Deportes Concepción (Chile)

Deportes Concepción
Full nameClub Social y de Deportes Concepción
NicknamesEl Conce
El León de Collao
Los Lilas
FoundedFebruary 24, 1966
GroundEstadio Ester Roa
Concepción, Chile
Capacity30,448
ChairmanGabriela Parra
ManagerPatricio Almendra
CoachManuel Suárez
LeagueLiga de Primera
2025Primera B, 6th of 16 (promoted via play-offs)

Deportes Concepción is a Chilean football club based in the city of Concepción, Biobio Region. As of 2025, they play at the second tier of the Chilean League system, the Primera B de Chile.[1]

The club was founded in 1966, by the organizations of several amateur clubs such as Galvarino, Liverpool, Juvenil Unido, Santa Fe and Club Lord Cochrane. The club is one of the most popular in the VIII region of Chile. Their main rivals are Fernández Vial, with whom they play the "clásico penquista"[2] and Huachipato. The club played their home games at Estadio Ester Roa in Concepción, Chile, which seats 30,448 people.

History

The team joined the second level of the Chilean professional league in 1966 and won the tournament a year later, gaining promotion to the Primera División de Chile.

In 1991, the team joined in representing Chile in the Copa Libertadores, they passed through the 1st round phase but lost in the round of sixteen against América de Cali.

In 1993, the club was relegated after finishing 15th of 16 teams, but the club bounced straight back by winning the second division title in 1994.

Concepción played their next big international tournament in 1999, they participated in the Copa CONMEBOL and made it all the way to the semifinals but lost against Talleres de Córdoba from Argentina which was a real disappointment to the fans.

In the year 2001, they once again played the Copa Libertadores and beat rivals such as San Lorenzo from Argentina and Jorge Wilstermann from Bolivia. Once again they made it into the round of sixteen but lost this time to Vasco da Gama from Brazil who had top class players like Romário in their team.

In 2002, the club were again relegated by finishing 15th of 16 teams in the aggregated table, they returned to the topflight in 2004.

In the year 2006, the team was suspended and could not play professionally in the whole year due to debts and unpaid salaries. The club was going to be relegated, but after a legal battle, they were readmitted in the Chilean first division, where they play in 2007. An alternative team (Deportes Concepción B) played that season at the Third level, as well.

In 2016, the club was expelled of the Chilean National League system due to economic problems and returned in 2018 at the last level of the league system, the fifth tier, Tercera B, gaining promotion in their debut season on the category to the next level, the fourth tier Tercera División, for 2019, in which they get a consecutive promotion to the next level, the third tier Segunda División, for 2020.[3]

In 2024, they lost the Segunda División final to Deportes Melipilla. However, a legal battle ensued over payment irregularities by Melipilla, and Melipilla was eventually assigned a three-point penalty. As a result, the ANFP awarded the division title to Deportes Concepción and promoted them to the second-tier Primera B de Chile for 2025.[1]

Club records

Honours

National

  • Copa Francisco Candelori
  • Primera B
    • Winners (2): 1967, 1994

Regional

  • Torneo Provincial de Chile
    • Winners (2): 1968, 1970

Crest

South American cups history

Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate
1991 Copa Libertadores First Stage
Group 2
Colo-Colo 0–0 0–2 3rd Place
Barcelona 1–0 2–2
L.D.U. Quito 3–0 0–4
Round of 16 América de Cali 0–3 3–3 3–6
1999 Copa CONMEBOL Quarterfinals Rosario Central 2–1 2–2 4–3
Semifinals Talleres de Córdoba 1–1 1–2 2–3
2001 Copa Libertadores First Stage
Group 3
Nacional 0–0 0–2 2nd Place
San Lorenzo 3–2 1–2
Jorge Wilstermann 3–0 1–2
Round of 16 Vasco da Gama 1–3 0–1 1–4

Current squad

Current squad of Deportes Concepción (Chile) as of 19 February 2026 (edit)
Sources: ANFP Official Web Site

No. Position Player
1 BRA GK César Dutra
2 CHI DF Martín Ramírez
3 CHI DF Diego Carrasco
4 CHI DF Ariel Cáceres
7 ARG FW Ángel Gillard
8 CHI MF Fabrizio Manzo
9 CHI FW Carlos Escobar
10 CHI MF Leonardo Valencia
11 CHI DF Brayan Véjar (loan from Unión Española)
12 CHI GK Nery Veloso
13 CHI DF Cristián Suárez
14 CHI MF Sebastián Martínez
16 CHI MF Mario Sandoval
17 CHI FW Ignacio Mesías (loan from Unión La Calera)
18 URU MF Yonatan Rodríguez
19 CHI FW Aldrix Jara
20 CHI MF Jorge Henríquez
21 URU DF Norman Rodríguez (loan from Carabobo)
No. Position Player
22 CHI MF Misael Dávila
23 CHI DF Javier Rojas (loan from Colo-Colo)
24 CHI FW Matías Cavalleri
25 CHI GK Nicolás Araya
26 VEN MF Leenhan Romero (loan from Universidad Católica)
27 CHI MF Nelson Sepúlveda
28 CHI DF Mateo González (loan from Universidad de Chile)
29 CHI DF Alessandro Sánchez
30 CHI MF Ethan Espinoza (loan from Colo-Colo)
31 CHI MF Sebastián Bascur
32 ARG FW Joaquín Larrivey (captain)
37 ARG DF Fausto Grillo
CHI GK Benjamín Sepúlveda
PAR DF Jonathan Espínola
CHI MF Franco Cáceres (loan from Universidad de Chile)
CHI MF Nicolás Fuentes
CHI MF Aníbal Garay

Manager: Walter Lemma

2021 Winter Transfers

In

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  CHI Miguel Jiménez (from Magallanes)
3 DF  ARG Alexis Machuca (free)
No. Pos. Nation Player
27 MF  CHI Luis Pacheco (free)
32 FW  CHI Fabián Neira (loan from Universidad de Concepción)

Out

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
27 GK  CHI Darío Melo (released)

Managers

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Haddad, S. (4 February 2025). "ANFP confirma el ascenso de Deportes Concepción y lo ratifica como campeón de la Segunda División Profesional" [ANFP confirms Deportes Concepción's promotion and ratifies it as champion of the Second Professional Division] (in Spanish). Emol. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  2. ^ Cárcamo, Ricardo (31 December 2024). "Los 10 mejores partidos del 2024 en el fútbol regional" [The 10 best matches of 2024 in regional football]. Diario Concepción (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  3. ^ Inostroza, Paulo (27 October 2024). "Pasaron 223 juegos desde que el "León" salió de las cenizas" [223 games have passed since the "Lion" emerged from the ashes]. Diario Concepción (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  4. ^ Inostroza, Paulo (11 July 2024). "Deportes Concepción: Suárez habla de lo duro que son los Toros y podrá contar con Ulises Ojeda". Diario Concepción (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 June 2025.