Independiente F.C.

New beginning

Following the disappointment of the 1995 season, the new administration completely restructured the club. There was significant staff and player turnover, a new manager (Rene Salazar) and a renewed emphasis on the youth program. The directors set an ambitious timeline for the club--two years to reach the district tournament, three years to reach Primera A (now Liga Nacional de Ascenso) and six years to attain promotion to ANAPROF, the nation's top flight (now Liga Panameña de Fútbol).

Salazar's club quickly found success. They won their district championship in 1998, and then won the western championship of the Panamá Province. It didn't take long before René Salazar, the objective would be achieved. In 1997 CAI achieved to arrive to the series semifinal, however they lost against Santos Jorge 2–1.

Ascent

In 1998, CAI participates in the league of the Colon community, who functioned as the local district tournament of the moment but due to bad handlings and the negative arm of the policy made of the tournament a failure. Carlos A. Campos Muñoz leads together with other club's president (Juventus F.C., San Jose F.C., San Germen F.C., San Francisco F.C. and Mitra F.C.), a movement to found a league for the Balboa community and motivates the community of Virgin of Guadalupe to found another league for that community, totalizing three leagues of the district of La Chorrera, which is today the local district tournament.

In new league of the Balboa community, directed by Virgilio Landecho, CAI was crowned champion after beating Juventus F.C.

In 1999, the team participated in the tournament for ascent of the West of the Panamá Province, even when the intentions of the leadership of La Chorrera local district tournament to disband the club in retaliation to have led the movement to found the two leagues Balboa community and Virgin of Guadalupe community; but this was legally constituted and affiliated with the federation Panamanian of soccer Federación Panameña de Fútbol and recognized by the national institute of sports (INDE), therefore La Chorrera local district tournament leaders could do nothing. Later, when the leadership of the provincial league of Panama West recognized CAI's rights, the team was able to participate in this tournament of ascent, obtaining a successful campaign that is attributed to the administrative organization, to the skillful technical manual of Rene Salazar, the collaboration of friends and close friends to the club and the discipline and interest of the players. CAI managed to win provincial final match, and having among its squad the top scorer of the tournament, Rubens Axel Almansa H. with 21 goals in all the campaign.

In September 1999, CAI gained the right to represent Panama West in the national championship denominated Copa Rommel Fernández, of whom the provincial champions and runners-up participate. In this championship the team was placed in group four, next to the Tecnica and Deportes F.C. of Colón, Olimpic F.C. of Panamá and Punta Alegre F.C. of Darién. CAI classified second place behind Olimpic F.C. of Panama, in the regular round. During the second round the team reaches the semifinal series beating 3–2 Inter, 3–1 Guabito F.C. of Bocas del Toro, 2–0 Río Abajo F.C., 2–0 to San Isidro of Herrera and 5–1 Niupy F.C. of Los Santos.

In the semifinal CAI beats 2–0 Olimpic F.C. and in the final they beat 3–1 Zona Libre F.C. of Bocas del Toro the favorites to take the trophy home, with goals from José Luis Garcés (2) and a goal from Rubens Almanza. CAI were crowned champions of the Copa Rommel Fernández and ascended to Primera A.

The Panamanian federation of soccer awarded the right of affiliation by a value of $3.000, $1.500 of inscription and gives to the club a check by a value of $500,00 to resolve part of the expenses of CAIs first goal, to be in Primera A.

Primera A

2000 was CAI's first participation in this championship, the team finished occupying the seventh place and staying in this division. Between 2000 and 2001 the team was able to fortify itself, working with responsible young players to face the challenges that would be imposed in the 2002–03 season. With the determination to manage this accomplishment, to reach the planned goals the project begins with a year of anticipation, the work begins with newly assigned D.T. Daniel "Ñelo" Montilla Ruiz leading the team. Daniel Montilla, together with the rest of his technical body plan the recruitment of new players, obtaining a selective group and beginning to prepare them both physically and tactically technical, managing to have it in ready for the beginning of the 2002–03 Apertura.

In 2002–2003 after passing series of situations of instability of the championship system and the amount of clubs that would participate in it, it was agreed to on the part of the administration of ANAPROF that the championship would be of two season (Apertura and Clausura) and the amount of clubs would be 15, divided in two groups; A and B.

Group A would include the participants of the east zone (Panamá and Colón): Club Deportivo Pan de Azúcar, Asociación Deportiva Orión, Club Deportivo Italia, Club Deportivo Español, Río Abajo, Chepo and Colón River. CAI would be placed in group B which would include the west zone (La Chorrera and the rest of the provinces of the interior): Club Atlético Guadalupe, Chame F.C., Coclesano F.C., Chitré F.C., Niupy F.C., Chiriquí F.C. and Bocas del Toro F.C.

The teams that would get promoted to ANAPROF were the champions of the Apertura and Clausura. If the same team won both the Apertura and Clausura season, then the other team to get promoted would be the one who was better placed when both seasons are averaged up. The system of the Apertura season would be that each team plays the other teams of its respective group in a home and away match, and the first two of each group would later face each other in a quadrangular in which the first and second place teams would face each other in a final.

CAI managed to finish first place of group B and gained the right to proceed to the next round. In the quadrangular the team finalized first without losing a single match and was to face Club Deportivo Pan de Azúcar in Apertura final. The final match was played at the Estadio Rommel Fernández, it was a worthy final match for this category of ascent. The game finalized 4–3 in favor of Club Deportivo Pan de Azúcar and thus frustrating CAI's aspirations assure a participation in ANAPROF. However Rubens A. Almansa was the top scorer of the championship with 20 goals.

Sadly on February 1, 2003 CAI mourns the unexpected death of Daniel "Ñelo" Montilla, who was murdered when he tried to defend his daughters who were assaulted by thieves.^[2]

The Clausura season was difficult since the team did not count with 5 of their star players, who because of their good participation were contracted by other clubs of the Professional league, thus debilitating significantly the squad. These players were Axel Almanza, Héctor Martinez, Hanamel Hill, Julio Creek and Juan Maning. Given the present circumstances CAI had to reorganize its squad with young players. The Clausura season ended with a modest presentation of the team, achieving to maintain the category.

For the 2004 championship the team played with a young squad and a new technician, CAI participated modestly occupying the seventh place. In view of the previous result, it was decided to regroup all the young players of the category Sub-15, Sub-17, Sub-19 and the youngest players of Primera A, and to train them with 5 months of anticipation for the 2005 championship.

Also CAI obtained from Cuidad del Niño, an organization of charity that lodges more than 300 children of limited resources and without home, a great amount of land where sporting facilities existed previously. The club will restore them and use them as a training camp and game venue.

In 2006 CAI did not manage to arrive to the semifinals and remained in 4th place with 16 points. The ascent in a period of 3 years has been planned (2010) and to accomplish it the club has turned their attentions to the young players in the smaller categories sub-13 and sub-15.

In 2007 there was not competition in the Primera A due to organizational problem, however the league was planned to start in 2008. For the 2008 season of the Primera A, CAI had a campaign they would wish to forget ending up last in the aggregate table of both the Apertura and Clausura championships. Since they were the last overall they were to be demoted to the Copa Rommel Fernández, but fortunately for CAI, the board of directors of the Primera A had decided to expand the number of teams of the league from 8 to 10, which would mean that not only would the champion and runner-up of the 2009 season of the Copa Rommel Fernández would be promoted, but also the last team in the aggregate table (CAI) would not be demoted.

In 2009 the team was bought by Ricardo Escobar and completely changed the management and the name of the club to Independiente F.C.. Also they would play their home games for the 2009 season in the Estadio Agustín Sánchez of La Chorrera. In the Apertura championship CAI finished runner-up to last years Liga Nacional de Ascenso champions Río Abajo.

In 2013 a new board of director take control of the club and won the Clausura and the Super Final game to promote the team to the Liga Panameña de Fútbol.

In May 2015 they were beaten by Árabe Unido in the Clausura championship final,^[3] after they had already been relegated.^[4]