Rampla Juniors Fútbol Club, commonly known as Rampla Juniors, is a Uruguayan football club based in Montevideo. The team was actively playing the 2021 season by January 2021.[3] In their home stadium, Rampla won the Uruguayan championship in 1927.[4] In 2019, the Rampla Juniors Fútbol Club had Estadio Olímpico, with 6,000 capacity, as its home stadium.[5] Fans are nicknamed "The Flintstones", as they helped build the team's home stadium in the 1960s, which resembled a quarry.[4]

Rampla Juniors
Full nameRampla Juniors Football Club
Nickname(s)Picapiedras
Friyis (until the middle of the 1960)
Ramplenses
Founded7 January 1914; 110 years ago (7 January 1914)
GroundEstadio Olímpico,
Montevideo, Uruguay
Capacity9,500[1]
ChairmanDaniel Bianchi[2]
ManagerJuan Guillermo Castillo
LeaguePrimera División
2023Segunda División, 6th of 14 (promotion via playoffs)
Websitehttp://www.ramplajuniorsoficial.com.uy/
Current season

History

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Origin and colours

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Team of Rampla Juniors that played in Buenos Aires in 1922

Rampla Juniors were founded in the Aduana area (also the birthplace of River Plate FC), then moved first to the Aguada neighborhood, and finally, around 1920, to the Cerro neighborhood. Their colors are taken from Fortaleza, a club that existed in the early years of Rampla's stint in the Cerro area. Another story of how they chose their colors is similar to how Boca Juniors supposedly got the idea for their kit colors from a Swedish flag on a ship. It is rumored that Rampla's founders took the red and green from an Italian flag on a ship that arrived in Montevideo Bay. It is also said that the basketball team CA Aguada (founded in 1922) took their colors from Rampla Juniors.

Early championships and games

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In their home stadium, Rampla won the Uruguayan championship in 1927.[4] Rampla in 1927 won the Uruguayan Primera División, the 1927 Squad was: Pedro Arispe (Captain), Pedro Aguirre, Enrique Ballestrero, Pedro Cabrera, Julio Nieto, José Magallanes, Juan Miguel Fermín "Ruso" Labraga, Luis Gaitán, Conrado Haeberli, Vital Ruffatti and Conrado Bidegain.

Rampla was once[when?] called[by whom?] the third "big" (meaning popular or best) of Uruguay's clubs, Nacional and Peñarol being first and second, due to the huge number of followers and positive results.[citation needed]

In its early days, Rampla Juniors had strong ties with the meat packing industries that forged the neighborhood that it represents, notably the Chicago companies Swift and Armour. From those companies' workforces came several important players to Rampla Juniors. Until the mid 1960s Ramplas' supporters were known as Friyis, as the sound resembled fridges (from the meat packing industries).

Fans are nicknamed "The Flintstones", as they helped build the team's home stadium during the 1964 and 1966 construction, which resembled a quarry. In 1966, the stadium had received its name.[4]

In the 1980s, the club replaced the stadium's old wooden stands with new ones made with concrete. Supporters helped break stones for the restoration, hence their new nickname, the Picapiedras (stone breakers).

In 2007, Rampla finished tied in 2nd place with Danubio in the Uruguayan 1st division. Their team record was (9 wins, 4 draws, and 2 losses, in 15 games).

Recent seasons

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By 2009, the club was in political and financial difficulties. By 2015, Rampla was in debt around US $200,000. In 2016, trade unionist Juan Castillo was named the club's president, and new management was announced too. Castillo was soon replaced with Isabel Peña as president. In 2020, the club's debts were paid by businessman Edgard Parnas, in exchange for 20% of the club's ownership.[6]

In 2019, the Rampla Juniors Fútbol Club continued to use Estadio Olímpico, with 6,000 capacity, as its home stadium.[5] To play a promotion tournament, in August 2020, the team raised US$180,000 in six days, refinancing 50% of debt with players, and paying the other half to start in the Second Division (Uruguayan Segunda División).[7] By 2020 December, Rampla Juniors beat Racing Club de Montevideo 3-0, and were in the final for promotion in the second division.[8]

The team was actively playing the 2021 season by January 2021.[3] In January 2021 the first final of the Second Professional Division was played between Rampla Juniors and team Sud América.[9] Daniel Bianchi was named new president of the Rampla Juniors on Thursday, February 25, 2021.[10] In June 2021 they played the Atenas de San Carlos, ending in a draw at 1-1.[11] On June 16, 2021, they won against Villa Teresa 1-0, with a goal scored by Pablo Pereira.[12] In July 2021, rival Cerro beat the Rampla Juniors 1-0 at Charrua Stadium,[13] in the Liga de Ascenso Profesional.[14] The game was the Villa Classic.[15] In August 2021, the team Peñarol won the final against Rampla 4-1.[16]

Rivalries

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Rampla Juniors's archrivals are Cerro, and as such, the second biggest rivalry in the country, the Villa Classic.

The annual derby between teams is high-profile.[4]

Current squad

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Updated 14 August 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
2 DF   URU Jonathan Toledo
3 DF   ARG Lautaro Centurión
4 DF   URU Álvaro Gracés
5 MF   URU Isaac Méndez
6 MF   URU Facundo Ospitaleche
7 FW   URU Lautaro Rinaldi
8 DF   URU Germán Gabriel
10 MF   URU Nicolás Mezquida
11 MF   URU Gustavo Machado
12 GK   URU Andrés Samurio
14 MF   URU Diego Rosa
15 MF   URU Juan Pablo Plada
16 FW   URU Enrique Almeida
17 DF   URU Federico Barrandeguy
18 MF   ARG Tomás Adoryán (on loan from Banfield)
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 FW   URU Maximiliano Burruzo
20 MF   URU Lucas Tamareo
21 MF   URU Adrián Leites
22 FW   URU Nicolás Dibble
23 DF   URU Enrique Etcheverry
24 FW   URU Lucas Bassadone
25 GK   URU Maicol Vera
26 MF   ARG Matías Núñez
28 MF   URU Franco Casuriaga
30 MF   URU Andrés Madruga (on loan from Peñarol)
32 DF   URU Diego Arismendi
33 DF   URU Gonzalo Camargo
DF   BRA Lucas Peres (on loan from Bellinzona)
FW   ARG Matías Pólvera (on loan from Huracán)

Notable players

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Managers

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Honours

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National

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References

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  1. ^ "La cancha donde el Río de la Plata es tribuna". 16 January 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  2. ^ https://www.republica.com.uy/daniel-bianchi-es-el-nuevo-presidente-de-rampla-juniors-id814233/ [bare URL]
  3. ^ a b "Rampla Juniors 1 - Sud América 2: El Buzón se quedó con el tercer ascenso a Primera". 30 January 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e "New stadium: Home of the Uruguayan Flintstones".
  5. ^ a b "Which football stadiums are lopsided, three-sided or just downright wonky? | the Knowledge". TheGuardian.com. 30 October 2019.
  6. ^ "La larga historia de Rampla y los gerenciamientos que se convirtieron en cuentos del tío".
  7. ^ "¡Rampla inmortal! En seis días juntó US$ 180 mil y jugará el torneo de ascenso".
  8. ^ "Segunda División: Rampla Juniors venció a Racing y está en la final por el ascenso". 10 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Primera final de la B: Rampla y Sud América juegan este sábado en el Charrúa". 22 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Daniel Bianchi es el nuevo presidente de Rampla Juniors | Diario La República". www.republica.com.uy. Archived from the original on 2021-02-26.
  11. ^ "Atenas 1-1 Rampla Juniors: El estreno de Diego Forlán en el carolino se fue con empate". 3 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Segunda División: Defensor igualó con Albion; Rampla Juniors y Central Español de triunfos". 17 June 2021.
  13. ^ "El loco festejo de Cerro en el vestuario después de ganarle el clásico a Rampla".
  14. ^ "Los clásicos de la Villa del siglo XXI". 30 July 2021.
  15. ^ "Rampla Juniors 0 - Cerro 1: El debut del "Rifle" Pandiani fue con victoria clásica". 31 July 2021.
  16. ^ "Peñarol le ganó la final a Rampla y es tricampeón uruguayo de fútbol sala femenino".
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