# Comunicaciones F.C.

Comunicaciones Fútbol Club S.A., better known as Comunicaciones F.C. or Comunicaciones, is a professional football club based in Guatemala City. They compete in the Liga Nacional, the top tier of Guatemalan football. One of the most popular and successful football clubs in Guatemala, Comunicaciones have won 32 national championships, the most of any Guatemalan club team, including six consecutive. In addition to their 32 league titles, Comunicaciones have won eight league cups and ten Supercups. In international competition, Comunicaciones have won two UNCAF Interclub Cups, one CONCACAF Champions Cup, and one CONCACAF League championship.
The club plays their home games at the Estadio Cementos Progreso, which has a capacity of 17,000 after being renovated.

## History

Comunicaciones origins date back to the 1920s to previous incarnations as Hospicio FC and España. Club Comunicaciones was formed in 1949 after Colonel Carlos Aldana Sandoval, then Minister of Telegraphs and Communications, took charge of the team and renamed it Comunicaciones ("Communications" in Spanish).
The club colour is white, which they began using in their kit shortly after the club's foundation, though initially the uniform was cream. Their historic arch-rival is Municipal and the two clubs compete in the El Clásico Chapín, one of the greatest rivalries in Guatemalan football. Their other fierce rivals consist of Antigua known as the El Clasico Provincial and a rivalry with Quetzaltenango club Xelajú as El Clásico del Oeste.

## Supporters

Since its inception, the Albo fans have been composed of the different strata of Guatemalan society. In the 80s, organized support began to take more momentum, at that time by batons that were located in different sectors of the stadium that were felt with songs, chopped paper, balloons and blankets, marking a different pattern of support from the fans of that time in Guatemalan football.
It was at that time when the nickname of the "Millionaire Fans" was popularly printed by the thousands of fans and fans that the club has throughout the country. Currently the cream fans are the only one in Guatemala who have adopted the type of South American breath in which everyone in the stadium sings in unison giving a unique atmosphere in the stands.

### La barra brava

In the early 90s, the first organized support group called Fuerza Crema officially emerged, regularly located in the Preference area of the stadium, becoming the largest in the country with more than 2,500 members. It was until mid-1996 that after several differences between its leaders, the Albos force separated.
Some former members of the old group changed sectors in the stadium forming in the same year the barra Vltra Svr (Ultra Sur), a name it adopted due to its location in the General South area of the property. This group is characterized by the songs it provides to the team throughout the match, in addition to receptions, flags and walks, something that was not customary in Guatemalan football.
The barra has large blankets, flags, umbrellas, hype with murgas, trumpets, dubbing and a huge hype brought from Chile to encourage the club. In its beginnings the bar even hosted more than 3,000 members in transcendental matches.

## Mascot
### Casper

The mascot of Comunicaciones is the ghost Casper who has been accompanying the club since 1985. It was brought from Miami in September 1985 by the then president of the team, Teddy Plocharski, at a cost of $2,000 (15,392.65 Quetzales), being the first football club to use a mascot in Central America.
He first appeared at the Doroteo Guamuch on September 8, 1985, for the 124th classic, in which Comunicaciones beat Municipal by 3 to 1. The suit has undergone three transformations since its creation, the first in 1995 and the second 1998, this being the one that is maintained today.

## Stadium

The team currently play their home games at the Estadio Cementos Progreso, which holds at a capacity of 17,000, where their B team used to play. Before 2023, they played at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, which is also the home of the Guatemala national football team.

## Honours
### National

* Liga Nacional de Guatemala
** Champions (32): 1956, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971, 1972, 1977, 1979–80, 1981, 1982, 1985–86, 1990–91, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, Apertura 1999, Clausura 2001, Apertura 2002, Clausura 2003, Apertura 2008, Apertura 2010, Clausura 2011, Apertura 2012, Clausura 2013, Apertura 2013, Clausura 2014, Apertura 2014, Clausura 2015, Clausura 2022, Apertura 2023
** Runners-up (26): 1950–51, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1995–96, Clausura 2000, Apertura 2000, Clausura 2002, Apertura 2003, Apertura 2004, Apertura 2005, Apertura 2006, Clausura 2008, Apertura 2009, Apertura 2011, Clausura 2016, Apertura 2018, Clausura 2021, Apertura 2021
* Copa de Guatemala
** Champions (8): 1951–52, 1955, 1970, 1972, 1983, 1986, 1991–92, 2009
** Runners-up (1): 1972–73
* Copa Campeón de Campeones de Guatemala
** Champions (10): 1955, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1983, 1986, 1991, 1995, 1997, 1998
** Runners-up (4): 1952, 1984, 1986, 2024

### International
#### Continental

* CONCACAF Champions Cup
** Champions (1): 1978
** Runners up (2): 1962, 1969
* CONCACAF League
** Champions (1): 2021
* CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup
** Runners-up (1): 1991

#### Regional

* Copa Fraternidad/Copa Interclubes UNCAF
** Champions (2): 1971, 1983
** Runners up (3): 1976, 1977, 2003

### Awards

* CONCACAF League Fair Play: 2021

## Performance in CONCACAF competitions

* CONCACAF Champions Cup: 28 appearances
       Best results: 1978–Champions; 1962, 1969–Runners-up
       Most recent participation: 2024–First Round
* CONCACAF League: 4 appearances
       2019: Quarter-finals
       2020: First Round
       2021: Champions
       2022: Round of 16
* CONCACAF Central American Cup: 1 appearance
       2023: Quarter-finals
* CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup: 2 appearances
       1991: Runners-up
       2001: Semi-finals

## Current squad

    As of January 5, 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | GUA | Fredy Pérez |
| 2 | DF | GUA | Gerardo Gordillo |
| 3 | DF | GUA | Elsar Martín |
| 4 | MF | CUB | Karel Espino |
| 5 | DF | GUA | Marco Domínguez |
| 6 | DF | GUA | José Carlos Pinto |
| 7 | FW | URU | Diego Casas |
| 8 | MF | GUA | José Grajeda |
| 10 | MF | GUA | José Contreras (captain) |
| 11 | FW | GUA | Anderson Ortíz |
| 12 | DF | GUA | Erick González |
| 13 | DF | GUA | Stheven Robles |
| 14 | DF | GUA | Rafael Morales |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 16 | MF | GUA | Daniel Cardoza |
| 19 | MF | GUA | Axel de la Cruz |
| 20 | MF | GUA | Antonio López |
| 21 | GK | GUA | Josemaria Calderón |
| 22 | DF | GUA | Wilson Pineda |
| 23 | GK | GUA | Arnold Barrios |
| 24 | DF | MEX | Everardo Rubio |
| 25 | FW | GUA | Erick Lemus |
| 26 | MF | GUA | Lynner García |
| 28 | DF | COL | Jose Corena |
| 30 | DF | GUA | Emerson Raymundo |
| 33 | DF | GUA | Andy Contreras |
| 36 | FW | GUA | Joshua Trigueño Foster |
| 75 | FW | PER | Carlos Rivas |
| 77 | FW | GUA | Andy Palencia |

### 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.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | MF | GUA | Brayam Castañeda (at Zacapa) |
| - | DF | GUA | Nicolás Samayoa (at Politehnica Iași) |
| - | GK | GUA | Jorge Moreno (at Xinabajul) |
| - | FW | GUA | Erick Rivera (at Mixco) |

## Managerial history

* José Casés Penadés (1951–1954)
* Federico Morales (1955–1956)
* José Casés Penadés (1956–1960)
* Carlos Enrique Wellman (1968–1969)
* Walter Ormeño (1970–1971)
* Carmelo Faraone (1971)
* Walter Ormeño (1972)
* Rubén Amorín (1977–1978)
* Walter Ormeño (1979–1980)
* Jorge Lainfiesta (1981–1982)
* Salvador Pericullo (1983)
* Ranulfo Miranda (1985)
* Carlos Enrique Wellman (1990–1991)
* Raúl Héctor Cocherari (1991)
* Hernán Godoy (1992)
* Juan Ramón Verón (1994–1995)
* Carlos Miloc (1996–1997)
* Juan Ramón Verón (1997–1998)
* Carlos de Toro (1998)
* Carlos Miloc (1998–1999)
* Alexandre Guimarães (1999)
* Dušan Drašković (2000–2001)
* Alberto Aguilar (2001)
* Horacio Cordero (2002–2003)
* Antonio Alzamendi (2004)
* Luis Cubilla (2005)
* Miguel Ángel Brindisi (2005–2007)
* Julio César Cortés
* Julio González (2009–2010)
* Iván Sopegno (2010–2011)
* Rónald González (2011–2012)
* Iván Sopegno (2013–2014)
* Willy Coito Olivera (2014–2015)
* Iván Sopegno (2015–2017)
* Rónald González (2017–2018)
* Willy Coito Olivera (2018–2019)
* Mauricio Tapia (2019–2021)
* Willy Coito Olivera (2021–2023)
* Iván Sopegno (2024)
* Willy Coito Olivera (2024)
* Rónald González (2024-present)