The history of Universidad Católica officially begins on April 21, 1937. It has been one of the four Chilean teams to have contested a Copa Libertadores de América final and was the last to do so (1993). Universidad Católica was designated as a Classic Club by FIFA in 2012.

The club has won 16 national Primera División championships, 4 Copa Chile, 4 Supercopa de Chile, 1 Copa de la República, 2 Segunda División titles, and 11 Liguillas (8 Pre-Libertadores and 3 Pre-Sudamericana). Internationally, it won the 1993 Copa Interamericana. Additionally, it has been one of the four Chilean teams to have contested a Copa Libertadores de América final and was the last to do so, in 1993. Regarding unofficial international tournaments, it won the International Easter Tournament in 1950, organized by the Catalan Federation.

Background

Universidad Católica Football Club

The earliest records of the football branch of the club are found in the participation of Universidad Católica Football Club in the first division of the Asociación Nacional de Football in 1908, a parallel entity to the Asociación de Fútbol de SantiagoDuring the 1910s, there were numerous football associations in Santiago, among which the Asociación de Santiago, Asociación Nacional, and Asociación Arturo Prat stood out. which included clubs such as Santiago Football Club.

The following year, Universidad Católica F.C. played the first edition of the Clásico Universitario against a team from the University of Chile at the Cancha del Carmen, resulting in a 3:3 draw on November 1, 1909. On that occasion, UC F.C., whose kit was reportedly green, lined up with García in goal; Eyquem and Harriet in defense; R. Rodríguez, Rochefort and D. Rodríguez in midfield; and Livingstone, Víctor Vergara, Vigneaux, Castro and Bordeu in attack. The team made a comeback from a 3-0 deficit, tying the game with two goals from Vergara and one from Castro.La Nación, 1985, pp. 56-57

They faced each other again on November 14 of the same year. In that match, called the Return Match, the performances of Torres, Universidad Católica's goalkeeper, and the combined efforts of his teammates Vergara, Rochefort, Livingstone and Castro stood out. Both teams battled for victory and the attending public enjoyed a great spectacle. Católica F.C. won 4:1 over Universidad de Chile.El Mercurio de Santiago, November 15, 1909, page 11. In subsequent years, the Universidad Católica football club continued competing as an amateur team in various associations in the capital city.

The UC Sports Federation

In 1927, it became part of the Catholic University Sports Federation, which grouped together the various sports disciplines practiced at the university, founded on August 30 of that same year. In 1930, the Sports Federation joined the Club Universitario de Deportes, with which it continued to compete jointly until its separation in 1936, motivated mainly by the lack of identification and interest of students from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in participating in the club's activities, as well as by the predominance of the University of Chile in both the sporting and leadership areas of the club.

That same year, the football branch, led by former player Enrique Teuche, began to play a series of friendly matches against semi-professional and professional teams from the Asociación de Fútbol de Santiago, among them Green Cross, whom they defeated 6:4, and Colo-Colo, against whom they lost 3:1.

Foundation and early years

After its split from the Club Universitario de Deportes, the club began its process of affiliation with the Asociación Fútbol Profesional, which was approved on April 19, 1937. For this reason, a group of students from the Universidad Católica met at a boarding house in Santiago to discuss the organization of a sports club with legal status. Although the book Historia del Fútbol Chileno, Diario La Nación, dates the first foundation to August 23, 1927, the club was officially constituted on April 21, 1937. The following individuals were elected to their respective positions: Augusto Gómez, President; Enrique Casorzo and Oscar Álvarez, Vice Presidents; Enrique Pascual, Secretary; Carlos Bown, Vice-Secretary; Néstor Braithwaite, Treasurer; and Roberto Balbontín, Assistant Treasurer.Book "Por la Patria, Dios y la Universidad: Crónicas, relatos y anécdotas de los primeros 56 años del Club Deportivo Universidad Católica de Chile". Editorial Los Andes. Text: Fernando Emmerich. Pages 26 and 27.

That same year, it began participating in Serie B, a tournament that served as the second tier of the AFP. That season, it grouped together four amateur clubs and the reserve teams of the most prominent first-division institutions. In its first season in Serie B, Universidad Católica finished in third place behind Universidad de Chile and Santiago National. Against Universidad de Chile, it played the first Clásico Universitario in history on June 13, 1937, losing 1-2.

The following year, both clubs requested entry to the first division of the Asociación Central de Fútbol, constituted that same year. However, the ACF estimated that it could only accept one university team. Given this situation, it was decided that both clubs would face first division professional clubs within the framework of the Campeonato de Apertura. Universidad Católica was defeated by Colo-Colo, the previous season's champion, 6:2, while Universidad de Chile lost 2:1 to Audax Italiano. The better performance of the latter led the ACF directors to decide in favor of its application to the detriment of Universidad Católica, which had to postpone its entry into the top category of Chilean football until 1939. In its first season in the first division, Universidad Católica finished in fourth place.

1940s: The first national championship

The 1940s began with Universidad Católica placed ninth out of ten teams. In subsequent years, things did not improve, finishing sixth in 1941 and ninth again in 1942. In 1943 and 1944 the club managed to reverse the trend by finishing in fifth place; the latter year saw the return of Sergio Livingstone after his stint with Racing Club. However, in the following seasons the club did not perform well, finishing at the bottom of the national league, with the exception of the 1947 season when it placed fifth. During this period the club inaugurated the Estadio Independencia on October 12, 1945.

Alongside the efforts made in sporting activities, there was a spirit of adventure in the club in the mid-1940s which later led to the first tours abroad. On December 14, 1946, Mauricio Wainer, Pedro Sáez, Aurelio Pozo and Juan Riera embarked on a journey in a Ford 1939. The goal was to travel by road from Santiago to New York, and they achieved it on April 14, 1947. Along the way, they met widely recognized entertainment stars such as María Félix, Lucille Ball and Walt Disney. Book: "Por la Patria, Dios y la Universidad: Crónicas, relatos y anécdotas de los primeros 56 años del Club Deportivo Universidad Católica de Chile". Editorial Los Andes. Text: Fernando Emmerich. Page 95.

First national title

1949 Primera División de Chile

On April 30, 1949, Universidad Católica won the consolation tournament of the Apertura Championship after defeating Bádminton 3–2 in the final.Centro de Estudios del Deporte Ltda, 2012, Chapter 10 Universidad Católica en números, pp. 242

That same season, under the technical direction of Alberto Buccicardi and with the Argentine José Manuel Moreno, who arrived from River Plate for $ 1,450,000, as the main figure, the club won its first Primera División de Chile championship, after defeating Audax Italiano 2:1 in the penultimate round on November 27 of that year.

In the days leading up to the match against Audax Italiano, there was much talk about a serious injury to Moreno, who nevertheless was able to perform excellently. For Católica, Fernando Riera and Raimundo Infante scored; in the final minutes there was a consolation goal from Rinaldi. The match was played at the Estadio Nacional and was attended by 23,381 spectators.Revista Estadio (Chile) Nº342, page 26. The group was able to come together thanks to its foundation in the club's youth system. Besides Moreno, the champion squad included Raimundo Infante, Andrés Prieto, Manuel Álvarez, Hernán Carvallo, Luis Lindorfo Mayanés, Fernando Riera, and Sergio Livingstone.

1950s: Institutional crisis and relegation

The 1950 World Cup had a considerable impact on the global football environment, and Universidad Católica contributed a total of eight players to the Chilean National Team: Manuel Álvarez, Hernán Carvallo, Raimundo Infante, Luis Lindorfo Mayanés, Sergio Livingstone, Andrés Prieto, Fernando Riera and Fernando Roldán, as well as coach Alberto Buccicardi. In 1950, Católica embarked on its first tour of Europe, where it won the International Easter Tournament in Catalonia, and also, on May 1, defeated Bayern Munich 4:3 in a friendly match in Munich. After returning to the country, it defeated the Chile national football team 3:2 on May 31. At the local level, Universidad Católica finished eleventh in 1950, the year it undertook its first European tour, seventh in 1951, and eighth in 1952, a season in which it undertook another extensive tour.

Locally, it repeated the eighth-place finish of the previous season in 1953. The club performed modestly in local competitions until 1954, a season in which it assembled a competitive team with Sergio Livingstone, Raimundo Infante, Romualdo Moro and Miguel Ángel Montuori as the team's key figures. In early 1954, Universidad Católica defeated the El Salvador national team 3:1 on February 7 and Venezuela 2:1, as visitors, on the 23rd of the same month. On November 24, 1954, it beat Universidad de Chile 5:0 in the highest-scoring Clásico Universitario. Horacio Cisternas, Romualdo Moro and Miguel Ángel Montuori each scored a goal, with Montuori netting three times.

On the final matchday of the 1954 Primera División de Chile, the team was crowned champion with a one-point advantage over Colo-Colo. On January 9, 1955, before 57,234 spectators at the Estadio Nacional, the decisive match was played precisely against the runner-up, Colo-Colo. The group's determination to triumph against any obstacle was revealed by the pre-match history. Sergio Livingstone and Fernando Roldán, another mainstay of the team, were unable to play in that duel corresponding to the final round of the title playoff. Although he was replacing a key player in the team, Sergio Litvak performed admirably in goal and the championship went to the Franja when the referee's final whistle blew for the 0:0 draw.

A year later the club suffered its first relegation to the Segunda División, with Enrique Casorzo assuming the club presidency for the second time. On Saturday, November 10, 1956, again with Sergio Livingstone in goal and Raimundo Infante as the team's top scorer, Universidad Católica won the Segunda División title by defeating Deportes La Serena 3:2. Thus, it was promoted to the Serie de Honor. In 1957, a three-way tie on points with O'Higgins and Ferrobádminton in the Relegation Playoff, and a goal difference of (-1), again destabilized the institution, but it avoided relegation thanks to an improper registration by San Luis. The sixth place in 1958 and the eighth in 1959 reflected campaigns without sporting success or major upsets.

1954 National Championship winner 1954 Primera División de Chile