Latrobe Athletic
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| Full name | Latrobe Athletic and Football Club | ||
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| Ground | Macquarie Docklands, Latrobe | ||
| Capacity | 55,800 | ||
| Manager |  Ren Fang | ||
| League | Kelssek Championship | ||
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Latrobe Athletic is a professional multi-sports club known primarily for its rugby union and football teams, which both play in Kelssek's highest leagues, the Rugby Superleague and Kelssek Championship, respectively. Known for most of its history as Latrobe AFC, the club made the controversial decision to go by "Latrobe Athletic" in 185 FE. Latrobe Athletic was the first Kelssek sports club to have reached an international final, and in two different sports, but have won none of the international finals they've reached. The rugby section made it to the 35th Rugby Union Challenge Trophy final, losing to the Torino Terriers of Neu Engollon. The football section was the first from Kelssek to reach (and lose) the Challengers Cup, Champions League, and Cup Winners' Cup finals, and also holds the record for most Patriotes Cup wins with six.
Both the rugby and football team have provincial rivalries with Clayquot-based teams. The rugby section has contested the People's Cup challenge trophy against the Clayquot Reds for over 150 years. The football section's version of this rivalry is against Clayquot City.
Football history
On the football side, with Nepharan manager Warner Dranz taking the helm Latrobe was also the first Kelssek team to reach an international club football final, losing to FC Yassaca in Challengers Cup 6. Dranz went on to deliver the club's first league championship in 16 years by winning the 69th KFL season and reaching the Champions League 10 final for another historic high. Dranz was unable to sustain his early success however, and despite strong fan support and a catchy chant to the tune of "Bad Romance" working in his favour, his contract was not renewed after the KFL 73 season after three straight years of failing to qualify for IFCF competitions.
Former Banija international Obey Chidebere was recruited from Coquitlam United, where he had managed the Easties above Latrobe in the table and won a Patriotes Cup, to replace Dranz. Latrobe finished as league runners-up in his first full season in charge and Chidebere soon delivered silverware as Latrobe won Patriotes Cup 24 in his second season at the helm. In 196-97 FE Latrobe saw hopes of a league title fade away over the last third of the season but added a second Patriotes Cup win in three years to the trophy cabinet with a 4-0 victory over Strathcona Internationals in the final. With key signings Marten Solomonson and Caspian Garberg, this was followed by Latrobe's first league championship in nine years.
On the strength of this season Latrobe reached the Challengers Cup 19 final but lost 3–1 against Zwangzug side FTC United, making it three IFCF finals reached and lost, although they won the Patriotes Cup. With Chidiebere setting an impressive record of four trophies in five years, he was offered the Kelssek job at the end of the 199-200 season. This close season was also marked by the club's record outgoing transfer as Chike Obident was signed by CF Outineau for a fee of ϑ2.45 million, which fans heavily criticized and saw as due to the executives making decisions in absence of a manager to oppose the transfer, as it took place during the hiring process for Chidiebere's replacement. That managerial replacement was Bryce Graughan, who in his first season won Latrobe's fifth Patriotes Cup to tie CF Outineau for the most national cups. The team followed up in 201-02 by reaching and losing both the Patriotes Cup and Cup Winners' Cup finals, stretching a streak of futility in international finals.
Fan culture
The club's fans have become known for their song "Docklands Dream": They get my heart racing in their red and white / Be my Docklands dream tonight!
Honours
- Kelssek Championship
- Winners (9): 2, 14, 21, 24, 34, 53, 69, 78, 84
- Runners-up: 55, 64, 65, 74
- Patriotes Cup
- Winners (6): 4, 24, 26, 28, 30, 34
- Runners-up: 1, 12, 31
- International
- IFCF Champions League
- Runners-up: 10
- IFCF Challengers Cup
- Runners-up: 6, 19
- Cup Winners' Cup
- Runners-up: 70
Results
- Key
- nQR–nth qualifying round; nR–nth round; PO–Playoff round; GS–Group stage; R16–Round of 16; R32–Round of 32; QF–Quarterfinals; SF–Semifinals; F–Finalist; W–Winner
- CL Champions League; ChC Challengers Cup; AT Associations Trophy; CWC Cup Winners' Cup
| Season | League | Cup | IFCF/UICA | Other | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Rank | ||||
| 65 | Champ | 38 | 21 | 6 | 11 | 67 | 43 | 69 | 2nd | 4R | ChC PO | |
| 66 | Champ | 38 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 41 | 27 | 59 | 9th | 4R |  ChC F |
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| 67 | Champ | 38 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 83 | 56 | 66 | 5th | QF | ||
| 68 | Champ | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 64 | 49 | 65 | 7th | SF | ChC GS | |
| 69 | Champ | 38 | 23 | 8 | 7 | 62 | 31 | 77 | 1st | 3R | ChC 3QR | |
| 70 | Champ | 38 | 24 | 6 | 8 | 83 | 38 | 78 | 4th | QF | Error creating thumbnail: CL F | |
| 71 | Champ | 38 | 21 | 5 | 12 | 69 | 44 | 68 | 7th | 3R | ChC R32 | |
| 72 | Champ | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 55 | 38 | 65 | 7th | 5R | ||
| 73 | Champ | 38 | 19 | 4 | 15 | 59 | 46 | 61 | 8th | 5R | ||
| 74 | Champ | 38 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 85 | 43 | 77 | 2nd | 5R | ||
| 75 | Champ | 38 | 20 | 8 | 10 | 71 | 45 | 68 | 6th | W | CL QF | |
| 76 | Champ | 38 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 63 | 52 | 63 | 6th | 5R | ChC 2QR | CWC 1R |
| 77 | Champ | 38 | 22 | 4 | 12 | 71 | 44 | 70 | 3rd | W | ||
| 78 | Champ | 38 | 29 | 5 | 4 | 105 | 36 | 92 | 1st | 4R | AT R32 | CWC SF |
| 79 | Champ | 38 | 22 | 9 | 7 | 78 | 41 | 75 | 3rd | W | Error creating thumbnail: ChC F | |
| 80 | Champ | 38 | 24 | 3 | 11 | 81 | 42 | 75 | 5th | 3R | ChC 4QR | CWC R16 |
| 81 | Champ | 38 | 21 | 4 | 13 | 84 | 52 | 67 | 5th | W | ChC GS | |
| 82 | Champ | 38 | 24 | 3 | 11 | 81 | 42 | 75 | 7th | F | ChC 3QR | Error creating thumbnail: CWC F |
| 83 | Champ | 38 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 79 | 50 | 63 | 8th | SF | ||
| 84 | Champ | 38 | 29 | 3 | 6 | 85 | 39 | 90 | 1st | 3R | ||
| 85 | Champ | 38 | 20 | 9 | 9 | 76 | 43 | 69 | 4th | W | CL QF | |
| Year (FE) | Competition | Round | Opposition | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Globe Cup 41 | Group B | |||||
 Mardi Lopunnies (NSI) |
1-1 | 2-2 | 4th | |||
| Ciudad Soluca (SRG) |
1-1 | 0-2 | ||||
| Kaje Football (UGO) | 3-0 | 1-2 | ||||
| Globe Cup 42 | Group G | |||||
 Astograth University (ASG) |
2-2 | 0-2 | 4th | |||
 Iturributa United (ITB) |
1-3 | 3-2 | ||||
 Rolalas FC (VAL) |
1-0 | 2-4 | ||||
| Cygnus Cup 43 | 1st round |  Colonial Sile (VIL) |
1-2 | 0-3 | 1-5 | |
| 185-86 | Challengers Cup 6 | Group E | ||||
 René Skaé (FFD) |
0-1 | 2-0 | 2nd | |||
 Langmere Green Rovers (FVA) |
0-2 | 1-4 | ||||
 Sporting Iturributa (ASG) |
4-2 | 4-1 | ||||
| Round of 32 | Rosenpfelblatz City (AFT) |
1-1 | 3-2 | 4-3 | ||
| Round of 16 | Admiral Storevik (STL) |
2-1 | 3-2 (aet) | 5-3 | ||
| Quarterfinal | Aleiusia Capital (ZRH) |
0-1 | 1-0 | 1-1 (pen.) | ||
| Semifinal |  Rülândéá Kôstä (FFD) |
1-1 | 5-2 | 6-3 | ||
| Final |  FC Yassaca (SRS) |
0-3 (N) | ||||
| 187-88 | Challengers Cup 8 | Group |  Gortz United (ASG) |
2-2 | 1-0 | 4th |
| Crystal Fair HC (CRY) |
1-2 | 0-4 | ||||
| Southern Star (BRE) |
1-2 | 0-2 | ||||
| 195-96 | Cup Winners' Cup 64 | 1st round |  Olympia FC (EFL) |
2-2 | 1-2 | 3-4 |
| 198-99 | Champions League 19 | Group D | Litala 93 (MYT) |
1-0 | 1-2 | 3rd |
 Athletic Saint Eleanor (EXT) |
2-2 | 1-2 | ||||
| Tupí (YGZ) |
3-1 | 1-2 | ||||
| Challengers Cup 19 | Round of 32 |  Herzegovina City FC (BNJ) |
2-0 | 2-0 | 4-0 | |
| Round of 16 |  St. John's Arsenal (QUE) |
2-3 | 4-1 | 6-4 | ||
| Quarterfinal | Cerro Pintado (YGZ) |
2-1 | 1-1 | 3-2 | ||
| Semifinal | Capitol Athletic (SYL) |
2-0 | 2-1 | 4-1 | ||
| Final | FTC United (ZWZ) |
1-3 (N) | ||||
Players
Current squad
- As of KFL season 82
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under World Cup Committee eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WCC nationality.
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Notable players
Ruslan Demetriev - Former Kelssek captain, played for Workers Union and Honeybadgers in the Euraleague, before returning to Kelssek and finishing his career with two seasons at Star of Confederation.
Aleksandr Lukonov
Erland Stromby - Stalwart striker always reliable for goals during the Salthill/Dranz era.
Bridget Coombe - Rock in the midfield, captain of the Patriotes Cup 24 winners, left for a bunch of money
Hermann Eld - Key striker in the Patriotes Cup 24 win, though he didn't stay long.- Chike Obident - A breakout star in the 197-98 league title win, fans regard the decision to sell to CF Outineau the following year for a club record fee a terrible misjudgement.
Anke Waechter
Belaj-Rilan Dar
- Played in major international tournaments while at the club
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Coaching staff
- Manager: Ren Fang
- Assistant manager:
Iroha Irei - Coaches: Alexandre von Mertens, Fioniann Baalbaki
Managerial history
- Darach Salthill (58-64)
Warner Dranz (65-73)
Obey Chidebere (74-80)- Bryce Graughan (81-83)
- Ren Fang (84-)