Independiente Rivadavia

Club Sportivo Independiente Rivadavia (mostly known simply as Independiente Rivadavia) is a football club from Mendoza, Argentina. The team currently plays in the Argentine Primera División, the first major league in the Argentine Football league system. Independiente Rivadavia played in the Argentine Primera in 1968, 1973, 1977, 1979–80 and 1982, when the team reached the quarter-finals of the National Championship. That year Independiente was eliminated in the play-offs by the team that would later reach the Championship, Ferro Carril Oeste. History The origins of the club can be traced to 1902, when predecessor "Club Belgrano" was established in a bakery owned by Luis Burotto and his sons. In 1911 the club was severely punished by Federación Mendocina de Football (which ruled football in Mendoza Province at that time). After two years of hiatus so the banned was still into force, a group of members decided to break with the federation to form a new club. Therefore on 24 January 1913 they established "Club Atlético Independiente", with Pedro Castro elected as the first president of the club. The institution also changed to original Belgrano colors (dark green), adopting a shirt with red, white, and green vertical stripes so they earned the tricolores nickname. Independiente Rivadavia won eight consecutive regional championships between 1913 and 1920. The club was one of the founding members of "Liga Mendocina de Fútbol", established 1921. Independiente would become the most winning team in Mendoza, with a total of 25 titles won. On January 4, 1919 and following an idea by entrepreneur and politician Bautista Gargantini (1891–1985), the club merged with "Club Sportivo Rivadavia" so the new entity adopted the name "Club Sportivo Independiente Rivadavia". Gargantini was also the first president after the merger and the person who proposed blue as the shirt color, which has remained until present days. In 1920, the club organized a benefit match for the Carlos Washington Lencinas Infectious Diseases Hospital, which was also attended by leprosy patients. Because of that match, the club earned the nickname leprosos (lepper), although there are other versions about the nickname. Independiente Rivadavia took part in six Nacional championship, the regionalised competition of Primera División. The team competed in the 1968, 1973, 1977, 1979, 1980, and 1982 editions, being 1982 the only time Independiente Rivadavia qualified to quarterfinals, when they were eliminated by then champions Ferro Carril Oeste. In 2023, Independiente Rivadavia promoted to the top division of Argentina, Liga Profesional, for the first time in their history after winning the 2023 Primera Nacional championship when they defeated Almirante Brown 2–0 in the final. On November 5, 2025, Independiente Rivadavia won their first title in Primera División, the 2025 Copa Argentina, after defeating Argentinos Juniors 5–3 on penalties (the match had ended 2–2 on regular time). The title earned the squad qualification for the 2026 Copa Libertadores. The championship was widely celebrated in Mendoza, where the Independiente Rivadavia players were welcomed by a huge crowd of club supporters. Players Current squad As of 5 March 2026 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Reserve squad Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Out on loan Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Current coaching staff Former players Former managers Team image Uniform evolution The first uniform adopted by Independiente Rivadavia was a shirt with red, white, and green vertical strips. When the club merged with Club Sportivo Rivadavia and after an initiative by Bautista Gargantini, it switched to a dark blue shirt, which would become the definitive colors of the institution. Titles National Copa Argentina (1): 2025 Primera Nacional (1): 2023 Torneo Argentino A (2): 1998-99, 2006–07 Regional Federación Mendocina de Football (4): 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916 Unión Mendocina de Football (4): 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920 Copa Competencia 1917-1921 (4): 1917, 1918, 1919 1920 Primera A de Liga Mendocina (25): 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1945, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1978, 1992-93, 1993-94, 2007 (formativa), 2010 Primera B de Liga Mendocina (1):: 1998 Copa Competencia (5): 1924, 1925, 1926, 1929, 1932 References External links Official website