Club Atlético Unión (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkluβaˈtletikowˈnjon]; mostly known as Unión de Santa Fe [uˈnjondesantaˈfe]) is a sports club from Santa Fe, the capital city of the Santa Fe Province, in Argentina. The club was founded on 15 April 1907. Unión is mostly known for its football team and currently plays in the Argentine Primera División.

Other sports practised at the club include basketball, futsal, gymnastics, field hockey, swimming, karate, rugby union, roller skating, and volleyball. The basketball team competes in Liga Nacional de Básquet, the top division of basketball in Argentina.

History

Team of Unión in 1907

The club was established by a group of fourteen former members of Santa Fe Foot-ball Club, on April 13, 1907 after a meeting held in the Baragiola family on Catamarca street. Guillermo Drenner was appointed as president of the institution. Initially the club was named "Club United" after a proposal from founding member Cayetano Bossi, who alleged that the club should represent the friendship ties of the founders. The name changed to "Unión Foot-Ball Club" in 1907, remaining until 1918 when it was translated to "Club Atlético Unión" in Spanish language.

The first shirt worn was white with black collar. In 1907 a meeting was held with the purpose of choosing the club colors. Some of the models proposed were a red, white and black striped, while other members proposed a white and red striped shirt (inspired on legendary Alumni Athletic Club uniform), which finally won after being voted by the majority.

The first match played by the team was vs a San Carlos Centro on 15 May 1907, won by Unión 4–1. Unión was also a founding member (along with Argentine, Central Santa Fe, Brown, Red Star, Sarmiento, San Justo Football Club y Estudiantes de Comercio) the "Liga Regional Santafesina", where the team won the title four consecutive times. In 1910 the club moved their field to a land on Boulevard Pellegrini and San Jerónimo. In 1911 Unión requested affiliation to "Liga Rosarina de Football" which would allow them to play with stronger teams and more competitive tournaments so teams of Liga Rosarina participated in national cups with teams from Buenos Aires. The LRF accepted the request in 1912, and Unión debuted there vs. Argentino (3–3 tie). The first win in Liga Rosarina was vs Aprendices Rosarinos with the following line-up: José Luis Peíteado; Saúl Galetti, Domingo Pallavidini; José Ayala, Alfredo González, Domingo Gómez; Gregorio Aguirre, Arturo Pérez, Manuel Montenegro, Elías Pieretti, Domiciano Roa.

On 26 November 1966, Unión was promoted to the Primera División for the first time, after defeating Talleres (RE) 3–0 and winning the 1966 Segunda División title.

Unión's supporters are called "unionistas", "tatengues", while the squad is usually nicknamed "El Tate". The colours of the club consist of red and white vertical stripes.

Team of 1975 that made a great campaign in Primera División, finishing 4th

Managed by Juan Carlos Lorenzo in 1975, Unión made a great campaign in the 1975 championship with a group of notable players such as goalkeeper Hugo Gatti, midfielders Victorio Cocco and Rubén Suñé and forwards Ernesto Mastrángelo and Leopoldo Luque among others.

In 1979 Unión played the final matches of the Nacional championship, but lost at the hands of River Plate, because the goal scored by River in the first match (with a final score of 1–1) ended up in an average over Union according to the away goals rule applied to that tournament.

Amongst the most famous footballers who played for Unión are Leopoldo Luque, World Cup winner with Argentina in 1978, and Nery Pumpido, the goalkeeper of the national team that won the World Cup in Mexico 1986.

Rivalry

Unión and Colón are the two largest football clubs in Santa Fe. The Clásico Santafesino has been played since 1913 and is known as one of football's fiercest and most important rivalries in Argentina. Unión and Colón have played 147 games all time against each other in the Amateur and Professional Era, with Unión winning 48, Colón winning 43, 51 draws and 5 no contest (there are no records for those matches, which took place between 1913 and 1917).

Players

Current squad

As of 11 March 2026

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

No.Pos.NationPlayer
No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF URU Maizon Rodríguez 3 DF ARG Claudio Corvalán (captain) 4 DF URU Emiliano Álvarez 5 MF ARG Lucas Menossi 7 FW ARG Franco Fragapane 8 MF ARG Nicolás Palavecino (on loan from Defensa) 9 FW ARG Agustín Colazo 10 FW ARG Tomás González 11 DF ARG Mateo Del Blanco 12 DF ARG Bruno Pittón 13 DF ARG Valentín Fascendini 19 FW ARG Marcelo Estigarribia 20 MF ARG Julián Palacios 21 GK ARG Matías Mansilla (on loan from Estudiantes LP)No. Pos. Nation Player 22 MF ARG Brahian Cuello 23 MF ARG Augusto Solari 24 MF ARG Rafael Profini 25 FW ARG Cristian Tarragona 26 DF ARG Juan Pablo Ludueña 28 GK ARG Federico Gomes Gerth 29 FW ARG Diego Díaz 30 MF ARG Mauro Pittón 31 FW ARG Misael Aguirre 32 DF ARG Nicolás Paz 35 DF ARG Lautaro Vargas 40 GK ARG Lucas Meuli 43 MF ARG Emilio Giaccone 46 MF ARG Santiago Grella
2DFURUMaizon Rodríguez
3DFARGClaudio Corvalán (captain)
4DFURUEmiliano Álvarez
5MFARGLucas Menossi
7FWARGFranco Fragapane
8MFARGNicolás Palavecino (on loan from Defensa)
9FWARGAgustín Colazo
10FWARGTomás González
11DFARGMateo Del Blanco
12DFARGBruno Pittón
13DFARGValentín Fascendini
19FWARGMarcelo Estigarribia
20MFARGJulián Palacios
21GKARGMatías Mansilla (on loan from Estudiantes LP)
No.Pos.NationPlayer
22MFARGBrahian Cuello
23MFARGAugusto Solari
24MFARGRafael Profini
25FWARGCristian Tarragona
26DFARGJuan Pablo Ludueña
28GKARGFederico Gomes Gerth
29FWARGDiego Díaz
30MFARGMauro Pittón
31FWARGMisael Aguirre
32DFARGNicolás Paz
35DFARGLautaro Vargas
40GKARGLucas Meuli
43MFARGEmilio Giaccone
46MFARGSantiago Grella

Reserve squad

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

No.Pos.NationPlayer
No. Pos. Nation Player 17 FW ARG Ricardo Solbes 41 GK ARG Agustín Chávez
17FWARGRicardo Solbes
41GKARGAgustín Chávez

Out on loan

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

No.Pos.NationPlayer
No. Pos. Nation Player — GK URU Thiago Cardozo (at Belgrano until 31 December 2026) — DF ARG Gastón Arturia (at Sarmiento until 31 December 2026) — DF PAR Fernando Díaz (at Nacional until 31 December 2026) — DF ARG Franco Godoy (at Deportivo Madryn until 31 December 2026) — MF ARG Lionel Verde (at Baniyas until 30 June 2026)No. Pos. Nation Player — FW ARG Daniel Juárez (at San Miguel until 31 December 2026) — FW PAR Junior Marabel (at Sarmiento until 31 December 2026) — FW ARG Pablo Palacio (at Almagro until 31 December 2026) — FW ARG José Vanetta (at Progreso until 30 June 2026)
—GKURUThiago Cardozo (at Belgrano until 31 December 2026)
—DFARGGastón Arturia (at Sarmiento until 31 December 2026)
—DFPARFernando Díaz (at Nacional until 31 December 2026)
—DFARGFranco Godoy (at Deportivo Madryn until 31 December 2026)
—MFARGLionel Verde (at Baniyas until 30 June 2026)
No.Pos.NationPlayer
—FWARGDaniel Juárez (at San Miguel until 31 December 2026)
—FWPARJunior Marabel (at Sarmiento until 31 December 2026)
—FWARGPablo Palacio (at Almagro until 31 December 2026)
—FWARGJosé Vanetta (at Progreso until 30 June 2026)

Records

Most goals

Francisco Valiente, Union's all-time top goalscorer
No.PlayerGoals
1Francisco Valiente129
2Fernando Alí85
3Orlando Ruiz81
4Carlos Verga73
5Mario Gervé72
6Rodolfo Milessi64
7José Luis Marzo63
8Julio Mir62
9Carlos Castillo60
10Julio Enrique Ávila59

Top 10 all-time goalscores at clubaunion.com.ar

Most appearances

Pablo de las Mercedes Cárdenas, most appearances with 364 matches
NoPlayerApp.
1Pablo de las Mercedes Cárdenas364
2Fernando Alí348
3Mario Eduardo Alberto327
4Hugo Ismael López326
5Víctor Bottaníz313
6Darío Cabrol272
7Eduardo Roberto Sánchez266
8Ariel José Donnet255
9Nereo Fernández240
10Carlos Santos Mazzoni235

Top 10 all-time most appearances at clubaunion.com.ar

Notable players

To appear in this section a player must have played at least 50 games for the club and/or played officially for their national team.

Managers

Current coaching staff

PositionStaff
Head coachArgentina Leonardo Madelón
Assistant coachArgentina Carlos Ruiz
Assistant coachArgentina Federico Mociulsky
Goalkeeping coachArgentina Rodrigo Llinas
Fitness coachArgentina Augusto Madelón
PhysiotherapistArgentina Flavio Della Giustina
PhysiotherapistArgentina Omar Ferrero
Team doctorArgentina Ángel Battaglia
Team doctorArgentina Santiago Calvo
Team doctorArgentina Eduardo Wagner
NutritionistArgentina Silvia Fredes
PsychologistArgentina César Palmieri

Honours

National

Regional

  • Campeonato de Primera División Santafesina Winners (18): 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910 (LRSF) 1912, 1915, 1917, 1919, 1920 (LSF), 1925 (ASAF), 1926 (FSF), 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1971 (LSF)
  • Copa de Competencia "Gobernador Manuel J. Menchaca" Winners (3): 1916, 1917, 1919
  • Copa Estímulo Winners (1): 1924
  • Torneo Preparación Winners (2): 1935, 1937
  • Campeonato de Honor Winners (2): 1938, 1939
  • Campeonato Absoluto Winners (1): 1938
  • Torneo Clasificatorio Winners (2): Clasificatorio 1971, Petit Torneo 1971
  • Federación de Fútbol de la Provincia de Santa Fe Winners (1): Selectivo 1971

Other sports

The club hosts other sports such as archery, basketball, field hockey, gymnastics, martial arts, roller skating, swimming, volleyball, amongst others.

Basketball

Apart from football, basketball is the foremost sport practiced at the institution, Union's team plays in Liga Nacional de Básquet since 2021, when they won the 2021 Liga Argentina title and were promoted to the top league after 34 years.

Carlos Delfino is probably its most recognized former player, but Mario Elie a three time NBA champion (1994, 1995 y 1999), also played briefly for Unión in the Argentine League in 1987.

External links

  • (in Spanish)