Audax Club Sportivo Italiano (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈawðaksitaˈljano]) is a professional football club based in La Florida, Santiago, Chile. It was founded on 30 November 1910 by members of the Italian community in Chile as a cycling club named Audax Club Ciclista Italiano. The word Audax comes from Latin and means "bold" or "daring", a term commonly associated with cyclists in the early 20th century.
In 1921, brothers Domingo and Tito Fruttero established the club's football section, which joined the Liga Metropolitana that same year and won the competition in 1924. In 1927, Audax began competing in the Liga Central, renamed the Asociación de Football de Santiago in 1930, winning its top division in 1931 and 1932. Although originally founded as a cycling club and active in several other sports, Audax eventually became exclusively dedicated to football.
In 1933, Audax Italiano was one of the founding members of the Primera División. The club has won four league titles, in 1936, 1946, 1948 and 1957, making it the joint sixth-most successful club in the history of the Chilean top flight, alongside Magallanes and Everton.
Audax Italiano play their home matches at the Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida, which has a capacity of 12,000 spectators. The stadium was inaugurated in 1986 and completely rebuilt in 2008 for the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, hosting both the opening match and the final.
The club's traditional rivals are Unión Española and Palestino, with whom it contests the Clásico de colonias. Audax also historically contested the Clásico Criollo against Colo-Colo, so named because the two clubs were, at the time, the only sides to field exclusively Chilean players.
History
Foundation and early success
Audax Italiano was founded on 30 November 1910 by members of Santiago's Italian community, led by Alberto Caffi, Ruggero Cozzi and Amato Ruggieri. Originally established as the Audax Club Ciclista Italiano, the organisation was primarily devoted to cycling. As its membership grew, the club expanded into other sports, and a football section was formally established in 1921, prompting the adoption of the name Audax Club Sportivo Italiano.
Audax quickly became a prominent force in Santiago football. It won the Copa Chile in 1922 and later joined the Liga Metropolitana, before entering the Liga Central following the reorganisation of Chilean football. The club won the 1931 championship and shared the final amateur title with Colo-Colo in 1932 after their deciding match was abandoned following the collapse of a stand at the Estadio Italiano.
In 1933, Audax embarked on an extensive tour of the Americas, playing 59 matches across several countries before returning to Chile. That same year, it became one of the founding members of Chile's professional league. After finishing runners-up in 1934 and 1935, Audax won its first Primera División championship in 1936 under player-manager Carlos Giudice.
20th Century
Audax remained among Chile's leading clubs during the 1940s and 1950s. It won the Campeonato de Apertura in 1941 and added three further Primera División championships in 1946, 1948 and 1957. The club also came close to additional titles, notably losing the 1951 championship play-off to Unión Española at the Estadio Nacional.
Audax's fortunes declined from the 1960s onwards, despite players such as Carlos Reinoso, the league's leading scorer in 1968. The club was relegated for the first time in 1971 after losing a deciding match against Lota Schwager, returning to the top flight in 1976. Results remained inconsistent during the following decade. Audax reached the 1981 Copa Chile final but was relegated again in 1986 and subsequently spent almost a decade in the second tier. In 1987, the club also began playing its home matches in La Florida, establishing a lasting association with the commune.
Under Jorge Aravena, Audax finally returned to the Primera División in 1995. The club quickly re-established itself in the top flight, finishing fourth in 1996 and third in the 1997 Clausura. It reached the 1998 Copa Chile final, which also earned qualification for the 1998 Copa CONMEBOL, the club's first appearance in an official international competition.
Recent era
The second leg of the 2006 Clausura final between Audax Italiano and Colo-Colo at the Estadio Nacional.
After several uneven seasons, Audax experienced another period of prominence under manager Raúl Toro. The club reached the final of the 2006 Clausura, losing to Colo-Colo, but the campaign secured its first qualification for the Copa Libertadores.
Audax made its Libertadores debut in 2007, recording notable results against Alianza Lima and São Paulo but narrowly missing the knockout stage on goal difference. Domestically, the club finished third in the 2007 Apertura and topped the regular stage of the Clausura, while also competing in the 2007 Copa Sudamericana. These performances secured another Libertadores appearance in 2008.
In the 2008 Copa Libertadores, Audax advanced through the preliminary round before finishing bottom of a group containing Atlético Nacional, São Paulo and Sportivo Luqueño, although it defeated São Paulo 1–0 in Santiago. That year also saw the reopening of the renovated Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida, strengthening the club's institutional identification with the commune. Audax remained competitive in subsequent seasons, including a 14-match unbeaten run under Omar Labruna in 2010 that took the club to the final of the Pre-Libertadores play-off.
Rivalries
As a club founded by immigrants, it has a special rivalry with the other immigrant clubs Unión Española (founded by Spaniards) and Palestino (founded by Palestinian Arabs).
These games are known as the "Diaspora Derby" (Spanish: Clásico de Colonias).
Honours
Audax has been national champions four times, joint sixth alongside Magallanes. The club also achieved three Copa Chile runner-up finishes in 1981, 1998 and 2018.
The club had their first major success in 1936, when they won the league title. During the 1940s, Audax won two further titles in 1946 and 1948, and a fourth in 1957.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
↑"Veinte años cumple el Audax Club Sportivo Italiano". Los Sports (403). Santiago: Zig-Zag: 27. 28 November 1930.
↑Barducci, Gino (13 January 2021). "La tragedia de Audax Italiano". Asociación de Investigadores e Investigadoras del Fútbol Chileno. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023.
↑Espina, Eduardo (21 October 2021). "Chile 1936". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 23 July 2023.
↑Espina, Eduardo (15 August 2005). "Chile 1957". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 28 November 2010.
