Cusco’s contentious rise, from Real Garcilaso to Flamengo’s Libertadores opponent | OneFootball

Cusco, debuting in the Libertadores under their present name, are Flamengo’s first Group A opponents and carry a contentious backstory.

According to Globo.com, the club first appeared internationally as Real Garcilaso, founded in 2009 by businessman Julio Vásquez, and climbed from Peru’s lower tiers by winning the Copa Perú in 2011.

Real Garcilaso reached the Libertadores quarter-finals in 2013, thrashing Cerro Porteño 5-1 and upsetting Nacional of Uruguay, three-time champions of the competition, in the last 16.

From the outset the project faced hostility in Cusco, a city already represented by Cienciano and Deportivo Garcilaso. Cienciano met Flamengo in the 2008 Libertadores and won the Copa Sudamericana in 2003. The Garcilaso name and sky blue and white colours mirrored Deportivo’s identity, fuelling resentment.

Supporters accused Real Garcilaso of trying to appropriate their neighbour’s heritage, and disputes with the directors became frequent. Suspicions deepened because Vásquez had earlier sought to invest in Deportivo and was turned down.

After heavy pressure from Deportivo fans on Vásquez’s family, the club rebranded at the end of 2019 as Cusco FC. The colours changed from sky blue and white to gold and black.

Since then, Cusco have twice played the Copa Sudamericana, in 2020 and 2025. They were relegated in 2022, returned the following year, and remain in the top flight.

This is their first Libertadores with the current name and colours. Drawn with holders Flamengo, Independiente Medellín and Estudiantes, Cusco host Flamengo at 3,350 metres above sea level at 21:30 Brasília time on Wednesday, with Globo and getv broadcasting and live coverage on ge.globo.

Source: Globo.com