History of Sonsonate FC
The history of Sonsonate FC, a professional soccer team based in Sonsonate, El Salvador, spans over six decades. The first team based in Sonsonate was Ferrocarril club of the now-defunct league, playing from 1943 to 1950. After seven years, a new team was formed with some of the Ferrocarril players to form a new team, the first team to use the "Sonsonate" name. This team conituned until 1951. After 1951, Ferrocarril and Sonsonate joined forces to form a new team; Leones. Leones continued to play as a club (playing in the primera division and segunda division) until 1966. This team bought back the Sonsonate name in 1966 and operated continuously in various leagues until 2002. The club became defunct and a team was set in 2008 called Alba-Acajutla, they played one season in segunda division before mounting debt caused them to become defunct. A Sonsonate FC team began again in 2009 and starting in 2015 began playing in the priera division making it the first time since 1999 that a "Sonsonate" team played in the top tier of soccer in El Salvador.
F.C. Sonsonate
Founded in 1948, the club was known as CD Sonsonate, playing in the town of Sonsonate, and that is the name used most often. Despite several name changes the club always follows the lineage of titles and history back to the Sonsonate name. The club won promotion to the primera division in 1998, however one season later they were relegated [1] The club currently competes in the Terecea Division since the 2012 season.
Ferrocarril
The team competed for many years in the Salvadoran Sports Commission national week football tournament. In 1943, Ferrocarril won the Occidental Zone of El Salvador, and played in the final round with Central Zone winners Quequeisque and Oriental Zone winners Luis Ángel Firpo. They finished second in the group, runners-up to Quequeisque.[2] Ferrocarril did not return to the first division of El Salvador after failing to enter the 1951–52 league. They later renamed themselves as Leones.
Leones
The Leones arrived in the national league in the 1951–52 season, simply since the Salvadoran Football Federation had no institutionalised relegation rules. In their first year, the Leones finished runners-up to FAS. After five years in the league, they were relegated to the second division in the 1955–56 season. They returned to the first division in 1958, not before being relegated again in the 1960–61 season.[3] The Leones failed to be promoted for a third time. They were renamed CD Sonsonate in 1967.
Alba-Acajutla
Founded in 2008, the club was known as CD Alba-Acajutla, also playing in the town of Sonsonate. However, after poor attendance and financial struggle, the team sold their spot in the second division and reverted to their original form.[4]
F.C. Sonsonate rebirth and modern history (2009–Current)
On 9 September 2009, Cesar Antonio Contreras and Miguel Antonio Castillo along with Pedro Antonio Contreras and with the support of the Sonsonate department (in particular the head of the department José Roberto Aquino) were able to re-activate Sonsonate from defunct status and begin their time in the modern era.[5]
The club competed in the Tercera Division for a few years, before winning promotion to the Segunda Division in 2011 under the direction of Ricardo Andrés Navarro.
Despite strong club following and several finals appearances the club failed to win the Apertura and Clausura title to achieve promotion in the Primera Division.
However, on the 12 July 2015, the club purchased the spot of recently promoted Real Destroyer meaning the club will participate in the Primera division for the first time in fifteen years (last time was 1999).[6]
Honours
Domestic
Managers
- Sonsonate (1948-1955)
| Name | Nationality | Years | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBD |  | TBD |
- Ferrocarril (1943-1951)
| Name | Nationality | Years | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | | TBD |
- Leones (1951-1967)
| Name | Nationality | Years | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | | TBD |
- Sonsonate (1967-2003)
| Name | Nationality | Years | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigoberto Guzmán | | TBD | |
| Alfredo Ruano | | TBD | |
| Mario "Tiorra" Castro | | TBD | |
| Arnaldo da Silva |  | 1967-1971 | |
| Carlos Campuzano Ramos |  | 1974-1975 | |
| Gregorio Bundio |  | 1979-1980 | |
| Jorge Tupinambá | | 1987-1989 | |
| Rubén Alonso |  | 1997-1998 | |
| Ricardo López Tenorio | | 1998 | |
| Víctor Hugo Santillana | | 2003 |
- Alba-Acajutla
| Name | Nationality | Years | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rubén Alonso | | 2008-2009 | |
| Carlos Reyes | | 2009 |
- Sonsonate (2009-)
| Name | Nationality | Years | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rubén Alonso | | 2009-2010 | |
| Cesar Acevedo "El Piscuchita" | | 2010 | |
| Andrés Navarro | | 2011-2012 | |
| Ivan Martínez | | 2012 | |
| Rubén Alonso | | 2013-January 2014 | |
| Henry Rojas | | Jan 2014–Feb 2014 | |
| Wilson Sánchez * |  | Feb 2014–March 2014 | |
| Hector Jara | | March 2014–June 2014 | |
| Cesar Acevedo "El Piscuchita" | | June 2014–Sept 2014 | |
| Wilson Sánchez * | | Sept 2014–Oct 2014 | |
| Alfonso Nerio | | Oct 2014–Dec 2014 | |
| Ivan 'Diablo' Ruiz | | Jan 2015–June 2015 | |
| German Pérez | .svg.png){kind=small} | June 2015–Aug 2015 | |
| Ennio Mendoza and Mario Guevara * | | August 2015 | |
| Hector Jara | | August 2015– October 2015 | |
| Edwin Portillo | | Oct 2015 – April 2016 | |
| William Renderos Iraheta | | April 2016– May 2016 | |
| Ennio Mendoza and Mario Guevara * | | May 2016 | |
| Agustin Castillo |  | June 2016–February 2017 | |
| Ernesto Góchez * | | March 2017 | |
| Eraldo Correia | | March 2017–present |
Notes
- El Salvador – List of Final Tables – RSSSF
- El Salvador – Divisional Moves Between First and Second Division – RSSSF
- El Salvador 2008/09 – RSSSF
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-07-14. Retrieved 2015-07-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- – El Grafico