Libertad F.C. (Ecuador)

Libertad

Full name	Libertad Fútbol Club
Nickname(s)	Libertario
Founded	17 May 2017; 8 years ago (2017-05-17)
Ground	Reina del Cisne
Capacity	14,935
Chairman	Marlon Granda
Manager	Juan Carlos León
League	Ecuadorian Serie A
2024	Serie A, 14th of 16
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Libertad Fútbol Club is an Ecuadorian professional football club from the city of Loja. Founded on 17 May 2017, it plays in the Serie A.

History

Founded on 17 May 2017 as Independiente Fútbol Club de Pindal, the club played in the Segunda Categoría de Loja in the 2018 season,^[1] In 2019, the club qualified for the national phase of the Segunda Categoría, being knocked out in the group stage.

Ahead of the 2020 campaign, Independiente changed its name to Libertad Fútbol Club,^[2] winning the tournament in Loja but still being knocked out early in the Segunda Categoría. After a second consecutive title in Loja in 2021, Libertad achieved promotion to the Serie B as champions.^[3]

In the 2022 Serie B, their first-ever season in the second level, Libertad won an immediate promotion to the Serie A, finishing in third place but benefitting from Independiente Juniors' ineligibility for promotion.^[4]

On June 2nd 2025 the team was involved again in match fixing. They missed two penalty kicks in the first half on purpose and then committed an obvious blantant foul in the 89th minute to give the opposing team a penalty kick and then did not contest the kick resulting in a loss. It was of the most obviously fixed matches ever viewed in football history resulting in a fire storm on social media.

Achievements

• Segunda Categoría
  • Winner (1): 2021

Players

As of 20 August 2025

Current squad

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 3 DF  ECU Kevin Becerra 4 DF  ECU Ronny Biojó (on loan from CD Cuenca) 6 DF  ECU Orlin Quiñónez 7 MF  ECU Ivan Zambrano 8 FW  ECU Wilter Ayovi 9 FW  ECU Diego Ávila 12 GK  ECU Jostyn Mina (on loan from Emelec) 14 MF  ECU Nestor Caicedo 19 FW  ECU Eber Caicedo 21 MF  ECU Angel Quiñónez 22 DF  ECU Fernando Cagua 23 DF  ECU Carlos Gruezo

No. Pos. Nation Player 24 DF  ECU Jose Monaga 25 DF  ECU Denilson Bolanos 30 MF  ECU Jostin Bravo (on loan from IDV) 36 DF  ECU Ariel García (on loan from Delfín) 37 FW  ECU Carlos Arboleda 45 GK  ECU Leonel Nazareno 50 MF  ECU Jean Humanante 54 DF  ECU Wagner Bardales 55 MF  ECU Sander Bueno 70 MF  ECU Yerlin Quiñónez 80 FW  ECU Bruno Pachito 99 GK  ECU Samuel Castillo

References

1. "Siete equipos competirán en segunda categoría en Loja" [Seven teams will play in Segunda Categoría in Loja] (in Spanish). La Hora. 4 May 2018. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
2. "La nueva esperanza del fútbol lojano" [The new hope of football in Loja] (in Spanish). De Rabona. 25 July 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
3. "Libertad FC de Loja jugará por primera vez en Serie B" [Libertad FC de Loja will play for the first time in the Serie B] (in Spanish). El Comercio. 30 October 2021. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
4. "Libertad de Loja ascendió a la Serie A por primera vez" [Libertad de Loja promoted to the Serie A for the first time] (in Spanish). El Comercio. 30 October 2022. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.

External links

• Official website (in Spanish)