Club Atlético Celaya, is a professional football club based in Celaya, Guanajuato. The club competes in Liga Premier (Primera Premier), the third level of Mexican football, and plays its home matches at Estadio Miguel Alemán Valdés. Founded in 1994, after the merger of Atlético Cuernavaca, Escuadra Celeste de Celaya and Atlético Español (but not the defunct club Atlético Español F.C.). The franchise was moved to Xochitepec and dissolved in 2003, and later the club was refounded in 2026.
History All merging clubs have brought a piece of their old identity into the new formed club: from Atlético Cuernavaca were taken the name to the new club (although its name is also identical with former Atlético Español), from Celeste de Celaya were taken their light blue colors and from Atlético Español the mascot, the bull, which has also given the new team their nickname toros (bulls).
Atlético Celaya has taken the second-division position of their predecessors and has immediately reached the top-level. The first year in Primera División was also their most successful season ever. First, they could win their group and in the play-offs they could make their way up to the finals in which they lost only due to the away-goal-rule after playing 1–1 and 0–0 with Necaxa.
But from now on the club finds itself in lower positions in the league. They had also financial problems which led to the sale of their Primera División-license to an industrialist from Morelos in 2003. The franchise was moved to Xochitepec and becoming Colibríes de Morelos. At the same time when Atlético Celaya was dissolved, their older city neighbour Celaya F.C. was revived as Club Celaya by acquiring the franchise of C.F. La Piedad.
On 23 July 2026, the club was refounded to participate in the Liga Premier, after the franchise of Celaya F.C. was moved to Veracruz to ensure the continuity of professional football in Celaya, recovering the name of the city's historic club.
Crest and colours The club's original colors in the 1950s were red and white. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the club started using black and white with a topical v shape across the chest for home games and a black stripe shirt for away games, which they still use to this date.
Colours
First kit evolution
Personnel Management
Coaching staff Position StaffManager Luis Fernando SotoAssistant managers Rafael Bautista Fitness coach Bernardino NavarretePhysiotherapistVacantTeam doctor Arturo Cendejas
Players First-team squad
Famous players
Diego Cagna Diego Latorre Antonio Mohamed Richard Zambrano Ivan Hurtado Julio César de León Carlos Pavón Ignacio Ambríz José Damasceno Félix Fernández Jaime Lozano Hugo Sánchez Pepe Soto Emilio Butragueño Rafael Martín Vázquez Míchel Rafael Paz
Reserves Atlético Celaya B Reserve team that competes in the Liga Premier (Premier B), the fourth level of Mexican football.
Honours TypeCompetitionTitlesWinning yearsTop divisionPrimera División0—1995–96Promotion divisionPrimera División A1—
References