Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata

Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (; "La Plata Gymnastics and Fencing Club"), also known simply as Gimnasia, is a professional Argentine sports club based in the city of La Plata, Buenos Aires Province. Founded in 1887 as "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima", the club is mostly known for its football team, which currently plays in Primera División, the first division of the Argentine football league system. The club was most famously managed by football legend Diego Maradona from 2019 until his death in November 2020.
Apart from football, CGE also hosts a large number of sports such as athletics, basketball, boxing, chess, fencing, futsal, artistic gymnastics, field hockey, martial arts (aikido, karate, kendo, taekwondo), swimming, roller skating, tennis, volleyball, and weightlifting.
History.
The "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata" was founded on 3 June 1887 as a civil association, and thus is the oldest surviving football club still participating in the Argentine league. The club also claims to be the oldest football club in the Americas, despite other football clubs, such as Peruvian Lima Cricket F.C., having older foundation dates. Its foundation came barely five years after the creation of the City of La Plata in 1882.
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 17 December 1897 it returned to its original name: "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima" ("Gymnastics and Fencing Club"). From July 1952 to 30 September 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 7 August 1964 after the new statute was approved.
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 won its first Primera División championship. During successive years, Gimnasia became champion of Primera B 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 73 seasons, giving it with Newell's Old Boys the eighth longest participation at this level.
Clásico Platense.
The Clásico Platense (La Plata derby) is the nickname given to the match between La Plata'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 Primera División season on 27 August 1916. On that occasion, Gimnasia won 1–0 over Estudiantes, with an own goal by Ludovico Pastor.
The first derby of the professional era took place on 14 June 1931. Between 12 August 1932 and 9 September 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 25 June 1963 Gimnasia obtained a 5–2 victory, this being the best result so far against Estudiantes. On the other hand, Gimnasia's worst result was a 7–0 defeat on 15 October 2006.
A curiosity among the derbies occurred on 5 April 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 Uruguayan José Perdomo on a freekick, and it has been known ever since as "El gol del terremoto" ("The earthquake goal").
Presidents.
Through more than 120 years of history, the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata has had 56 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 most recent President of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata is Gabriel Pellegrino, who refused to run for re-election in 2019. On 15 December 2019, however, Pellegrino, who was encouraged to seek re-election from club manager Diego Maradona, was re-elected to a three-year term.
Facilities.
Gimnasia's facilities include, besides its football stadium, a campus of 160 hectares, a campus for children's football, a sports center, a kindergarten, a primary school and one high school. There are also dozens of subsidiaries located in the country and the world.
Anthem.
The official anthem of Gimnasia was written in 1915 by the popular poet born in Magdalena, Délfor B. Méndez and the music was composed by the master Juan Serpentini, who composed 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 9 July 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.
Emblems and colors.
Badge.
The current shield of Gimnasia y Esgrima 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. The first symbol of the club appeared on a document dated 30 April 1888. This emblem consisted in the coat of arms of La Plata with the legend "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata – Mens Sana in Corpore Sano" surrounding it. The second seal appeared between 1894 and 1897, with the legend "Club de Esgrima" (fencing was the only activity of the club by then).
But the first heraldic emblem was indeed devised in 1901 by artist Emilio Coutauret, who was also a member of GELP board. That emblem was characterized by a handcrafted and adorned design. Because this symbol could not be reproduced easily at small sizes, the club commissioned technical draftsman Raúl Felices to design a more synthetic emblem. As a result, a new symbol was released in 1928. It has remained until present days.
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'.
Uniform.
The official historical uniform of Gimnasia y Esgrima is based on the colours displayed in the club shield, as established in the institutional statute, a white jersey with a single horizontal navy-blue stripe over the chest.
In the first years of the institution, the colors adopted were white 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.
Apparel and sponsors.
The table below details the companies that provided the team's apparel, and have been sponsoring the club since 1980 to date:
Supporters.
Fan base.
Within the city of La Plata and its environs, Gimnasia's fan base used to be identified with the working class, in contrast with the mostly middle class Estudiantes' constituency. Most of Gimnasia y Esgrima fans are from the Greater La Plata area.
The Club currently has 35,000 members. It is one of the 10 clubs with the most members in Argentina.
The barra brava section named itself "La 22", after 22nd street in La Plata where many famous violent 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 Rosarian police in a murky episode on 28 May 1991, allegedly during an armed robbery.
Several surveys carried out over the years in Argentina, place Gimnasia in the eighth place in the ranking with the most fans in Argentina.
As is the case with other clubs in the Argentine First Division, the fans celebrate the "Worldwide Day of Gimnasia's Fans" on 10 December 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 Latin 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.
Stadium.
The "Juan Carmelo 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 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.
During the Copa Sudamericana 2006, in a match against Fluminense, Gimnasia obtained the Stadium capacity record exceeding 50,000 spectators. Registration that is still valid. Match that ended 2–0 for The Wolf.
Beginning in March 2008, Gimnasia made various reforms to its old stadium, seeking to secure the permit for its use at selected games. Finally in June 2008, the "El Bosque" grounds were reapproved for First Division competitions. On Saturday 21 June 2008, in the last game of the Clausure 2008 championship, Gimnasia returned to its old home in a match against Lanús. Now the "Juan Carmelo Zerillo" stadium has a capacity of 24,544.
Players.
In its 133-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.
Managers.
As there are no records for the 1891–1930 period, since 1931 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. He was also the first non-Argentine coach in the history of Argentine football.
Several prominent coaches for the team have been Nito Veiga (who led the team to promotion in 1984), Roberto Perfumo (who win the Copa Centenario de la AFA with the team), Carlos Griguol (who coached Gimnasia for ten years) and former footballer Pedro Troglio.
Other sports.
Basketball was practiced for the first time at the club in the 1920s. In 1924 the institution built a stadium on the corner of 60 and 118 streets. Since that time, it would become one of the major sports in the club.
The basketball team peaked during the 1978 and 1979 campaigns, when it won two Metropolitano championships. In both cases, team prevailed over favorite Obras Sanitarias, Argentina's powerhouse at the time. The team included players such as "Gallego" González, "Finito" Gehrmann, Peinado, as well as some Americans: Michael Jackson, Lawrence Jackson Jr., and the team leader and star, point-guard Clarence Edgar Metcalfe, chosen as the league MVP in 1979. The twice-champions were coached by Rolando Sfeir.
Gimnasia was also runner-up in the 2003–04 Liga Nacional de Básquetbol's Primera División tournament, when it was defeated by Boca Juniors by 4–2 in the final series.
In the following season, the team was relegated to the TNA (Second Division) after president Juan José Muñoz decreased substantially the basketball budget, thereby causing the loss of its principal players.
Some of Gimnasia's notable basketball players were Carlos "Gallego" González, Ernesto "Finito" Gehrmann, Roberto López, Carlos Bejarano and Mariano Cerutti among others. Likewise, club's notable coaches include José Ripullone, Miguel Ángel Ripullone and Gonzalo García.
Gimnasia y Esgrima also has a female volleyball team, who are the only one of the nine founder clubs from the "Federación de Voleibol y Pelota al Cesto", still playing volleyball and in the highest division. The federation is current "Federación Metropolitana de Voleibol" (FMV).
Former sports.
In addition to the aforementioned sport activities, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata participated in other disciplines throughout its history. The following sports are no longer practiced in the club:
Other activities were available at the club at various periods, namely: water polo, boxing, cycling, pétanque, auto racing and 
judo, among others.
Honours.
Football.
Runner-up in: 1924, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2002 and 2005.