Deportivo Saprissa

Deportivo Saprissa is Costa Rica's most successful club and one of the biggest in Central America. Founded in 1935 in San José, it is a three-time CONCACAF Champions League champion and has accumulated more than 35 national titles, being a continental reference in Central American football.

History

Deportivo Saprissa was founded on January 18, 1935 in San José, Costa Rica, by Spanish immigrant Ricardo Saprissa Aymá, whose name eternalized both the club and its stadium. The purple and white colors, adopted from the beginning, became a symbol of tradition and hegemony in Costa Rican football. Saprissa's dominance in the Costa Rican First Division is absolute: the club is the greatest national champion, with more than 35 titles, and its supporters, called 'La Ultra Morada', are the most loyal and numerous in the country. The nickname 'El Monstruo Morado' (The Purple Monster) was earned through historic supremacy in local and continental football. On the continental stage, Saprissa is the Central American club with the greatest tradition, having won the CONCACAF Champions League in 1993, 1995, and 2005. The 2005 triumph was especially remarkable, with victories over important clubs from Mexico and the United States. The Ricardo Saprissa Aymá Stadium, located in the Tibás neighborhood in San José, has a capacity of about 23,000 spectators and is considered one of the most atmospheric in Central America. The club revealed and harbored important athletes from the Costa Rican national team, including players who participated in the 2014 World Cup, when Costa Rica surprised the world by reaching the quarterfinals.