Nickname(s):El Pije (The Pije),Albiverdes (The Green and Whites), Indio Pije (The Pije Indian)
Founded:1960
Stadium:Estadio Municipal Bicentenario Germán Becker
Capacity:18,413
1916-1965
2000-2003
2007-2008
2008-Present
CD Temuco Crest History
The crest history of Club de Deportes Temuco is closely connected with the football traditions of Temuco and Chile's Araucanía Region. Green and white have remained the dominant colours throughout the club's history, while later badges introduced symbols representing the city, the surrounding landscape and the regional identity of southern Chile.
The earliest design shown, used from 1916 to 1965, predates the foundation of the modern Deportes Temuco in 1960 and is associated with the historical football identity from which the club developed. It consisted of an extremely simple green square crossed by four white diagonal sections, producing a bold geometric pattern.
Unlike most traditional football badges, this early emblem contained no lettering, monogram, football or shield. Its identity depended entirely on the strong contrast between green and white, colours that would later become permanently associated with Deportes Temuco and inspire the nickname Albiverdes — The Green and Whites.
The history behind this early symbol is connected with Green Cross, the Santiago club founded in 1916 that later merged with Deportes Temuco in 1965. The resulting club competed for many years as Green Cross-Temuco, meaning that elements of the older Green Cross identity became part of Temuco's football heritage.
By the end of the twentieth century, the club had returned to the Deportes Temuco name, and its visual identity increasingly focused on the city and the Araucanía Region rather than the earlier Green Cross connection.
The 2000–2003 crest represented a complete transformation. A circular badge was introduced with a large stylised letter T at its centre, immediately identifying the club with Temuco.
The central T was surrounded by a complex combination of green, orange, white, black and blue elements. Around the upper edge appeared the wording CLUB DE DEPORTES TEMUCO, while CHILE was prominently displayed at the bottom.
The blue lower section contained a series of curved lines, giving the badge a distinctly modern appearance compared with the simple historic green-and-white emblem. The result was one of the most elaborate crests used by the club.
Another redesign appeared in 2007. The 2007–2008 badge retained the circular format and the large central T, preserving continuity with the previous identity while simplifying the surrounding design.
Green became much more dominant in this version. The wording DEPORTIVO TEMUCO S.A.D.P. curved around the lower part of the circle, while CHILE appeared immediately beneath the central T. Orange detailing remained but played a much smaller role.
In 2008, Deportes Temuco abandoned the circular concept and introduced the badge that forms the basis of its modern identity. The 2008–present crest returned to the historic green-and-white geometric background, creating a direct visual connection with the club's earlier heritage.
A large black letter T dominates the centre of the modern badge. Its shape is outlined in white, making it stand out strongly against the green background.
Several regional symbols are incorporated directly into the T. At the top appears the white silhouette of a snow-covered mountain or volcano, representing the dramatic Andean and volcanic landscape surrounding Temuco and the wider Araucanía Region.
In the lower part of the letter is a small red copihue flower with green leaves. The copihue is Chile's national flower and is particularly associated with the forests of southern Chile, giving the crest another strong connection with the natural environment of the region.
The modern emblem therefore combines several different layers of the club's identity: the green and white associated with its football tradition, the large T for Temuco, and regional imagery representing Araucanía and southern Chile.
CD Temuco Club History
Club de Deportes Temuco was founded on 22 February 1960 in the city of Temuco, capital of Chile's Araucanía Region. The club was created to provide the city with a representative in national professional football and would eventually develop into one of the most recognisable clubs in southern Chile.
Temuco's football history is somewhat complicated because the modern club became closely connected with Green Cross, an older institution founded in Santiago in 1916. Green Cross had been an important member of Chilean professional football and won the Primera División championship in 1945, but by the 1960s it was experiencing financial difficulties.
In 1965, Green Cross moved south and merged with Deportes Temuco. The resulting club became known as Green Cross-Temuco, combining the professional history of the Santiago club with the growing football identity of Temuco and the Araucanía Region.
The merger gave Temuco an established place in Chile's professional structure and created one of the country's more unusual football identities. The historic green-and-white colours of Green Cross became firmly associated with the Temuco club and remain fundamental to its identity today.
Green Cross-Temuco enjoyed some of its strongest early seasons during the 1960s and 1970s, establishing itself in the Primera División and developing a substantial following in southern Chile. The club became particularly difficult for visiting teams because of the long journey south and the strong local support in Temuco.
One of the darkest moments in the club's history occurred in 1961, before the merger, when members of the Green Cross team were killed in an aircraft accident in the Andes. The tragedy became known as the Green Cross disaster and remains an important part of the historical legacy inherited by Deportes Temuco.
Over time, the Green Cross element gradually disappeared from everyday use and the club increasingly became identified simply with Temuco. By the mid-1980s, the name Deportes Temuco had been restored, reinforcing the club's position as the principal football representative of the city and surrounding region.
The following decades were characterised by repeated movement between the divisions of Chilean football. Deportes Temuco enjoyed periods in the Primera División, but financial problems and inconsistent sporting results prevented the club from establishing the long-term stability enjoyed by Chile's largest teams.
The club nevertheless produced several memorable periods at the highest level. During the 1990s, Temuco again became a competitive Primera División side and developed a reputation for passionate home support at the Estadio Germán Becker.
The end of the 1990s and beginning of the 2000s brought another period of instability. Temuco moved between the Primera División and Primera B, while financial and administrative difficulties increasingly affected the organisation.
A particularly complicated chapter began when the traditional Deportes Temuco encountered serious financial problems. A separate project known as Unión Temuco was founded in 2008, creating a situation in which two professional clubs represented the same city.
Unión Temuco was established by former Chilean international Marcelo Salas, one of the country's most celebrated footballers and a native of Temuco. The new club progressed through the professional divisions while the traditional Deportes Temuco attempted to rebuild its own position.
In 2013, the two projects were effectively brought together when Unión Temuco was absorbed into Deportes Temuco. This reunification restored a single major professional football identity for the city and provided the foundation for a more stable period.
The rebuilt club soon began challenging for promotion. Deportes Temuco won the 2015–16 Primera B championship, securing a long-awaited return to the Primera División after more than a decade away from the highest level.
Promotion generated enormous enthusiasm in the Araucanía Region. Playing once again against clubs such as Colo-Colo, Universidad de Chile and Universidad Católica returned El Pije to the national spotlight and reaffirmed Temuco's reputation as one of southern Chile's major football centres.
During this period, Deportes Temuco also achieved an important international milestone. The club qualified for the 2018 Copa Sudamericana, giving it the opportunity to represent Chile in continental competition.
Temuco produced a memorable performance against Argentine club San Lorenzo, winning the first leg in Buenos Aires. However, the result was later overturned because Temuco had fielded Jonathan Requena, who was ruled ineligible for the match. The episode brought an unfortunate administrative end to what had initially appeared to be one of the club's greatest international victories.
Sporting difficulties followed, and Deportes Temuco was relegated from the Primera División in 2018. The club subsequently returned to Primera B, where it continued attempting to regain its place among Chile's top-flight teams.
The club's home, the Estadio Municipal Bicentenario Germán Becker, is one of the central symbols of football in the Araucanía Region. Originally opened in the 1960s, the stadium was extensively reconstructed ahead of the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and later also hosted matches during the 2015 Copa América.
Temuco's identity is strongly regional. The club represents not only the city itself but also a large part of Araucanía, an area with a particularly strong Mapuche cultural heritage. This connection with southern Chile is reflected in the imagery of the modern crest and contributes to the distinctive character of the club.
Regional encounters with clubs such as Provincial Osorno, Deportes Puerto Montt and Deportes Valdivia have carried additional significance, particularly when these teams have competed in the same division. Such matches reflect the strong regional identities of clubs located far from the traditional football centre of Santiago.
