Sociedad Deportiva Aucas (), also known as "Papá Aucas", is a football club based in Quito, Ecuador. They play in the top tier of Ecuadorian football and have spent the majority of their history in the top-flight Serie A. The team is amongst the most popular in the city because of its long history in the Serie A. The team also has a major rivalry in L.D.U. Quito, which they contest one of the most prestigious derbies in all of Ecuador, and the most prestigious in Quito.
In December 2025, Red&Gold Football, a joint venture between German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and American Major League Soccer (MLS) club Los Angeles FC, became partners with the club, forming a long-term commitment in order to identify and develop elite talent across the continent.
Overview
The team is named after the Auca tribe, who are also called Huaorani. The club originally belonged to Royal Dutch Shell, which had been operating oil fields in the east of Ecuador where the Aucas live. The club's main uniforms colours, yellow and red, were taken from the colours used by Shell to market their products and services. The alternate uniform is grey, except for the commercial advertisements and numbers and names of players, which are red.
Players who have played for Aucas include Argentinian and nationalised Ecuadorian forward Ariel Graziani, forward Nicolás Asencio, forward Agustin Delgado, forward Édison Maldonado, Ecuador international defender Giovanny Espinoza, and the 1990 FIFA World Cup Colombian goalkeeper René Higuita.
Aucas won their first Serie A title in 2022 under the tenure of Venezuelan manager César Farías by winning the competition's second stage without losing a single game and then beating Barcelona in the finals. This win also qualified them to the 2023 Copa Libertadores, the first time they competed in the continental tournament.
Honours National Serie A Winners (1): 2022 Serie B Winners (3): 1974 E2, 1991 E2, 2014 Segunda Categoría Winners (2): 1986 E2, 2012
Regional Campeonato Amateur del Fútbol de Pichincha Winners (6): 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951 Campeonato Professional Interandino Winners (2): 1959, 1962 Segunda Categoría de Pichincha Winners (7): 1971, 1972, 1985, 1986, 2010, 2011, 2012
Performance in CONMEBOL competitions Copa Libertadores: 2 appearances 2023: Group Stage 2024: First Qualifying Stage
Copa Sudamericana: 6 appearances 2002: First Round 2004: Second Round 2016: First Round 2020: First Round 2021: Group Stage 2025: First Round
Players Current squad
Out on loan
World Cup players The following players were chosen to represent their country at the FIFA World Cup while contracted to Aucas.
Giovanny Espinoza (2002) Damián Enrique Lanza (2006) Hernán Galíndez (2022)
Former presidents NameYears Federico Hulswit1945-1950 Guillermo Alarcón1951 Cristóbal Cornejo1952 Gabriela Landeta1953 Francisco López Campana1954 Agustín Arias 1955 Héctor Álvarez1955 Félix Vega 1956 Eduardo Moreano1956-1957 Bolívar Pico1958 Víctor Cortez1959 Astor Fabián Vizcaíno1959 Eduardo Pérez1960 Astor Fabián Vizcaíno1961-1964 Conto Patiño Martínez1965 Astor Fabián Vizcaíno1966-1967 Jaime Wandeberg1968 José Zúñiga Villalobos1969 Jorge Wohlgemuth1970 Hernán Chiriboga1971 Gustavo Herdoíza León1971-1972 Marco Tulio Cordero1973-1974 Mario Ferri1974 Gustavo Herdoíza León1975-1976 Enrique Zaldumbide1977-1978 Luis Rosanía Dávila1979-1980 Lenín Rosero1981-1982 Jaime Del Castillo Bedach1983 Diego Del Castillo Dedach1983 Guillermo Herrera1984 Jaime Bowen1984-1989 Guillermo Herrera1990 Humberto Rodríguez Ortiz1991-1992 Alberto Ayala1993 Ramiro Montenegro López1994-2004 Fernando Hinojosa2005-2007 Ramiro Montenegro López2008-2009 Luis Alonso Moreno2009-2010 Alberto Ayala2010-2012 Ramiro Gordón2012-2013 Mónica Gordón2013 Rodrigo Espinoza2013-2014 Ximena Moreta2014-2016 Darwin Romero2016-2018 Danny Walker2018-present
Managers
Ernesto Guerra (1975, 1986–1987, 1989) Carlos Cuvi (1995) Polo Carrera (1995) Leonel Montoya (1996) Alfredo Encalada (1994, 1996) Homero Mistral Valencia (1995, 1996–1997) Juan Ramón Silva (1998–1999) Ramiro Blacut (1999–2000) Gerardo Pelusso (2001–2002) Salvador Raguza (2002) Adan Machado (2002) Carlos Sevilla (2003) Luis Fernando Suárez (2003–2004) Javier Álvarez Arteaga (2004–2005) Dragan Miranović (2005–2006) Diego Aguirre (2006) Fausto Carrera (2006) Juan Amador Sánchez (2006–2007) Fernando Rodriguez Riolfo (2007) Carlos Berrueta (2007) Miguel Ángel Zahzú (2008) Carlos Calderón (2008) Marco Etcheverry (2009) Polo Carrera (2009) Alfredo Encalada (2011–2012) Julio Asad (2012–2013) Juan Ramón Silva (2014) Carlos Ischia (2015–2016) Tabaré Silva (2016) Armando Osma (2009, 2016–2017) Darío Tempesta (2017, 2020–2021) Luis Soler (2018) Eduardo Favaro (2019) Gabriel Schürrer (2019) Héctor Bidoglio (2021) César Farías (2022–2023) Santiago Escobar (2023) Gerardo Espinoza (2024) Jorge Alfonso (2024)
References
External links
Sociedad Deportiva Aucas on FEF (archived) Sociedad Deportiva Aucas on FIFA