Beginnings in professional football

In 1952, the Football Federation of Chile set up the first professional leagues. Palestino was accepted into the Second Division, which they won to attain promotion to the Primera División.

1955 title

In 1955, the club won their first national championship under the coaching of Argentine captain Roberto Coll. In that era, the club became known by the nickname millonario (Millionaire) because of their ability to attract top class footballers.

1978−present

In 1978, the club won their second league title, this time the team was led by Chilean captain Elías Figueroa. In this campaign they set a new record in the domestic tournament, for the number of games unbeaten and soon won the Copa Chile to claim the league and cup double.

In 2004, the club became a registered company, but the change of status did not bring the expected improvement in results. In 2006 they finished in 18th place out of 20 teams, forcing them to face a play-off against Fernandez Vial to keep their place in the top flight. Ultimately the club would triumph thus preserving their spot within the Chilean first division.

The club made a surprising run to the final of the Clausura 2008 tournament, where they lost to champions Colo-Colo. Following this success, the club intends to float on the Chilean and Palestinian stock exchanges.^[2]

In January 2014, Palestino was fined the equivalent of $1,300 for using a new team jersey in the club's traditional colors, red, green and black, but with the number one in the squad numbers on the back shaped as the map of Palestine prior to the creation of Israel in 1948. Chilean Jewish groups complained about the political significance of this, with a formal complaint to their national Federation being made by Patrick Kiblisky, owner of first-division club Ñublense. The jerseys were said to have been first used in December 2013, although the club said they were used in the prior season. The federation banned the club from using the map on the back of the shirts and imposed a fine on the club on the grounds that the Federation is opposed to "any form of political, religious, sexual, ethnic, social or racial discrimination". On its Facebook page, the club stated: "For us, free Palestine will always be historical Palestine, nothing less."^[3]

Current squad

Current squad of Palestino as of 8 July 2022 (edit)
Sources: ANFP Official Web Site Palestino Official Web Site

No. Position Player 1  ARG GK César Rigamonti 3  CHI DF Benjamín Rojas 4  CHI DF Antonio Ceza 6  CHI MF Nicolás Meza 7  CHI MF Bryan Carrasco 8  CHI MF Fernando Cornejo 10  CHI MF Misael Dávila 11  ARG FW Jonathan Benítez 12  CHI GK Ricardo Patiño 13  CHI DF Cristián Suárez 15  ARG FW Hernán Rivero 16  CHI DF José Bizama 17  CHI DF Iván Román

No. Position Player 19  CHI MF Brayan Véjar 20  CHI FW Benjamín Araneda 21  CHI DF Alan Riquelme 22  CHI MF Felipe Chamorro 23  CHI MF Ariel Martínez 24  CHI MF Maicol León 25  CHI FW Dylan Salgado 26  CHI GK Dixon Contreras 27  CHI FW Martín Araya 28  CHI DF Dilan Zúñiga 37  CHI FW Joe Abrigo --  PAR FW Junior Marabel --  ARG FW Gonzalo Sosa

Manager: Vitamina Sánchez

2024 Summer Transfers

In

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

No. Pos. Nation Player -- FW  PAR Junior Marabel (from General Caballero)

No. Pos. Nation Player -- FW  ARG Gonzalo Sosa (from Audax Italiano)

Out

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  ARG Fernando Meza (to Argentinos Juniors) 5 MF  ARG Agustín Farías (to Universidad Católica)

No. Pos. Nation Player 9 FW  ARG Maximiliano Salas (to Racing Club)