Cobreloa

History

On 1 January 1948, 'Club Social Deportivo Deportes El Loa' was founded in Calama, Chile. This club was the first legal personality of the team and the first team in Calama in have this type of personality. In 1951, the team played in the Asociación de Fútbol de Calama with a second team with the name 'Cóndor'. Later, in February 1955, the team was renamed to 'Club Deportivo y Social Sport Cóndor.

In 1957, Calama entered on a tournament organized by the newly established Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Amateur de Chile, previously known as a federation, Calama had participated in previous amateur tournaments, such as in 1949 and 1953. The third Nacional Juvenil de Fútbol began on 28 July of that year. The organizers' goal was to select a group of players who would compete in the 1962 World Cup, which would be held in Chile. The first phase matches were played in regional divisions, with the Calama youth team facing off against its counterpart from Chuquicamata.

In 1959, the Calama Amateur team, coached by Roberto Rodríguez Antequera, won the 28th edition of the National Amateur Football Championship. The final was against Thomas Bata de Peñaflor, played at the Estadio Municipal de Calama. The score was 3–2 in extra time, after a 2–2 tie at the end of regulation time. The game-winner was scored by Valencia in the 8th minute of the first half. The team that played in the final was as follows:

Hidalgo, Soto, Tapia, Lillo, Aracena, Toro, Gutierrez, A. Portillo, Valencia, M. Portillo, and Vega.

This achievement allowed Calama to qualify for the Copa Chile of that same year, as an amateur team, but they only reached the round of 16 of the tournament, being eliminated in that round by Deportes La Serena, winning by one goal in the first leg and winning 6–0 in the second leg, qualifying them for the next phase.

By 1960, Sport Cóndor team was already participating in provincial championships in the region of Antofagasta with teams from Calama, such as Tronador, which would animate the matches of the Asociación de Fútbol de Calama of that decade; from Tocopilla as Chile Sporting, from Tal-Tal as Unión Caleta and the teams such Coquimbo and Correvuela from Chuquicamata.

Results by round

1 Matchday 9 (vs Ferroviarios) was postponed to 25 August.

2 Matchday 13 (vs Malleco Unido) was postponed to 16 August.

3 Matchday 15 (vs Independiente Cauquenes) was postponed to 21 August.

4 To this League competition the victories add 2 points to the statistics.

The club was able to establish itself in Chile's top flight very quickly, earning promotion after its first season, where they stayed until the 2014–2015 season. Only four years after their foundation, Cobreloa reached the finals of the Copa Libertadores in 1981, losing in a third match to Brazilian club Flamengo. Cobreloa reached the Copa Libertadores final the following year, losing to Peñarol of Uruguay. The club also reached the semi-final of the Copa Libertadores in 1987.

They have competed in the Copa Libertadores de América 13 times, 3 times in the Copa Sudamericana and twice in the Copa CONMEBOL. In 1995 they reached the quarter-finals and the following year were eliminated in the first round. Cobreloa have 8 Primera División titles and 1 Copa Chile title making them the most successful side outside Santiago in Chile and one of the four biggest clubs of the country.

Domestic League record

Domestic League Chart with each tier division who the team has participated since 1977.

Notes

In 1977, the team go to primera división de Chile.

In 2015, the team was relegated to Primera B de Chile.

In 2023, it is promoted to Chile's first Division.

In 2024, it descends to the first B in Chile, being the second in its history

Noche / Tarde Naranja

The Noche Naranja or Tarde Naranja is the club's annual official presentation event, where the first team squad, coaching staff, and the new kit are unveiled to the fans at the Zorros del Desierto Stadium. It usually features a preseason friendly against domestic opposition, marking the start of the football season.

Support

In 2019 to get a membership of the club can be by the assistant to the headquarters of the club in Calama in Abaroa street N°1757 or through the online platform in the official website of the institution with previous registration. The necessary documents to get a membership are passport or ID Card and a photo.

The oldest oficial member of the club, is Rodolfo Yáñez Rojas, who is member since the foundation of the institution.

The first official supporters group was created in 1977, called Barra Oficial de Cobreloa by the workers from the El Loa province; Orlando Navarro, Mario Paniagua and José Santos Rodriguez and the support of the club directors.

In 1982, 35 CODELCO workers established the supporters group, Barra Chuquicamata. On this decade was created de group of supporters Mario Soto, tribute to Defense of the club, who dressed the club colors until 1985. They were characterized because they support with musical instruments.

In 1994 was created the supported group, Huracan Naranja, from the Santiago de Chile fans group Vicente Cantatore.

A poll called, Encuesta GFK Adimark, study who is the most popular team on Chile. Cobreloa in 2015 reached the most high value on the poll, with a 1,5% of the total of the population polled. And in the 2018 the lowest value with 0,9%.

In both polls the team was the 5th most popular club in country. In Región de Antofagasta the team reach since 2015 until 2019 the 12,752% of preference of the population.

The Cobreloa supporters, specifically the CODELCO workers, are known for having donated a day of their salary to contribute to pay the signing pass of the defender Mario Soto.

Colours, badge and symbols

The first badge was created by Enrique Escala, The original badge was inspired in the logotype of the Chilean Company who administered the first years of the club, Corporation del Cobre, which in turn take the inspiration in the planetary symbol of venus, whom metal represent the copper, the main recourse from El Loa to the country. Over the CODELCO logotype specifically a sphere, who in the institution badge is replaced by a traditional football ball with yellow and black casings, and the name of the club in the horizontal line of the badge in an orange color.

Through the years the badge has had some modifications: from 1995 to 2000, the badge was changed to entirely orange with the letters of the name of the club in white; from 2000 to 2005, a ribbon with "Cobreloa" was added over the upper part of the badge, and, to the lower part, "Calama" was added, referring to the homeground of the team, as well as a white outline around the badge, with the color of this badge being more of a dark orange; from 2005 to 2012, the white outline was replaced by a black one, and the upper ribbon was united with the main body of the badge; from 2012 to 2013, the design was 'simplified' and the football on the badge was bigger, touching the borders of the inner body, and the orange color was brighter; and from 2013 to the present eight stars were added to represent the eight national titles won by the club, with the football being centred inside.

The traditional color of Cobreloa is orange, according to president, José Gorrini, the color of the club was selected due to give tribute to Netherlands National Football Team, in the 70's this selection was very popular by players like Johan Cruyff. Also, by commercial reasons this color was selected due obtain travel discounts in the national airline, Ladeco (Línea aérea del Cobre), whose corporative color was orange. The idea for this was thanks to engineer of CODELCO Chuquicamata, Peter Kiefkoff, who accepted the task of managing the club's finances, on the condition that the club would wear the colors of his native country's team.

The first Cobreloa kit was red shirt and white shorts, due to lack of clothing, improvised in February 1977 for Copa Chile, facing Regional Antofagasta. In 2024, this jersey was released in a limited commercial edition to commemorate the club's first kit. Since 1977 the classical kit of the team is full orange, with some modifications, like 1992–93 season with white shorts, in 2009–10 the official kit was change with white socks. The away kit has been mostly full white, until 2001–2006 year it changed by color black, also in 2013–15 and 2017–18 seasons alternating with white color during those years.

Stadiums

Since 1977 the first home ground of the club was the Estadio Municipal de Calama, who played the national league and internationals Cups matches until 27 January 2013. The last match that was played by the team in this stadium was against Colo-Colo, the team won 5–2.

For the two finals of Copa Libertadores the team played in the Estadio Nacional de Chile, in 1981 and 1982, against Clube de Regatas do Flamengo and Club Atletico Peñarol respectively.

In February 2013 due to the renovation of the Stadium, the team had to play in another's home ground, the first stadium at which it was elected to play was the Parque Estadio Juan López located in Antofagasta. For the first class matches the stadium elected was the Tierra de Campeones on Iquique, where Club de Deportes Universidad Católica plays.

The complaints of the team about the infrastructure of the stadium Juan López, the directing of the club made negotiations with the Municipality of Antofagasta to play in the Stadium Calvo y Bascuñan, in this homeground the team played the Copa Sudamericana matches, with Club Atletico Peñarol and Club Deportivo La Equidad and local first Class matches of the Local League for the rest of the year.

From June of this year, the main stadium at which the team played mostly the national league, in the recently inaugurated stadium Estadio Luis Becerra Constanzo, formerly called Estadio la Madriguera de Calama in Calama, the team inaugurated the home ground in a Copa Chile match against Club de Deportes Cobresal.

Since 2015, the team plays in the stadium Zorros del Desierto of Calama. The first match was against Club de Deportes Antofagasta. The team plays the local competitions like the Primera B de Chile and Copa Chile.

Honours

National

Primera División

Winners (8): 1980, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 2003-A, 2003-C, 2004-C

Copa Chile

Winners (1): 1986

Primera B de Chile

Winners (1): 2023

International

Copa Libertadores de América

Runners-up (2): 1981, 1982

Records

Hector Puebla holds the most appearances with the club with 663 and holds the most appearances in domestics leagues with 457, on 16 years in the team (1980–1996), also, is the player with most titles with the club with 5 domestic leagues (1980, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992) and the 1986 national Cup.

Juan Covarrubias is the all-time goalscorer for the team, with 147, and the top goalscorer in domestics leagues with 105 goals. He won with the team the domestics titles in 1988 and 1992.

The higher transfer fee on Chile was Eduardo Vargas transfer to the Universidad de Chile, for US$1.365 million.

This institution owns the fifth local unbeaten streak of the world, which extended from 22 December 1980 until 22 September 1985, with a total of 91 matches without loss in Calama for domestic matches.

Club records

Largest victory: 10–0 (v. O'Higgins in the Copa Chile, 1979)

Largest Primera División victory: 9–0 (v. Regional Atacama in 1983)

Heaviest Primera División defeat: 1–6 (v. Huachipato in 1998)

Individual records

Most league goals in a single season: 42 (Patricio Galaz in 2004)

Most league goals in total: 104 (Juan Covarrubias)

Most goals in total: 144 (Juan Covarrubias)

Most Primera División appearances: 446 (Héctor Puebla from 1980 to 1996)

Most appearances in total: 662 (Héctor Puebla from 1980 to 1996)

Players

Current squad

Current squad of Cobreloa as of 1 July 2026

(edit)

Sources: Cobreloa Official Web Site

Manager: Mario Salas

2026 Summer transfers

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

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

Managerial and technical staff

As of 26 April 2026

Source: En La Línea Deportes - Con renovada ilusión Cobreloa comienza hoy la pretemporada en Calama (Spanish)

Management

The club is managed by Sociedad Anonima Deportiva Profesional (Professional Sports Corporation) format in Chile, through the Chilean law, N° 20.019 relativa a las Organizaciones Deportivas Profesionales (Related to Professional Sports Organizations). This law allows to organize, produce, marketing and participate in professional sports activities in the country.

On 2 October 2017, the club made an extraordinary assembly with the members of the club, the assistance of these with suffrage right was of 86. The purpose was to reform the statute regime of the club in that moment. This renewed statutes lay down the official address of the club, Calama, the indefinite length time of the directory and the unlimited number of member who could be owns.

This statute alludes the principles and objectives of the institution, the rights and duties of the members, the heritage and the administration, the members general assemblies, the directory, the duties of the directors of the corporation, subsidiaries of the club and the rules of this.

Board of directors

Source: Memoria Anual Cobreloa 2024 (Spanish)

Organizational Chart

Strategic Level

Operational and tactic Level

Administration

Coaches

Interim coaches appear in italics.

Presidents

Cobreloa presidents from 1977 to present:

Francisco Núñez Venegas (1977)

Esteban Ibáñez (1978)

José Gorrini Sanguinetti (1978)

Sergio Stoppel García (1978–1982)

Luis Gómez Araya (1983–1987)

Sergio Stoppel García (1987–1988)

Pedro Cortés Navia (1989–1991)

Luís Urrutia Concha (1991–1992)

Orlando Álvarez Campos (1992–1993)

Sergio Jarpa Gibert (1993–1998)

Pedro Pablo Latorre Muñoz (1998–1999)

Heriberto Pinto García (1999–2003)

Gerardo Mella Fernández (2003–2006)

Augusto González Aguirre (2006–2007)

Juan Jorge Jorge (2007–2010)

Javier Maureira Alfaro (2010–2012)

Mario Herrera Pinto (2012–2014)

Jorge Pereira (2014)

Augusto González Aguirre (2014–2015)

Gerardo Mella Fernández (2015–2017)

Walter Aguilera (2017–2021)