Deportivo Pereira is a professional Colombian football team based in Pereira, that currently plays in the Categoria Primera A. They play their home games at the Hernan Ramirez Villegas stadium.
History
While there are several teams in the Third Division (Primera C), Pereira is the only professional team in Risaralda Department.
Deportivo Pereira made its First Division debut (Primera A) in the 1949 season. Deportivo Pereira replaced Universidad, a soccer club founded in Bogota that had played its previous season in the 'Pearl of the Otun River', nickname of the city of Pereira.
Early Years
Founded on February 12, 1944, the team played its first game at home against Universidad De Bogota, losing 1–2. The team's first goal was scored by Ecuadorian player Humberto Suarez. Its first victory was against Atletico Bucaramanga, with a final score of 1–2, and goals scored by Omar Barahona and Jose “Mico” Zapata. A second victory as a visitor was obtained against Bucaramanga 3–4. The team's first victory playing at home was in October 9, 1949, beating Huracan 4–1, with goals scored by Carmelo Enrique Colombo, Jose "Mico" Zapata, Inocencio Paz Lasso "Cencio" and an own goal from Huracan's player Santos Isaza. The first top scorer of the "Matecana" (another of Pereira's nicknames) team was the Colombian Inocencio Paz Lasso "Cencio", with 11 goals. The team finished the season in last place with only 14 points.
Deportivo Pereira has never won a Primera A championship. The team's most successful season was in 1974, where the team got third place.
1982
Led by Gilberto Osorio, the roster included Oscar Hector Quintabani, "Raton" Echeverri, Victor Longo, Henry Viafara, Gilberto Cabrera, Farid Perchy, Sergio Cierra, Benjamin "Mincho" Cardona, Eduardo Emilio Vilarete, Jairo "Chiqui" Aguirre, and as substitutes Goalkeeper Reynel Ruiz, Midfielders Manzi and Ponciano Castro and strikers Abel Augusto Lobaton, Hernan "Pistolero" Villa and Ivan D
This page also has a version in other languages : Депортиво (Перейра) (russian)