Club Puebla

The birth of the historical representative team of the city of Puebla dates back to 1916 when a small group of Mexican and Spanish players joined the Real Club España of Mexico City. Later, in 1928, the Asturias de Puebla team was founded by Manuel Hill, a team that would maintain a strong rivalry with Club España de Puebla in the Poblano Amateur Soccer League until the 1940's. Numerous Puebla teams played in this league, such as Club Reforma, Club Universal, Club Franco Inglés, Club México de Puebla, Club Excélsior de Puebla. With the emergence of professionalism in Mexican soccer, both players and directors of the Asturias and España de Puebla teams joined forces to create what would become the Puebla Fútbol Club.

Welcome to the world, Club Puebla 

At the beginning of 1944, a group of businessmen launched the proposal to form a professional soccer team and enter the First Division, an action that was achieved on May 7 of that same year when the Puebla Futbol Club team debuted in Veracruz in the 43-44 Cup Tournament. 

On August 20, 1944, Puebla F. C. made its official league debut for the 44-45 championship. The game was played against Atlas de Guadalajara at the 'El Mirador' field, a venue inaugurated on May 21, 1944. That game ended with a 5-2 win for La Franja, which became the dream start for any team.

La Franja, Champion of the Mexican Cup

The first Copa México of the Puebla club would come in the 44-45 season, in the League they had managed to be among the first four teams in the general table, however, their most outstanding performance was in the Copa tournament where they won their first victory after beating América by an exciting score of 6-4, managing to enter with these small achievements to the list of protagonist teams in Mexican soccer. For the 53-54 season, they won their second Copa México title after defeating Club León in the final at the Azulgrana Stadium (at the time called Estadio de la Ciudad de los Deportes) by a score of 4-1, giving a blow on the table and making it clear that Puebla was ready for big challenges. 

Other Cup reigns:

CUP 1952-1953

For this season, the board of directors placed all their trust in the Spaniard Isidro Lángara and the European did not waste it, as he played a good role on the bench in the League, while in the Cup he was crowned champion against all odds against León, who arrived at the final as the overwhelming favorite.

1987-1988 CUP

For this season, La Franja had important players on its roster that would lead it to be crowned champion of this competition, eliminating teams such as Atlas, Monterrey and Toluca, reaching the final against Cruz Azul in two-legged games. In the final, Puebla won the first leg by the minimum difference and the score did not change in the second leg, so La Franja won another title. 

1989-1990 CUP

In the 35th edition of the Copa México, Puebla was the overwhelming favorite to win the title, Tampico Madero was the first team to be eliminated by the team coached by Manuel Lapuente, followed by Chivas in the quarterfinals and Monterrey in the semifinals, before facing Tigres de la UANL in the final. 

The first leg was difficult and La Franja lost 2-0 at the Volcán Universitario, but the second leg was a completely different story for Puebla, as Puebla beat Tigres 4-1 in a thrilling final, giving a total score of 4 goals to 3 on aggregate. With this victory, Lapuente's team would win the first of two titles they would win that season, earning them the nickname of campeonísimo. 

It was not a goodbye, it was a see you later.

Puebla's continuity in the first division was affected during the decade due to economic problems and the poor condition of the Mirador Stadium, so its president Manuel Hidalgo requested a permit from the FMF to withdraw the team from the 56-57 season and return the following season, however, things were not so easy since it was determined that if Puebla wanted to return, it would only be through the Second Division. Similarly, what was one year turned into a long seven-year wait until Manuel Sánchez Gómez, Leonardo Ortiz and Rafael Durán managed to get Puebla to reappear in the 1964-65 season in the silver league. 

Back to the top flight 

Although it is true that the Puebla strip has been in the maximum circuit of Mexican soccer for a long time, its history in the first division is divided into two parts; the promotion and later its long stay that lasted until 2005, and its return to the maximum circuit until today. 

Its first stage spanned the six years of Camo's stay in the second division and it was after a promotional series, when there was no relegation and it was extended from 16 to 18 teams in the First Division, where the champion of the Second Division and the winner of a quadrangular that would end up winning the strip would go up. Back in the 1970-71 season, the Puebla team finished 11th out of 18 with 32 points; however, this would only be the beginning of a path towards something much bigger for the entire club. 

The first star (1982-1983)

With Manuel Lapuente as Technical Director, La Franja became the revelation of the League by being crowned champion of Mexican soccer. With 45 points, they were in third place in the General Table to qualify for the Liguilla, where they faced Tecos in the quarterfinals (6-3 overall), defeated Leones Negros de la UdeG 4-3 in the semifinals and defeated Guadalajara on penalties in the final after a 2-2 draw. Likewise, the Cuauhtémoc became an authentic anti-Tapatía fortress where Puebla reversed the 3 adverse scores obtained in away matches.

Another joy arrived (1989-1990)

La Franja finished the regular phase of the tournament in third place in the overall standings and with Manuel Lapuente as coach, Puebla made it to the playoffs in the 1989-1990 season. Along the way, they met Correcaminos in the quarterfinals, Pumas in the semifinals and U de G in the final.

The team did not arrive at the playoffs as favorites to be champion, since the tournament ended with draws and defeats, however, La Franja proved that the final stages are a competition apart. The quarter-final with Correcaminos meant a setback in Tamaulipas (3-1) and a comeback from behind in Puebla (3-1). The aggregate score was 4-4 and the position in the general classification allowed the team to advance to the semifinals.

The next opponent to beat: Pumas, the game ended in a vibrant 4-4 draw. In CU, the Enfranjados would do the heroic deed by winning the away game by 4 goals to 2 for a final aggregate score of 8-6.

For the final against Leones Negros, the game would be played first in Guadalajara, where the blue and white team would win by 2 goals to 1. For the definition of the champion at the Cuauhtémoc, the visitors would start by winning, who not only evened the score, but also had the advantage for a few seconds. However, Puebla was able to overcome the deficit to win 4-3, giving them their second championship and the nickname of "Campeonísimo" for having previously won the Copa México.

Back to the silver league

In the 2005 Clausura, Puebla's fans would suffer another disappointment when La Franja returned to the Liga de Ascenso after losing the category at the Luis Pirata Fuente Stadium against Veracruz by a score of two goals to one. The numbers of that terrible tournament were: 4 wins, 4 draws, 9 defeats, 19 goals for and 29 against for a total of 16 points that plunged Puebla to the bottom of the percentage table. Later, they would return in the 2007 Apertura after winning two titles in the silver category, the last one being the one that would return them to the maximum circuit of Mexican football. 

The most exciting MX Cup of all

The 2015 Clausura MX Cup was a new opportunity to become champions after the hard loss to Santos in the last edition of the MX Cup. Puebla passed the first round qualifying in first place in the group, which allowed them to receive in the final stages all home matches in what would temporarily be their home, the BUAP University Stadium, due to the remodeling of the Cuauhtémoc Stadium.

Puebla hosted Venados del Mérida in the quarterfinals, defeating them 2-1. In the semifinals, they faced one of the most complicated opponents in the Cup, Rayados de Monterrey, who arrived with their starting lineup to face this duel; however, the Puebla squad did not let themselves be impressed and defeated the Monterrey team 3-0. Finally, La Franja faced Chivas in the final in a very exciting game with a lot of drama that ended in a favorable result for Puebla by a score of 4-2.  The match ended and Puebla was declared champion of the 2015 Clausura MX Cup for the fifth time under the leadership of José Guadalupe Cruz.

Current News

Today, La Franja is one of the most beloved teams in Mexican soccer. It has gone from strength to strength in recent years with a modest squad, but when it is on the field it shows love and passion for its colors. Since its return to the first division, Puebla has experienced everything from fighting the drama of relegation to getting into the playoffs of Mexican soccer in search of obtaining one more star to his palmares, also, through its great interaction on social networks with the fans has become one of the teams that you can not hate because of the great charisma that distinguishes the team.