Club Bolívar

Club Bolívar (Spanish pronunciation: [kluβ boˈliβaɾ]) is a Bolivian professional football club that currently plays in the Bolivian Primera División. Founded in 1925 in honor of military leader Simón Bolívar, the club has used light blue kits throughout its history, which is why it is nicknamed "Celeste" (Sky Blue).
The club has two stadiums; Estadio Libertador Simón Bolívar, which has a capacity for 5,000 people and is located in the Tembladerani neighborhood of La Paz, is only used for training sessions and friendly matches. Estadio Hernando Siles, which holds a capacity for 41,143 people, is the club's main stadium, and is used for official matches.
Bolívar began playing the amateur era two years after its foundation, in 1927, and in the 1932 tournament the club won its first championship title. The club won consecutive championships in 1939, 1940, 1941, and 1942, becoming the second team to achieve a four-time championship.
In the professional era, the club won the first tournament of the Bolivian Primera División in 1950, and since then has won 31 league titles, making it the most successful Bolivian football club. According to International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) statistics, Club Bolívar is the best Bolivian football team of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century.
At an international level, Club Bolívar is statistically the club that has best represented Bolivia in international tournaments. The Bolivian club is in the 9th position of the Historical table of the Copa Libertadores; it has participated 38 times in this tournament, being in this way the seventh team at the South American level with the most participations and also the ninth team with most victories in the history of the Libertadores, with 101 in total. Among its 37 appearances in the Copa Libertadores, its best performances were in the 1986 and 2014 editions, where Bolivar finished as a semi-finalist, and as of today is the only Bolivian club to reach this stage.
Bolívar played its first international final in 2004, where it was runner-up to Boca Juniors in that year's Copa Sudamericana. Bolivar has 12 participations in this tournament, and is the only Bolivian team to reach the final. In the historical table for the tournament, Bolivar is ranked 20th.
Among the best players in Bolivar's history are Marco "El Diablo" Etcheverry, Erwin "Platini" Sanchez, Julio Baldivieso, Carlos Borja, Vladimir Soria, Ramiro Blacut, Víctor Ugarte, Carlos Aragones, Juan Miguel "Juanmi" Callejon, Walter Flores, Juan Carlos Arce, Joaquín Botero and many more.
Until well into the 1980s there was controversy regarding the date of creation of the institution. The year 1927 was considered accurate until it became clear that it had been founded in 1925, the year of the country's centenary.
The club was born on 12 April 1925, by a group of friends who had the idea of forming a social club whose objective was to practice sport, especially football. They met in a modest colonial center house of La Paz, specifically on Junín street and less than two blocks from Plaza Murillo, where it was decided to create the club with an unusual name, Bolívar, contrary to the usual names of Bolivian teams back then, as most of them were created with names in English. Names such as Franz Tamayo or Antonio José de Sucre were thought of, but in homage to the Liberator Simón Bolívar, the group decided for Bolívar.
Despite the fact that the founders had as a dominant passion for the practice of football, as was the style at the time, they decided to add the additional denominative of "musical literary club; that is, the club was originally founded with the name of "Club Atlético Literario Musical Bolívar" which was soon diluted by the strength of the football team and its distinctive achievements, being reduced only to Club Bolívar.
Don Humberto Bonifacio was in charge of the club's management on a provisional basis, until the first president was elected by a democratic election. The first president was Carlos Terán, who was accompanied by Ernesto Sainz, Héctor Salcedo, Rafael Navarro, and Felipe Gutiérrez.
In 1927, two years after its founding, Club Bolívar officially enrolled in La Paz Fútbol Association. This would be the first time Bolivar participated in an official championship, where the club finished runner-up behind Nimbles Sport.
The first team that disputed the 1927 championship was made up of Walter Miranda, Enrique Tellería, Felipe Gutiérrez Nieto, Víctor Leclere, Carlos Terán, Germán Garnica, Roberto Segaline, Miguel Carreón, Luis Ernesto Sanz, and the captain Humberto Barreda. Alfredo Molina, Roberto Gómez and Carlos Álvarez were incorporated a year later.
The club's first international friendly match was played on 3 June 1927, against Coquimbo Unido of Chile in La Paz, losing 2–1.
Bolívar was the first Bolivian team to make an international tour and play outside Bolivia. In December 1930 and January 1931, the team played five matches in Chile. In 1931 the tournament was fulfilled with poor performances by teams that did not have good youth divisions, limiting the championship to only four teams. That same year, on 8 July, Bolívar obtained its first international victory against Gimnasia y Tiro de Salta, winning 2–1 in La Paz.
A fundamental event in this first part of the club's history occurred in 1932 when Bolívar achieved the first championship in its history played in two series. The captain of that Bolívar squad and one of the great South American players in history was center forward Mario Alborta, who was also captain of the Bolivia national team. The contest began on May 26, but had to be suspended for a month due to the events of the Chaco War between Bolivia and Paraguay, more specifically the Battle of Boquerón, which was fought from 7–29 September. The La Paz Football Association established that the location and score of the moment were recognized in the final table. For this reason, Club Bolívar was declared champion of that year.
In the following two years, 1933 and 1934, the tournaments were suspended until the end of the war event facing the country. After the war, the championship was restarted a year later, in 1935. The team was champion for the second time in 1937.
Bolívar was runner-up in 1938, and after that achieved a four-time championship, winning the titles from 1939 to 1942. That team was led by players Walter Saavedra, Rojas, Romero, Plaza, Gutiérrez, and Garzón.
1947 is an important year for Bolívar and for Bolivian football, because of winger Víctor Agustín Ugarte's debut with the "celeste" jersey of Bolivar. The Tupiceño came to La Paz to test himself and from the first day, showed his quality. He made his debut against Ferroviario and that same year he debuted in the Bolivia national team. Many people consider him the best Bolivian player in history.
In 1950, the Asociación de Fútbol de La Paz became professional, dividing its tournament into Primera "A" with the clubs already consolidated from amateurism and the amateur division. From 1954, the Asociación de Fútbol de La Paz, organized 2 parallel tournaments: The Campeonato Oficial del Fútbol de La Paz, where clubs from the capital city competed for the title of La Paz Champion, and the Integrated Championship, where clubs from La Paz, Cochabamba and Oruro, competed for the title of National Champion.
Bolívar was the first champion from La Paz in the professional era. Under the presidency of Armando Gamarra and under the leadership of Víctor Agustín Ugarte, Mario Mena from Tarija and the participation of players like Argentine Ramón Guillermo Santos, it was crowned champion with 21 points.
Among the players who led the club to its first professional glory were: Conrado Kramer, Walter Vascones, Celestino Sandoval, Guillermo Baldellón, Arturo Miranda, Edgar Vargas, Fernando Sanzetenea, Benjamín Ugáz, Arlindo Puertas and Walter Orozco.
With José Fiorilo they won the 1953 title, and for the first time a team achieved the professional title undefeated with 11 victories and a whopping 40 goals in 14 matches.
This success was repeated by winning the integrated championship of 1956. That same year, Rodolfo Plaza Montero became the club's new manager and president. He is the only former player of the institution who was also president.
The unforgettable match of their international friendlies was played on 14 January 1956 in La Paz when they defeated Argentine club River Plate with a historic score of 7–2. Los Millonarios had high-profile players such as Carrizo, Rossi, Bayro, Vernazza, Sívori, Méndez, Ángel Labruna and Zárate.
Bolivar's worst season in its history was in 1964, when a poor campaign led to relegation in that season, against a newly promoted team, Universitario de La Paz, which beat Bolívar 2–1. The club won the 1965 second division season undefeated and made an immediate return to the Primera Division.
The following season, they won the league title and qualified to their first ever Copa Libertadores for the 1967 edition. Their first match in the Libertadores was on 12 March, a 1-0 win against 31 de Octubre. Their first away win was on 10 May, a 2-1 win against Independiente Santa Fe in Bogota. They eventually placed fourth out of six in their group with two wins four draws and four defeats.
In 1968, Bolívar won its first title under the presidency of Mario Mercado Vaca Guzmán. In 1976 they won their last title before the professional league era. On 21 January 1995, Mario Mercado died when his private jet crashed in Oruro en route to Sucre. Aside from football, he was also mayor of the city of La Paz. Under his management, Estadio Hernando Siles was renovated and Estadio Libertador, the club's reserve stadium, was opened in January 1976.
On 23 August 1977, at the then Sheraton Hotel in La Paz, 16 clubs from across the country decided to create the Bolivian Professional Football League. The birth of the league marked the beginning of a new era in Bolivian football commonly known as the Liga Era.
In 1978 the club won their first title after the professional league era began, finishing first in both the first and second stages before beating Wilstermann 1–0 in the final match. In 1979 they won a minor official competition called Copa Liga.
In the 1980s, they won four titles, going back to back between 1982-1983 and 1987-1988, with the 1985 title in between. In 1986, they reached the Copa Libertadores semi-finals, topping their group but finishing behind America de Cali and Olimpia in the three-team semi-final group.
In the 1990s, the club added five more titles, winning in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996 and 1997. Also in the 90's the club participated in the 1996 Copa CONMEBOL but lost 4-2 on aggregate to Lanus in the first stage.
The most notable achievements during this era were reaching the 1986 Copa Libertadores semi-finals, and winning a total of ten titles in fifteen years between 1982 and 1997, which cemented their status as one of the biggest clubs in Bolivia.
In the early 2000s, Mauro Cuellar assumed the presidency of Bolívar.
In 2002, Bolivar reached the semi-finals of the inaugural edition of the Copa Sudamericana, their second ever qualification to a semi-final of a continental competition. They began their campaign by beating another Bolivian club, Oriente Petrolero, over two legs. In the second round, they beat Club Libertad, one of the biggest clubs in Paraguay. In the first leg of the quarter-finals against Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, Bolivar won 4-1 at home. Bolivar lost the second leg in La Plata 2-0, but qualified to the semi finals 4-3 on aggregate. In the semifinals they were paired with another Argentine club, San Lorenzo. Bolivar won the first leg in La Paz 2-1, but in Buenos Aires San Lorenzo won 4-2 and eliminated Bolivar 5-4 on aggregate. Although Bolivar were eliminated, they gained the respect of many, because San Lorenzo later won the competition and Bolivar was one of the few clubs to beat the champion.
Two years later, Bolivar had another deep run in the Copa Sudamericana, reaching the finals of the 2004 Copa Sudamericana against Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors. In their first matchup, they disposed of fellow Bolivian club Aurora in the preliminary round, then defeated Chilean club University of Concepción, disposed of Argentine club Arsenal de Sarandí in the quarter-finals despite having lost the first leg in Argentina 1–0, and reached their first international final after beating Ecuadorian club LDU Quito 3–2 on aggregate. In the first leg of the finals at home, Bolivar won 1–0 with a goal from Argentine striker Horacio Chiorazzo. However, in the second leg at La Bombonera, Boca made a comeback and won the match 2–0 with goals from Martín Palermo and Carlos Tevez in the first half hour of the match, with Bolivar launching an attacking strategy in the second half where they had a shot hit the crossbar, being very close to tying the aggregate score. Despite the loss, Bolivar gained the respect of many and put Bolivia on the map, also being the only team to beat the winners of the competition. Also that year, Bolivar won their 19th title by clinching the Apertura championship.
However, despite the club's sporting achievements, it fell into a deep financial crisis, nearly disappearing with debts in excess of US$5 million, until Bolivian millionaire Marcelo Claure took over the club in September 2008 through BAISA, a subsidiary company owned by Claure. BAISA owns the right to operate the club for 20 years. The financial crisis also slightly affected their performance on the field; Bolivar failed to win the title for 30 months, and failed to finish in the top three for three consecutive tournaments. The first title the club won under BAISA was the 2009 Apertura, their 22nd title in history.
In 2014, under the lead of Spanish coach Xabier Azkargorta, the team reached the Copa Libertadores semi-finals, after eliminating Club León in the round of 16 and 2013 Copa Sudamericana champions Lanus in the quarter finals. The first leg of the semi-finals at Nuevo Gasómetro against San Lorenzo ended with a heavy 5–0 loss, but Bolivar won the second leg at home 1–0, being eliminated 5–1 on aggregate by the eventual champions of the competition, also being one of the few clubs to have beaten the champion, similar to what happened in 2002.
In 2017, Bolivar won both Apertura and Clausura tournaments that year, therefore completing a "bicampeonato" (two-time consecutive championship). This was their first "bicampeonato" in the modern Apertura-Clausura format.
In January 2021, Club Bolivar was announced as the first Partner Club of City Football Group. Also in January 2021, the club's "Plan Centenario" was announced, which is a five-year plan to construct an academy, open the club's ownership to fans, and win a "tricampeonato" (three-time consecutive championship) or reach a CONMEBOL final, all by 2025, the club's centenary year.
In 2023, Bolivar had a notable participation in that year's Copa Libertadores, finishing second in their group which included a 3-1 victory over Palmeiras at home and a notable 4-0 away victory against Cerro Porteño. In the round of 16 they achieved an incredible upset after defeating 2022 Copa Libertadores runner-up Athletico Paranaense on penalties, later losing to Internacional. By reaching the quarter-finals, Bolivar became one of only three Bolivian clubs that has reached this stage in Libertadores for the sixth time; the other ones to do so were Wilstermann in 1981 and Oriente Petrolero in 1985.
In 1967, the club gained access to international CONMEBOL tournaments for the first time. This marked the beginning of a brilliant history for the celeste academics, as Bolívar is statistically the best-performing Bolivian club in these tournaments. The club made its cup debut in 1967, finishing in fourth place among six teams. The first international match in this tournament took place on March 19, 1967 in La Paz against River Plate, ending in a 3-3 draw. On May 10, 1967, Bolívar achieved its first away victory in Bogotá against Independiente Santa Fe, winning 2-1.
The club's second appearance was an epic one. It tied for second place with Olimpia and played a tiebreaker match in Buenos Aires, losing narrowly 2-1. Although qualification remained just out of reach, the sky-blue squad showcased its quality and stature.
In the Copa Libertadores, Bolívar has participated 39 times (as of the 2025 Copa Libertadores), making it the seventh South American club with the most appearances in the competition since 1967. Accumulating 263 matches since its debut, Bolívar ranks ninth in the "historical table of the Copa Libertadores", behind only River Plate, Nacional, Boca Juniors, Peñarol, Olimpia, Cerro Porteño, Palmeiras, and Grêmio. Within this continental tournament, Bolívar is also the ninth South American club with the most victories, totaling 106 wins, and the eighth club with the most goals scored in the competition, 388 in total. Its best performances were in the 1986 and 2014 editions, reaching the semifinals both times. The latter is particularly special, as it made Bolívar the only Bolivian team to reach the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores de América in its current format (knockout rounds from the Round of 16 onwards).
Bolívar is the fifth club in South America with the most appearances in the Copa Libertadores Round of 16, with a total of 12 participations.
Additionally, Bolívar has participated 12 times in the Copa Sudamericana, reaching the final in 2004. Bolívar remains the only active Bolivian club to have reached an international final, although it was the second Bolivian club to do so, following Mariscal Santa Cruz, which won the Recopa Sudamericana de Clubes in 1970.
Bolívar also reached the semifinals of the inaugural Copa Sudamericana in 2002, ranking 20th in the historical table of the international competition.
In 1996, the club participated in the Copa Conmebol.
Currently, Bolívar ranks 27th in the "CONMEBOL Club Ranking for the Copa Conmebol Libertadores and Sudamericana", ahead of major clubs such as Colo-Colo, Racing Club, Club Atlético River Plate, Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro, and Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas.
In its most recent international tournament participation, the club historically advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Copa Libertadores in Brazil for the sixth time in its history. This milestone reinforced Bolívar as the Bolivian club with the most quarterfinal appearances in the Copa Libertadores. The only other Bolivian clubs to reach this stage were Wilstermann in 1981 and Oriente Petrolero in 1985. Additionally, Bolívar became the first Bolivian team to qualify for the quarterfinals outside of the country in a home-and-away series. Notably, this squad achieved the highest score for a Bolivian club in this century in the prestigious international competition.
Accompanied by runner-up Wilstermann, Bolívar faced Universitario from Lima and Universidad Técnica de Cajamarca. La Academia comfortably won all three home matches: 2-0 against Wilstermann, 4-0 against Universitario, and 2-1 against Cajamarca. The most important victory was a 2-1 away win in Cochabamba, with two goals from Fernando Salinas, securing his place among the tournament's top scorers in history.
To guarantee qualification, Bolívar needed at least one point in Peru. Although they lost 3-2 to Universitario in Lima, they faced U de Cajamarca on May 24 in Cajamarca. Falling behind 2-0, Bolívar turned the match around under the leadership of midfielder Carlos Ángel "Zurdo" López. López scored the first goal, and Salinas equalized, securing Bolívar's first-ever advancement to the next round.
In the semifinals, Bolívar faced América de Cali and Olimpia from Paraguay. The team debuted with a 3-1 loss in Asunción but responded with a 2-0 victory against América in La Paz. The defining match took place in Cali, where Bolívar initially led thanks to a goal by Peruvian national team player Jorge "Coqui" Hirano. However, the locals equalized at the 30-minute mark, and Ricardo Gareca scored the winner for América at minute 39. Despite a final 1-1 draw against Olimpia in La Paz, Bolívar finished third overall in the tournament.
The first Copa Sudamericana was held in 2002. The inaugural match in the tournament's history was played between Deportivo Táchira and Monagas in San Cristóbal (Venezuela) on August 28, 2002, with Monagas winning 2-0. Regarding Bolivian teams, the first Copa Sudamericana match involving Bolivian clubs took place in La Paz between Bolívar and Oriente Petrolero on September 3, 2002, with Bolívar winning 4-2.
The first international match played by a Bolivian team was held on September 19 at the Hernando Siles stadium, where Bolívar faced Libertad from Paraguay. The sky-blue team won 2-0. Bolívar lined up the following squad: José Carlo Fernández; Luis Gatty Ribeiro, Marco Antonio Sandy (64' Julio C. Ferreira), Martín Lígori, and Oscar Sánchez; Percy Colque, Iván Castillo, Rubén Tufiño, and Pedro Guiberguis; Joaquín Botero and Gonzalo Galindo (80' Miguel Mercado). The team was managed by Vladimir Soria, who would lead Bolívar to glory two years later. The goals that night, in front of 15,000 spectators, were scored by Galindo in the 8th minute and Guiberguis in the 13th.
Bolívar had an auspicious debut, reaching the semifinals. They won all their home matches (4-2 against Oriente Petrolero, 2-0 against Libertad, 4-1 against Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata from Argentina, and 2-1 against San Lorenzo from Argentina). As visitors, they secured a single point against Libertad in Asunción (1-1).
The decisive match was played in Buenos Aires on November 11 against "Los Cuervos" at the Nuevo Gasómetro. It was an intense match. San Lorenzo's coach was Rubén Insúa, who years later would manage Bolívar. In just 20 minutes, San Lorenzo seemed to have secured the game with three goals. Chatruc scored (7'), Michelini extended the lead (9'), and Astudillo added another (17'). However, Bolívar responded. They reorganized and counterattacked through Galindo's midfield work, the remarkable runs of Gatty Ribeiro, and the brilliance of Botero. At the 34th minute, Botero scored a stunning header, and a minute later, Galindo netted a low shot. The first half was spectacular. In the second half, San Lorenzo struggled to break through Bolivian defenses led by Sánchez and Sandy, but in the 36th minute, Astudillo secured the victory. Nevertheless, Bolívar had reached the semifinals in the first edition of this international competition. San Lorenzo de Almagro, their rival in the semis, won the first edition of the tournament.
It is noteworthy that Bolivian forward Gonzalo Galindo, along with Pierre Webó and Rodrigo Astudillo, was the tournament's top scorer, having netted four goals in total.
Two years after their successful first participation in the 2002 Copa Sudamericana, where they reached the semifinals, Bolívar returned to the competition, this time finishing as runners-up in their first international final. They began by defeating their compatriots from Aurora with an aggregate score of 5-2 in the Bolivian teams' bracket.
Days later, they faced Chilean club Universidad de Concepción for a spot in the quarterfinals, drawing 0-0 in Chile but winning 4-2 in La Paz. Despite qualifying, the home leg in La Paz was notable for a goal scored from end to end by Chilean goalkeeper Nicolás Peric.
In the quarterfinals, they faced Argentine club Arsenal de Sarandí, losing the first leg 1-0 but winning the return leg 3-0. In the semifinals, they faced Ecuador's Liga de Quito, winning with an aggregate score of 3-2 and historically qualifying for their first international final.
In the final, they faced Boca Juniors from Argentina. The Bolivian club won the first leg at the Estadio Hernando Siles 1-0, thanks to a goal by Horacio Chiorazzo in the 75th minute. However, in the return leg in Buenos Aires, they lost 2-0 with goals from Martín Palermo and Carlos Tévez, finishing as runners-up.
The Bolívar club finished the year 2004 in 32nd place in the IFFHS Club World Ranking, above several clubs with great tradition, such as Bayern Munich (39), Cruzeiro de Belo Horizonte (44), América from Mexico (52), and Cerro Porteño (68), among other clubs.
On the night of May 15, 2014, Bolívar qualified for the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores for the second time in its history, this time in the 2014 edition. During this stage, "La Academia" defeated León, Emelec, and Flamengo in the group stage.
In the round of 16, they once again faced León; while in the quarterfinals, they defeated Lanús from Argentina (after drawing 1-1 in Buenos Aires and winning 1-0 in La Paz). However, in the semifinals, they were eliminated by San Lorenzo de Almagro (losing 5-0 in Buenos Aires and winning 1-0 in La Paz), against the team that would go on to be crowned champion of the tournament that year.
The celeste team had a respectable performance in that international tournament. They played 12 matches, won 5, lost 2, and drew 5; they scored 14 goals and conceded 15. The coach was the Spaniard Xabier Azkargorta, and among the players were Romel Quiñónez, Nelson Cabrera, Wálter Flores, José Luis Sánchez Capdevila, Juan Carlos Arce, William Ferreira, and Juan Miguel Callejón; the latter was the top scorer for "La Academia" with four goals in that Copa Libertadores edition.
Bolivar's traditional home colors are light blue, traditional away colors are dark blue or white.
Bolivar's classic rival is The Strongest. Matches between them are considered the "Bolivian derby", "clásico paceño" or "clásico boliviano". It is considered the most important football derby in the country. Bolívar and The Strongest are one of the oldest and the most winning teams of the league, both from the administrative capital of Bolivia, La Paz; hence the name Paceño.
The first official Bolivian derby in history was played on 17 October 1927, a match which ended 0–0. It is the match that has been played in all Bolivian football competitions, from amateurism, professionalism, and even in international tournaments such as Copa Sudamericana and the Copa Libertadores.
In 2014 the Bolivian derby was listed as "one of the 25 most explosive rivalries in the world" by the specialized magazine Football Derbies. The criteria that were used to show the great rivalry between both teams has to do with the time of existence of the classic, the number of games, the importance of duels, the public they carry, and a historical account of the episodes of violence.
The club also has some rivalries with other popular Bolivian clubs and clubs from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, such as Oriente Petrolero, Jorge Wilstermann, and Club Blooming. Matches between these clubs usually gather lots of attention throughout the country.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
See also Category:Club Bolívar players.