Newell's Old Boys

Claudio Newell, founding member of Newell's Old Boys

Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys was established on 3 November 1903. Claudio Newell was one of the founding members. Newell called teachers, pupils and alumni of the school his father had established to sign the act of foundation of the club. The name chosen paid tribute to Isaac Newell's life. The first president was Víctor Heitz.

The name "old boys" refers to former pupils of a school. In fact, the players of the first football team were graduates of the school Isaac Newell had established, the Colegio Comercial Anglicano Argentino.

The colours of the club were taken from the Colegio Comercial Anglicano Argentino emblem (designed by Isaac Newell himself) that were red and black inspired in the colours of the flag of England and the Flag of the German Empire.

Newell's Old Boys is often referred to as "leprosos" ("lepers"). The club got its nickname, the lepers, after playing in a charity match for a leprosy clinic in the 1920s.[5]

The team that played their first official match on 21 May 1905, v. Argentino

On 30 March 1905, the Liga Rosarina de Football (Rosarian Football League) was established, following a proposal by Newell's president Heitz, who invited representatives of Rosario Athletic, Rosario Central and Atlético Argentino for that purpose. The main objective was to organise a championship, so a trophy was donated by the intendant of Rosario, Santiago Pinasco. The trophy was later named in his honour. Newell's was the winner of the first edition, having won eight games and finishing unbeaten. The team also scored 39 goals, conceding just 4.[6]

Previously, the historic first Rosarino derby had been held. Newell's won 1–0 with a goal scored by Faustino González. The next year Newell's won its second championship.

In 1907, the Liga Rosarina established a second division. The Copa Santiago Pinasco tournament moved to that division and "Copa Nicasio Vila" (named in honour of then mayor of Rosario) was created to be played by the first division teams. Newell's won the first edition of this trophy, which they won a total 9 times between 1907 and 1930.[7]

The Copa de Honor Municipalidad de Buenos Aires allowed teams from Buenos Aires and Rosario to take part in the competition. Newell's won the 1911 edition defeating Porteño 3–2 at the final. Other trophy were teams of both cities played together was the Copa Dr. Carlos Ibarguren, won by Newell's in 1921, defeating Huracán by 3–0.

The team that debuted in Primera División in 1939

In 1939, Newell's asked the Argentine Football Association to play in the Primera División championship. The AFA accepted the request, so Newell's played its first tournament in 1939, along with Rosario Central which was also added to the competition. Despite playing in the national tournaments, Newell's continued participating in the regional leagues of Rosario, but with youth amateur players. Newell's debuted in the AFA tournaments on 19 March 1939, defeating San Lorenzo by 2–1. The line-up was: Heredia; Gilli, Soneyro; Sisniega, Perucca, Reynoso; Belén, Fabrini, Gómez, Franco, Sánchez.

The Newell's O.B. team that won the 1987-88 Primera División championship

Newell's Old Boys have won the Primera División championship six times (1974 Metropolitano, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1992 Clausura, Apertura 2004 and 2013 Final) and were the runners-up of the Copa Libertadores de América twice (1988 and 1992). The 1990–91 championship was contested between the 1990 Apertura (Newell's) and 1991 Clausura (Boca Juniors) champions, which Newell's won in home-and-away matches. Even though the 1990 Apertura was not considered official by itself, it is considered by Newell's supporters to be their "seventh" championship.

Newell's also won a friendly youth mini-tournament called the Little World Cup in 1988, against River Plate, Milan, Juventus, Real Madrid and Manchester United, and is, together with Boca Juniors, San Lorenzo and Racing Club one of the few Argentine clubs that made a long and successful tour in Europe (in 1949), in which they defeated several important teams such as Valencia, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Real Madrid and the Spanish National "A" Team. These are the only major international achievements of the club until now (although several minor international summer tournaments were won, with the 1943 Copa de Oro Rioplatense standing up). So far the club has not won an official international championship.

Newell's Old Boys is one of a very few teams to have had all their players represent the national team in a single game, when they represented Argentina in a Pre-Olympic Tournament with their undefeated reserve team. It finished third in America, after Brazil and Uruguay.

The team has also contributed a great number of players to the Argentina national team, and exported many players to Europe's top leagues, mostly to Italy and Spain. Among its great players were Gabriel Batistuta, Abel Balbo, Jorge Valdano, Américo Gallego, Mario Zanabria, Gustavo Dezotti, Roberto Sensini, Walter Samuel, Mauricio Pochettino, René Pontoni, Gerardo Martino, Ángel Perucca and several more. It has recently produced Argentine internationals Gabriel Heinze, Maxi Rodríguez and Lionel Messi.

The club's president is Dr Ignacio Astore, a former team doctor, who was elected in September 2021.[8]

Coat of arms designed for Isaac Newell for his school served as inspiration for NOB shirt colors

The origins of Newell's Old Boys colors can be traced to the 19th century, when Isaac Newell founded the "Colegio Comercial Anglicano Argentino" in 1884. The school's coat of arms had four panels, each depicting a different element, such as Mercury wings, a lamp (representing wisdom), the flag of the United Kingdom, and the flag of Argentina.

The black and red colors used in the coat were extracted from the flags of England (where Newell was born) and the German Empire (country of origin of his wife, Anna Jockinsen).[9]

The red and black colors would be also adopted by the club as its colors. The first NOB emblem was designed by Ernesto Edwards, and (with few variations) has remained since then.

As of 26 September 2023

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  ARG Lucas Hoyos 3 DF  ARG Martín Luciano 6 DF  COL Jherson Mosquera 7 MF  ARG Iván Gómez (on loan from Estudiantes) 8 MF  ARG Pablo Pérez 13 MF  ARG Juan Sforza 14 DF  URU Armando Méndez 15 DF  ARG Bruno Pittón 16 FW  ECU Djorkaeff Reasco 17 FW  ARG Justo Giani 18 FW  ARG Brian Aguirre 19 DF  ARG Facundo Mansilla 21 DF  ARG Leonel Vangioni 22 MF  ARG Marcos Portillo 23 DF  ARG Ángelo Martino

No. Pos. Nation Player 24 FW  ARG Genaro Rossi 25 DF  PAR Víctor Velázquez 26 FW  ARG Ramiro Sordo 27 FW  ARG Jeremías Pérez Tica 28 FW  PAR Jorge Recalde 30 MF  ARG Cristian Ferreira (on loan from River Plate) 31 GK  ARG Williams Barlasina 39 FW  ARG Nazareno Fúnez 42 DF  ARG Guillermo Ortiz 44 FW  ARG Francisco González 47 MF  ARG Guillermo Balzi 52 DF  ARG Marco Campagnaro 55 DF  ARG Tomás Jacob — FW  ARG Ignacio Schor (on loan from Platense)

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  ARG Stefano Callegari (at Agropecuario until 31 December 2022) — DF  ARG Brian Calderara (at Barracas Central until 31 December 2022) — DF  ARG Facundo Nadalín (at Atlético Rafaela until 31 December 2022) — DF  ARG Manuel Llano (at Godoy Cruz until 31 December 2022)

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  ARG Julián Marcioni (at Atlanta until 31 December 2022) — FW  ARG Alexis Rodríguez (at Deportivo Municipal until 31 December 2022) — FW  ARG Enzo Cabrera (at Ethnikos Achna until 30 June 2024) — MF  ARG Jerónimo Cacciabue (at Miedź Legnica until 30 June 2023)

• Primera División (6): 1974 Metropolitano, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1992 Clausura, 2004 Apertura, 2013 Final

• Copa de Honor MCBA (1): 1911
• Copa Ibarguren (1): 1921
• Copa Adrián C. Escobar (1): 1949

• Liga Rosarina:
  • Copa Nicasio Vila (9): 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1918, 1921, 1922, 1929
  • Copa Santiago Pinasco (2): 1905, 1906
• Asociación Rosarina:[note 1]
  • Trofeo Luciano Molinas (4): 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935
  • Copa Estímulo (2): 1925, 1933

• Torneo Internacional Nocturno (1): 1943