According to a recent Stats study, 32% of Liga MX supporters prefer Club America, with ‘Las Aguillas’ topping the vote, followed by Chivas Guadalajara (16%), Cruz Azul (9%), and Tigres (8%). According to similar research conducted by the Mexican consulting firm Mitofsky, America is also the most disliked Club in Mexico. So, why do ‘Las Aguillas’ polarise opinion for the team now headed by Santiago Scolari?
The most often nickname used now is ‘Aguilas,’ which translates to ‘Eagles’ and was coined in 1981 as part of a rebranding drive. However, because the Club was founded as a merging of two different universities, they were also known as Estudiantes (students) throughout their early years.’Las Aguillas’ are the most prominent and successful team in Mexican football history. This Mexico City has won 13 Liga MX titles, six Copa MX titles, and seven CONCACAF Champions Leagues. The vast majority of football fans desire a successful team, and America’s hold on titles and glory is enticing to them. ‘Club America is wonderful, and that’s why they hate us; let them hate us, even more, tomorrow,’ declared the team’s owner, billionaire Emilio Azcarraga Jean, after the team won the league title in 2013.
The crest has changed little since the Club’s inaugural design. The vertical line in the centre of the crest was eliminated at the turn of the century. The crest was bordered by a picture of an eagle and even wrapped in a triangular shape in the early 1980s. The most recent crest change took place in 2010, with the yellow and blue becoming more bright and the outline and border becoming darker. Cristobal Ortega holds the Club America playing record, appearing 711 times only for Eagles between 1974 and 1992. Their top scorer, on the other side, is Luis Roberto Alves, who has 190 goals in two periods at the Azteca Stadium throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In terms of the present team, Bruno Valdez is the team’s longest-tenured player, having appeared 217 times since joining from Cerro Porteno in July 2016. Captain Guillermo Ochoa, on the other hand, has made the most outings (399 in two terms from 2004 to 2011 and 2019 to the present).
Club America is one of Futbol Mexicano’s most successful teams, as seen by their tremendous domestic record. Their first league championship occurred in 1924/25, while they were still an amateur team, but their first Liga MX triumph came in 1965/66 after they became professional. They have won the Copa Mexico on most occasions (six), with their most recent triumph coming in 2019; in the same season, they won their sixth and final Campeon de Campeones trophy.
