Wikipedia - Atlético Huila

Atlético Huila is a professional Colombian football team based in Neiva, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera B. The club was founded in 1990, making it one of the youngest professional football clubs in Colombia.

The club's best seasons came in the late 2000s; they finished runners-up in 2007 and again in 2009. They play their home games at the Estadio Guillermo Plazas Alcid, which has a capacity of 27,000.

Huila has a long-standing rivalry with Deportes Tolima, known as the Tolima Grande derby. The club has a futsal team named Ultrahuilca Coomotor.

History

The club was founded on 29 November 1990 and was admitted into the Primera B tournament the following year. In 1992, Alberto Rujana was appointed as manager. That same season, the club purchased midfielder Guillermo Berrío from America de Cali; Rujana named him captain and made him the centerpiece of the squad. As a result, promotion to the top flight followed. The club managed to last in the top flight until the end of the 1996–97 season, when they finished last in the relegation table and were sent back to Primera B.

Rafael Corrales took over the club in 1996–97, and led them to an immediate promotion back to the top flight. The club managed to consolidate itself in the league, although relegation was a constant danger. Huila escaped relegation only on goal differential in 2002 and had to win a relegation playoff against Valledupar in 2006. This was why the club's performance in 2007 was almost entirely unexpected.

Under the management of Néstor Otero for the 2007 season, the club finished third in the Apertura and qualified for the semifinal phase. They further surprised by winning their semifinal group (beating Millonarios on the final day of the round robin) to reach the Apertura finals, where they were beaten by Atlético Nacional 2–1 over two legs. A similarly unexpected result came in the second half of the 2009 season (Finalización tournament), when the club finished third in the first stage and topped its semifinal group. Once again they were beaten in the finals, this time by Independiente Medellín by a 3–2 aggregate score. The strong performance in the 2009 season allowed Atlético Huila to qualify for the following year's Copa Sudamericana for the first time in history, in which they beat Venezuelan team Trujillanos in the first stage, but were knocked out by San José from Bolivia in the second stage.

The club placed first in the first stage of the 2015 Torneo Apertura, however they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Deportes Tolima.

After 22 years in the top flight, Atlético Huila were relegated back to the second tier at the end of the 2019 season, finishing in last place of both the relegation table and the year's aggregate table. Their relegation was confirmed on the last day of the regular season with a 1–0 defeat against Jaguares, who were also involved in the relegation struggle.

Following their return to Primera B, Atlético Huila won the 2020 tournament, which did not grant promotion for the following season given that promotion and relegation were postponed for six months due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia, however they were able to seal their promotion back to Primera A by beating Deportes Quindío, winners of the first tournament of the 2021 season, in a double-legged Grand Final. Although their return to the top flight was short-lived and they were relegated back to Primera B at the end of 2021, in their return to the second tier for the 2022 season they were able to bounce back from a poor performance in the first half of the season by winning the Torneo II which allowed them to qualify for the Primera B Grand Final against the Torneo I winners Boyacá Chicó. Their defeat in that series forced them to play a double-legged play-off against Deportes Quindío for the final promotion spot, which they won by beating the cuyabro side by a 2–1 score on aggregate, allowing them to return to Primera A for 2023.

On 4 May 2023, 97.203% of the club's shares were sold to the international holding Sociedad FARLAY S.A. led by businessman Michel Deller, who also owns the Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle.

Atletico Huila is a professional soccer team based in Neiva, Colombia. The team was founded in 1990 and currently competes in the Categoría Primera A, the top tier of Colombian soccer. Atletico Huila has a strong fan base and plays their home matches at the Estadio Guillermo Plazas Alcid.

The team's colors are blue and white, and their mascot is a lion. Atletico Huila has a history of success in Colombian soccer, with several league titles and Copa Colombia victories to their name. The team is known for their attacking style of play and talented roster of players.

Atletico Huila has a fierce rivalry with other Colombian teams, particularly those from nearby cities. The team has a reputation for passionate and dedicated fans who support them both at home and away matches. Overall, Atletico Huila is a respected and competitive team in Colombian soccer, with a rich history and a bright future ahead.