Comunicaciones
Encyclopedia
Club Social y Deportivo Comunicaciones is a Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...

n football club
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 located in Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...

.

The club is currently playing in the highest Guatemalan league, the Liga Nacional
Liga Nacional de Guatemala
Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala , formerly known as Liga Mayor "A" is a professional football division in Guatemala, the highest one in the country. It is sanctioned by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala...

. Their home venue is the Estadio Cementos Progreso
Estadio Cementos Progreso
The Estadio Cementos Progreso is a multi-use stadium in Guatemala City. It is also known popularly as Estadio La Pedrera in reference to its location in the neighborhood of the same name in the Zone 6 of the Guatemalan capital...

 in the nation's capital. Nicknamed Cremas (or Creams), they are the second-most successful club in Guatemala, behind arch-rival, Municipal. The club is considered the most popular in Guatemala.

Comunicaciones is the only Guatemalan team who has played 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...

 (with Gento
Francisco Gento
Francisco "Paco" Gento López is a former Spanish football player.-Biography:He débuted in the Primera División with Racing Santander in the 1952–53 season...

, Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and was a World Cup finalist in 1954...

, Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé, born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time...

), Santos FC (with Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...

), and 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....

 (with Diego Armando Maradona).

History

Founded in 1949, they were adopted by the Ministry of Communications. They have boasted many great local players as well as some impressive foreign imports. They have won 24 league titles, only 4 short of Municipal's record of 28. Also, they have won 5 domestic cup titles as well as 3 major CONCACAF club titles.

The team's ownership was associated with the Garcia-Granados family (that of former Guatemalan President Miguel García Granados
Miguel García Granados
Miguel García-Granados Zavala was President of Guatemala from 29 June 1871 to 4 June 1873. He was an influential figure in the broad sweep of 19th century Guatemalan history....

) and the Arzu family (that of another former president, Alvaro Arzu
Álvaro Arzú
Álvaro Enrique Arzú Yrigoyen was the 32nd President of Guatemala from January 14, 1996 until January 14, 2000...

).

1990s: Success

The team was successful during the 90s, luring renowned foreign players like Costa Ricans Mauricio Wright
Mauricio Wright
Wílber Mauricio Wright Reynolds is a former Costa Rican soccer defender, a key member of the Costa Rican national team for over ten years. He was named manager of Brujas F.C. of Escazu, where his younger brother Bernie is signed to.Wright was capped 67 times for the Costa Rica national football team...

 and Rolando Fonseca
Rolando Fonseca
Rolando Fonseca Jiménez is a Costa Rican footballer. He currently plays as a striker for Comunicaciones of the Guatemalan National League...

 as well as Honduras's Milton Núñez
Milton Núñez
Milton Omar Núñez García is a Honduran soccer player who currently plays as a striker playing for CSD Comunicaciones in Guatemala's top division.-Club career:...

.

The team also bought highly-esteemed local players from Aurora FC
Aurora FC
Aurora Fútbol Club are a Guatemalan professional football club. Once one of the most powerful teams in the country, the team has now been relegated to a lower division...

 (such as Martín Machón
Martín Machón
Martín Alejandro Machón Guerra is a Guatemalan former professional footballer.He played mostly in the midfield for local club Comunicaciones and Major League Soccer clubs Los Angeles Galaxy and Miami Fusion, and also became a member of the Guatemala national team, which he represented during three...

, Edgar Estrada
Edgar Estrada
Edgar Eladio Estrada Solís , popularly known as El Gato is a Guatemalan footballer who has played goalkeeper for several clubs in Guatemala's top division. He was capped 80 times for the Guatemala national football team....

, and Edwin Westphal
Edwin Westphal
Edwin Rodolfo Westphal Véliz is a Guatemalan former professional football forward.As a member of several clubs, he was a prolific goalscorer in the Guatemalan top-flight, especially during the 1990s...

) and Municipal (such as Juan Manuel Funes
Juan Manuel Funes
Juan Manuel Funes Fernández , popularly known as Memín Funes is a Guatemalan football coach and former midfielder who played professionally for the three most successful clubs in Guatemala – Aurora FC, Municipal, and Comunicaciones – and became a member and later captain of the...

, Jorge Rodas
Jorge Rodas
Jorge Alexander Rodas Hurtarte is a retired Guatemalan professional football midfielder. He last played for Aurora FC in the Guatemalan Primera División as of the end of the 2007-08 season....

, and Julio Rodas
Julio Rodas
Julio Alberto Rodas Hurtarte is a retired Guatemalan professional football striker.-Club career:At the club level, Rodas started his professional career playing for Municipal. He then had a one-season stint in El Salvador with C.D. FAS and later returned to Guatemala to play for Comunicaciones...

).

This investment paid off by winning several titles, including 4 in a row starting with the 1996–97 league title.

2000s: Struggles

During the 2000s, the team spent money buying pricey foreign players like Carlos Pavon
Carlos Pavón
Carlos Alberto Pavón Plummer is a Honduran football striker.He is most costly related to Real C.D. España of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras....

, Mauricio Solís, Ricardo Gonzalez, Fabián Pumar
Fabián Pumar
Fabián Diego Pumar Bravo is a Uruguayan football defender who played for Bella Vista, Fénix and Cerro of Uruguay; Racing Club de Avellaneda of Argentina and Universitario of Peru.-External links:**...

, and Julio Medina III
Julio Medina III
Julio Medina III is a football midfielder who currently plays in Panama for Liga Panameña de Futbol team Chorrillo F.C..-References:...

. They also brought back Rolando Fonseca
Rolando Fonseca
Rolando Fonseca Jiménez is a Costa Rican footballer. He currently plays as a striker for Comunicaciones of the Guatemalan National League...

 and Milton Núñez
Milton Núñez
Milton Omar Núñez García is a Honduran soccer player who currently plays as a striker playing for CSD Comunicaciones in Guatemala's top division.-Club career:...

. However, they failed to stop arch-rival Municipal from racking up five straight national titles.

Eventually the team was sold to Mexican ownership. The current president is Mexican Pedro Portilla, who incidentally is also the owner of Mexico's Club America.

Ending the Drought

The team went 9 championships without a single title, but it finally ended the drought by winning Apertura 2008. Since, Comunicaciones has failed to win the last three championships, one going to C.D. Jalapa and the last two going to Municipal.
Comunicaciones won the title again on December 19th, 2010 against archrival Municipal on a penalty shootout.

Current squad

Notable players

Dionel Bordon (FW), (1996) Omar Larrosa
Omar Larrosa
Omar Ruben Larrosa is a retired Argentine football and now assistant coach at Boca Juniors. He is perhaps most famous for having been part of the 1978 World Cup winning team.-Career:...

 (MF), (1971–72) Diego Latorre
Diego Latorre
Diego Fernando Latorre is a former Argentine football striker.Latorre was one of the first Argentine players to be labelled as the "New Maradona". He made his professional debut for Boca Juniors on October 18, 1987 against Platense scoring his first goal at the same match. He won the 1991...

 (FW), (2003–05) Ariel Macia
Ariel Macia
Ariel Macia is a former Argentine footballer currently played for clubs of Argentina, Chile and Guatemala....

 (DF), (2001–02, 04) Ramon "El Tanque" Ramírez
Ramón Ramírez
Jesús Ramón Ramírez Ceceña is a retiredMexican footballer. He is one of the all-time most capped players for the Mexican national football team, and last played as a midfielder for Chivas USA in the Major League Soccer .Ramirez was meant to be one of the best Mexican players since Hugo Sánchez,...

 (FW) Héctor "El Rey" Tambasco (FW), (1972) León “El Pájaro” Ugarte (FW) Héctor "Bambino" Veira (FW), (1976) Marcelo Sarabia Tita
Tita
Milton Queiroz da Paixão, simply known as Tita , is a former association footballer who played forward. He played for the Brazilian national team and played for several Campeonato Brasileiro Série A clubs...

 Jewisson Bennett (MF) Johnny Cubero (FW) Rolando Fonseca
Rolando Fonseca
Rolando Fonseca Jiménez is a Costa Rican footballer. He currently plays as a striker for Comunicaciones of the Guatemalan National League...

 (FW) Ronald González (DF) Floyd Guthrie (MF) Mauricio Solís (MF) Mauricio Wright
Mauricio Wright
Wílber Mauricio Wright Reynolds is a former Costa Rican soccer defender, a key member of the Costa Rican national team for over ten years. He was named manager of Brujas F.C. of Escazu, where his younger brother Bernie is signed to.Wright was capped 67 times for the Costa Rica national football team...

 (DF) Eduardo Acevedo (DF) Edgar Bolaños (MF) Gustavo Adolfo Cabrera (DF), (1998–08) Nelson Cáceres (DF), (1996–00) Carlos "El Chino" Castañeda
Marvin Ceballos Raúl "El Flaco" Chacón Leonel "El Machete" Contreras Francisco "Pinula" López Contreras
Francisco López Contreras
Francisco "Pinula" López Contreras is a Guatemalan former footballer.Born in Santa Catarina Pinula, source of his nickname, López made his domestic league debut with Comunicaciones in 1955, and would go on to play 14 seasons at that club, winning four league titles, one domestic cup, and three...

 Julio "Pollo" Donis (FW) Guillermo Enríquez Gamboa Augusto “Culiche” Espinoza Edgar Estrada
Edgar Estrada
Edgar Eladio Estrada Solís , popularly known as El Gato is a Guatemalan footballer who has played goalkeeper for several clubs in Guatemala's top division. He was capped 80 times for the Guatemala national football team....

 (GK), (1996–03) Jorge "La Chana" Fernández (MF) Juan Manuel Funes
Juan Manuel Funes
Juan Manuel Funes Fernández , popularly known as Memín Funes is a Guatemalan football coach and former midfielder who played professionally for the three most successful clubs in Guatemala – Aurora FC, Municipal, and Comunicaciones – and became a member and later captain of the...

 (MF) Julio Rodolfo “Nixon” García Oscar Hernández Girón Engelvert Herrera
Engelvert Herrera
Engelvert Leonel Herrera Revolorio is a Guatemalan football defender who currently plays for Antigua GFC of the Guatemalan second division.-Club career:...

 (DF), (1995–99) Ricardo Jerez (GK) Ivan León
Iván León
Marlon Iván "El Chino" León y León is a Guatemalan football manager and retired football defender who has played over 10 years for Guatemala's national team.He most recently managed Heredia in the 2010 Clausura....

 (DF) Martín Machón
Martín Machón
Martín Alejandro Machón Guerra is a Guatemalan former professional footballer.He played mostly in the midfield for local club Comunicaciones and Major League Soccer clubs Los Angeles Galaxy and Miami Fusion, and also became a member of the Guatemala national team, which he represented during three...

 (MF), (1997–99), (2002–05) Félix "La Polilla" McDonald (MF) Víctor Hugo "El Aguado" Méndez Erick Miranda
Erick Miranda
Erick Roberto Miranda Chonay is a retired Guatemalan football defender who has played most of his career for CSD Comunicaciones of the Guatemalan premier division....

 (DF), (1996–04) Byron Pérez (FW) Jorge "El Indio" Pérez Erick Pérez Flores (GK)
"Juanito" Pérez Monge (DF) Ricardo Antonio Piccinini Sergio "Riverita" Rivera (DF) Jorge Rodas
Jorge Rodas
Jorge Alexander Rodas Hurtarte is a retired Guatemalan professional football midfielder. He last played for Aurora FC in the Guatemalan Primera División as of the end of the 2007-08 season....

 (MF) Julio Rodas
Julio Rodas
Julio Alberto Rodas Hurtarte is a retired Guatemalan professional football striker.-Club career:At the club level, Rodas started his professional career playing for Municipal. He then had a one-season stint in El Salvador with C.D. FAS and later returned to Guatemala to play for Comunicaciones...

 (FW), (1996–04) Mario Rodríguez
Mario Rodríguez
Mario Rodríguez may refer to:* Mario Rodríguez Cobos , Hispanic-Argentinean writer and spiritual leader* Mario Cesar Rodríguez , Honduran footballer* Mario-Ernesto Rodríguez , Uruguayan-Italian footballer...

 (FW), (2002–04) Claudio Rojas
Claudio Rojas
Claudio Ariel Rojas Martínez is a retired Guatemalan football midfielder who has played for Argentinian giants River Plate.-Club career:...

 (FW), (1999–04) Óscar "El Conejo" Sánchez
Óscar Enrique Sánchez
Oscar Enrique Sánchez Rivas , popularly known as El Conejo is a Guatemalan football coach and former inside forward, who played the majority of his career for the club CSD Comunicaciones, and represented the Guatemala national football team at the Olympic Games and in three FIFA World Cup...

 (FW) Peter Sandoval Hugo Torres Juan "El Chino" Torres Edgar Valencia
Edgar Valencia
Edgar Everaldo Valencia Bobadilla is a retired Guatemalan football midfielder who spent his career playing for several clubs in Guatemala's top division and was also a member of the Guatemala national team.-Club career:...

 (FW), (1997–01) Jorge Aníbal Vargas Luis Villavicencio René Villavicencio Allan Wellman
Allan Wellman
Allan Kenny Wellmann is a former Guatemalan football player.-Club career:Wellmann played thirteen seasons for C.S.D. Comunicaciones, making his debut in 1973 at age 19, and five seasons with Aurora F.C....

 (DF) Edwin Westphal
Edwin Westphal
Edwin Rodolfo Westphal Véliz is a Guatemalan former professional football forward.As a member of several clubs, he was a prolific goalscorer in the Guatemalan top-flight, especially during the 1990s...

 (FW), (1996–01) Milton Núñez
Milton Núñez
Milton Omar Núñez García is a Honduran soccer player who currently plays as a striker playing for CSD Comunicaciones in Guatemala's top division.-Club career:...

 (FW), (2005–06) Carlos Pavón
Carlos Pavón
Carlos Alberto Pavón Plummer is a Honduran football striker.He is most costly related to Real C.D. España of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras....

 (FW), (2005–06) Nicolás Suazo (FW), (1997–00) Tito Morinaga Abdul Thompson Conteh
Abdul Thompson Conteh
Abdul Thompson Conteh is a former Sierra Leonean football striker.-Career:Conteh played three seasons in Major League Soccer, with San Jose Earthquakes in 2000 and D.C. United in 2001 and 2002. He scored a total 15 goals in league play...

 (FW), (1999–00)

Former coaches

José Casés Penadés (1951–54), (1956–60) Federico "Chapuda" Morales (1955–56) Carlos Enrique "Ronco" Wellman (1968–69)   Walter Ormeño (1970–71), (1972), (1979–80) Carmelo Faraone (1971) Julio César González Ivan Franco Sopegno
Rubén Amorín (1977–78) Jorge "Mono" Lainfiesta (1981–82) Salvador Pericullo (1983) Ranulfo Miranda (1985) Carlos Wellman (1990–91) Raúl Héctor Cocherari
Raúl Héctor Cocherari
Raúl Héctor Cocherari is a former Argentine football player and manager. Throughout his football career, he played for various teams from Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Argentina, El Salvador, and Europe....

 (1991)
Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón is an Argentine football coach and former professional player.-Estudiantes:Nicknamed La Bruja , Juan Ramón Verón was a midfielder and striker renowned for his technical ability. He played for Estudiantes de La Plata, who were a dominant force in Argentine football during the late...

 (1994–95), (1997–98)   Carlos Miloc
Carlos Miloc
Carlos Miloc Pelachi is a Mexican-Uruguayan football coach and former player who has managed UANL Tigres, Club América, and the Guatemala national team, among other teams....

 (1996–97), (1998–99) Alberto Aguilar (2001) Horacio Cordero
Horacio Cordero
Horacio Raúl Cordero Vásquez is an Argentine football manager and former player.-Playing career:Cordero played for a number of clubs in Argentina including Argentinos Juniors, Racing Club, Unión de Santa Fe, Cipoletti, Deportivo Morón and Sarmiento de Junín.He also played in Colombia for...

 (2002–03) Miguel Ángel Brindisi
Miguel Ángel Brindisi
Miguel Angel Brindisi is an Argentine football coach and former attacking midfield player. He played for the Argentine national team at the 1974 FIFA World Cup and currently works as manager.-Playing career:...

 (2005–07) Julio César "El Pocho" Cortés

Honours

  • Liga Nacional de Guatemala
    Liga Nacional de Guatemala
    Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala , formerly known as Liga Mayor "A" is a professional football division in Guatemala, the highest one in the country. It is sanctioned by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala...

    : 24
1956, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971, 1972, 1977, 1979–80, 1981, 1982, 1985–86, 1990–91, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00 Apertura, 2000–01 Clausura, 2002–03 Apertura, 2002–03 Clausura, Apertura 2008, Apertura 2010–2011, Clausura 2010–2011.
Runners-up (16):

  • Domestic Cup titles (8):

  • CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 1 (jointly claimed)
1978 (shared with Defense Force and Chivas de Guadalajara)
Runners-up (2): 1962, 1969

  • Torneo Fraternidad / UNCAF Club Championship
    Copa Interclubes UNCAF
    The UNCAF Club Tournament was an annual international football competition held in the UNCAF region . The competition was open to the leading domestic club teams in the region. The winners of each national league qualified automatically. It also provided qualification places for the CONCACAF...

    : 2
1971, 1983
Runners-up (3): 1976, 1977, 2003

  • CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup
    CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup
    The CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup was an international football club competition held from 1991 to 1998.The cup was between the winners of their nations domestic cup competitions, which posed a problem as some participating countries did not have a cup competition. The last three competitions were...

    : 0
Runners-up (1): 1991
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