Asociación Deportiva Isidro Metapán, also known simply as Isidro Metapán, is a

Salvadoran Salvadorans (), also known as Salvadorians, are citizens of El Salvador, a country in Central America. Most Salvadorans live in El Salvador, although there is also a significant Salvadoran diaspora, particularly in the United States, with smalle ...

sports club A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...

based in

Metapán Metapán is a city and municipality in the Santa Ana department of El Salvador. Metapán is situated in the northern part of the department, bordering Honduras and Guatemala. It is the second largest city in the department after Santa Ana and ...

, Santa Ana,

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

. It is best known for its professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team, which plays in the Primera División, the top tier of the

football league system, they have won 10 National League titles in El Salvador football. Isidro Metapán was founded in 2000, after the merger of Isidro Menéndez and Metapán FC. The club had its period of greatest success in the 2000s. Since the formation of the Apertura/Clausura, A.D. Isidro Metapán has been the dominant club in

football, winning ten championships. Their traditional local rivals are FAS. Since the beginning of the 2000–01 season, A.D. Isidro Metapán has played its home games at the

Estadio Jorge Calero Suárez es:Estadio is the spanish language word for Stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered s ...

. The team colours are blue, red and white, and the team crest shows the white and blue and the

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...

. The club has other departments in

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

, and others.

History

Present history

In 2000, Metapán FC and Isidro Menéndez, two Second Division strugglers, chose to merge. In 2001, the newly born club won promotion to the Primera División with a 3–2 playoff win over Jocoro FC. The club quickly consolidated their position as a mid-table side, and starting in Apertura 2004 began making title pushes. They qualified for the playoffs for the first time that year by defeating

Luis Ángel Firpo Luis Ángel Firpo (October 11, 1894 – August 7, 1960) was an Argentine boxer. Born in Junín, Argentina, he was nicknamed ''The Wild Bull of the Pampas''. He was the first Latin American in history to challenge for the world heavyweight titl ...

in a fourth place playoff. In Apertura 2005, they finished the regular atop the table, defeated Once Municipal in the semi-finals, and only fell short of their first title after a 2–0 extra time loss to Vista Hermosa. In Clausura 2007, the club finally bettered that result, taking home their first ever championship with a 1–0 extra time win over

. That qualified the team for the

CONCACAF Champions League The CONCACAF Champions Cup, formerly known as CONCACAF Champions League (2008–2023), is an international association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for clubs from North America, Central America, ...

for the very first time, although they did not get past the preliminary rounds. Over the next several years, Isidro Metapán began to surpass the traditional powers of Salvadoran football (FAS, Firpo, Alianza, and Águila). They won their second title in a penalty shootout over Chalatenango in Apertura 2008, then defended their crown in Clausura 2009 with a 1–0 win over

. Alexander Amaya scored the winner in the 58th minute. After a near miss in the Apertura 2009, Isidro returned to the top for the third time in four seasons by winning the championship of Clausura 2010.

Léster Blanco Mark Léster Blanco Pineda (born January 17, 1989, in Soyapango, El Salvador) is a Salvadoran professional footballer who plays as a forward. Club career Blanco came through the youth ranks at the ''Fútbol Blanco Sport'', and made his debut at ...

and Paolo Suárez each scored in a 3–2 win over Águila. In each season from 2007 to 2010, the club had won the title at least once. They would win it for a fourth time in five in Apertura 2010, beating Alianza 4–3 in a penalty shootout. 2011–2012 was the most successful season in club history. It started in the summer, in the

. Metapan qualified for the group stages, and a 2–0 win over Mexican team

Santos Laguna Club Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V., simply known as Santos Laguna or Santos, is a Mexican professional football club based in Torreón, Coahuila. The club competes in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Founded in 1983 as Club Santos I ...

allowed them to qualify out of the groups into the quarterfinals for the first time. Although

UNAM Pumas Club Universidad Nacional, A.C., simply known as Pumas UNAM, is a professional football club based in Mexico City. The club competes in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Founded in 1954 as Club Deportivo Universidad, and they play ...

eliminated them at that stage, it had still been a very successful run. Meanwhile, domestically, Metapán won a sixth title in eight years with a 1–0 victory over

Once Municipal Club Deportivo Once Municipal was a Salvadoran football team from Ahuachapán that last competed in the Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador, Primera División, the premier division of Football in El Salvador, in 2018. It was nicknamed "' ...

the only goal coming from Paolo Suárez in the 51st minute. They narrowly missed a repeat that spring in the Clausura, losing 2–1 to Áquila in the championship match. However, they recovered to win a seventh championship in nine years, defeating Alianza in extra time to win the Apertura 2012. For a moment it looked like the hero would be Metapán's top goal scorer

Nicolás Muñoz Nicolás Armando Muñoz Jarvis (born 21 December 1981) is a retired Panamanian professional footballer who played as a forward. Club career Nicknamed ''Yuyu'', Muñoz has spent most of his career in his native Panama and in El Salvador, but als ...

, who scored from a free kick in extra time. However Sean Fraser of Alianza equalized with a header, forcing the match into penalties. After a dramatic shootout, Isidro Metapán won 6–5. They won their 8th title in Apertura 2013, beating FAS 1–0 on a goal from

Andrés Flores Andrés Alexander Flores Mejía (born 31 August 1990) is a Salvadoran professional football manager and former player. He is the current assistant coach of Portland Timbers 2 in the MLS Next Pro. Club career Nicknamed ''Ruso'', Flores was sign ...

in the 85th minute. On 25 May 2014 Isidro Metapán won the Primera División title for the ninth time in the club history, defeating Dragón on penalties 6–5. Title number 10 came in Apertura 2014, as Metapán defeated Águila in penalties 3–2. Once again,

played a very important role in taking the match to penalties with an extra time goal.

Sponsorship

Shirt sponsors and manufacturers

Holcim Holcim is a Swiss-based global building materials and Construction aggregate, aggregates flagship division of the Holcim Group. The original company was merged on 10 July 2015 with Lafarge (company), Lafarge to form LafargeHolcim as the new c ...

, Geniusbet, Bemisal, El Indio, Taller Polas

Home stadiums

The team currently plays in the

. The stadium is located in

, Santa Ana. A new stadium is currently being built and is expected to be finished in the year 2015 or 2016 *

(2000–) * Complejo Deportivo Metapán

New Stadium

The 2015–16 season was to have been the last season at the Estadio Jorge Calero Suárez, with the club moving to their new 10,000-seater stadium Complejo Deportivo Metapán in time for the 2017–18 season. However, due to the club being in financial crisis, work on the new stadium has since stopped.

Honours

* Primera División **Champions (10): Clausura 2007, Apertura 2008, Clausura 2009, Clausura 2010, Apertura 2010, Apertura 2011, Apertura 2012, Apertura 2013, Clausura 2014, Apertura 2014 *Liga de Ascenso **Champions (1): 2000–01

Performance in International competitions

Copa Interclubes UNCAF The UNCAF Interclub Cup was an annual international football competition held in the UNCAF region (Central America). The competition was open to the leading domestic club teams in the region. The winners of each national league qualified automatic ...

: 1 appearance ::Best: First Round

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

: ''First Round'' *

: 7 appearances ::Best: Quarter-final 2011–12 :: 2008–09: ''Preliminary Round'' :: 2009–10: ''Group stage'' ::

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

: ''Preliminary Round'' :: 2011–12: ''Quarter-final'' ::

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

: ''Group stage'' :: 2013–14: ''Group stage'' :: 2014–15: ''Group stage'' :: 2015–16: ''Group stage'' * Copa Mesoamericana: 1 appearance ::Best: Runner-up

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

: ''Runner-up''

Records and statistics

Metapan have won 10 domestic trophies, including the league ten times. From 2009 to 2011, the club won five successive league titles, equalling the all-time record. Isidro Metapan's name is attached to a number of Primera division and CONCACAF records: * The Isidro Metapan player with the most appearances is Hector Omar Mejia, with 518 in all competitions. * The Isidro Metapan player with the most goals is

Williams Reyes Williams Enrique Reyes Rodríguez (born October 30, 1976, in La Ceiba, Honduras) is a Honduran-born Salvadoran professional forward. Club career Reyes started his professional career at Deportes Savio, but crossed the Salvadoran border to play ...

, with 77 in all competitions

Current squad

''As of July, 2025''

Players with dual citizenship

* Rafael Garcia

Out on loan

In

Out

Current coaching staff

:''As of December 29, 2024''.

Management Staff 2024/25

Management

List of notable players

List of retired numbers

15 – Retired in 2011 in recognition of

goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...

Álvaro Misael Alfaro Álvaro Misael Alfaro Sánchez (born January 6, 1971) is a former Salvadoran professional goalkeeper and currently manager. He ended his career at Isidro Metapán of the Salvadoran Primera División in 2010. Club career Destroyer Misael Alfar ...

. Alfaro was a major player for Metapán who suffered a neck injury which forced him to retire from the game. In 2011, the number was brought out of retirement and given to back-up goalkeeper. 18 – Retired in 2011 in recognition of

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

Nelson Rivera. Rivera was shot in the head and died after unknown gunmen attacked the car he was traveling in. The number was brought out of retirement in 2012. 20 – Retired in 2015 in recognition of

Héctor Mejía. Mejía was a long serving and major player for Metapán, he participated in all 10 of Metapán title victories. He retired as Metapán most decorated and most capped player in their history.

One-club men

List of coaches

Isidro Metapán has had 12 permanent managers and 3 temporary manager since the club was formed after the merger of Metapán FC and Isidro Menéndez FC.

Edwin Portillo Edwin Ernesto Portillo (born November 17, 1962, in Metapán) is a former Salvadoran professional footballer and current manager. Coaching career CESSA In 1996, he began his coaching career with CESSA, now called Isidro Metapán. Fuerte San Fra ...

holds the record for most championships won with the club with 7, longest-serving manager in terms of time consecutively of time with 8 years between 2006 and 2013, and most tenures as coach of Metapán with 6. Jorge Rodríguez the manager holds the record with most consecutive titles with three. This list also includes the coaches who coached CESSA/Metapán FC and Isidro Menéndez

Other departments

Football

Reserve team

The reserve team serves mainly as the final stepping stone for promising young players under the age of 21 before being promoted to the main team. The second team is coached by

TBD TBD may refer to: Arts and media * TBD (TV network), an American broadcast television network for millennials * TBD TV (now ''WJLA 24/7 News''), a local cable news channel for Washington, D.C. * TBD Records, an American record label * TBD.com ...

. the team played in the Primera División Reserves, their greatest successes was winning the Reserve championships four times in Apertura 2013, Clausura 2014, Clausura 2015, Clausura 2018.

List of Coaches

Current squad

''As of: June, 2025''

Junior teams

The youth team (under 17 and under 15) has produced some of El Salvador's top football players, including

and

. eir greatest successes was winning the 2023 Apertura 3-2 penalties after tying 2-2 after 120 minutes.

List of Coaches

Current squad

''As of: June, 2025''

Women's team

The women's first team, which is led by head coach Cristian Zañas, features several members of the El Salvador national ladies team. Their greatest successes was winning the 2021 Clausura 3-2 penalties.

List of Coaches

Current squad

''As of: July, 2025''

In

Out

Other sports

Isidro Metapan has other departments for a variety of sports.

Basketball

AD Isidro Metapan Básquetbol Club was founded in 2015 and play Liga Mayor de Baloncesto (LMB) which is the highest level in El Salvador league tier. the club is led by head coach

, the club features several key members including Nigerian

Deji Akindele Akindele Jeleel Ayodeji (born April 2, 1983) is a Nigerian professional basketball player. Collegiate career Akindele chose Chicago State over Rutgers, St. Peters and St. Marys. During Akindele's first season in Chicago, the 7'1" center averag ...

and TBD. Their greatest successes were winning the 2015 Clausura Notable players: Nigerian

, Panamanian Jonathan King, Nicaraguan Bartel López, Past coaches: Darwin Veliz (2017)

References

External links

Municipal news of Metapán
* http://www.geocities.com/maradona1o/
Archived
2009-10-24) * https://web.archive.org/web/20110720163252/http://archive.laprensa.com.sv/20070904/latribuna/Cronologia-1-Trib090120072-3.pdf * https://web.archive.org/web/20110929142108/http://archive.laprensa.com.sv/20070904/latribuna/Cronologia-2-Trib090120072-3.pdf * https://web.archive.org/web/20110720163413/http://archive.laprensa.com.sv/20070904/latribuna/Equipoideal-Trib090120078-9.pdf * https://web.archive.org/web/20071128005453/http://archive.laprensa.com.sv/20070901/latribuna/859436.asp * https://web.archive.org/web/20110929142152/http://archive.laprensa.com.sv/20070901/latribuna/861199.asp * http://archive.laprensa.com.sv/20070901/latribuna/Historia-Trib090120076-7.pdf * https://web.archive.org/web/20110720163615/http://archive.laprensa.com.sv/20070901/latribuna/859452.asp * https://web.archive.org/web/20110720163631/http://archive.laprensa.com.sv/20070901/latribuna/859934.asp
Calero
* https://web.archive.org/web/20111025203600/http://www.laprensagrafica.com/deportes/futbol-nacional/226210-camino-a-ser-un-club.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Metapan Association football clubs established in 2000 Football clubs in El Salvador 2000 establishments in El Salvador Metapán