View source for Venados F.C.

{{Short description|Mexican football club based in Mérida}}
{{About|the Mexican football club|the Venezuelan club|Estudiantes de Mérida}}
{{Distinguish|Deportiva Venados}}

{{Infobox football club
  | clubname = Venados
  | image    = Venados F.C. logo.svg
  | upright  = 0.84
  | fullname = Venados Fútbol Club Yucatán
  | nickname = ''Venados'' (Bucks)<br>''Astados'' (Horned)<br>''Ciervos'' (Deer)
  | short name = VEN
  | founded  = {{Start date and age|df=yes|September 2, 1988}}, ''as Venados de Yucatán''
  | ground   = [[Estadio Carlos Iturralde]]
  | capacity = 15,087	
  | owner    = Grupo R4
  | chairman = Rodolfo Rosas Cantillo
  | manager  = [[Rigoberto Esparza]]
  | league   = [[Liga de Expansión MX]]
  | season   = [[2024–25 Liga de Expansión MX season#Torneo Clausura|Clausura 2025]]
  | position = Regular phase: 6th<br>Final phase: Quarterfinals
  | website  = {{URL|http://www.venadosfc.com.mx/}}
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'''Venados Fútbol Club Yucatán''', simply known as '''Venados''', is a Mexican professional [[Association football|football]] club based in [[Mérida, Yucatán|Mérida]], [[Yucatán]]. It plays in the [[Liga de Expansión MX]], the second level division of [[Mexican football league system|Mexican football]]. 
Founded in 1988 as '''Venados de Yucatán''', the club changed its name several times throughout its history, first as '''Club Deportivo Atlético Yucatán''' (1997–2001, 2002–2003), then as '''Mérida Fútbol Club''' (2003–2011), '''Club de Fútbol Mérida''' (2011–2015) and finally changed to its current name in 2015.

==History==
===Origins and first franchise===
The club emerged in 1988 as Venados de Yucatan, when Mr. Jorge Arana Palma, acquires the franchise of the Second Division of the Alacranes de Apatzingán, and it is during this stage when the colors that would identify them to this day are defined, green, yellow and white. During this first season, they were runners-up in the Segunda División de México in the 1988-89 season.

[[Image: Atletico yucatan.jpg|thumb|right|100px|First badge of the club (1988–1997)]]

===CD Atlético Yucatán===
The club was renamed as Club Deportivo Atlético Yucatán in 1997, it plays in the [[Ascenso MX|Primera División A de México]]. The franchise was dissolved in 2001, but the following year it returned.
The club won the title in the [[1998–99 Primera División A season#Invierno 1998|Invierno 1998]] tournament, defeating [[Chivas Tijuana]] 1–0 in [[Mérida (Yucatán)|Mérida]], and also played the [[1998–99 Primera División A season#Campeón de Ascenso 1999|Campeón de Ascenso 1999]] against [[Unión de Curtidores]] but lost 7–1.

[[Image:Atheyuca.gif|thumb|right|300px|Atlético Yucatán (1997–2003)]]

===Mérida FC/CF Mérida===
Atlético Yucatán was renamed as Mérida Fútbol Club in 2003 by the brothers Arturo and Mauricio Millet Reyes, who obtained the franchise of [[Nacional de Tijuana]].<ref name=mape>{{cite web|title=EL MÉRIDA FC, UNA ORGANIZACIÓN|url=http://mapesports.blogspot.com/2008/02/historia-de-los-venados-del-mrida-fc.html|work=Historia de los Venados del Mérida F.C.|publisher=Mape Sports|access-date=12 February 2011|author=Mario Peniche Gorocica|language=es|date=15 February 2008}}</ref>

====Loss of franchise in 2005 and continuation at lower levels====
After the [[La Primera División A Clausura 2005|Clausura 2005]] tournament, the Millet brothers announced that they would be selling the team to [[Irapuato FC]] due to economic problems, citing lackluster attendance and poor support from the local government. Nevertheless, the brothers formed a team that participated in an amateur league in Yucatán and also opened a training facility in [[Argentina]] to scout local talent. Mérida F.C. returned to the professional ranks when they participated in the [[Tercera División de México|Tercera División]] in 2006/07. During 2007, the brothers oversaw the construction of a training facility located at the [[Unidad Deportiva Tamanché]]. By the 2007/08 season Mérida was participating in the [[Segunda División Profesional|Segunda División]].<ref name=mape/>

====Return of second level franchise with Morelia====
On June 16, 2008, Arturo Millet Reyes announced that he had acquired the filial team of [[Monarcas Morelia|Morelia]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.yucatan.com.mx/noticia.asp?cx=10$0405000000$3844202 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20090630133347/http://www.yucatan.com.mx/noticia.asp?cx=10$0405000000$3844202 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-06-30 |title=Retornan los Venados |publisher=Diario de Yucatán |date=2008-06-17 |language=es }}</ref> Millet Reyes has stated that his intention is to maintain the team in Mérida for an extended period of time, unlike in previous years. He also received a guarantee that if the ''Venados'' were to be promoted to the [[Primera División de México|Primera División]] that the team would remain in Mérida.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.yucatan.com.mx/noticia.asp?cx=10$0405000000$3844387 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20090630133356/http://www.yucatan.com.mx/noticia.asp?cx=10$0405000000$3844387 | url-status=dead | archive-date=2009-06-30 | title=Los Venados regresan para quedarse, dice Arturo Millet Reyes | publisher=Diario de Yucatán | date=2008-06-17 | language=es }}</ref>

On November 11, 2008, the [[Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación]] (FMF) granted the club the certification required to be promoted to the [[Primera División de México|Primera División]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.yucatan.com.mx/noticia.asp?cx=10$0405060000$3953467 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20090630133413/http://www.yucatan.com.mx/noticia.asp?cx=10$0405060000$3953467 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-06-30 |title=Certifican a los Venados |publisher=Diario de Yucatán |date=2008-11-11 |language=es }}</ref>

In the [[Primera División A Clausura 2009|Clausura 2009 season]] Mérida defeated [[Club Tijuana]] 1–0 on aggregate to win the Clausura title. Mérida lost the subsequent promotion play-off for the [[Primera Division de Mexico]], after a defeat by [[Querétaro FC]] on penalties.

====Sale of franchise to Atlante====
On 4 December 2010 the brothers Arturo and Mauricio Millet Reyes announced that Mérida F.C. would no longer form part of the [[Liga de Ascenso]] and that [[Monarcas Morelia]] would decide if a team would stay in the city, but that talks were also underway with [[Atlante F.C.]] regarding the creation of a link with them.<ref>{{cite web|title=El Mérida FC no sigue en la Liga de Ascenso|url=http://www.yucatan.com.mx/20101204/nota-4/44121-el-merida-fc-no-sigue-en-la-liga-de-ascenso-.htm|publisher=Yucatan.com.mx|access-date=13 February 2011|author=Herbert O. Martínez Fuente|language=es|date=4 December 2010}}</ref>

The Mérida franchise was subsequently sold to Atlante and they became that team's filial team for the [[2010 Liga de Ascenso Apertura|Clausura 2011]], whilst the original Atlante filial team (Atlante UTN) swapped franchises to become the subsidiary team for Morelia.<ref name=claus11>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/mex2011.html 2010/11 Liga de Ascenso (Clausura 2011) results, table and explanation of team changes at RSSSF]</ref>

===Venados FC Yucatán===
The Mexican Football Federation said the Apertura 2015 tournament will be 16 teams who play the Ascenso MX instead of 14, as it was in recent tournaments. In addition, two clubs change city and state to the next season.

Estudiantes de Altamira will become Cafetaleros of Tapachula, whose headquarters will be the Olympic Stadium in Tapachula, in Chiapas; while Irapuato become Murcielagos FC and will play in Los Mochis, Sinaloa at the Estadio Centenario.

In addition to these changes, there will be two new franchises, that of [[Cimarrones de Sonora]], located in Heroes de Nacozari Stadium de Hermosillo. As the [[FC Juárez]] will use [[Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez|Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium]].

Finally, FC Mérida now be changing logo and will be called Venados FC (keeping the venue in Mérida).<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://laaficion.milenio.com/futbol/Nuevos_equipos_Ascenso_MX-Cimarrones_Murcielagos_Juarez-Ascenso_2015_0_532147260.html|title = Confirman cambios en el Ascenso MX|date = 7 June 2015|last = Espinosa|first = Eduardo}}</ref>

This could mean that the Venados FC team is the "rebirth" of '''[[Venados de Yucatán]]''' franchise.

==Personnel==
===Management===
{{Fb cs header}}
{{Fb cs staff|bg=#80FF40;|p=Chairman  |s={{flagicon|MEX}} Rodolfo Rosas Cantillo}}
{{Fb cs staff|bg=#80FF40;|p=Vice-chairman |s={{flagicon|MEX}} Alberto Alcocer }}
{{Fb cs staff|bg=#80FF40;|p=Director of football |s={{flagicon|MEX}} [[Luis Miguel Salvador]] }}
{{Fb cs footer|s= [http://ligamx.net/cancha/club/6/cruz-azul Liga MX]|date=May 2018}}

===Coaching staff===
{|class="wikitable 
|-
! style=background-color:#FFE302;color:green| Position
! style=background-color:#FFE302;color:green| Staff
|-
|-
|Manager 
| {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Rigoberto Esparza]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|Assistant managers|| {{flagicon|MEX}} Guillermo Gómez
|-
| {{flagicon|MEX}} Francisco Bravo
|-
|Goalkeeper coach||{{flagicon|MEX}} [[Juan de Dios Ibarra]]
|-
|Fitness coach|| {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Alfredo Omar Tena]]
|-
| Physiotherapist||{{flagicon|MEX}} José Narváez
|-
|Team doctor||{{flagicon|MEX}} Santiago Dorantes
|}

==Players==
===First-team squad===
{{Updated|10 January 2025}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Venados F.C. |url=http://www.ligabbvaexpansion.mx/cancha/club/10732/venados |website=Liga BBVA Expansión MX |access-date=12 January 2021 |language=es}}</ref>
{{Fs start|nonumber=|bg=FFE302|color=008000|border=000000}}
{{Fs player|no=1|nat=MEX|name=Diego Reyes|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=2|nat=MEX|name=Javier Casillas|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=4|nat=MEX|name=[[Axel Grijalva]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=6|nat=MEX|name=Alan López|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=7|nat=MEX|name=[[Diego Pineda]]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=8|nat=MEX|name=[[Luis Calzadilla]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=10|nat=MEX|name=[[William Guzmán]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=11|nat=MEX|name=Waldo Madrid|pos=MF|other=on loan from [[Club Necaxa|Necaxa]]}}
{{Fs player|no=17|nat=MEX|name=[[Marco García]]|pos=MF|other=on loan from [[Club Universidad Nacional|UNAM]]}}
{{Fs player|no=18|nat=MEX|name=Khaled Amador|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=19|nat=MEX|name=[[Andrés Catalán]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs mid|nonumber=|bg=FFE302|color=008000|border=000000}}
{{Fs player|no=21|nat=MEX|name=[[Jesús Francisco López|Jesús López]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=23|nat=MEX|name=Julio Barragán|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=25|nat=MEX|name=[[Mario Trejo (footballer, born 1999)|Mario Trejo]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=29|nat=COL|name=Sleyther Lora|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=30|nat=MEX|name=Héctor Sandoval|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=31|nat=MEX|name=[[Raúl Gudiño]]|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=32|nat=MEX|name=Erick Espinosa|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=33|nat=MEX|name=[[Néstor Vidrio]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=34|nat=MEX|name=Sebastián Saucedo|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=35|nat=MEX|name=Vladimir Suárez|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=MEX|name=César López|pos=FW|other=on loan from [[Club Necaxa|Necaxa]]}}
{{Fs end|nonumber=|bg=FFE302|color=008000|border=000000}}
{{For|recent transfers|List of Mexican football transfers summer 2021}}

===Out on loan===
{{Fs start|nonumber=|bg=FFE302|color=008000|border=000000}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=MEX|name=Víctor López|pos=GK|other=at [[Racing de Veracruz]]}}
{{Fs end|nonumber=|bg=FFE302|color=008000|border=000000}}

===Reserve teams===
;Progreso F.C.
:Affiliate team that plays in the [[Liga TDP]], the fourth level of the Mexican league system.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nace Progreso FC en Tercera División |url=https://www.venadosfc.com.mx/index.php/noticias/ascenso-mx/item/685-nace-progreso-fc-en-tercera-division |website=Venados F.C. |access-date=20 October 2020 |language=es |date=20 August 2020}}</ref>

==Managers==
*{{flagicon|Mexico}} [[David Patiño]] (2008–2010)
*{{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Mario García Covalles|Mario García]] (2011)
*{{flagicon|Argentina}} [[Ricardo Valiño]] (2011–2014)
*{{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Juan Carlos Chávez]] (2014–2015)
*{{flagicon|Uruguay}} [[Daniel Rossello]] ''(Interim)'' (2015)
*{{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Marcelo Michel Leaño]] (2016)
*{{flagicon|Mexico}} [[José Luis Sánchez Solá]] (2016–2017)
*{{flagicon|Argentina}} [[Bruno Marioni]] (2017–2018)
*{{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Joel Sánchez (Mexican footballer)|Joel Sánchez]] (2018)
*{{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Sergio Orduña]] (2018–2019)
*{{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Carlos Gutiérrez Barriga|Carlos Gutiérrez]] (2020–2022)
*{{flagicon|Argentina}} [[Andrés Carevic]] (2022)

==Honours==
===National===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Venados FC honours
|-
!Type
!Competition
!Titles
!Winning editions
!Runners-up
|-
|rowspan="3"|'''Promotion divisions'''
!scope=col|[[Ascenso MX|Primera División A]]
|'''2'''
|[[1998–99 Primera División A season#Invierno 1998|Invierno 1998]], [[2008–09 Primera División A season#Clausura 2009|Clausura 2009]]
|–
|-
!scope=col|[[Ascenso MX#Campeón de Ascenso|Campeón de Ascenso]]
|0
|–
|[[1998–99 Primera División A season#Campeón de Ascenso 1999|1999]], [[2008–09 Primera División A season#Campeón de Ascenso 2009|2009]]
|-
!scope=col|[[Liga Premier de México|Segunda División]]
|0
|–
|[[1988–89 Mexican Segunda División season|1988–89]]
|}

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* {{official website|http://www.venadosfc.com.mx/}} {{in lang|es}}
* [http://laaficion.milenio.com/futbol/Nuevos_equipos_Ascenso_MX-Cimarrones_Murcielagos_Juarez-Ascenso_2015_0_532147260.html/ Club changes]

{{Liga de Expansión MX teamlist}}

[[Category:Football clubs in Yucatán]]
[[Category:Ascenso MX teams]]
[[Category:2003 establishments in Mexico]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 2003]]