Colegio Nacional Iquitos

Colegio Nacional de Iquitos is a Peruvian football team based in the city of Iquitos which was founded in 1926. The club is the biggest of Iquitos city and currently play in the Peruvian Primera División which is the top flight of Peruvian football.

History

On May 20, 1926 there was a meeting of 47 alumni of the Colegio Nacional de Iquitos, their principal, Pedro A. del Águila Hidalgo and Isabel Aguilar, with the purpose of establishing the Asociación Deportiva Colegio Nacional Iquitos.

This club represented Iquitos in professional Peruvian football for 20 years, between 1973 and 1992. Their best performance was achieved in 1977, when they tied for first with FBC Melgar at the end of the first stage of the national championship, after a win in Cusco against Cienciano with a Henry Perales goal. In the subsequent phase for the national title and Copa Libertadores qualifiers, the team could not maintain their first place position and lost the opportunity to win the championship.

Notable football players played for CNI such as national team starters Otorino Sartor, Juan "Papelito" Caceres and Ramon Quiroga; notable defenders such as César Adriazola, Juan Manuel Toyco, Roberto Arrelucea, Ernesto Guillén, Florentino Bernaola and Israel Quijandría; in addition to forwards Juan Jose Oré, Bernabé Navarro, Ernesto Neyra, Juan Michael of the Eagle, Nehemías Mera, and Richard Vinatea.

In 1992, CNI had a surprising beginning under manager Henry Perales ranking second...
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