Cruz Azul
Club Deportivo Social y Cultural Cruz Azul Asociación S.A. de C.V. or simply Cruz Azul () is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in the Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Because "azul" means "blue" in Spanish, the club has traditionally worn a blue home kit. Founded in Jasso, Hidalgo, the club moved officially to Mexico City in 1971, where it had already registered a great presence and activity since its beginnings. Estadio Azteca, the nation's largest sports venue, served as their home venue until 1996, when they moved to the  Estadio Azul. After 22 years the team returned to the "Azteca" at the conclusion of the 2017-18 Liga MX season. Its headquarters are in La Noria, a suburb within Xochimilco in the southern part of Mexico City. Cruz Azul has been the Primera División champion nine times, trailing Toluca's 10, C.D. Guadalajara's 12, and Club América's 13. Cruz Azul's six titles makes it the second-most successful club in the history of the CONCACAF Champions League, the most prestigious international club competition in North American football, trailing intracity rival Club América. Cruz Azul was also  the first CONCACAF team to reach the final of the Copa Libertadores, the most prestigious club competition in South American football (which invited top Liga MX clubs from 1998 to 2017), losing on penalties to Argentine football giants Boca Juniors in 2001. In the 1968–69 season, Cruz Azul was the first CONCACAF club (and third worldwide) to complete a rare Continental Treble, winning the Mexican Primera División championship, the Copa México national tournament, and the CONCACAF Champions League. In its 2014 Club World Ranking, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics placed Cruz Azul as the 99th-best club in  the world and the third-best club in CONCACAF. According to several polls published, Cruz Azul is the third-most popular team in Mexico, behind only C.D. Guadalajara and Club América. It is also the second most supported team in its hometown, Mexico City, behind América and ahead of Pumas UNAM. History. Background and foundation. Carlos Garces López was a football player and athlete, representing Mexico at the Summer Olympics in both 1924 and 1928 in athletics and football respectively. As a Midfielder, he was part of Club America's founding squad and was a key player to their dominance  of the Primera Fuerza in the mid-1920s. Garces López also formed part of the first Mexico national football team squad in 1923, playing in Mexico's first series of official international matches against Guatemala. As football in Mexico was not a lucrative occupation at the time, Garces López, a licensed dentist, was employed at the cement company Cemento Cruz Azul located in the small town of Jasso, Hidalgo providing dental care to its employees. He would travel regularly to Mexico City from Jasso to train and play for America. In 1925, Cemento Cruz Azul had voted to establish a company  baseball team as the sport was popular in the town of Jasso. Garces López, however, personally lobbied for many months to change the official company sport to football. Initially receiving resistance from American employees, Garces López eventually convinced the company directors to hold a referendum in which the workers would vote on the company team's main sport. On March 22, 1927, the vote was held where it was decided the company team's sport was to change from baseball to football. Cemento Cruz Azul installed a football pitch on the company's premises in place of the baseball field  and the football team was officially established on two months later on May 22 where Garces López was appointed head coach of the newly founded team. Amateur era (1927–1960). Initially, Cemento Cruz Azul played in local tournaments organized by the company against teams representing towns neighboring Jasso. The team was composed solely of company workers for the next three decades. The club was widely successful in amateur tournaments during the 30s and 40s, winning 15 consecutive state level league titles. Establishment as a co-operative (1931-1934). By 1931, Cemento Cruz Azul had experienced a series of economic troubles following  the Great Depression. Due to the loss of demand and production of cement and other construction materials, Cemento Cruz Azul faced bankruptcy and was bought by cement company "La Tolteca" on March 1, 1931, for 1 million pesos. As it became apparent Cemento Cruz Azul was to be liquidated, 192 workers of Cemento Cruz Azul unionized and sued the executives of the company to prevent the transfer of the property which was set for October 15 of that year. The government of Hidalgo ruled in favor of the workers after it was shown "La Tolteca" had premeditated intentions of liquidation . The workers assumed control of the industrial facilities on November 2. On May 21, 1932, the governor of Hidalgo, Bartolomé Vargas Lugo, decreed the 192 workers of Cemento Cruz Azul as collective owners of the plant, exercising eminent domain. Part of the agreement, all 192 workers who assumed responsibility of the plant agreed to pay the state of Hidalgo 1.3 million pesos over the course of 10 years. The company changed its name to "Cooperativa Manufacturera de Cemento Portland La Cruz Azul, S.C.L", reestablishing itself as a cooperative on January 29, 1934. The debt was paid off on November 2 , 1941, 10 years after workers took control of the plant. In celebration, Cruz Azul organized a match against R.C. España where the game ended in a 0–0 draw. The club's working class image is widely attributed in part of this incident. Success in amateur competitions (1932-1952). From 1932 to 1943, Cemento Cruz Azul won 15 consecutive league titles in an amateur state league of Hidalgo. On 8 different occasions, the club represented the state of Hidalgo in national amateur tournaments. From the mid-1930s to the late 1940s, the club regularly traveled to Mexico City to face the reserve  teams of Atlante, Necaxa, Marte, and R.C. España, playing at Parque Necaxa to great success. By 1937, Cruz Azul had garnered a considerable following both in Hidalgo and Mexico City. Around this period in time Guillermo Álvarez Macías began playing on the team as a midfielder. Foundations for professional status (1953-1960). On December 10, 1953, Guillermo Álvarez Macías was appointed general manager of Cemento Cruz Azul. He had been employed at the cooperative since the age of 12 when his father died in 1931. Initially employed as an automotive mechanic, Álvarez Macías spent over two decades at the company  and rising through the ranks. A self-proclaimed socialist, Álvarez Macías laid plans to reconstruct the cooperative into a functioning town, building schools, restaurants, paving roads, in hopes to modernize and "share social and economic progress, to raise the standard of living of the worker and his family." In his goal to promote social well-being among members of the co-op, Álvarez Macías invested into cultural and recreational activities. This included investing much more into the football club whose proceeds were used to provide the worker-players with better living conditions. In 1958, team captain and machinist, Luis Velázquez  Hernández, served as the club's ambassador to the Mexican Football Federation to lobby for official membership on the club's behalf. Velázquez Hernández met Paulino Sánchez in Mexico City, who had ties to prominent football executives. They met with Joaquín Soria Terrazas and Ignacio Trelles to discuss membership to the federation for the club. Sánchez vouched in favor of Cruz Azul, citing their continual success in the amateur and reserve tournaments. Much to the displeasure of Álvarez Macías who asserted the club was not ready for professional football. In preparation for federation membership, Paulino Sánchez assumed the position as  head manager of the club. Due to regulations, teams were required to have a reserve team. "Lafayette", a club experiencing financial troubles located in Colonia Moctezuma, had many talented players that could potentially be Cruz Azul's reserves. Under the recommendation of Sánchez, Cruz Azul purchased the "Lafayette" team. The acquisition was completed sometime in 1960. Plans to construct a club stadium that complied to the standards set by the Mexican Football Federation were conceived in 1960. In 1961, ground broke to construct Estadio 10 de Diciembre and finished in 1963. Despite not possessing federation membership and due to Sánchez 's personal contacts, Cruz Azul was invited to compete in the 1960-61 edition of "Copa de la Segunda División de México", a competition sanctioned by the Mexican Football Federation. The club's first game was played April 2, 1961, in Jasso against Zamora, ending in 2–1 in favor of Cruz Azul. The second leg was played on April 9, 1961, ending in a 3–3 draw. They faced Querétaro in the next round winning 1–0 on aggregate. Cruz Azul was eliminated by UNAM. Following their impressive performance in the cup, the Mexican Football Federation granted Cruz Azul an opportunity to  register as a professional team. Professional level and rapid rise to prominence (1961-1968). The club was officially registered to compete in the nation's second tier professional league for the 1961-62 season. Due to the regulations by the Mexican Football Federation that prohibited the official usage of company names by clubs, the club changed its name to "Cooperativa Cruz Azul" from "Cemento Cruz Azul" Promotion to Primera División (1964). Jorge Marik, a Hungarian coach who previously managed Atlas and Atlante, signed on to manage the club in 1961. Cruz Azul won a direct promotion to Primera División after  Marik led the club to the 1st position on the general table with 45 points (19 wins, 7 draws, and 4 losses) in the 1963–64 Mexican Segunda División season. Following the club's promotion, Estadio 10 de Diciembre underwent renovations on March 6, 1964, rebuilding the wooden stands and dressing rooms which were compliant to regulations. Cruz Azul finished their first season in the top flight, the 1964–65 Mexican Primera División season, in 8th place with 10 wins, 9 draws, 11 losses. After poor results, Marik left the club after the 1965–66 Mexican Primera División season where Cruz Azul finished  in 13th place out of 16 teams on the league table. Walter Ormeño became the team's interim coach, managing 3 games, before the club signed Raúl Cárdenas October 20, 1966. Establishment in the top flight (1969-1980). Domination of Primera División (1969-1975). 1968–69 season: first championship, treble. During the 1968–69 season under the direction of Cárdenas, Cruz Azul won their first Copa México, their first Primera División title, and their firstCONCACAF Champions' Cup. After only 4 years in the nation's top flight, Cruz Azul managed to complete a treble, being the first club to do so in  not only Mexico but in the CONCACAF region as well. 1970–1980. Cruz Azul finished in second place on the general table for the 1969–70 Mexican Primera División season. The club was awarded the 1970 CONCACAF Champions' Cup on December 15, 1970, after Saprissa and Transvaal withdrew from the second phase of the competition in September citing economic issues. Between 1970 and 1980, Cruz Azul led the Primera División with six league tournament championships; four under Cárdenas and the last two under Ignacio Trelles. This powerful version of the team earned the nickname "La Máquina Celeste" (The Blue Machine), which continues  as one of the official nicknames of the team. On December 18, 1976, Guillermo Álvarez Macías died of a heart attack at the age of 56 while awaiting President Portillo for a meeting. First drought (1981-1997). Throughout the 1980s, Cruz Azul remained one of the most competitive teams in the league. Despite their consistent form and financial wealth, the club was unable to obtain a title. This drought would last for another 17 years. Billy Álvarez presidency. In 1988, Guillermo Héctor Álvarez Cuevas, the son of the late Guillermo Álvarez Macías, assumed the position of general manager at the  cooperative Cemento Cruz Azul and presidency of Cruz Azul. 1990-1995. For the 1991–92 season, Cruz Azul signed Carlos Hermosillo. An América icon who was fundamental to America's 1988–89 league championship victory against Cruz Azul, Hermosillo's signing was met with ambivalence by the club's supporters. Hermosillo, however, quickly established himself as an integral part of the team where he was the league's top goal scorer for 3 consecutive years (1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96 - 27, 35, 26 goals respectively). In the 1994-95 season, the club finished 3rd in the league's overall table and  reached a league final for the first time in 6 years where they were defeated 3–1 on aggregate by Necaxa. 1996-1997: end of drought and second treble. July 20 of 1996 marked the end of a 16 year long championship drought for Cruz Azul. The team managed by Víctor Manuel Vucetich won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup single round-robin tournament held in Guatemala City. Cruz Azul finished 1st on the table after defeating Seattle Sounders 11–0 at Estadio Flores. Vucetich also lead Cruz Azul to a Copa México title, winning the 1996–97 Copa México at the Estadio 10 de  Diciembre after defeating Toros Neza 2–0. Under the management of Luis Fernando Tena, Cruz Azul won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup on August 24, 1997, for the second consecutive year after defeating LA Galaxy 5–3 in the final. On December 7, 1997, Cruz Azul, who finished 2nd in the general standings of the league table, won the Invierno 1997 league tournament the against table leaders León via golden goal. This marked an end to the club's 17 year long league drought as well as achieving Cruz Azul's second continental treble. The second leg of the series is largely remembered  in part of a self-admittedly inexplicable act of aggression committed by León's goalkeeper Ángel Comizzo towards Carlos Hermosillo that handed the championship title to Cruz Azul. During the 15th minute of the first half of extra time, Comizzo shoved and kicked Cruz Azul striker Hermosillo in the face while inside the penalty box. Referee Arturo Brizio only witnessed the shove but did not see the kick as he turned his head away when Comizzo kicked Hermosillo. The penalty was called in favor of Cruz Azul while Comizzo did not get sent off. Hermosillo, whose face was bleeding profusely , took the penalty kick and scored. As the golden goal rule applied, Cruz Azul won the match and their eighth league title. Second drought (1997-2020). Copa Libertadores 2001. In 2001, Cruz Azul was invited to a tournament between select Mexican and Venezuelan teams that would then compete in the Copa Libertadores, a tournament of the best South American teams. The two best teams of this qualifying tournament earned immediate placement on the roster. Cruz Azul was one of the seeded teams and reached the 2001 Copa Libertadores final match. Cruz Azul started the tournament in Group 7 along with  teams such as the Sao Caetano, the Defensor Sporting, and Olmedo. Cruz Azul finished as leader of the group with 13 points. At the round of 16 Cruz Azul faced Cerro Porteño. The first leg was played in Asunción, where Cruz Azul lost 2–1. The second leg was played in Mexico City, where Cruz Azul won the game 3–1. The aggregate score was 4–3 in favor of Cruz Azul and they moved on to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, Cruz Azul faced CA River Plate of Argentina. The first leg of the match was played in Buenos Aires and ended  in a 0–0 draw. The second leg was played in Mexico City and Cruz Azul won 3–0. Cruz Azul was having a great run and faced Rosario Central at the semifinals. The first leg was played in Mexico City and Cruz Azul won the game 2–0. The second leg was played in Rosario in a very exciting match that ended in a 3–3 draw in favor of Cruz Azul due to the 2–0 victory in the first leg. In the final match, Cruz Azul played against the Argentinian club the Boca Juniors. Cruz Azul lost at home the first leg  1–0, but came back to win the second leg with the same score at Boca's La Bombonera stadium with Paco Palencia scoring the goal. Until then, no team had ever won a Copa Libertadores final match there. After overtime, the championship was decided by penalty kicks where Boca Juniors prevailed. Still, Cruz Azul surprised everybody with the unprecedented feat of reaching the final and defeating established Argentinian teams such as Rosario Central and River Plate. 2005 abduction of Rubén Omar Romano. After leaving a pre-season practice session on July 16, 2005, manager Rubén Omar Romano was cornered by  two stolen vehicles and abducted by 5 men. A ransom note was later found demanding of Romano's family $500,000. Assistant coach Isaac Mizrahi managed the team during Romano's absence. After 65 days, Romano was found and rescued unharmed. Federal agents raided a house in a poor neighborhood where Romano and his kidnappers were situated. The agents arrested 7 conspirators who were under the orders of convicted abductor Jose Luis Canchola. During the hostage incident, the club had decided to not renew Romano's contract upon the end of Apertura 2005 and instead offered the position to Mizrahi  following stellar results. Mizrahi accepted the offer while Romano was in captivity. Romano stated he felt betrayed and his friendship with Mizrahi was severed. Series of runner-ups and last-minute losses (2008-2020). The club was regularly regarded to be contenders for championship titles due to their formidable and financial stature in the league. Throughout this period in time however, Cruz Azul competed in many league and tournament finals only to finish runners-up. In these championship matches, as well as regular season games, Cruz Azul initially would be favorites to win, often having the advantage over the opponent , but would ultimately draw or lose near the end of full stoppage time. As a result, the club garnered a negative reputation of being cursed and the club would often be subject to ridicule. The term cruzazulear, defined as "the act of losing a game after victory is practically assured", is used to describe Cruz Azul losing a match in the aforementioned manner beginning sometime in 2013. The usage of the term was so prevalent that it is officially recognized by the Royal Spanish Academy in 2020. Clausura 2008. During the Clausura 2008 season, the team played a great tournament , finishing in second place. The team won 9 games, had 4 draws and lost only 4 times. In the quarterfinals they played against the Jaguares losing 1–0 in the first leg and winning 2–1 in the second leg with goals of Pablo Zeballos and Miguel Sabah. They moved to the semifinals against the San Luis, the first leg was played in San Luis and Cruz Azul won 0–1 with a goal of Miguel Sabah. In the second leg, Cruz Azul and the San Luis played a formidable match that ended 1–1 with goals of Eduardo Coudet and Pablo Zeballos. In  the final, Cruz Azul played against the Santos Laguna, second place in the tournament. The first leg ended 1–2 with a victory for the Santos, and in the second leg, a 1–1 make Laguna team champions. Apertura 2008. Cruz Azul finished in 5th place on the overall table. The team had 7 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses. In the quarterfinals, Cruz Azul defeated Pumas UNAM with an aggregate score of 3–1. They moved to the semifinals against the Atlante, the first leg was played in Mexico City, and Cruz Azul won 3–1. In the second leg, Cruz Azul and  the Atlante played a regular match in Cancún, Quintana Roo, that ended 1–1, resulting in Cruz Azul reaching the Final for the second consecutive time in 2008. In the final, Cruz Azul played against Toluca, both teams tied on winning Mexican titles (at that time with 8 each). The first leg played in Mexico City, and ended with a dramatic 0–2 with a victory for visitors, Toluca, and in the second leg, which was played at "Estadio Nemesio Díez". Cruz Azul won 0–2, making the tie on aggregate "2–2", as the match was tied, they played "extra time" and the  draw continued until going to the "Penalty – Shoot out", where Toluca won 7–6 over Cruz Azul, Alejandro Vela was Cruz Azul "villain" because he failed the last "penalty shoot-out", another incident before the match went to "extra time", was a clear foul suffered by Villaluz on the Goal area, Toluca's player "Jose Manuel Cruz Alta" crashed with Cruz Azul player, making him unconscious, but the referee didn't mark the foul even though Cruz Azul player was knocked out, he didn't even take a red card on the Toluca player, (unfortunately Cruz Azul had made his 3  substitutions, so they ended the match playing with only 10 players, an unfair situation, that interfered directly on the final result of the match) this made the Toluca team champions after winning their 9th Mexican title, becoming the 3rd most successful of Mexican title winning teams. 2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League. In the 2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League, the team had a good tournament. In the first stage, they finished second in Group A, qualifying for the knockout stage. In the quarter-finals, they defeated Pumas UNAM, by 2–0; in the semi-finals, they defeated the Islanders of Puerto Rico on penalties . In the final against the Atlante, they lost the first game 0–2 and tied the second 0–0, losing on aggregate. Apertura 2009. In the Apertura 2009, the team had signed Javier Cambranis to manage the team and signed several players, including the best goalkeeper on the previous Mexican tournament Jose de Jesus Corona, the Derby County Striker Emanuel "Tito" Villa, Ramon Nuñez, and Emilio Hernandez. The team finished the regular season in second place with 33 points, winning 11 games of 17 played, and qualifying for the playoffs; Villa was the top scorer of the tournament with 17 goals. In  the quarter-finals, they beat Puebla (first game 4–4, second game 3–2), and in the semi-finals, they beat Monarcas Morelia (first game 0–0, second 2–1). In the final, they lost to Monterrey (first game 3–4, second 1–2). In April 2012, Cruz Azul changed their official name from Club Deportivo, Social y Cultural Cruz Azul, A.C. to simply Cruz Azul Fútbol Club, A.C. 2009–10 CONCACAF Champions League. In the 2009–10 CONCACAF Champions League, the team had a good tournament, finishing first in Group C and qualifying for the final stage of playoffs. In the quarter-finals, they defeated the Panamanian  team the Árabe Unido, by 4–0, and then in the semifinal round, they played against the Mexican team Universidad Nacional, winning 5–1 in Mexico City. In the final, against another Mexican club, C. F. Pachuca, they had the chance to win their 6th CONCACAF championship, winning the first game 2–1, but losing in the Pachuca's home at the last minute 1–0 by the away goals rule, thus losing the opportunity to participate on the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup in the UAE. Liga MX Clausura/Copa MX Clausura 2013. During the 2013 season, Cruz Azul started slow but regained  confidence after beating Club América in the Copa MX semi-finals and winning the Copa MX final over the Atlante. After Cruz Azul won the Copa MX, their Liga MX performance improved and they were considered one of the contenders for the title due to a good streak. They would face bitter rivals the Club America in a historical final series of the "Clásico Joven." Cruz Azul was up 2–0 in aggregate when the Club America made a miraculous comeback with goals in the 89th from Aquilvado Mosquera and 93rd minute from Moises Munoz who was a goalkeeper of the  second leg; Club America would go on to win 4–2 on penalties. Apertura 2018. Cruz Azul faced the Club América in a rematch of the Clausura 2013 final for the Apertura 2018 final. The first leg was played on 13 December 2018 which ended in a scoreless draw. The second leg was played on 16 December 2018 and ended in a 2–0 victory for the Club América. With this defeat, Cruz Azul extended its 21-year-old championship drought in the league for at least another season. Clausura 2009. In the Clausura 2009, the team had the worst tournament in  club history en route to a last-place finish. They accumulated just 13 points in 17 games, winning only two games, with seven draws and eight losses. The Club sacked their manager Benjamín Galindo with one game left in the Clausura. He was replaced for the remainder of the season by Robert Siboldi who was then coaching Cruz Azul's affiliate in Hidalgo. CONCACAF Champions League win and FIFA Club World Cup debut (2014). On April 23, 2014, after defeating Toluca, Cruz Azul won their 6th CONCACAF championship, a record at the time. This gave Cruz Azul a berth at  the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup, where they would earn a fourth-place finish. 2014–2019. Since the Apertura 2014, Cruz Azul has been unable to qualify to the liguilla playoffs for six consecutive tournaments. Cruz Azul qualified for the liguilla for the first time in three years in the Apertura 2017 season. However, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by the América, who advanced as the higher-ranked seed, with an aggregate score of 0–0. On 27 November 2017, Cruz Azul announced that Paco Jémez would not renew his contract for the following season. In the Liga MX Clausura 2018  tournament, Cruz Azul ended up ranked 12th and failed to qualify for the liguilla. Cruz Azul were last place in the group stage of the Clausura 2018 Copa MX. On 7 May 2018, the club announced director of football Eduardo de la Torre's contract had ended and would be replaced by Ricardo Peláez, former director of football for the América. Cruz Azul's televised matches were on TV Azteca in Mexico (Azteca America in the United States), but in the fall of 2013 they moved to Televisa in Mexico (Univision in the U.S.). On 31 October, they would face  Monterrey in the Apertura 2018 Copa MX Final, winning 2–0 with goals from Elías Hernández and Martín Cauteruccio. It was their first trophy in the tournament since 2013. Administrative vicissitude (2020-Present). Indictment and ousting of board of directors. In May 2020, Guillermo Alvarez Cuevas, then president of the club, was indicted by Mexican authorities on multiple accounts of insurance fraud, racketeering, extortion, tax evasion, and money laundering. On July 26, an arrest warrant was issued for Alvarez along with board directors Victor Manuel Garcés, Miguel Eduardo Borrell, and Mario Sánchez Álvarez for alleged ties to organized crime. Alvarez subsequently  resigned from his position at the club in August 2020 after 32 years as acting president. Interpol is currently searching for Alvarez in 195 countries and as of June 2, 2021, remains at large. 2020. On December 6, 2020, Cruz Azul faced UNAM on the second semi-final leg of the Guardianes 2020 Liga MX final phase. Although Cruz Azul had a 4–0 lead at the beginning of the second leg, they lost the match 0–4, thus tying in aggregate. Because UNAM won the clubs' week 17 match 1-0, they held the tiebreaker and advanced to the final. End  of second drought (2021). On May 30, 2021, Cruz Azul ended its 23-year Primera División championship drought by beating Santos Laguna 2–1 on aggregate at Estadio Azteca, earning its ninth league championship. Colors and badge. The club's crest has stayed relatively consistent since its foundation in the 1920s, with a blue cross in a white circle surrounded by a red square, with the club's name above and below. As years went by and titles were won, the crest was modified to proclaim the Cruz Azul's achievements, adding a larger blue circle/frame after the 1971–72 season  showing three stars for each Liga MX championship win (showing eight stars since the end of the 1997 season). Stadium. The team currently plays in the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The Cruz Azul's training facilities are named "La Noria", which are located in Xochimilco. The team returned to the Estadio Azteca in the Apertura 2018 season after spending 22 years at Azul Stadium, which has been slated to be demolished. The team has indicated that it intends to build a new stadium, but solid plans such as location have not materialized. Personnel. Management. Listed on the official website  of Cruz Azul. Nicknames. The Cruz Azul has a rich variety of nicknames over its history, listed chronologically: The Cheerleaders (Las Celestes). The club has its official cheerleading club, which were included as part of the institution since 2004, since then, act as cheerleaders in the proceedings of the club in their home games before and at halftime. From its appearance of "Las Celestes" have formed part of the tradition of the club. And the only Mexican team that has as part of their group at their official cheerleaders. Popularity and rivalries. Popularity. Since its inception the team was supported  mainly by cement workers. After promotion to the Primera División in the 1960s, more people began to follow the team. In the 1970s when the team managed six of their nine titles even more people joined the group of supporters of the team, until now that in this 21st century according to various surveys is the third team with the most supporters in Mexico, behind the Club Guadalajara and the América respectively, above the club UNAM. The club became infamous in Mexico for not having won a Mexican league title from 1997 to 2021. For an English-speaking audience, the  so-called "Cruz Azul curse" is likened to Neverkusen for German team Bayer Leverkusen, the Curse of the Bambino for MLB baseball's Boston Red Sox, or the Curse of the Billy Goat for MLB's Chicago Cubs. The commonality derives from these teams' inability, no matter the quality of the team relative to their opponents in a tournament or a championship match, to win a championship. The "curse" was broken after their winning of the Guardianes 2021 final match versus Santos Laguna, after scoring 2–1 on May 30, 2021. Rivalries. National Rivalries: Records. Top goalscorers. Symbols: LIG: Ligue CUP : Cup SPC: Campeón de Campeones CON: CONCACAF Champions League LIB: Copa Libertadores FWC: FIFA World Club Cup INA: Copa Interamericana RCF: CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup