TotD: An Empire established in Nicaragua, Diriangén FC

Team of the day

An Empire established in Nicaragua: Diriangén FC 

Facebook: Cacique Diriangén FC

Also known by the local fans as “El Cacique” (The Cacique) or “La Tribu” (The Tribe),

Diriangén FC is a football team based in the city of Diriamba, Nicaragua and it is recognized as the most successful team in the country. Furthermore, it is the oldest team in Nicaragua and the third oldest team of Central America with 103 years of existence, reason which the city of Diriamba is also considered as the cradle of the Nicaraguan football. They are also the only club in Nicaragua to have competed in every season of the Nicaraguian ́s football top level, since the Professional First Division started in 1933. As a result of this success, the club has become associated with the motto "Diriangén no tuvo infancia, porque nació grande" ("Diriangen never had childhood because it was born big").

History

Diariangén FC was founded in May 15th, 1917, by young descendants of European immigrants and young natives of Diriamba who excelled in soccer. Because of Diriamba’s predominant economic activity was coffee making, most of the first founders were people from the coffee aristocracy who knew this sport when they studied in France and England; supplying at the same the economic means to cover all the team expenses. The founding partner members named the team after one of the national symbols, the cacique Diriangén. In the Symbol section, you can find out why this name was given and how it took great importance among the Dirangén FC fans. On June 15th, 1917 Diriangén FC played its first match against Atlético Managua, beating the Managuans 1-0; then 2 years later, Diriangén was legal formalized as a private institution. Since professional football era began in the country, Diriangén has established an Empire of domination in Nicaraguan football, as we note the 27 national championships gotten since 1933 to nowadays.

Source: Lusaco.blogspot

After 9 years of the newly created First Divison; Diriangén won its first national championship in 1940. Since that year Diriangén's strongest era followed the 1940s, when they won 6 consecutive championships (from 1940 to 1945). They won a seventh championship in 1949, and hoisted the crown three times in the 1950s (1953, 1956, and 1959). A long drought followed in the 1960s, but the club rebounded with consecutive titles in 1969 and 1970 and again in 1974. In 1970, Diraingén competed for the first time ever in the CONCACAF Champions league, debuting with a big loss (0-5) against Atlético Marte from El Salvador. The 1980s is considered as the second golden era of The Cacique, when the team saw a return to days of glory in the past. This era began with a threepeat (1981, 1982, and 1983) and included other championships in 1987 and 1989. The 1990s were similar—a threepeat from 1994–97, followed by a championship won in 1999–2000. However, the decade 2000s didn't go quite well for The Tribe. Although Diriangén managed to win the championship in 2004–2005 and 2005–2006, the real power in Nicaraguan football had shifted to Real Esteli, winners of sixteen championships in a  period of 20 years. Meanwhile, Diriangén struggled through a twelve-year title drought, this one was finally broken in Clausura 2018, when they knocked off Real Esteli 3–1 on aggregate.

Symbol

The club was named after Diriangén, the Native cacique of the Dirian tribe who represented the prehispanic Nicaragua natives’ guts and braveness. Diriangén was born in 1497. His mother encouraged him to learn swordsmanship and war tactics throughout his childhood. Due to his multiple victories against other native cultures, he received the name of Diriangén, which means “The lord of the Dirians”. The name Dirian also has its ethymologic root from which means (the ones who came from the high forests of the hills). When Spanish explorer Gil González Dávila arrived to Nochari in April of 1523 with a fleet of soldiers, with the mission of converting the Nahuatl people of Ochomogo, Gotega, Mombacho, Morati, and Nandapia to Catholicism, Diriangén arrived to Gotega with an entourage of five trumpeters, five flutists, five hundred men bringing ducks, and sixteen women with golden hatchets and plates. When the Spanish demanded Diriangén and the subservient chiefs of Nicaragua and Nicoya to be baptized and to renounce their pagan beliefs, Diriangén refused and promised to return in three days.

Source: Facebook El Cacique Diriangén

After three days, he returned with four thousand Dirian and Nagrandan soldiers, forcing the Spanish troops to flee southwards. The Spanish regrouped soon after, and destroyed Diriangén's rebel army in less than a day. This warlike action by Diriangén is considered as the first demonstration of rebellion against the conquest in the region. 

Diriangén, lover of freedom, justice, decorum and enemy of slavery and vassalage, faced the Spanish for more than six years, until his death. Today, Diriangén remains as a popular figure in Nicaraguan nationalism and anti-colonialism. In a similar way, this symbol of rebellion and struggle was reflected in the football team, which played with guts every match and the team players showed their pride for representing city of Diriamba. All this effort was rewarded later with multiple championships.

Origin of the colors

The traditional colors that distinguish The Cacique are black and white; usually set in a white jersey with vertical black stripes, a black short and white socks for the home kit. These design and colors had their origins in 1917, when the first members of the team imposed their preferences of uniforms related to their favorite European teams, such as Juventus FC, Udinese Calcio, Newcastle United FC, CD Badajoz, Royal Charleroi SC, among other teams. All these teams are well known for their white, black-stripped uniform.

Nevertheless, there is a second version that details the origins of black and white in the uniform. This version stands that after the founding partner members couldn't take a decision in the uniform color, one member proposed to use black and white colors, because they represented both extremes in tones of the colors proposed by the other members, as well as neutron colors. 

Source: Escudos de fútbol y equipaciones

The shield has traditionally included the head of Diriangén in a side view. There are many versions of the shield, having in common the cacique ́s head as the element that gives identity to the club, as well as the black and white color.

Source: Nicas News

The Tribe ́s Ground

Diriangén FC hosts its matches at the Cacique Diriangen Stadium, compound built with a capacity for 8,500 persons. For the previous reason, it is the second stadium with the largest capacity in the country, just after the National Football Stadium in Managua.
Today, it is considered as the only stadium in Nicaragua suitable for international competitions at national team or club level, as it accomplishes with all the required specifications. The stadium was inaugurated in 1992 by the republic ́s president Victoria Barrios de Chamorro, and is located in the Northwestern part of the city of Diriamba. The stadium was also named after Diriangén, the Native king or cacique of the Dirian Empire.

Before 2011, this stadium was home of the Nicaragua ́s national football team hosting multiple matches for the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers. In 2017, due to the 100 years of foundation of the team, the stadium was partially remodeled adding first level illumination and grass.

Source: Viva Nicaragua

International performance

In the international ambit, Diriangén FC has participated in few UNCAF InterClub Cup, CONCACAF Champions League and one CONCACAF League editions. However, unlikely to its performance in national competitions, the team was not able to transcend and win any of these international competitions. Diriangén FC got its best international result at the CONCACAF Champions League 1977 edition, after defeating Euro Kickers FC from Panama with an aggregate of 6-5 in the preliminary round series and being defeated by Alajuelense from Costa Rica, in a 4-5 aggregate score at the first stage. On the other hand, The Cacique ́s latest international participation took place in the CONCACAF League 2018 edition, in which they couldn ́t reach the Quarterfinals after being defeated by CD Universitario from Panama in an aggregated score of 1-7.

Source: CONCACAF

Rivalry

Diriangén FC has an important rivalry against Real Estelí, which tooks place in the match called the National Derbi. Both are the most successful teams in Nicaragua with 27 and 18 national championships respectively. In the early years of this rivalry, Diriangén clearly dominated Real Estelí by a considerable difference of won matches. However, the rivalry has grown in the last 20 years and the derbi statistics have been balanced. This is due to the recent success of Real Estelí, who has won 16 national championships since 2002. At the same time, Estelí’s success provoked the 12 year title drought of The Cacique, since 2006 to Clausura 2018, after being frequently defeated by Estelí at different play-off stage series, including the final.

Source: Grupo Republica Peru

Nowadays

Today the Cacique maintains a constant performance in their local league, qualifying regularly to the First Division play-offs. Unfortunately in the last 20 years, the Empire of championships has stopped growing; mainly due to the increasing economic power of his contemporary main rival Real Estelí. On the other side, Diriangén FC has taken the role of a more humble club. Despite the club doesn ́t have the same great economic means than in the past, Diriangén FC keeps the mystic of a mighty team in the pitch; behaving as fighting club that looks out for glory at every match. For many people, the Cacique represents the national pride in Nicaragua. Thanks to its history, the obtained championships, the permanent presence in First Division, and the club ́s nationalistic combatant mystic; therefore Diriangén FC can be easily be considered as the most popular team in Nicaragua. The Black and Whites present. In 2006, the City Hall of Diriamba declared Diriangén FC as Historic, Cultural, and Sportive National Heritage.

Achievements

Here we have a summary of the achievements gotten by the most successful team of Nicaragua:

•  27 Nicaraguan First Division Championships (Last in 2014-2015). Diriangén FC holds the record for the team with the most league championships in Nicaragua.
•  2 Nicaraguan Cups (Last in 1997).

Written by: Omar Benitez

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