético La Constancia)
Ground	Estadio Cuscatlán
Capacity	53,400
Chairman	Adolfo Salume
Manager	Eduardo Lara
League	Primera División
2022 Clausura	Overall: 1st Playoffs: Champions
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

The beginning

Atlético La Constancia was formed in 1958 by a group of workers in San Salvador. Although small in terms of financial status, they were able to reach the Liga de Ascenso (second division) final in 1958. They lost 2–0 in a two legged series against Águila. The club, however, purchased a spot in the first division at the expense of Once Municipal. This enabled them to gain the sponsorship of the Intercontinental Hotel and its president, Peruvian Axel Hochkoeppler.

Because of Hochkoeppler's support, Alianza FC president Enrique Sol Meza decided to name the club Alianza FC in honor of Alianza Lima. Hernán Vivanco joined the club as the coach and began getting the players to play an exciting style of football. That style and a strong advertising campaign quickly won over the support of the population of San Salvador. Before long, Alianza was surpassing Juventud Olímpica as the nation's most popular club.

One of Alianza's greatest triumphs happened in 1966, when they defeated a Santos side that included the great Pelé. The win took place at the Estadio Nacional Flor Blanc, and featured the efforts of loaned Argentines Dante Juárez, Juan Verón and Santiago, all on loan at the time.

Orquesta Blanca

1966 was also the year that Alianza won its first tile. Due to the cohesion and speed with which Hernán Carrasco had the team playing, Alianza became known as La Orquesta Alba (the Dawn Orchestra). The team was made up of many great players, including Edgar "Pata Gorda" Morales, Roberto "La Burra" Rivas, Alberto "Pechuga" Villalta, Raúl "Araña" Magaña, Guido Alvarado, Salvador Mariona, Mario Monge, Luis "Cascarita" Tapia, Miguel "El Chueco" Hermosilla, Ricardo Sepúlveda and Jorge "El Conejo" Liévano.

The team won fifteen straight matches on their way to the league championship, where they defeated Águila 2–1. Goals were scored by Hermosilla and Mario Monge. In all, "La Orquesta Alba" outscored their opponents eighty-three to thirty-nine and won twenty of their thirty-six matches.

The club repeated as champions in 1967, defeating Sonsonate FC 5–1 in the finals. They then went on to become the first El Salvadoran club to win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, defeating Jong Colombia over a three-leg series. Alianza lost the first leg, but won the second to force a replay. They prevailed 5–3, with Tapia and Flores scoring twice each.

Decline and title drought

After the 1967 title, members of the Orquestra began retiring. Players like Brazilian internationals Camargo, Taneses and Nilton Rodarte, Peruvian international Fernando Alva, Uruguayan international Julio César "El Pocho" Cortés, Chilean international Hugo Ottensen came through the ranks. So too did domestic players including Miguel "La Mica" González, Herbert Machón, "Míchel" Cornejo, Armando Cortez Sandoval, Jaime "Samba" Saravia, Roberto "El Cuchillo" Guerra, Jaime "La Chelona" Rodríguez and Carlos "El Cacho" Meléndez. However, the 1970s were less successful than the 1960s.

They reached the playoff finals four times (1971, 1973, 1975–76, and 1978–79) but finished runner-up each time. Then, after a string of disappointing seasons, the club came out of the wilderness to challenge for the title in 1985. However, they would be runners-up again, losing 5–2 to city rivals Atlético Marte.

Title success

In 1986, the title drought finally ended. Ricardo Sepúlveda, a member of "The Orquesta Alba", returned to the club as a manager and led them to their third championship and first in twenty years. The championship match pitted Alianza against Águila, and it ended 0–0 after extra time. The game went to penalties, and Alianza won 3–1, with Carlos Reyes scoring the decisive goal. A corner had been turned.

The brilliance of Chilean Raúl Toro powered Alianza to a fourth title in 1989; he scored the winning goal in the final against Luis Ángel Firpo. 1993–94 saw a fifth crown, as the Uruguayan Gustavo Faral managed the club to a 2–1 championship win over FAS.

1997 saw Alianza win its second international championship, when they defeated Deportivo Saprissa from Costa Rica to win the UNCAF Club Championship. The management of technician Juan Carlos Masnik and the heroic efforts of players such as Horacio Lugo, Marcelo Bauza, Uruguayan Alejandro Curbelo and Adrián de la Cruz powered the team to two more titles soon after.

The Invincibles

Alianza went through the Apertura 2017 season undefeated, becoming the first Salvadoran side to achieve such a feat. Their 4–1 win over Santa Tecla in the final was the icing on the cake, and saw a double from Rodolfo Zelaya, plus strikes from league leading goalscorer Gustavo Guerreño, and midfielder Marvin Monterrosa.[1]

Domestic honours

• Primera División
  • Winners (17): 1965–66, 1966–67, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1996–97, Apertura 1998, Apertura 2001, Clausura 2004, Clausura 2011, Apertura 2015, Apertura 2017, Clausura 2018, Apertura 2019, Apertura 2020, Apertura 2021, Clausura 2022
• Copa Presidente
  • Winners (1): 1966

International honours

• CONCACAF Champions' Cup
  • Winners (1): 1967
• UNCAF Club Championship
  • Winners (1): 1997
  • Runner-up (1): 1980

Friendly tournament

• Copa Acción Cívica
  • 1966
• Copa Santa Ana
  • 1977
• Copa Roberto "Burra" Rivas
  • 2015

 

TBD holds the record for most Alianza appearances, having played TBD first-team matches from Year to Year. TBD comes second with 725 appearances. The record for a goalkeeper is held by TBD, with 000 appearances. With 000 caps (000 while at the club), TBD is Alianza's most capped international player.

Rodolfo Zelaya is Alianza's all-time top goalscorer, with 154 goals. Six other players have also scored over 100 goals for Alianza: TBD (1953–64), TBD (1971–88), TBD (1958–66), TBD (1985–92), TBD (2009–current) and the previous goalscoring record-holder TBD (1994–2010). TBD holds the record for the most league goals scored in one season (48 in 2014–15). TBD's 49 goals in 58 matches was for decades the all-time highest tally in CONCACAF competition. The fastest goal in the history of the club (26 seconds) was scored by the Colombian Duvier Riascos on 15 September 2021 during a league match against Santa Tecla F.C.

• Alianza FC was the first Salvadoran team to win CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
• Alianza FC are the last Salvadoran team to win UNCAF Club Championship.
• Alianza FC are the last Salvadoran team to win an international competition, this being the UNCAF Club Championship in 1997.
• Alianza FC are the first and only team in Salvadoran League to win the domestic championship undefeated.

Companies that Alianza currently has sponsorship deals with include:

• Umbro – official kit suppliers
• Tigo – official sponsors
• Pepsi – official sponsors
• Domino's Pizza – official sponsors
• Los Rinconcitos – official sponsors
• Farmactas virgen de Guadulope – official sponsors
• Gatorade – official sponsors
• Canal 4 – official sponsors

Kit makers

Years	Kit manufacturers
1956–1980	Nil shirt Maker
1992	Clima
1995	Galaxia
1996-1997	Torino
1998	Lanzera
2001-2005	Milan
2006-2009	AVIVA
2010-2014	Lotto
2015	Nil shirt Maker
2016–2017	Joma
2018–Present	Umbro

Alianza Futbol Club has forged its entire history in the Estadio Nacional de la Flor Blanca (now Estadio Jorge "Mágico" González), in which they achieved three titles during the 1960s. However, it was damaged in the 2001 earthquakes and Alianza moved to the Estadio Cuscatlán, where they have kept playing to this day.

• Estadio Nacional de la Flor Blanca, San Salvador (1960–2001)
• Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador (2002–2012)
• Estadio Nacional de la Flor Blanca, San Salvador (2013)
• Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador (2013–2014)
• Estadio Nacional de la Flor Blanca, San Salvador (2014)
• Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador (2015–present)
• Estadio Anna Mercedes Campos, Sonsonate (2023–2024) As punishment for the Estadio Cuscatlán crowd crush, Alianza was barred from playing at the Estadio Cuscatlán for 9 months. The club played the entire 2023 Apertura and parts of 2024 Clausura in front

Estadio Cuscatlan Disaster

In 2023, during a game between Alianza F.C. and C.D. FAS in the Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador an incident occurred which resulted in a crowd crush of fans in the stadium.

According to reports, fans had been sold fake tickets for the game and angry fans attempted to pull down the barricades at the stadiums at the entrance. Twelve people were killed and dozens of others injured.

Alianza is the first Salvadoran team to form an under-17 team for the new Under-17 League competition that was scheduled to begin in April 2014.

Current squad

As of: 16 January, 2024
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   SLV Sergio Sibrian 3 DF   SLV Diego Chevez 4 DF   SLV Iván Mancía 5 DF   SLV Mario Jacobo 7 MF   URU Ányelo Rodríguez 8 MF   SLV Óscar Rodríguez 9 FW   CHI Sebastian Julio 10 MF   SLV Leonardo Menjivar 11 MF   SLV Juan Carlos Portillo 12 MF   SLV William Canales 14 MF   SLV Kilmar Wilfredo Echeverría 15 DF   SLV Jonathan Jiménez 16 DF   SLV Henry Romero 17 MF   SLV Alexis Renderos 19 DF   SLV Andres Hernandez 21 MF   SLV Marvin Monterroza (captain) 22 FW   SLV Rodolfo Zelaya 23 FW   COL Michel Mercado 24 GK   SLV Ricardo Funes 25 GK   SLV Mario González 26 MF   SLV Ezequiel Rivas 30 FW   SLV Emerson Mauricio 45 MF   SLV Leyson Vargas

No. Pos. Nation Player 6 MF   SLV Narciso Orellana 29 DF   SLV Emerson Hernández 47 FW   SLV Emerson Alvarenga 56 FW   SLV Hamilton Benitez

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF   SLV Elvin Alvarado (at Platense for the 2022-23 Apertura and Clausura)

In

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

No. Pos. Nation Player —   SLV Andrés Hernández (From Platense) — GK   SLV Sergio Sibrián (From Once Deportivo) —   CHI Sebastián Julio (From LA Firpo) —   URU Ányelo Rodríguez (From Bella Vista)

No. Pos. Nation Player —   SLV Leonardo Menjivar (Loaned From Alajuelense) —   SLV TBD (From TBD)

Out

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

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF   SLV Kevin Menjívar (To TBD) — MF   SLV Isaac Portillo (To TBD) — GK   SLV Yonathan Guardado (To TBD) — FW   COL Yerson Tobar (To TBD)

No. Pos. Nation Player —   SLV TBD (To TBD) —   SLV TBD (To TBD)

Players with dual citizenship

•     Michel Mercado
•     Henry Romero
•     Andrés Hernández

Youth League squad

Alianza "B". 's youth squad plays in the ten-team Primera División Reserves (El Salvador). Current members of the squad are:

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 32 MF   SLV Elías Rivas 33 DF   SLV Geovany López 34 DF   SLV Alexis Montes 35 MF   SLV Luis Rivera 36 DF   SLV Marvin Sandoval 37 DF   SLV Misael Valencia 38 MF   SLV Josué Pacheco 39 MF   SLV José Portillo 40 MF   SLV Jason Marroquín 41 MF   SLV Éver Guzmán

No. Pos. Nation Player 42 DF   SLV Emmanuel Flores 43 DF   SLV Julio César Huezo 44 FW   SLV Emerson Mauricio 45 FW   SLV Diego Sánchez 46 MF   SLV Wilian Flores 47 MF   SLV Julio César Campos 48 MF   SLV Marcelo Díaz 50 MF   SLV Jahaziel Olivares 53 GK   SLV Cristian Rivera

Coaching staff

Position	Staff
Manager	Jorge Rodriguez *
Assistant Manager	TBD
Reserve Manager	Luis Kalimba Sosa *
Under 17 Manager	Nelson Rojas *
Ladies team Manager
Goalkeeper Coach	Schafik Chávez *
Team Physical Trainer	Franisco Hurtado
Fitness Coach	JRene Ramirez *
Team Doctor	Henry Flores *
Knesliogiocal	Felix Zambia
Utility	Fernando Rivera & Ronald Escobar *
Director of Sports	Milton Melendez *

Management

Position	Staff
Owner	Asociación de Empresa Adolfo Salume
President	Gonzalo Sibrian *
Vice President	Mario Palacios *
Secretary	Eduardo Arias Rank
General Director	Edwin Abarca
Director of Communications and Marketing	Carmen Vides
Financial Manager	Noemi Cordova de Valencia
Press Officer	Jose Chavez
Administrative assistant	Blanca Crisol
Assistant Youth divisions	Dalila Garces
Social Media	David Quezada
Internal analyst	Fabrizio Castro
Video Analysts	Rene Rosales
Sports Director	Luis Fernando Espindola *

Notable players

Below are the notable former and current players who have represented Alianza in Primera Division and international competition since the club's foundation in 1958. To appear in the section below, a player must have played in at least 100 official matches for the club, a list of every Alianza player who has been called up by their national team.

•   Joaquin Canales

Team captains

Years	Name	Nation
1966-1967	Alberto Villalta	El Salvador
1968-69	Salvador Mariona	El Salvador
1970	Guido Alvarado	Costa Rica
1975	Victor Manuel Valencia	El Salvador
1978	Roberto Guerra	El Salvador
1979-1981	Abilio Martinez	El Salvador
1986–1990	Julio Palacios Lozano	El Salvador
1993-1995	Joaquín Canales	El Salvador
1996-1998	Milton Melendez	El Salvador
2001	Adonai Martínez	El Salvador
2004	Mario Elias Guevara	El Salvador
2007, 2009	Ramiro Carballo	El Salvador
2008	Victor Velasquez	El Salvador
2009	Ramón Sánchez	El Salvador
TBD	TBD	El Salvador
2011-2013	Marcelo Messias	El Salvador   Brazil
2014	Edwin Martínez	El Salvador
2015	Ramón Martínez de Paz	El Salvador
2017–2018	Rodolfo Zelaya	El Salvador
2018–Present	Marvin Monterrosa	El Salvador

Retired numbers

2 –   Roberto Rivas, defender (1960–70)

Alianza have had numerous presidents over the course of their history, some of which have been the owners of the club; others have been honorary presidents. Here is a complete list of them.

Name Years   Axel Hochkoeppler 1957–59   Enrique Sol Meza 1959-TBD   Mauricio Salaverría Cáceres 1971-1972   Ricardo Sol Meza 1966   Ernesto Muyshondt Parker TBA   Vicente Sol Bang 1972-1973   Juan Grané TBA

Name Years   Alejandro Hutt TBA   Ricardo Simán TBA   Luis Ohrlich TBA   Fernando Calvo TBA   Ronald Calvo TBA   Miguel Pinto TBA   Rafael Rengifo TBA

Name Years   Ricardo Balzaretti TBA   Oscar Antonio Rodriguez 1992–2001   Ricardo Padilla 2001–2005   Salvador Mariona 2005–2007   Lisandro Pohl 2008–2018   Adolfo Salume 2018–2020   Pedro David Hernández 2020–2023   Gonzalo Sibrian 2023–present

The most successful all-time manager is Chilean Hernán Carrasco, who won four championships during his two tenures with Alianza FC (1966–67, 1989–92). The list of honours includes three Primera División titles (1965–66, 1966–67, 1989–90) and one CONCACAF Champions' Cup (1967).

Uruguayan Carlos Masnik was another notable manager with two titles won with Alianza, one Primera División championships (1996–97) and one UNCAF Club Championship (1997).

Chilean Ricardo Sepúlveda and Uruguayan Rubén Alonso both had outstanding careers as players for Alianza, and are the only two to win a title both as a player and coach. Sepulveda won the 1986–87, while Alonso won the Apertura 1998 and Apertura 2015, their most recent title victory.

Gustavo Faral won the 1993–94 championship, becoming the first Uruguayan and the first of three Uruguayans to win a title with Alianza.

Ramón Paredes become the first and so far only Salvadoran coach to win a title as coach of Alianza, which he did in the 2001 Apertura title.

Uruguayan Juan Martín Mujica led the team to the 2004 Clausura title.

Under the coaching of Roberto Gamarra, Alianza won the Clausura 2011.

Jorge Humberto Rodriguez helped Alianza win the 2017 Apertura title and also achieve the distinction of being the first team to go the entire season undefeated.

Milton Meléndez directed five finals (four of these in a row) during 2016 until 2022, culminating with three victoties and two defeats. He became in the third on the list of those who have been champions as a player and as a coach.