Palestino’s deep Palestinian ties shape Grêmio’s Copa Sudamericana trip | OneFootball

Grêmio visit Palestino in Santiago on Wednesday in the Copa Sudamericana’s Group F third round, the Brazilian club’s first ever meeting with the Chileans.

Kick-off is 21:30 at the Estadio Municipal de La Cisterna. According to Globo.com, Chile is home to an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people of Palestinian descent, rooted in migration since the late 19th century.

Founded in 1920, Palestino, also known as the Árabes, have won league titles in 1955 and 1978, plus Copa Chile crowns in 1975, 1977 and 2018. A social club followed in 1938 in Las Condes.

Palestino were the first top-flight Chilean side to adopt a joint-stock model. In 2004, families of Arab origin took control. Major shareholder Fernando Aguad is a vice-president, with president Jorge Uauy also a stakeholder.

The Bank of Palestine is the main shirt sponsor, first partnering in 2009-2010 and again from 2013, a link that brought a friendly tour in the Middle East. Board members largely have Palestinian ancestry, and some players have represented Palestine.

The club’s colours match the Palestinian flag. In 2023 a watermelon kit referenced a resistance symbol from the 1967 Six-Day War.

In 2014, the number 1 on shirts was replaced by the old map of Palestine, prompting a federation fine, and the motif still appears subtly, including in line-up graphics. Rivalries sit within the Clásico de las Colonias against Audax Italiano and Unión Española, with the edge sharpened by a 4-2 aggregate win over Audax in the 2018 Copa Chile final.

Source: Globo.com