Nickname(s):Árabes (The Arabs),Tetracolores(The Four-Coloured),Baisanos (Palestinians)
Founded:1920
Stadium:Estadio Municipal de La Cisterna
Capacity:8,000
1920-1949
1949-1984
1984-1991
1991-2005
2005-2008
2008-2014
2014-Present
CD Palestino Crest History
The crest history of Club Deportivo Palestino is inseparable from the club's connection with the Palestinian community in Chile. Since its foundation in 1920, the colours red, green, white and black have formed the basis of Palestino's visual identity. These colours, which correspond to the colours of the Palestinian flag, have remained remarkably consistent even though the shape and style of the crest have changed considerably.
The original 1920–1949 crest already established the basic visual language that would define the club for more than a century. It featured a traditional pointed shield divided into sections of white, green and red, crossed horizontally by a black band carrying the name PALESTINO in white capital letters.
Although the proportions and shape of this early badge were somewhat irregular, virtually all of the essential elements of the modern Palestino crest were already present: the shield, the four colours and the prominent horizontal name band.
In 1949, the badge was significantly simplified and modernised. The 1949–1984 crest adopted a cleaner, more symmetrical shield divided vertically into white, green and red sections. A broad black horizontal band crossed the upper-middle portion of the shield and again displayed PALESTINO in white.
This design became the foundation of Palestino's classic identity. The strong vertical colour fields gave the badge a distinctive appearance, while the black name band provided a clear visual connection between the different sections.
A dramatic departure occurred in 1984. The 1984–1991 crest abandoned the traditional divided shield and instead adopted a more rectangular badge directly inspired by the Palestinian flag. A red triangle appeared on the left, while horizontal black, white and green sections filled the remainder of the design.
The name PALESTINO appeared prominently in a black rectangular panel across the top. This version made the club's Palestinian heritage particularly explicit, transforming the colours from elements within a football shield into a design closely resembling the national flag itself.
In 1991, Palestino returned to its traditional identity. The 1991–2005 crest restored the pointed shield and the familiar arrangement of white, green and red vertical sections, crossed by the black PALESTINO band.
The restored design was very similar to the badge used between 1949 and 1984, demonstrating how strongly the traditional shield had become associated with the club. Rather than continuing with the flag-shaped experiment, Palestino returned to the visual formula that had characterised much of its history.
Another major experiment followed in 2005. The 2005–2008 crest replaced the shield with a circular badge. A thick black outer ring contained the words DEPORTIVO at the top and CHILE at the bottom.
Inside the circle, vertical stripes in green, black and red surrounded a central rectangular panel carrying the name PALESTINO. Two small stars appeared near the bottom, representing the club's two Chilean Primera División championships, won in 1955 and 1978.
Despite retaining the traditional colours, the circular design represented one of the greatest visual departures in Palestino's crest history. It lasted only a few years before the club once again returned to its historic shield.
The 2008–2014 crest restored the familiar pointed shape, with white, green and red vertical fields and the black horizontal PALESTINO band. Its appearance closely followed the classic design used for much of the twentieth century.
In 2014, the crest received another refinement. The 2014–present badge retained exactly the same fundamental composition but introduced a heavier black outline, stronger lettering and slightly adjusted proportions.
The modern crest is therefore an evolution rather than a reinvention. The left side remains white, the centre green and the right side red, while the broad black band bearing PALESTINO stretches across the shield. Together, the four colours create an immediate visual reference to the club's Palestinian heritage.
CD Palestino Club History
Club Deportivo Palestino was founded on 20 August 1920 in Osorno, Chile, by members of the country's Palestinian immigrant community. The club was created as a sporting institution through which Palestinians and their descendants could maintain cultural ties while becoming part of Chilean society. This heritage has remained central to Palestino's identity throughout its history.
Chile became home to one of the largest Palestinian communities outside the Middle East, with substantial immigration beginning during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Palestino consequently developed into much more than a football club, becoming an important cultural symbol for the Palestinian-Chilean community.
During its early decades, Palestino initially operated primarily as an amateur sporting organisation. The club eventually concentrated increasingly on football and entered the professional structure during the 1950s, beginning the period in which it established itself as a significant force in Chilean football.
Palestino entered the Segunda División in 1952 and immediately enjoyed success, winning the championship and earning promotion to the Primera División. The achievement was particularly impressive for a club beginning its first season in Chile's professional league structure.
Only a few years later, Palestino achieved its first major national triumph. In 1955, the club won the Chilean Primera División championship for the first time. The title established Palestino among the country's leading clubs and represented a landmark achievement for the Palestinian community in Chile.
The club became known for its distinctive red, green, white and black colours, reflecting its Palestinian heritage. These colours became an essential part of Palestino's shirts and crest and helped create one of the most recognisable identities in Chilean football.
Palestino experienced varying fortunes during the following decades, including periods outside the top division, but returned strongly during the 1970s. This era produced arguably the greatest team in the club's history.
A major breakthrough came with victory in the 1975 Copa Chile, giving Palestino another important national trophy. The club then assembled a particularly talented side that became famous for an extraordinary unbeaten sequence during the second half of the decade.
Between 1977 and 1978, Palestino went 44 consecutive Primera División matches without defeat, a remarkable run that established a long-standing record in Chilean professional football. The sequence became one of the defining achievements of the club's history.
That exceptional team reached its peak in 1978, when Palestino captured its second Primera División championship. Players such as Elías Figueroa, one of the greatest defenders in South American football history, and prolific striker Óscar Fabbiani played important roles in this celebrated period.
The 1978 championship earned Palestino qualification for the 1979 Copa Libertadores. The club produced an impressive continental campaign and reached the semi-final stage, demonstrating that its championship-winning generation could compete with leading teams from across South America.
The decades that followed brought fewer major trophies, and Palestino increasingly operated outside the financial power of Chile's largest clubs such as Colo-Colo, Universidad de Chile and Universidad Católica. Nevertheless, the club maintained a regular presence in professional football and continued developing players through its youth system.
Palestino eventually established its permanent home at the Estadio Municipal de La Cisterna in southern Santiago. The stadium became closely associated with the club and the Palestinian-Chilean community, providing Palestino with a distinctive home despite its supporter base being spread across Chile.
The club's Palestinian identity has also given Palestino an unusual international following. Support for the team extends beyond Chile, particularly among Palestinians in the Middle East and throughout the diaspora. The club is consequently sometimes described as representing a community far larger than its immediate geographical supporter base in Santiago.
Sporting success returned in 2018, when Palestino won the Copa Chile for the third time. The victory ended a long wait for a major national trophy and qualified the club for the following season's Copa Libertadores.
During the modern era, Palestino has become a frequent Chilean representative in South American competition. The club has participated in both the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana, giving its distinctive colours and Palestinian identity increasing visibility across the continent.
Palestino does not have one single rivalry comparable in intensity with Chile's largest clásicos, although matches against other Santiago clubs naturally carry additional importance. Historically, encounters with clubs such as Audax Italiano and Unión Española have also possessed a distinctive character because all three were founded by immigrant communities — Palestinian, Italian and Spanish respectively.
These matches are sometimes associated with the tradition of Chile's colonial or immigrant-community clubs, reflecting the important role that migration played in the development of football and sporting institutions in the country.
