Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata
Encyclopedia
Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (ˈkluβ ðe ximˈnasja i ezˈɣɾima la ˈplata, also known as CGE or GELP, (La Plata Gymnastics and Fencing Club) is a professional Argentine
football club based in La Plata
, Buenos Aires
. Founded in 1887 as Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima, the team plays in the Nacional B.
Gimnasia y Esgrima was promoted to the first division after becoming champions of the División Intermedia of Argentine football
in 1915. Later, in 1929, the club would become champions of the Primera División
. Once in the professional era, Gimnasia became champions of the Argentine 2nd division
in 1944, 1947 and 1952 and won the Copa Centenario de la AFA
in 1994. Additionally, the squad has been a runner-up in the Primera División
on five occasions.
The club has remained at the top level of Argentine football for 69 seasons, giving it the eighth longest participation at this level.
, have older foundation dates. Its foundation came barely five years after the creation of the City of La Plata
in 1882. In 1887, after a meeting carried out in the Sala Comercial of the city of La Plata
, the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima was founded as a social and sports organization. The meeting was presided by Saturnino Perdriel
(the one who was then the first president of the club) and it counted with the presence of more than 50 founding associates. In addition, it was designated a commission formed by Domingo Echeverri, Ramón Lorenzo Falcón, Julio Llanos, Dante Pelanda and Guillermo Pintos, whose purpose was to prepare the preliminary design of statute.
The first sports offered to its members were, as its Spanish name indicates, gymnastics and fencing. Clubs supporting these sports were common among the upper classes at the end of the 19th century (cf. the prior foundation of Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires
in 1880). Later on, other disciplines were added, including track and field, football, basketball and rugby.
The institution changed name a few times: from April to December 1897 it was called a "Club de Esgrima" (in English, "Fencing Club") because fencing was the only activity practised at that moment. On December 17, 1897 it returned to its original name: "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima" ("Gymnastics and Fencing Club"). From July 1952 to September 30, 1955, the club was named "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima de Eva Perón" ("Gymnastics and Fencing Club of Eva Perón"), because the city of La Plata itself had been renamed "Eva Perón" in 1952, after Eva Perón
's death. The city returned to its previous name during the government of the "Liberating Revolution"
, and so did the club. However, it remained unduly identified legally as "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata" ("Gymnastics and Fencing Club of La Plata"), a mistake that was corrected on August 7, 1964 after the new statute was approved.
. Later, in 1912, a group of football players who were in conflict with Estudiantes de La Plata joined Club Independencia, which later merged with Gimnasia y Esgrima in 1914, thereby returning to the practice of football. In 1915 Gimnasia y Esgrima joined the "División Intermedia", and won the championship and promotion to the Primera División Argentina
. In that year, Gimnasia obtained two cups; "Copa Competencia Adolfo J. Bullrich" ("Adolfo J. Bullrich's Competition Cup") and "Copa Campeonato Intermedia" ("Intermediate Cup Championship").
On April 27, 1916, Gimnasia played against Estudiantes de La Plata, its rival in the La Plata derby
, for the first time. The match took place at the Estudiantes de La Plata' field
, where Gimnasia y Esgrima won 1–0. That year, Gimnasia finished the championship in fourth place, behind Racing Club
, Platense
and River Plate
, with nine victories, nine ties and three defeats. In 1921 Gimnasia would again reach fourth place, behind Racing Club
, River Plate
and Independiente
, as a result of 23 victories, six ties and nine defeats.
On April 27, 1924 the new stadium was inaugurated, located in La Plata's main park ("El Bosque", the Forest); it was named Estadio Juan Carlos Zerillo. Gimnasia y Esgrima remained undefeated in its new stadium for 15 months (from its first official meeting until July 1925).
On that year, Gimnasia achieved second place, behind San Lorenzo
, with 15 victories, seven ties and one defeat.
In 1929, Gimnasia y Esgrima obtained its only First Division title in the amateur era, after a campaign that included fourteen victories and three defeats. The championship of 1929 was organized along the Copa Estímulo format, that is, teams where separated in two zones ("even" and "odd"), the title being defined in a game between the winners of each zone. Gimnasia y Esgrima won the first place in the "odd zone", which included River Plate
, Racing Club
, Huracán
, and Estudiantes de La Plata
, among other teams. The "even zone" was won by Boca Juniors
, that qualified thus for the final meeting.
The final took place on February 9, 1930 at the old stadium of River Plate
(at the intersection of Alvear and Tagle in Recoleta
). On that day, Gimnasia fielded: Scarpone, Di Giano and Delovo; Rusciti, Santillán and Belli; Curell, Varallo
, Maleani, Díaz, and Morgada. After being down 0–1 at half time, the team turned the result and won 2-1 with two goals by Martin Maleani. That same year Gimnasia won the "Reserve" championship. Consequently, Gimnasia y Esgrima became the first club of La Plata
to earn a title in a competition organized by an Association recognized by FIFA
.
Between December 1930 and April 1931, Gimnasia's team, which later would be known as "El Expreso" (in English, "The Express"), toured Europe and Brazil. Gimnasia became the first Argentine club from outside Greater Buenos Aires
to compete in Europe
, and the first ever to play in Portugal
, Czechoslovakia
, Austria
and Italy
. In the European portion of the tour, Gimnasia played twenty-two games, winning eleven and losing six.
On February 15, 1931, Gimnasia defeated Sportverein München
4-0 at Munich
, in a game remarkable for being the first match played by an Argentine team on a snow-covered pitch. On March 8, Gimnasia won 3-1 over AC Sparta Praha at Prague
, a team that was arguably the strongest in Europe at the time, and that no South American team had yet defeated. Gimnasia also won its matches against three of the most important European clubs: a 3-2 victory against Real Madrid
(at Madrid, on January 1, 1931, first South American team to ever defeat Real Madrid at Madrid), 2-1 against FC Barcelona
(at Barcelona, on January 6, 1931), and 1-0 against Benfica (at Lisbon, on March 29, 1931).
Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata entered into the history of Argentine football with a famous team known as "El Expreso" (The Express). The "1933 Express" comfortably won the first round of the First Division championship. In the second round, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata led the championship, until it faced Boca Juniors
and San Lorenzo de Almagro. In these matches, it is claimed that Gimnasia was subject to openly biased arbitration. In the latter game, the referee Rojo Miró favoured San Lorenzo that the Gimnasia players famously refused to continue with the charade, and "went on strike." They simply sat on the field, while San Lorenzo scored unopposedly, before the referee terminated the game with a 7–1 outcome. The 1933 team ended in the fourth place (San Lorenzo was the champion) with a record of 21 victories, four draws and nine defeats. However, the legendary Express had been born, and it never left the memory of its fans. The top scorer of The Express was Arturo "El Torito" Naón
with 33 goals.
as scorer with his 25 goals. The following year, the team finished in the number 13 position, where the highlights were the victories River Plate
(6:4), Platense
(8-2) and the champion Boca Juniors (1:0).
During the decade of the 40s, Gimnasia had an erratic performance, which cost him two drops at the Primera B (second division). In 1943 Gimnasia made a bad campaign, where it finished in last position and descends to the second division of professional soccer in Argentina. The following year, Gimnasia through 31 victories, 4 draws and 5 defeats, achieved the first place, obtaining this way the second division championship and promotion to the first. In 1945, the newly promoted team, finished the championship in the last place to suffer like this again declining. Gimnasia remained in the Primera B during the first two seasons (1946 and 1947). In 1947, the team was crowned champion after 25 wins, 7 draws and 6 defeats and returned to the first division. In 1948 the team again made a bad campaign, which comes last in the table of positions, but in that year there were no declines. The following two years, Gimnasia made modest campaigns.
In 1951, the Gimnasia's first team finished last in Leaderboard and fell of category again. In 1952 it was crowned champion of the second division and returned to first division. During the remaining years of the decade (1953–1960), Gimnasia disputed all the championships of first division finishing most of the times by the middle of the table of positions.
This Cup was disputed in 1960 and was organized by the club Estudiantes de La Plata
. It was called "Gobernador de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Dr. Oscar Alende Cup" (in English, "Governor of Buenos Aires Dr. Oscar Alende Cup"). The cup was an international tournament, comprising friendly matches between Estudiantes, Gimnasia, Club Nacional de Football
and Club Atlético Peñarol, the latter being the two main football clubs from Uruguay.
Gimnasia won both meetings against the Uruguayan teams: 5–2 against Nacional
and 1–0 against Peñarol. Estudiantes lost its respective games for 0–1 and 2–5. In the last match, Gimnasia tied with Estudiantes 2–2. On February 13, 1960, Gimnasia was crowned champion of the Gobernador Alende Cup, at the stadium of its archrival.
In 1962, Gimnasia ranked third in the First Division championship with 16 wins, 6 draws and 6 defeats. This was a good campaign team platense that after a patchy start, managed to remain unbeaten for 15 dates (between the 9th day of the first round and 10th in the second round) with 9 consecutive wins (including the 15th day of the first and the 9th round of the second), to lead the championship dates to before its completion.
The team was led by Uruguayan Enrique Fernández Viola
until the match with Estudiantes, who lost by 0:1 in a local, so he left his charge. Eliseo Prado
assumed the interim leadership until Adolfo Pedernera
took over the team. Pedernera lasted in charge until three dates before the end of the tournament and the post was occupied by an interim Infante
.
The scorer of the team was Alfredo "Tanque" Rojas
with 17 goals, followed by Bayo Diego with 10 goals. Gimnasia managed to score 47 goals, and received 28 goals, leaving a positive balance of 19 goals.
The starting eleven for the team were: Carlos Minoian; Pedro Galeano and José Marinovich; Walter Davoine, Daniel Carlos Bayo and Domingo Lejona; Luis Ciaccia, Héctor Antonio or Eliseo Prado
, Alfredo "Tanque" Rojas
, Diego Francisco Bayo and "Huaqui" Gómez Sánchez
. Also played in the first team: Francisco Gerónimo (goalkeeper), Antonio López, Héctor Trinidad, José Perillo, Natalio Sivo, Jorge Mallo, Antonio Arena and Hugo Carro.
In 1965, Gimnasia finished the penultimate Leaderboard, above Chacarita Juniors by just one point. In 1966, Gimnasia improved its performance and finished the championship in 8th position with 13 wins, 13 draws and 12 losses.
After almost a decade alternating good and bad performances, there were realized restructurations in the accomplishment of the championships organized by the Argentine Football Association
(AFA). These were the "Metropolitano", with the teams affiliated directly to the AFA divided in two zones, and the "Nacional", in whom some teams affiliated to the AFA were taking part and whom they classified under the first positions of the Metropolitano. The rest of the teams was taking part in the "Promocional" and in the "Reclasificatorio", together with other teams that were representing other leagues of the country.
In the first year, 1967, Gimnasia y Esgrima devoted itself champion of the "Promocional" tournament.
One of the teams most remembered by Gimnasia fans is "La Barredora" ("The Sweeper").
In 1970, Gimnasia y Esgrima finished second the zone "B" behind Chacarita Juniors
, and qualified for the "Nacional" semifinal against Rosario Central
, who had occupied the first position in the zone "A". At that time, a conflict developed between the players and the club's administration on a disagreement about the salary paid to the players. Unable to solve the issue, the President Oscar Venturino fielded the club's third division on the semifinal at Rosario
. The final result was a 3–0 victory for Rosario Central
.
The starting eleven for the team were: Hugo Orlando Gatti; Ricardo Rezza, José Bernabé Leonardi, José Masnik, Roberto Zywica
, Roberto Gonzalo; Héctor Pignani, José Santiago, Delio Onnis
, José Néstor Meija, Jorge Castiglia. José Varacka
was the coach.
After a forgetful performance in the Campeonato Metropolitano, the wolf must play the quadrangular to determine three decreases of that year against Platense
, Chacarita Juniors
and Atlanta. With 3 won games, 1 drawn and 2 lost, 7 goals to favor and 8 in against, Gimnasia descends to the Second category.
In that tournament Carlos Dantón Seppaquercia successed the most rapid goal
into the Argentine league of football. Against Club Atlético Huracán
after 5 seconds on March 18, 1979.
The base team was: Vidallé; Magallán, Pellegrini, Sergio Castro and Alí; Tutino, Avelino Verón and García Amaijenda; Cerqueiro, Montagnoli and Forgués. DT: Antonio Ubaldo Rattín. Also played: Carlos Dantón Seppaquercia, Oscar Perez, Restelli, Labaroni, Cragno, Villarreal, Gutiérrez, Solari and Esquivel.
Gimnasia remained in the Primera "B" from 1980 up to 1984. The first year obtained the fourth place in the table of positions after obtained 19 victories, 8 ties and losing the remaining 11 games. The team was directed by Roberto Iturrieta during the first dates and then his position was occupied by Jose Santiango.
In 1981 it obtained the seventh place with 14 victories, 17 ties and 11 defeats, what it left the team without possibilities of achieving the ascent. In this tournament the scorer of the team was Jorge "Potro" Domínguez with 17 goals.
In 1982 it worked out first from the group A with 17 victories, 15 ties and 10 defeats. This way it classified to play the octogonal for the ascent, but it was eliminated after losing by penalties in the semi-final against Temperley. Gimnasia was the most scorer team of the tournament with 73 goals, and its main scorer was again Jorge "Potro" Domínguez with 21 goals.
And in 1983, Gimnasia had a very weak campaign that positioned it in the last position with 8 victories, 15 ties and 19 defeats.
In 1984, Gimnasia achieve the longed return to the First Division after obtaining the third place in the table of positions with 18 victories, 10 ties and 14 defeats, qualifying this way to dispute the Octogonal for the second ascent to First "A". In the octogonal formed part Racing Club
, Argentino de Rosario
, Club Atlético Tigre
, Defensores de Belgrano
, Club Atlético Lanús
, Nueva Chicago and Deportivo Morón.
Gimnasia eliminated of the octogonal in quarters of final Argentino de Rosario
after tying 1:1 as visit, and to win 2:1 at home. Then, in the semi-final it faced Defensores de Belgrano
achieving a tie 2:2 as visitor and a victory 1:0 at home. By this way, it reached the final instance where it managed to conquer in two opportunities Racing Club (3:1 as visitor and 4:2 at home). After these victories, Gimnasia returned to First Division in 1985 and has been playing there ever since.
The team was conformed by football players as Ricardo "el pulpo" Kuzemka, Carlos Carrió and Osvaldo Ingrao, whereas its trainer was Nito Veiga. The scorers of the team were Carlos Carrió and Osvaldo Ingrao with 12 goals each one and Gabriel Pedrazzi with 10 goals.
organized a cup-style (elimination) tournament named Copa Centenario
("Centennial Cup"), to celebrate its hundredth anniversary. Each first division team played its derby rival in two rounds in a double elimination
system. Gimnasia eliminated its classic rival Estudiantes 1–0 with a goal by Guillermo Barros Schelotto
, and qualified for the next round after a 0–0 tie in the return match. Then, Gimnasia successively eliminated Newell's Old Boys
, Argentinos Juniors
and Belgrano de Córdoba
to win the "round of winners". River Plate
won the "round of losers" and qualified for the final, with Gimnasia having home field advantage.
Gimnasia won the final 3–1 with goals by Hugo Romeo Guerra, Fernández and Guillermo Barros Schelotto
. Gimnasia's winning team included Lavallén; Sanguinetti
, Morant, Ortiz, Dopazo, Fernández, Bianco, Talarico, Gustavo Barros Schelotto
, Guillermo Barros Schelotto
and Guerra.
After winning this cup, Gimnasia was invited to participate on the Sanwa Bank Cup
in 1994. The match was played in the National Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo
, and ended regular time with a 2-2 tie, and was defined with penaltys, where Verdy Kawasaki won 4-2.
at the helm, Gimnasia took second place in the 1995 Clausura tournament, and repeated the performance in 1996 and 1998. At the reinauguration of Boca Juniors' stadium (La Bombonera
) on May 5, 1996, Gimnasia defeated the home team by 6–0. Also Gimnasia took second place in 2002 coached by Ramaciotti.
Gimnasia also obtained second place in 2005 under Pedro Troglio's management, after an excellent campaign that had them fighting neck to neck with Boca Juniors until the very end of the championship. These strong showings allowed Gimnasia to take part in the top club-level competitions in South America: the Copa Sudamericana
during the 2006 and 2007 editions of the Copa Libertadores.
On September 10, 2006, during the halftime of a match against Boca Juniors
, club president Juan José Muñoz
confronted (and allegedly threatened) referee Daniel Giménez, who called off the match immediately, with Gimnasia leading 1–0. Muñoz was reprimanded by the football association and temporarily removed from its executive committee. A few days later, Gimnasia was eliminated from the Copa Sudamericana
by the Chile
an champions Colo Colo, following a quarter final match where a player of Gimnasia was injured by a piece of cement thrown by Chilean supporters. Due to Gimnasia's physical play in the second leg of the quarter finals in Argentina
, Argentine Football Association's president Julio Grondona
wrote a personal letter to the president of the ANFP
(the Chilean football federation) apologizing for the "roughness" of the Gimnasia players.
The pending second half against Boca Juniors was played on November 8, 2006. Boca Juniors scored four goals and won the match. After the match, Troglio and some of the players hinted that the team had received death threats from some supporters, who wanted to benefit Boca in its championship bid against Gimnasia's archrivals Estudiantes. Nevertheless, Estudiantes obtained the title at the end of the Apertura 2006.
n trainer Francisco Maturana
, and then Julio César Falcioni
, but both had limited success.
In the December 2007 election, Muñoz did not run, and the candidate he supported lost to the opposition. New club president Walter Gisande hired former player Guillermo Sanguinetti
as team coach and tried to convince former players, notably Diego Alonso
and Guillermo Barros Schelotto
, to return to Gimnasia. Only Alonso, who was playing in China
, made the leap.
Sanguinetti quit after a string of bad results that left Gimnasia in serious danger of relegation. Under new coach Leonardo Madelón
, team results improved markedly, and the team staved off relegation in a play-off against Atlético de Rafaela. In the second half of 2009, team performance deteriorated again, forcing Madelón's exit.
The new management also campaigned for a return to the Bosque grounds. In April 2008 the stadium underwent a structural engineering
evaluation after security measures requested by authorities were put in place. On June 2008, the stadium was re-opened for a match against Lanús, the last game of the Clausura 2008 championship.
Mayor Pablo Bruera
has indicated that the city will allow Gimnasia to buy or lease city-owned lands to erect a sports complex.
Upon assuming the presidency Hector Delmar, the body headed by interim coach Paul Morant decided to return to their posts in the lower divisions of the club. The steering committee quickly hired the renowned technical Angel Cappa, signing the contract on December 22, 2010.
On January 14, 2011, the "mellizo" Guillermo Barros Schelotto returned to the club to play for at least six months and was welcomed at "Estancia Chica" for more than seven thousand fans of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata.
On June 26, 2011, Gimnasia played its third straight playoff to remain in Primera División Argentina
, facing San Martín (SJ) in San Juan. Gimnasia lost the first leg as visitors 1-0. In the second leg, played on June 30, Gimnasia was down a goal by the 2nd minute, and were forced to score at least 2 goals, but they were unable to, drawing with San Martin by a score 1-1, which relegated the team. Notably, this was the last game featuring club idol Guillermo Barros Schelotto
, who had announced that the relegation games were to be his last before he retired.
's two main football teams: Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and Estudiantes de La Plata
. The first official derby took place as part of the Asociación Argentina de Football First Division Championship on August 27, 1916. On that occasion, Gimnasia won 1–0 over Estudiantes, with an owngoal by Ludovico Pastor.
The first derby of the professional era took place on June 14, 1931. Since then, they have played 142 official matches in tournaments organized by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino. To date, Estudiantes has won 48 times, with 207 goals, and Gimnasia has won 44 times, with 190 goals. There have been 50 draws.
Between August 12, 1932 and September 9, 1934 Gimnasia won five consecutive La Plata derbies, the longest run of victories in that derby until Estudiantes emulated that feat in 2006-08. On June 25, 1963 Gimnasia obtained a 5–2 victory, this being the best result so far against Estudiantes. On the other hand, Gimnasia worst result was a 7–0 defeat on October 15, 2006.
A curiosity among the derbies occurred on April 5, 1992, when Gimnasia won over Estudiantes 1–0 at the latter's stadium. On that date, as the stands erupted and Gimnasia's fans shouted in celebration at the goal being scored, the seismograph of the local Astronomical Observatory registered a low-intensity seismic event. That goal was scored by the Uruguay
an José Perdomo
on a freekick, and it has been known ever since as "El gol del terremoto" ("The earthquake goal").
Through more than 120 years of history, the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata has had 55 Presidents, who are elected individuals who took on the responsibility of steering the Institution. Many of them contributed to the growth of the club over the years. Some of them have remained more vivid in the fans' memory for their achievements or outstanding works.
Saturnino Perdriel
was the founder and first president of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. Perdriel was a merchant during the first few years of the city of La Plata, in addition to being a civil servant at the Treasury Department of the Province of Buenos Aires. He died prematurely in 1888, after one year as Club president.
Currently, the President of Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata is chosen by its associates, by means of general elections that take place every three years. Any club member over 18 years of age, and with at least three years membership of the Club, have a right to vote. Members with over seven years membership have a right to be elected to the Club governmental body, the Management Commission or "Directory".
The current President of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata is Walter Gisande, who won the 2007 elections over Gabriel Pellegrino by 16 votes.
Below is detailed how is composed the management board of the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata elected in 2010:
Délfor B. Méndez and the music was composed by the master Juan Serpentini, who was composing versions of the National Argentine Anthem and "El tambor de Tacuarí", with Rafael Obligado
's letter.
The official anthem of Gimnasia was intoned by the first time on July 9, 1915 on the occasion of the reception that was given to the delegation
of the club River Plate of Uruguay
. In 1967 the official anthem was recorded by the musical ensemble
of the Buenos Aires
Police.
of the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata is a wreath in which, in the top part, a helmet
is outlined with a heraldic crest. At the center, on enamel and with the colors of the club (white
and navy blue
), is the club monogram
appears. In the top cantons, like a guard, there appears the hilts of a saber and a foil, with their sharp points emerging in lower part of the shield. To the sides of the center laurels spread around the helmet
.
Since its inception, the club shield
has undergone some modifications. From 1887 until 1928, the shield used was devised by Emilio Coutauret, and it was characterized by a handcrafted and adorned design. In 1964, following a reform of the foundational statute, Gimnasia's shield adopted a simpler form, while still keeping the essence of the original one. The new design of the logo is the one in current use, and often displayed on the team's jerseys.
During Héctor Domínguez's presidency, the abbreviation CGE (Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima) at the center of the shield was replaced by GELP (Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata). Since the beginning of Walter Gisande's presidency, it was decided to return to the original abbreviation of 'CGE'.
shield, as established in the institutional statute
.
and light blue, seeking to highlight the fact that it was an Argentine
club. The first vest used by the team had vertical white and light blue stripes.
In 1905, it was decided to change the colors to make it distinct from Racing Club
. This resulted in a vest with vertical stripes of white
and navy-blue color.
Finally, in 1910, the design was modified, changing the vertical stripes into the horizontal band of navy-blue color over a white
jersey, which has been used ever since.
The following table details the companies that provided the team's apparel, and sponsored the team, from the years 1980 and 1990 respectively:
During the year 2009, the apparel of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata will be provided by Kappa
, and jerseys by La Nueva Seguros.
, in contrast with the mostly middle class
Estudiantes' constituency. This characterization is no longer true. Most of Gimnasia y Esgrima fans are from the Greater La Plata area.
The fans' collective name for itself is "La 22", after 22nd street in La Plata where many famous fans lived, notably Marcelo Amuchástegui. Known as Loco Fierro, Amuchástegui was famous for his exploits, such as hanging a 100-meter Gimnasia flag in the Bombonera
stadium. He was shot to death by Rosario
police in a murky episode on May 28, 1991, allegedly during an armed robbery.
As is the case with other clubs in the Argentine First Division, the fans celebrate the "Worldwide Day of Gimnasia's Fans" on December 10 with a large party and outside gathering.
motto used in the shield: Mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body).
An original nickname was (and still is) triperos ("tripe" or "gut-handlers"). This name has its origin in the fact that many of Gimnasia's original supporters worked in the meat-processing plants of nearby Berisso
. In newspaper caricatures from the early 1900s, Gimnasia was accordingly depicted as a "butcher", instead of the current "wolf". however, Gimnasia is still often greeted by its fans with a resounding "Tripa corazón!" (Spanish for "Heart of tripe!"). Curiously, the same nickname is applied when referring to the population of Porto
in Portugal
, although the meaning of the nickname in Portuguese is closer to "tripe-eaters".
Another nickname is basureros ("garbage or waste collectors"), acquired during the presidency of Mr. Venturino in the 1970s, who also managed the private company dealing with trash pickup in La Plata.
When a new city stadium
was built for La Plata
, both Gimnasia and Estudiantes initially chose to stay at their respective fields, but this arrangement collapsed when both fields were closed down due to new security regulations. In the 2006 Clausura tournament, Gimnasia began to use the city stadium for home games.
Beginning on March 2008, Gimnasia made various reforms to its old stadium, seeking to secure the permit for its use at selected games. Finally on June 2008, the "El Bosque" grounds were reapproved for First Division competitions. On Saturday June 21, 2008, in the last game of the Clausure 2008 championship, Gimnasia returned to its old home in a match against Lanús. Now the Juan Carlos Zerillo stadium has a capacity of 24,544.
In its 121-year history, the team has had more than 800 players play for their first team. From its low divisions they have arisen a great quantity of football players of national and international renown, as being Guillermo
and Gustavo Barros Schelotto
, Mariano Messera
, Lucas Lobos, Roberto "Pampa" Sosa
, Andrés Guglielminpietro
, Sebastián Romero
, Lucas Licht
, Hernán Cristante
and Leandro Cufré
, among others.
The AFA allowed football teams to have a maximum of four foreign football players; Gimnasia y Esgrima has historically formed its squads with a mixture of local and foreign players, being the Uruguayans who prevail in the preferences, with 49 football players.
Since the beginning of the professional era, the Club Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata has had a total of 63 managers (coaches). The first one was Emérico Hirschl, a Hungarian who trained the team between 1932 and 1934.
Several prominent coaches for the team have been Nito Veiga (who led the team to promotion in 1984), Roberto Perfumo (who was coach in the final of the Centenary Cup), Carlos Timoteo Griguol (who led the team for ten years) and former footballer Pedro Troglio.
On September 30, 2008, the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata hired Leonardo Madelón
as manager.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
football club based in La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
. Founded in 1887 as Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima, the team plays in the Nacional B.
Gimnasia y Esgrima was promoted to the first division after becoming champions of the División Intermedia of Argentine football
Football in Argentina
Football in Argentina is the most popular sport, the one with the most players and is the most popular recreational sport, played from childhood into old age...
in 1915. Later, in 1929, the club would become champions of the Primera División
Amateur Era in Argentine football
The amateur era in Argentine football lasted between 1891 and 1931.-History:The first league tournament outside the United Kingdom took place in Argentina in 1891, it was dominated by British expatriate players and teams. The Scottish influence is evident in the names of the league's first winners...
. Once in the professional era, Gimnasia became champions of the Argentine 2nd division
Primera B Nacional Argentina
Primera B Nacional is the second most important category of Argentine football organized by the Argentine Football Association.It is played by teams from all over the country...
in 1944, 1947 and 1952 and won the Copa Centenario de la AFA
Copa Centenario de la AFA
The Copa Centenario was an official tournament among Argentina's First Division Football clubs, organized by AFA in 1993/1994 in order to celebrate its 100th anniversary...
in 1994. Additionally, the squad has been a runner-up in the Primera División
Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
on five occasions.
The club has remained at the top level of Argentine football for 69 seasons, giving it the eighth longest participation at this level.
History
The "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata" was founded on June 3, 1887 as a civil association, and thus is the oldest surviving football club still participating in the Argentine Football League. The club also claims to be the oldest football club in the Americas, despite other football clubs, such as the Lima Cricket and Football ClubLima Cricket and Football Club
Lima Cricket and Football Club is the oldest sports club in Peru, and one of the oldest in South America. Lima Cricket is possibly the oldest football club in the Americas. Currently, it participates in the district league of San Isidro....
, have older foundation dates. Its foundation came barely five years after the creation of the City of La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
in 1882. In 1887, after a meeting carried out in the Sala Comercial of the city of La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
, the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima was founded as a social and sports organization. The meeting was presided by Saturnino Perdriel
Saturnino Perdriel
Saturnino Perdriel was the Argentine founder and first president of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. He was a civil functionary in the Treasury Department of the Province of Buenos Aires....
(the one who was then the first president of the club) and it counted with the presence of more than 50 founding associates. In addition, it was designated a commission formed by Domingo Echeverri, Ramón Lorenzo Falcón, Julio Llanos, Dante Pelanda and Guillermo Pintos, whose purpose was to prepare the preliminary design of statute.
The first sports offered to its members were, as its Spanish name indicates, gymnastics and fencing. Clubs supporting these sports were common among the upper classes at the end of the 19th century (cf. the prior foundation of Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires
Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires
Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires, Gymnastics and Fencing of Buenos Aires , is a sports and social club headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina....
in 1880). Later on, other disciplines were added, including track and field, football, basketball and rugby.
The institution changed name a few times: from April to December 1897 it was called a "Club de Esgrima" (in English, "Fencing Club") because fencing was the only activity practised at that moment. On December 17, 1897 it returned to its original name: "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima" ("Gymnastics and Fencing Club"). From July 1952 to September 30, 1955, the club was named "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima de Eva Perón" ("Gymnastics and Fencing Club of Eva Perón"), because the city of La Plata itself had been renamed "Eva Perón" in 1952, after Eva Perón
Eva Perón
María Eva Duarte de Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón and served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She is often referred to as simply Eva Perón, or by the affectionate Spanish language diminutive Evita.She was born in the village of Los Toldos in...
's death. The city returned to its previous name during the government of the "Liberating Revolution"
Revolución Libertadora
The Revolución Libertadora was a military uprising that ended the second presidential term of Juan Perón in Argentina, on September 16, 1955.-History:...
, and so did the club. However, it remained unduly identified legally as "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata" ("Gymnastics and Fencing Club of La Plata"), a mistake that was corrected on August 7, 1964 after the new statute was approved.
Amateur era (1891–1930)
Gimnasia had to abandon its original field at the corner of 13th and 71st streets, in 1905, because in that place the city had to build an educational institution; at that time, it chose to discontinue the practice of football and to devote the club mainly to social activities. As a result, some members who were interested in playing football left and founded a club devoted principally to that activity: Estudiantes de La PlataEstudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, 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 history....
. Later, in 1912, a group of football players who were in conflict with Estudiantes de La Plata joined Club Independencia, which later merged with Gimnasia y Esgrima in 1914, thereby returning to the practice of football. In 1915 Gimnasia y Esgrima joined the "División Intermedia", and won the championship and promotion to the Primera División Argentina
Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
. In that year, Gimnasia obtained two cups; "Copa Competencia Adolfo J. Bullrich" ("Adolfo J. Bullrich's Competition Cup") and "Copa Campeonato Intermedia" ("Intermediate Cup Championship").
On April 27, 1916, Gimnasia played against Estudiantes de La Plata, its rival in the La Plata derby
La Plata derby
The La Plata derby is one of the most fiercely contested derbies in Argentine football. It is played between Estudiantes de La Plata and Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata....
, for the first time. The match took place at the Estudiantes de La Plata' field
Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi
Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi is a football stadium in La Plata, Argentina. It is the home field of Estudiantes de La Plata.The stadium, named after Jorge Luis Hirschi, who served as Estudiantes' president between 1927 and 1932, is located on 1st Avenue between 55th and 57th Streets, and thus is also...
, where Gimnasia y Esgrima won 1–0. That year, Gimnasia finished the championship in fourth place, behind Racing Club
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
, Platense
Club Atlético Platense
Club Atlético Platense is an Argentine sports club based in Vicente López, in the north side of Greater Buenos Aires. The club nickname is Calamar after the journalist Palacio Zino said that the team moved "like a squid in its ink"....
and River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
, with nine victories, nine ties and three defeats. In 1921 Gimnasia would again reach fourth place, behind Racing Club
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
, River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
and Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
, as a result of 23 victories, six ties and nine defeats.
On April 27, 1924 the new stadium was inaugurated, located in La Plata's main park ("El Bosque", the Forest); it was named Estadio Juan Carlos Zerillo. Gimnasia y Esgrima remained undefeated in its new stadium for 15 months (from its first official meeting until July 1925).
On that year, Gimnasia achieved second place, behind San Lorenzo
Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro
Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro is an Argentine sports club based in Boedo neighbourhood, Buenos Aires, mostly known because of its football team....
, with 15 victories, seven ties and one defeat.
Title of 1929
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
, Racing Club
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
, Huracán
Club Atlético Huracán
Club Atlético Huracán is a sports club from the Parque Patricios neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The football team currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second level of the Argentine football league system. Huracán home stadium is the Estadio Tomás Adolfo Ducó.Huracán was...
, and Estudiantes de La Plata
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, 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 history....
, among other teams. The "even zone" was won by Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
, that qualified thus for the final meeting.
The final took place on February 9, 1930 at the old stadium of River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
(at the intersection of Alvear and Tagle in Recoleta
Recoleta
Recoleta is a downtown residential neighborhood in the city of Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina; it is an area of great historical and architectural interest, due, particularly to the Recoleta Cemetery located there...
). On that day, Gimnasia fielded: Scarpone, Di Giano and Delovo; Rusciti, Santillán and Belli; Curell, Varallo
Francisco Varallo
Francisco Antonio "Pancho" Varallo was an Argentine football forward. He played for the Argentine national team from 1930 to 1937. He was a member of Argentina's squad at the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930...
, Maleani, Díaz, and Morgada. After being down 0–1 at half time, the team turned the result and won 2-1 with two goals by Martin Maleani. That same year Gimnasia won the "Reserve" championship. Consequently, Gimnasia y Esgrima became the first club of La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
to earn a title in a competition organized by an Association recognized by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
.
The European Tour of 1930/1931
Greater Buenos Aires
Greater Buenos Aires is the generic denomination to refer to the megalopolis comprising the autonomous city of Buenos Aires and the conurbation around it, over the province of Buenos Aires—namely the adjacent 24 partidos or municipalities—which nonetheless do not constitute a single administrative...
to compete in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and the first ever to play in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In the European portion of the tour, Gimnasia played twenty-two games, winning eleven and losing six.
TSV 1860 München
Turn- und Sportverein München von 1860, commonly known as TSV 1860 München or 1860 Munich, is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. The club's football team plays in the Second Bundesliga, after relegation from the Bundesliga following the 2003–04 season...
4-0 at Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, in a game remarkable for being the first match played by an Argentine team on a snow-covered pitch. On March 8, Gimnasia won 3-1 over AC Sparta Praha at Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, a team that was arguably the strongest in Europe at the time, and that no South American team had yet defeated. Gimnasia also won its matches against three of the most important European clubs: a 3-2 victory against Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
(at Madrid, on January 1, 1931, first South American team to ever defeat Real Madrid at Madrid), 2-1 against FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
(at Barcelona, on January 6, 1931), and 1-0 against Benfica (at Lisbon, on March 29, 1931).
El Expreso of 1933
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
and San Lorenzo de Almagro. In these matches, it is claimed that Gimnasia was subject to openly biased arbitration. In the latter game, the referee Rojo Miró favoured San Lorenzo that the Gimnasia players famously refused to continue with the charade, and "went on strike." They simply sat on the field, while San Lorenzo scored unopposedly, before the referee terminated the game with a 7–1 outcome. The 1933 team ended in the fourth place (San Lorenzo was the champion) with a record of 21 victories, four draws and nine defeats. However, the legendary Express had been born, and it never left the memory of its fans. The top scorer of The Express was Arturo "El Torito" Naón
Arturo Naón
Arturo Naón was an Argentine football striker. He played 150 matches and scored 120 goals in the Primera División Argentina.He is the top goal scorer of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata with 95 goals.-Clubs:...
with 33 goals.
Irregular performances (1934-1960)
In 1934, Gimnasia finished in ninth place after securing 14 wins, 10 draws and 15 defeats, with Arturo NaónArturo Naón
Arturo Naón was an Argentine football striker. He played 150 matches and scored 120 goals in the Primera División Argentina.He is the top goal scorer of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata with 95 goals.-Clubs:...
as scorer with his 25 goals. The following year, the team finished in the number 13 position, where the highlights were the victories River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
(6:4), Platense
Club Atlético Platense
Club Atlético Platense is an Argentine sports club based in Vicente López, in the north side of Greater Buenos Aires. The club nickname is Calamar after the journalist Palacio Zino said that the team moved "like a squid in its ink"....
(8-2) and the champion Boca Juniors (1:0).
In 1951, the Gimnasia's first team finished last in Leaderboard and fell of category again. In 1952 it was crowned champion of the second division and returned to first division. During the remaining years of the decade (1953–1960), Gimnasia disputed all the championships of first division finishing most of the times by the middle of the table of positions.
Governor Alende Cup (1960)
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, 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 history....
. It was called "Gobernador de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Dr. Oscar Alende Cup" (in English, "Governor of Buenos Aires Dr. Oscar Alende Cup"). The cup was an international tournament, comprising friendly matches between Estudiantes, Gimnasia, Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División....
and Club Atlético Peñarol, the latter being the two main football clubs from Uruguay.
Gimnasia won both meetings against the Uruguayan teams: 5–2 against Nacional
Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División....
and 1–0 against Peñarol. Estudiantes lost its respective games for 0–1 and 2–5. In the last match, Gimnasia tied with Estudiantes 2–2. On February 13, 1960, Gimnasia was crowned champion of the Gobernador Alende Cup, at the stadium of its archrival.
The Wolf of 1962
The team was led by Uruguayan Enrique Fernández Viola
Enrique Fernández Viola
Enrique Fernández Viola, commonly referred to as Enrique Fernández, was a Uruguayan footballer and manager who played for Nacional, FC Barcelona, Uruguay and the Catalan XI. As a manager he won two Uruguayan championships with Nacional and La Liga titles with both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid...
until the match with Estudiantes, who lost by 0:1 in a local, so he left his charge. Eliseo Prado
Eliseo Prado
Eliseo Prado is an Argentine football forward who played for Argentina in the 1958 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Club Atlético River Plate.-External links:*...
assumed the interim leadership until Adolfo Pedernera
Adolfo Pedernera
Adolfo Alfredo Pedernera , born in Avellaneda, Argentina, was a football player and coach. Nicknamed "El Maestro" , He is still considered by many to be one of the greatest Argentine players of all-time. He was elected the 12th best South american footballer of the 20th century in a poll by the...
took over the team. Pedernera lasted in charge until three dates before the end of the tournament and the post was occupied by an interim Infante
Ricardo Infante
Ricardo Roberto "Beto" Infante is a former Argentine football striker. He is the 2nd highest scoring player in the history of Estudiantes de La Plata and the 6th highest scoring player in the professional era of the Primera División Argentina.Infante made his professional debut in 1942 for...
.
The scorer of the team was Alfredo "Tanque" Rojas
Alfredo Rojas
Alfredo Hugo "El Tanque" Rojas Delinge is a former professional Argentine football player....
with 17 goals, followed by Bayo Diego with 10 goals. Gimnasia managed to score 47 goals, and received 28 goals, leaving a positive balance of 19 goals.
The starting eleven for the team were: Carlos Minoian; Pedro Galeano and José Marinovich; Walter Davoine, Daniel Carlos Bayo and Domingo Lejona; Luis Ciaccia, Héctor Antonio or Eliseo Prado
Eliseo Prado
Eliseo Prado is an Argentine football forward who played for Argentina in the 1958 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Club Atlético River Plate.-External links:*...
, Alfredo "Tanque" Rojas
Alfredo Rojas
Alfredo Hugo "El Tanque" Rojas Delinge is a former professional Argentine football player....
, Diego Francisco Bayo and "Huaqui" Gómez Sánchez
Óscar Gómez Sánchez
Óscar Gómez Sánchez was a Peruvian football player.-Club career:Gómez Sánchez was a forward and played for Alianza Lima, where he won the Primera División Peruana three times...
. Also played in the first team: Francisco Gerónimo (goalkeeper), Antonio López, Héctor Trinidad, José Perillo, Natalio Sivo, Jorge Mallo, Antonio Arena and Hugo Carro.
1963-1969
In 1963, Gimnasia finished the championship in 13th position, at just three points from the last position. The highlight of that season was the victory of the derby by 5:2, with goals from Ciaccia, Gómez Sánchez, Diego Bayo and 2 from "Tanque" Rojas. The following year Gimnasia ended in the same position.In 1965, Gimnasia finished the penultimate Leaderboard, above Chacarita Juniors by just one point. In 1966, Gimnasia improved its performance and finished the championship in 8th position with 13 wins, 13 draws and 12 losses.
Argentine Football Association
The Argentine Football Association is the governing body of football in Argentina. It organises the Argentine football league and the Argentina national football team. It is based in Buenos Aires...
(AFA). These were the "Metropolitano", with the teams affiliated directly to the AFA divided in two zones, and the "Nacional", in whom some teams affiliated to the AFA were taking part and whom they classified under the first positions of the Metropolitano. The rest of the teams was taking part in the "Promocional" and in the "Reclasificatorio", together with other teams that were representing other leagues of the country.
In the first year, 1967, Gimnasia y Esgrima devoted itself champion of the "Promocional" tournament.
La Barredora (1970)
In 1970, Gimnasia y Esgrima finished second the zone "B" behind Chacarita Juniors
Chacarita Juniors
Club Atlético Chacarita Juniors is an Argentine sports club from Villa Maipú, General San Martín Partido in Greater Buenos Aires, which football squad is currently playing in the Primera B Nacional, the second division of the Argentine football league system.The club was founded on May 1, 1906, in...
, and qualified for the "Nacional" semifinal against Rosario Central
Rosario Central
Club Atlético Rosario Central is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina. Its football team currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second tier of the Argentine football league system, after being relegated in the 2009-10 season....
, who had occupied the first position in the zone "A". At that time, a conflict developed between the players and the club's administration on a disagreement about the salary paid to the players. Unable to solve the issue, the President Oscar Venturino fielded the club's third division on the semifinal at Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
. The final result was a 3–0 victory for Rosario Central
Rosario Central
Club Atlético Rosario Central is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina. Its football team currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second tier of the Argentine football league system, after being relegated in the 2009-10 season....
.
The starting eleven for the team were: Hugo Orlando Gatti; Ricardo Rezza, José Bernabé Leonardi, José Masnik, Roberto Zywica
Roberto Zywica
Roberto Zywica is an Argentine former football midfielder and manager.-Playing career:Zywica started his professional playing career in 1966 with CA River Plate...
, Roberto Gonzalo; Héctor Pignani, José Santiago, Delio Onnis
Delio Onnis
Delio Onnis is a retired Argentine football forward. He was nicknamed "el Tano" in Argentina....
, José Néstor Meija, Jorge Castiglia. José Varacka
José Varacka
José Varacka is a former Argentine football player and coach.-Club career:Varacka played for three of the big five teams in Argentina. He started his career in 1952 with Independiente. In 1954 he played and scored in a famous 6-0 win over Real Madrid...
was the coach.
Relegation (1979)
Platense
Platense may refer to:*Club Atlético Platense : a football team in Uruguay*Club Atlético Platense: a football club from Argentina*C.D. Platense: a football club from Honduras*C.D. Platense Municipal Zacatecoluca: a football club from El Salvador...
, Chacarita Juniors
Chacarita Juniors
Club Atlético Chacarita Juniors is an Argentine sports club from Villa Maipú, General San Martín Partido in Greater Buenos Aires, which football squad is currently playing in the Primera B Nacional, the second division of the Argentine football league system.The club was founded on May 1, 1906, in...
and Atlanta. With 3 won games, 1 drawn and 2 lost, 7 goals to favor and 8 in against, Gimnasia descends to the Second category.
In that tournament Carlos Dantón Seppaquercia successed the most rapid goal
Goal (sport)
Goal refers to a method of scoring in many sports. It can also refer to the physical structure or area of the playing surface where scoring occurs....
into the Argentine league of football. Against Club Atlético Huracán
Club Atlético Huracán
Club Atlético Huracán is a sports club from the Parque Patricios neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The football team currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second level of the Argentine football league system. Huracán home stadium is the Estadio Tomás Adolfo Ducó.Huracán was...
after 5 seconds on March 18, 1979.
The base team was: Vidallé; Magallán, Pellegrini, Sergio Castro and Alí; Tutino, Avelino Verón and García Amaijenda; Cerqueiro, Montagnoli and Forgués. DT: Antonio Ubaldo Rattín. Also played: Carlos Dantón Seppaquercia, Oscar Perez, Restelli, Labaroni, Cragno, Villarreal, Gutiérrez, Solari and Esquivel.
Primera "B" (1980-1984)
In 1981 it obtained the seventh place with 14 victories, 17 ties and 11 defeats, what it left the team without possibilities of achieving the ascent. In this tournament the scorer of the team was Jorge "Potro" Domínguez with 17 goals.
In 1982 it worked out first from the group A with 17 victories, 15 ties and 10 defeats. This way it classified to play the octogonal for the ascent, but it was eliminated after losing by penalties in the semi-final against Temperley. Gimnasia was the most scorer team of the tournament with 73 goals, and its main scorer was again Jorge "Potro" Domínguez with 21 goals.
And in 1983, Gimnasia had a very weak campaign that positioned it in the last position with 8 victories, 15 ties and 19 defeats.
The Return to First Division (1984)
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
, Argentino de Rosario
Argentino de Rosario
Club Atlético Argentino, commonly known as Argentino de Rosario, is a football club from Rosario in Santa Fe Province, Argentina. The team currently plays in Primera D Metropolitana, which is the regionalised fifth tier of the Argentine Football Association league system.1946 was Argentino's most...
, Club Atlético Tigre
Club Atlético Tigre
Club Atlético Tigre is a football club from Victoria, San Fernando Partido, Buenos Aires, Argentina. At the end of the 2006-2007 season the club was promoted to the Primera Division Argentina...
, Defensores de Belgrano
Defensores de Belgrano
Defensores de Belgrano is a sports club from the Nuñez neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina. the football team currently plays in Primera B Metropolitana, the regionalised third division of the Argentine Football Association....
, Club Atlético Lanús
Club Atlético Lanús
Club Atlético Lanús is a sports club from Lanús, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Founded on 3 January 1915, the club's main sports are football and basketball. In both sports, Lanús plays in Argentina's top divisions: Primera División and Liga Nacional de Básquet...
, Nueva Chicago and Deportivo Morón.
Gimnasia eliminated of the octogonal in quarters of final Argentino de Rosario
Argentino de Rosario
Club Atlético Argentino, commonly known as Argentino de Rosario, is a football club from Rosario in Santa Fe Province, Argentina. The team currently plays in Primera D Metropolitana, which is the regionalised fifth tier of the Argentine Football Association league system.1946 was Argentino's most...
after tying 1:1 as visit, and to win 2:1 at home. Then, in the semi-final it faced Defensores de Belgrano
Defensores de Belgrano
Defensores de Belgrano is a sports club from the Nuñez neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina. the football team currently plays in Primera B Metropolitana, the regionalised third division of the Argentine Football Association....
achieving a tie 2:2 as visitor and a victory 1:0 at home. By this way, it reached the final instance where it managed to conquer in two opportunities Racing Club (3:1 as visitor and 4:2 at home). After these victories, Gimnasia returned to First Division in 1985 and has been playing there ever since.
The team was conformed by football players as Ricardo "el pulpo" Kuzemka, Carlos Carrió and Osvaldo Ingrao, whereas its trainer was Nito Veiga. The scorers of the team were Carlos Carrió and Osvaldo Ingrao with 12 goals each one and Gabriel Pedrazzi with 10 goals.
Copa Centenario de la AFA (1993–94)
In 1993, The AFAArgentine Football Association
The Argentine Football Association is the governing body of football in Argentina. It organises the Argentine football league and the Argentina national football team. It is based in Buenos Aires...
organized a cup-style (elimination) tournament named Copa Centenario
Copa Centenario de la AFA
The Copa Centenario was an official tournament among Argentina's First Division Football clubs, organized by AFA in 1993/1994 in order to celebrate its 100th anniversary...
("Centennial Cup"), to celebrate its hundredth anniversary. Each first division team played its derby rival in two rounds in a double elimination
Double-elimination tournament
A double-elimination tournament is a type of elimination tournament competition in which a participant ceases to be eligible to win the tournament's championship upon having lost two games or matches...
system. Gimnasia eliminated its classic rival Estudiantes 1–0 with a goal by Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División...
, and qualified for the next round after a 0–0 tie in the return match. Then, Gimnasia successively eliminated Newell's Old Boys
Newell's Old Boys
Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario. The club was founded on November 3, 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell, one of the pioneers of Argentine football...
, Argentinos Juniors
Argentinos Juniors
Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine football club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. Founded on August 15, 1904, the club was originally called the “Martyrs of Chicago”, in homage to the eight anarchists imprisoned or hanged after the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago.-Early...
and Belgrano de Córdoba
Belgrano de Córdoba
Club Atlético Belgrano is a sport club from Córdoba, Argentina, best known for its football team, promoted to the Argentine first division at the end of the 2010/2011 season. The football team is very popular and it has one of the largest fan bases outside Buenos Aires...
to win the "round of winners". River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
won the "round of losers" and qualified for the final, with Gimnasia having home field advantage.
Gimnasia won the final 3–1 with goals by Hugo Romeo Guerra, Fernández and Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División...
. Gimnasia's winning team included Lavallén; Sanguinetti
Guillermo Sanguinetti
Guillermo Óscar Sanguinetti Giordano is a retired football player and the current manager of Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata...
, Morant, Ortiz, Dopazo, Fernández, Bianco, Talarico, Gustavo Barros Schelotto
Gustavo Barros Schelotto
Gustavo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine footballer who played as a midfielder. He is the twin brother of Guillermo Barros Schelotto.-Playing career:...
, Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División...
and Guerra.
After winning this cup, Gimnasia was invited to participate on the Sanwa Bank Cup
Sanwa Bank Cup
The Sanwa Bank Cup was a one-match friendly competition officially organised by J. League and sponsored by Sanwa Bank . The competition was held between 1994 and 1997 and played two weeks before the opening of J. League . The teams invited were the J...
in 1994. The match was played in the National Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and ended regular time with a 2-2 tie, and was defined with penaltys, where Verdy Kawasaki won 4-2.
From Griguol to Troglio (1994–2007)
With veteran coach Carlos Timoteo GriguolCarlos Timoteo Griguol
Carlos Timoteo Griguol is an Argentine football coach and former player.His playing career was spent with Atlanta and Rosario Central. As a coach, after winning the championship with Rosario Central in 1973. He had 3 spells and a successful career in the Rosario's club...
at the helm, Gimnasia took second place in the 1995 Clausura tournament, and repeated the performance in 1996 and 1998. At the reinauguration of Boca Juniors' stadium (La Bombonera
Estadio Alberto J. Armando
The Estadio Alberto J. Armando is a stadium located in the La Boca district of Buenos Aires. Widely known as La Bombonera due to its shape, with a "flat" stand on one side of the pitch and three steep stands round the rest of the stadium...
) on May 5, 1996, Gimnasia defeated the home team by 6–0. Also Gimnasia took second place in 2002 coached by Ramaciotti.
Gimnasia also obtained second place in 2005 under Pedro Troglio's management, after an excellent campaign that had them fighting neck to neck with Boca Juniors until the very end of the championship. These strong showings allowed Gimnasia to take part in the top club-level competitions in South America: the Copa Sudamericana
Copa Sudamericana
The Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...
during the 2006 and 2007 editions of the Copa Libertadores.
On September 10, 2006, during the halftime of a match against Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
, club president Juan José Muñoz
Juan José Muñoz
Juan José Muñoz is an Argentine businessman and hailing from the city of La Plata, Argentina. He was an advisor to the current Minister of Interior, Mr. Aníbal Fernández, during the period when the latter was a federal senator. Afterwards, he worked for the trade union that represents State Workers...
confronted (and allegedly threatened) referee Daniel Giménez, who called off the match immediately, with Gimnasia leading 1–0. Muñoz was reprimanded by the football association and temporarily removed from its executive committee. A few days later, Gimnasia was eliminated from the Copa Sudamericana
Copa Sudamericana
The Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...
by the Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an champions Colo Colo, following a quarter final match where a player of Gimnasia was injured by a piece of cement thrown by Chilean supporters. Due to Gimnasia's physical play in the second leg of the quarter finals in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Argentine Football Association's president Julio Grondona
Julio Grondona
Julio Humberto Grondona is an Argentine football executive. He has served as president of the Argentine Football Association since 1979...
wrote a personal letter to the president of the ANFP
Federación de Fútbol de Chile
The Chilean Football Federation is the governing body of association football in Chile. It was founded June 19, 1895, making it the second oldest South American federation, and is a founding member of CONMEBOL in 1916...
(the Chilean football federation) apologizing for the "roughness" of the Gimnasia players.
The pending second half against Boca Juniors was played on November 8, 2006. Boca Juniors scored four goals and won the match. After the match, Troglio and some of the players hinted that the team had received death threats from some supporters, who wanted to benefit Boca in its championship bid against Gimnasia's archrivals Estudiantes. Nevertheless, Estudiantes obtained the title at the end of the Apertura 2006.
2007–10: Gisande Presidency
After a string of losses in the local championship and the Copa Libertadores, there were renewed calls for Muñoz to resign. Coach Troglio felt the burden of responsibility and quit his post on April 2, 2007. Gimnasia hired first famed ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n trainer Francisco Maturana
Francisco Maturana
Francisco Maturana, also known as Pacho is a Colombian ex-football player and later a successful football manager.-Player:...
, and then Julio César Falcioni
Julio César Falcioni
Julio César Falcioni is an Argentine football manager and former goalkeeper. He currently works as the manager of Boca Juniors in Argentina.-Club career:...
, but both had limited success.
In the December 2007 election, Muñoz did not run, and the candidate he supported lost to the opposition. New club president Walter Gisande hired former player Guillermo Sanguinetti
Guillermo Sanguinetti
Guillermo Óscar Sanguinetti Giordano is a retired football player and the current manager of Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata...
as team coach and tried to convince former players, notably Diego Alonso
Diego Alonso
Diego Martín Alonso López is an Uruguayan footballer who plays for C.A. Peñarol in the Uruguayan first division, as a striker.-Club career:Alonso was born in Montevideo, the country's capital. He made his professional debuts with C.A...
and Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División...
, to return to Gimnasia. Only Alonso, who was playing in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, made the leap.
Sanguinetti quit after a string of bad results that left Gimnasia in serious danger of relegation. Under new coach Leonardo Madelón
Leonardo Madelón
Leonardo Carol Madelón is an Argentine former footballer and current manager.-Career:Madelón played club football for San Lorenzo, Unión de Santa Fe and Rosario Central between 1982 and 1993.-Coaching career:...
, team results improved markedly, and the team staved off relegation in a play-off against Atlético de Rafaela. In the second half of 2009, team performance deteriorated again, forcing Madelón's exit.
The new management also campaigned for a return to the Bosque grounds. In April 2008 the stadium underwent a structural engineering
Structural engineering
Structural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist loads. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right....
evaluation after security measures requested by authorities were put in place. On June 2008, the stadium was re-opened for a match against Lanús, the last game of the Clausura 2008 championship.
Mayor Pablo Bruera
Pablo Bruera
Pablo Bruera is an Argentine politician, who was elected as mayor of La Plata, the capital of Buenos Aires province, in the 28/Oct/2007 elections .On December 9, 2007, Bruera replaced incumbent Julio Alak....
has indicated that the city will allow Gimnasia to buy or lease city-owned lands to erect a sports complex.
2010–11: Delmar Presidency
On November 27, 2010 were carried out of the club's presidential election. These were three candidates: Hector Delmar, Carlos Gaskin and Daniel Papasodaro. With a good turnout of members (5210 members voted), was elected president, Hector Delmar with 62.82% of the vote.Upon assuming the presidency Hector Delmar, the body headed by interim coach Paul Morant decided to return to their posts in the lower divisions of the club. The steering committee quickly hired the renowned technical Angel Cappa, signing the contract on December 22, 2010.
On January 14, 2011, the "mellizo" Guillermo Barros Schelotto returned to the club to play for at least six months and was welcomed at "Estancia Chica" for more than seven thousand fans of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata.
On June 26, 2011, Gimnasia played its third straight playoff to remain in Primera División Argentina
Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
, facing San Martín (SJ) in San Juan. Gimnasia lost the first leg as visitors 1-0. In the second leg, played on June 30, Gimnasia was down a goal by the 2nd minute, and were forced to score at least 2 goals, but they were unable to, drawing with San Martin by a score 1-1, which relegated the team. Notably, this was the last game featuring club idol Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División...
, who had announced that the relegation games were to be his last before he retired.
Clásico Platense
The Clásico Platense (La Plata derby) is the nickname given to the match between La PlataLa Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
's two main football teams: Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and Estudiantes de La Plata
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, 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 history....
. The first official derby took place as part of the Asociación Argentina de Football First Division Championship on August 27, 1916. On that occasion, Gimnasia won 1–0 over Estudiantes, with an owngoal by Ludovico Pastor.
The first derby of the professional era took place on June 14, 1931. Since then, they have played 142 official matches in tournaments organized by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino. To date, Estudiantes has won 48 times, with 207 goals, and Gimnasia has won 44 times, with 190 goals. There have been 50 draws.
A curiosity among the derbies occurred on April 5, 1992, when Gimnasia won over Estudiantes 1–0 at the latter's stadium. On that date, as the stands erupted and Gimnasia's fans shouted in celebration at the goal being scored, the seismograph of the local Astronomical Observatory registered a low-intensity seismic event. That goal was scored by the Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an José Perdomo
José Perdomo
José Batlle Perdomo Teixeira is a Uruguayan former footballer.Born in Salto, he started his career with Club Atlético Peñarol in 1983, being later noted in 1989 by Genoa head coach Franco Scoglio during a South-American scouting visit, being signed by the rossoblu together with fellow Uruguayans...
on a freekick, and it has been known ever since as "El gol del terremoto" ("The earthquake goal").
Presidents
Saturnino Perdriel
Saturnino Perdriel
Saturnino Perdriel was the Argentine founder and first president of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. He was a civil functionary in the Treasury Department of the Province of Buenos Aires....
was the founder and first president of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. Perdriel was a merchant during the first few years of the city of La Plata, in addition to being a civil servant at the Treasury Department of the Province of Buenos Aires. He died prematurely in 1888, after one year as Club president.
Currently, the President of Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata is chosen by its associates, by means of general elections that take place every three years. Any club member over 18 years of age, and with at least three years membership of the Club, have a right to vote. Members with over seven years membership have a right to be elected to the Club governmental body, the Management Commission or "Directory".
The current President of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata is Walter Gisande, who won the 2007 elections over Gabriel Pellegrino by 16 votes.
Management board 2010-2013
- Last update: January 26, 2011
Below is detailed how is composed the management board of the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata elected in 2010:
- President: Héctor Atilio Delmar.
- Vice-presidents: Daniel Onofri, Bernardo Supera and José Luis Mainetti.
- Vocales Titulares: Augusto Jorge Cattaneo, Carlos Alberto Flores, Pablo Gabriel Tonelli, Graciela Beatriz Delmar, Javier César Di Giano, Ramiro Isidro Colombo, Héctor Humberto Leguizamón, Martín Salgado, Rodolfo Daniel Figari, Claudio Alejandro Feysulaj, Ricardo Marcelo Gutiérrez, Osvaldo Amílcar De Tomás and Juan Ignacio Supera.
- Vocales Suplentes: Carlos Hernández Campodónico, Néstor Pérez Lozano, Juan Ignacio Seara, Alejandro Tonelli, Marcelo Daniel Campodónico, Oscar Bernardo Remaggi and Oscar Alejandro Bogani.
- Senior Account Overseers: Anibal Daniel Gentilli, María Agustina Mayocchi and María Isabel Olivero.
- Substitute Account Overseers: Nicolás Cufré and Marcelo Andrés Luque.
- Senior Juror of Honor: Domingo Sergio Favaloro, Francisco José Terrier, Jorge Alberto Iturreria, Juan Carlos Simoncelli and Carlos José Tejo.
- Substitute Juror of Honor: Ideler Tonelli and Rodolfo Antonio Montalvo.
Anthem
The official anthem of Gimnasia was written in the year 1915 by the popular poet born in MagdalenaMagdalena, Buenos Aires
Magdalena is a town in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the Magdalena Partido.Founded in 1611, the hamlet grew slowly until the late nineteenth century. The Parish of Santa María Magdalena , consecrated in 1776, inaugurated its current temple in 1860...
Délfor B. Méndez and the music was composed by the master Juan Serpentini, who was composing versions of the National Argentine Anthem and "El tambor de Tacuarí", with Rafael Obligado
Rafael Obligado
Rafael Obligado was an Argentine poet and playwright.Obligado was the son of María Jacinta Ortiz Urién and Luis Obligado y Saavedra. During the 1880s, he became known as el poeta del Paraná . He wrote poetry with gaucho themes, but using cultured and educated language...
's letter.
The official anthem of Gimnasia was intoned by the first time on July 9, 1915 on the occasion of the reception that was given to the delegation
Delegation
Delegation is the assignment of authority and responsibility to another person to carry out specific activities. However the person who delegated the work remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated work. Delegation empowers a subordinate to make decisions, i.e...
of the club River Plate of Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. In 1967 the official anthem was recorded by the musical ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
of the Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
Police.
Shield
The shieldShield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
of the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata is a wreath in which, in the top part, a helmet
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
is outlined with a heraldic crest. At the center, on enamel and with the colors of the club (white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
and navy blue
Navy blue
Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue which almost appears as black. Navy blue got its name from the dark blue worn by officers in the British Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world....
), is the club monogram
Monogram
A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series of uncombined initials is properly referred to as a...
appears. In the top cantons, like a guard, there appears the hilts of a saber and a foil, with their sharp points emerging in lower part of the shield. To the sides of the center laurels spread around the helmet
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
.
Since its inception, the club shield
Shield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
has undergone some modifications. From 1887 until 1928, the shield used was devised by Emilio Coutauret, and it was characterized by a handcrafted and adorned design. In 1964, following a reform of the foundational statute, Gimnasia's shield adopted a simpler form, while still keeping the essence of the original one. The new design of the logo is the one in current use, and often displayed on the team's jerseys.
During Héctor Domínguez's presidency, the abbreviation CGE (Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima) at the center of the shield was replaced by GELP (Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata). Since the beginning of Walter Gisande's presidency, it was decided to return to the original abbreviation of 'CGE'.
Kit
The official historical uniform of Gimnasia y Esgrima is based on the colours displayed in the clubClub
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
shield, as established in the institutional statute
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
.
- Official uniform: a white jersey with a single horizontal navy-blue stripe over the chest, white (or blue) trousers, white (or blue) socks.
- Alternative uniform: a navy-blue jersey with a horizontal white stripe over the chest, navy blue trousers, navy blue socks.
Kit evolution
In the first years of the institution, the colors adopted were whiteWhite
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
and light blue, seeking to highlight the fact that it was an Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
club. The first vest used by the team had vertical white and light blue stripes.
In 1905, it was decided to change the colors to make it distinct from Racing Club
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
. This resulted in a vest with vertical stripes of white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
and navy-blue color.
Finally, in 1910, the design was modified, changing the vertical stripes into the horizontal band of navy-blue color over a white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
jersey, which has been used ever since.
Apparel and sponsors
- Last updated: February 16, 2009
The following table details the companies that provided the team's apparel, and sponsored the team, from the years 1980 and 1990 respectively:
EWLINE
|
EWLINE
|
During the year 2009, the apparel of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata will be provided by Kappa
Kappa (company)
Kappa is an Italian company specialized at the manufacture of sporting clothes and accessories, that started as a sock and underwear manufacturer in 1916 in Turin.-Logo:...
, and jerseys by La Nueva Seguros.
Supporters
Fan base
Within the city of La Plata and its environs, Gimnasia's fan base used to be identified with the working classWorking class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
, in contrast with the mostly middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
Estudiantes' constituency. This characterization is no longer true. Most of Gimnasia y Esgrima fans are from the Greater La Plata area.
The fans' collective name for itself is "La 22", after 22nd street in La Plata where many famous fans lived, notably Marcelo Amuchástegui. Known as Loco Fierro, Amuchástegui was famous for his exploits, such as hanging a 100-meter Gimnasia flag in the Bombonera
La Bombonera
La Bombonera may refer:* Estadio Alberto J. Armando, home stadium of Club Atlético Boca Juniors* Estadio Nemesio Díez, home stadium of Deportivo Toluca* Estadio "La Bombonera", Montevideo, home stadium of Club Atlético Basáñez...
stadium. He was shot to death by Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
police in a murky episode on May 28, 1991, allegedly during an armed robbery.
As is the case with other clubs in the Argentine First Division, the fans celebrate the "Worldwide Day of Gimnasia's Fans" on December 10 with a large party and outside gathering.
Nicknames
Since the 1960s, Gimnasia has been known as El Lobo (short for "El Lobo del Bosque", Spanish for "the wolf in the Forest") after the story of "Red Riding Hood", since its historical football field is located in the middle of La Plata's main park, known as El Bosque ("the forest"). Another nickname, mensanas, derives from the LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
motto used in the shield: Mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body).
An original nickname was (and still is) triperos ("tripe" or "gut-handlers"). This name has its origin in the fact that many of Gimnasia's original supporters worked in the meat-processing plants of nearby Berisso
Berisso Partido
Berisso Partido is a small eastern partido of Buenos Aires Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of 80,092 inhabitants in an area of 135 km² , and its capital city is Berisso, which is located around 57 km from Buenos Aires.The district forms part of...
. In newspaper caricatures from the early 1900s, Gimnasia was accordingly depicted as a "butcher", instead of the current "wolf". however, Gimnasia is still often greeted by its fans with a resounding "Tripa corazón!" (Spanish for "Heart of tripe!"). Curiously, the same nickname is applied when referring to the population of Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, although the meaning of the nickname in Portuguese is closer to "tripe-eaters".
Another nickname is basureros ("garbage or waste collectors"), acquired during the presidency of Mr. Venturino in the 1970s, who also managed the private company dealing with trash pickup in La Plata.
Stadium
The Juan Carlos Zerillo stadium, known as El Bosque (Spanish for "the forest", because it is located in the La Plata park of the same name) had a capacity of 31,460 and was used continuously until 2005.When a new city stadium
Estadio Ciudad de La Plata
The Estadio Ciudad de La Plata is a multi-purpose stadium located in the city of La Plata, Argentina. It is also known popularly as the Estadio Único and is owned by the Province of Buenos Aires, administered jointly by the provincial government, the Municipality of La Plata, and the football clubs...
was built for La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
, both Gimnasia and Estudiantes initially chose to stay at their respective fields, but this arrangement collapsed when both fields were closed down due to new security regulations. In the 2006 Clausura tournament, Gimnasia began to use the city stadium for home games.
Beginning on March 2008, Gimnasia made various reforms to its old stadium, seeking to secure the permit for its use at selected games. Finally on June 2008, the "El Bosque" grounds were reapproved for First Division competitions. On Saturday June 21, 2008, in the last game of the Clausure 2008 championship, Gimnasia returned to its old home in a match against Lanús. Now the Juan Carlos Zerillo stadium has a capacity of 24,544.
Club statistics
- Best finish in Primera División: 2nd (Runners-up (5): Clausura 1995, Clausura 1996, Apertura 1998, Clausura 2002 and Apertura 2005).
- Worst finish in Primera División: 18th (of 20 in Apertura 2007)
- Seasons in Primera División: 69
- Seasons in Segunda División: 8
- Best place in Primera División AmateurAmateur Era in Argentine footballThe amateur era in Argentine football lasted between 1891 and 1931.-History:The first league tournament outside the United Kingdom took place in Argentina in 1891, it was dominated by British expatriate players and teams. The Scottish influence is evident in the names of the league's first winners...
: 1st (1929)
- Worst place in Primera División AmateurAmateur Era in Argentine footballThe amateur era in Argentine football lasted between 1891 and 1931.-History:The first league tournament outside the United Kingdom took place in Argentina in 1891, it was dominated by British expatriate players and teams. The Scottish influence is evident in the names of the league's first winners...
: 25th (of 34 in 1927)
- Biggest winning margins:
-
- In national amateur championships: 10–1 to River PlateClub Atlético River PlateClub Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
(in 1905 playing in the División III) - In national championships: 8–1 to Racing ClubRacing Club de AvellanedaRacing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
(November 22, 1961) - In international tournaments: 5–1 to Alianza LimaAlianza LimaClub Alianza Lima is a Peruvian First Division football club who plays at the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva in the La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. They are one of the most famous and well supported clubs in the country and the oldest team in the Peruvian First Division.Alianza enjoyed success...
(at the Copa Libertadores 2003Copa Libertadores 2003The 2003 Copa Libertadores de América was the 44th edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's premier annual international club tournament....
)
- In national amateur championships: 10–1 to River Plate
- Maximum number of consecutive victories achieved in First Division Championships:
-
- 8 (Apertura 2005), which is the 6th-best in the history of Argentina football. (in small tournaments)
- 9 (Campeonato of 1962)
- Worst defeats:
-
- In national championships: 0–8 to HuracánClub Atlético HuracánClub Atlético Huracán is a sports club from the Parque Patricios neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The football team currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second level of the Argentine football league system. Huracán home stadium is the Estadio Tomás Adolfo Ducó.Huracán was...
. - In international tournaments: 0–4 to IA Sud AméricaSud AméricaInstitución Atlética Sud América, usually known as Sud América or IASA is a football club from Montevideo in Uruguay. They currently play in the Uruguayan 2nd Division.- History :...
(at the Copa ConmebolCopa CONMEBOLThe Copa CONMEBOL was an annual football cup competition organized by CONMEBOL between 1992 and 1999 for eligible South American football clubs. During its time of existence, it was the third most prestigious South American club football contest after the Copa Libertadores and Supercopa...
1995)
- In national championships: 0–8 to Huracán
- Top goalscorers:
-
Arturo NaónArturo NaónArturo Naón was an Argentine football striker. He played 150 matches and scored 120 goals in the Primera División Argentina.He is the top goal scorer of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata with 95 goals.-Clubs:...
(95 goals in 97 games)- Manuel Fidel (80 goals in 201 games)
- Diego Francisco Bayo (71 goals in 138 games)
-
Delio OnnisDelio OnnisDelio Onnis is a retired Argentine football forward. He was nicknamed "el Tano" in Argentina....
(64 goals in 113 games)
- Most appearances:
-
- Jorge San EstebanJorge San EstebanJorge San Esteban is an Argentine football defender, who currently plays for Villa San Carlos of the regionalised 3rd division of Argentine football.-Club career:...
(434 games) 
Guillermo SanguinettiGuillermo SanguinettiGuillermo Óscar Sanguinetti Giordano is a retired football player and the current manager of Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata...
(383 games between 1991–2003)- Oscar Montañéz (343 games between 1932–1945)
- Participation in official international competitions:
-
- Copa ConmebolCopa CONMEBOLThe Copa CONMEBOL was an annual football cup competition organized by CONMEBOL between 1992 and 1999 for eligible South American football clubs. During its time of existence, it was the third most prestigious South American club football contest after the Copa Libertadores and Supercopa...
(3): 1992 (being a Semi-Finalist), 1995 and 1998. - Copa SudamericanaCopa SudamericanaThe Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...
(2): 2002Copa Sudamericana 2002The 2002 Copa Sudamericana was the inaugural Copa Sudamericana, a club association football tournament organized by CONMEBOL. It took place between August 28 and December 11. After the failure in creating a Pan-American Cup to be played among teams from the entire American continent, CONMEBOL...
and 2006Copa Sudamericana 2006The 2006 Copa Sudamericana de Clubes, officially the 2006 Copa Nissan Sudamericana de Clubes for sponsorship reasons, was an international football cup competition played annually by clubs of CONMEBOL and invited teams from CONCACAF.-First stage:...
(reached the Round of Eight). - Copa Libertadores (2): 2003Copa Libertadores 2003The 2003 Copa Libertadores de América was the 44th edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's premier annual international club tournament....
and 2007Copa Libertadores 2007The 2007 Copa Libertadores de América was the 48th edition of the Copa Libertadores. It started on January 24, 2007 and finished on June 20, 2007...
.
- Copa Conmebol
Players
- See also:
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División...
and Gustavo Barros Schelotto
Gustavo Barros Schelotto
Gustavo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine footballer who played as a midfielder. He is the twin brother of Guillermo Barros Schelotto.-Playing career:...
, Mariano Messera
Mariano Messera
Mariano Messera is an Argentine football midfielder currently playing for San Martín de San Juan.-Career:...
, Lucas Lobos, Roberto "Pampa" Sosa
Roberto Sosa (footballer)
Roberto Carlos Sosa is an Argentine football striker, currently he is playing in FC Rapperswil-Jona after being released by the Sanremese.-Career:...
, Andrés Guglielminpietro
Andrés Guglielminpietro
Andrés Guglielminpietro , nicknamed Guly, is a former Argentine football player. A midfielder, he has been capped for the Argentina national football team, and represented his country at the Copa América 1999.His career reached its peak at the Italian club A.C...
, Sebastián Romero
Sebastián Romero
Sebastián Romero may refer to:*Sebastián Ariel Romero, Argentine footballer who plays for Banfield*Miguel Ángel Sebastián Romero, Argentine footballer who plays for Independiente Rivadavia...
, Lucas Licht
Lucas Matías Licht
Lucas Matías Licht is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for Racing Club de Avellaneda, mainly as a left defender .-Football career:...
, Hernán Cristante
Hernán Cristante
Rolando Hernán Cristante Mandarino is a retired Argentine goalkeeper from Mexico's top league, who currently plays for Club Universidad de Guadalajara, a team from the second classification.. He had a serious knee injury and was released from Club Toluca in June 2010...
and Leandro Cufré
Leandro Cufré
Leandro Damián Cufré is an Argentinian footballer, currently plays as a defender for GNK Dinamo Zagreb.-Career:...
, among others.
The AFA allowed football teams to have a maximum of four foreign football players; Gimnasia y Esgrima has historically formed its squads with a mixture of local and foreign players, being the Uruguayans who prevail in the preferences, with 49 football players.
Managers
- Main category:
Several prominent coaches for the team have been Nito Veiga (who led the team to promotion in 1984), Roberto Perfumo (who was coach in the final of the Centenary Cup), Carlos Timoteo Griguol (who led the team for ten years) and former footballer Pedro Troglio.
On September 30, 2008, the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata hired Leonardo Madelón
Leonardo Madelón
Leonardo Carol Madelón is an Argentine former footballer and current manager.-Career:Madelón played club football for San Lorenzo, Unión de Santa Fe and Rosario Central between 1982 and 1993.-Coaching career:...
as manager.
Manager squad 2011
- Manager:
-
- Osvaldo Darío Tempesta
- Field assistants:
-
- Ángel Felix
- Vicente Cayetano Rodriguez
- Fitness coaches:
-
- Marcelo Montero
- Doctor:
-
- Pablo Del Compare
- Coordinator of amateur football:
-
- Pablo MorantPablo MorantPablo Javier Morant is a retired Argentine footballer. He played for a number of clubs both in Argentina and Spain, including Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, Colón de Santa Fe and Hércules CF.-External links:...
National official tournaments
- Primera DivisiónAmateur Era in Argentine footballThe amateur era in Argentine football lasted between 1891 and 1931.-History:The first league tournament outside the United Kingdom took place in Argentina in 1891, it was dominated by British expatriate players and teams. The Scottish influence is evident in the names of the league's first winners...
: 1
-
- 1929
- Runners-up (1): 1924
- División Intermedia del Fútbol Argentino: 1
-
- 1915
National friendly tournaments
- Copa Competencia Adolfo J. Bullrich (1): 1
-
- 1915
- Copa Campeonato Intermedia: 1
-
- 1915
National official tournaments
- Primera División: 0
-
- Runners-up (5): Clausura 1995, Clausura 1996, Apertura 1998, Clausura 2002, Apertura 2005
- Copa Centenario de la AFACopa Centenario de la AFAThe Copa Centenario was an official tournament among Argentina's First Division Football clubs, organized by AFA in 1993/1994 in order to celebrate its 100th anniversary...
: 1
-
- 1994
- Segunda DivisiónPrimera B Nacional ArgentinaPrimera B Nacional is the second most important category of Argentine football organized by the Argentine Football Association.It is played by teams from all over the country...
: 3
-
- 1944, 1947, 1952
- Runners-up (1): 1946
National friendly tournaments
- Copa Amistad: 2
-
- 1977, 2006
- Copa Ciudad de Mar del Plata: 1
-
- 2009
- Copa Municipalidad de La Plata: 2
-
- 1999, 2001
International friendly tournaments
- Copa Gobernador Alende: 1
-
- 1960
- Copa Colonia del Sacramento: 1
-
- 1998
- Cuadrangular de Asunción: 1
-
- 1975
- Copa Cristal: 1
-
- 2005
- Second place of Sanwa Bank CupSanwa Bank CupThe Sanwa Bank Cup was a one-match friendly competition officially organised by J. League and sponsored by Sanwa Bank . The competition was held between 1994 and 1997 and played two weeks before the opening of J. League . The teams invited were the J...
: 1
-
- 1994
See also
- History of Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (Football)
- Statistics of Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (football)Statistics of Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (football)Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata is an Argentine sports club from La Plata, province of Buenos Aires. It was founded on June 3, 1887, as Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima...
- Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (Sports Club)Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (Sports Club)Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata is an Argentine sports club from La Plata, province of Buenos Aires. It was founded on June 3, 1887, as Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima...
- Presidents of Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata
- Estadio Juan Carlos Zerillo
- La Plata derbyLa Plata derbyThe La Plata derby is one of the most fiercely contested derbies in Argentine football. It is played between Estudiantes de La Plata and Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata....