Corporación Club Deportivo Arturo Fernández Vial is a football club in Chile, from the Concepción area, in the Bio-Bio Region. The team was founded on June 3, 1903, and they currently play in the second level of Chilean football, the Primera B.[1]

Fernández Vial
Full nameCorporación Club Deportivo
Arturo Fernández Vial
Nickname(s)La maquina aurinegra
Vialinos
Aurinegros
El Inmortal
Vialito
Founded3 June 1903; 121 years ago (1903-06-03)
GroundEstadio Ester Roa Rebolledo
Concepción, Chile
Capacity30,448
ChairmanÁngelo Castiglione
ManagerClaudio Rojas
LeaguePrimera B
2020Segunda División, 1st (promoted)

Arturo Fernández Vial identifies itself since its beginning with the national corporation of railroad workers, and it was the most popular team in southern Chile. Its traditional rival is Deportes Concepción. Also, the team's "hinchada" (die-hard supporters) are known as La Furia Guerrera.

History

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In the year 1897, the football club Internacional de Concepción was founded. This predecessor institution reunited the local residents that worked for the State Railway at the time.

In May 1903, a strike was declared by the harbor workers in the city of Valparaíso which unchained violent scenes in the city, even bringing it to a state of street curfew. In the midst of the deliberations, admiral Arturo Fernández Vial, ex director of Territorio Marítimo (Maritime Territory) and survivor of the Battle of Iquique, decided to intervene before court, trying to settle the problem, and achieving such goal.

Such an act generated admiration, and because of his work, the football club Internacional decided on June 15 of 1903, change its name to Club Deportivo Ferroviario Almirante Arturo Fernández Vial.

The team Vial stood out since its beginning by its high degree of organization. It had its own field right next to the Bio-Bio riverbank, in the area known as Chepe. Its statutes accepted members from all nationalities, but Chileans were preferred. The membership fee was of two Chilean pesos at the time and a monthly fee of one peso. As for its clothing, it had yellow soccer cleats, black short socks, special shin guards, white pants, a sealing wax belt, a striped black and white jersey, and a cap of the same color. In the beginning, Internacional was like a miniature Colo-Colo, a great diffuser of football between the years 1897 and 1903, promoting this sport mainly in the towns near Concepción.

The first great victory for the máquina aurinegra (yellow and black locomotive) came in 1910, in a historical match that took place in the 120 stop of the old trams that went from Concepción through Talcahuano, the vialinos ended the regional dominance of until then undefeated Concepción United. That afternoon, the loud whistles from the steam locomotives deafened the city's downtown.

In the year 1981, Vial decides to play in the newly created Tercera División (Third Division) becoming champions and obtaining promotion to Chile's Segunda Division (Second Division). With almost the same squad, Vial repeats the deed the following season and becomes champion of the Second Division in 1982 with 56 points; this milestone helps make the southern dreams come true. After 80 years, Club Ferroviario Almirante Arturo Fernández Vial (the most popular institution in the southern side of Chile) makes their debut on the Chilean First Division and it is the first team in the history of the national football league to go from Third Division to First Division in two years. Up to now, no other professional football club has done such accomplishment.

Nowadays, Vial is going through hard economical issues that are affecting the team's performance. Nevertheless, with the team playing in Chile's lower levels for the last 20 years, without achieving anything important, the passion from its small but loyal fanbase hasn't perished. Its fans sustain the club, not without difficulties. The team's biggest support throughout these years of uncertainty has come from the hinchada (supporters).

Uniform

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  • Home Uniform: Yellow Jersey with vertical black stripes, black shorts, black socks.
  • Away Uniform: Black Jersey, black shorts, black socks.

Stadium

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Estadio Municipal de Concepción Alcaldesa Ester Roa, located in Concepción, Chile.

Current squad

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Current squad of C.D. Arturo Fernández Vial as of 24 September 2021 (edit)
Sources: ANFP Official Web Site

No. Position Player
1   CHI GK Diego López
2   CHI MF Eduardo Gacitúa
3   CHI DF Jeriberth Carrasco
4   CHI DF Kevin Leiva
5   CHI FW Felipe Vargas
6   CHI DF José González
7   CHI FW Felipe Pinilla
8   CHI DF Felipe Loyola
9   CHI MF Luciano Díaz
10   CHI FW Kevin Harbottle
11   CHI FW Sergio Riffo
12   CHI GK Felipe Yáñez
13   CHI FW Carlos Sepúlveda
14   CHI MF Fabián Espinoza
15   CHI MF Jeremy Silva
16   CHI FW Cristian Valenzuela
17   CHI MF Arturo Sanhueza
18   CHI DF Braulio Ávalos
No. Position Player
19   CHI DF Bastián Solano
20   CHI DF Diego Sanhueza
21   CHI MF Julio Zúñiga
22   CHI GK Gustavo Merino
23   ARG FW Ángel Gillard
24   CHI MF Matías Ávila
25   CHI DF Miguel Arias
26   CHI DF Patricio Jerez
27   CHI DF Esteban Sáez
28   CHI MF Iván Muñoz
29   CHI MF Óscar Hernández
30   CHI GK Jorge Ponce
31   MEX MF Pedro Vargas
32   ARG FW Gustavo Gotti
--   CHI GK Michael Leal
--   CHI DF Mauricio Arias
--   CHI FW Franco Palma

Manager: Claudio Rojas

2021 Winter Transfers

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
29 MF   CHI Óscar Hernández (free)
31 MF   MEX Pedro Vargas (free)
No. Pos. Nation Player
32 FW   ARG Gustavo Gotti (from O'Higgins)
DF   CHI Mauricio Arias (from Atlético San Cristóbal)

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player

Notable players

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National honours

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League Titles

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1982
1981
2013

Cup Titles

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  • Apertura Tercera División (Fourth Level): 1
2013

Managers

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Interim coaches appear in italics.

References

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  1. ^ Lara, Jeser (10 June 2021). "Vial a Primera B: Tribunal confirma resta de puntos a Lautaro y 'aurinegros' ascienden" (in Spanish). BíoBío Chile. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
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