The motto “But that I Equipao, all Un Pueblo” (more than a team, an entire people) is in various places in the municipal stadium of La Cisterno, Chile. Written in Spanish and Arabic, the phrase is a reference to Palestinians and also a motivation for the players of Club Deportivo Palestinian. The Chilean team, which moves a passionate crowd, is Cruzeiro’s next opponent for the South American Cup.
Founded in 1920 by migrants who decided to build their lives in Chile, the soccer team is known for their frequent demonstrations of support for the creation of a Palestinian state in the Middle East and defending those living in the territories of West Bank and Gaza. In addition, it has become a link between the region and Chile, which has the largest Palestinian community outside the Arab world.
According to Ricardo Marzuca, a member of the Center for Arab Studies of the Universidad de Chile, the first Palestinians arrived in the country in the late 19th century, amid the decay of the Turkish-Ottoman empire and the generated economic crisis. He explains that this migration occurred in the context of the movement of Syrians and Lebanese towards the Americas.
Until the end of World War II, Chile received between 8,000 and 10,000 Arabs, most of them Orthodox Christian Palestinians, who saw in the country a climate similar to those of homeland. This exodus continued in the following years, mainly due to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.
“The history of Palestinian ends the argument that Palestine never existed. How could there be a football team in Chile founded by Palestinian migrants more than 20 years before Israel’s emergence?” Asks Nicolás Abused, 45, one of the club’s directors. “Today, the resonance that the team has for the world is huge and collaborates with the Palestinian cause.”
Palestinian has already won two titles in the first division of the Chilean Championship, two on Monday and three in the Chile Cup. In continental tournaments, he participated seven times in the Copa Libertadores de America and seven from the South American. In the latter, his best campaign was in 2016, when he was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Argentine San Lorenzo.
In the 2025 South American, the team divides the group and with Cruzeiro, Mushuc Runa, Ecuador, and Unión Santa Fe, from Argentina. So far, after two rounds, he occupies the second position with a victory and a defeat. The match against the mining team will take place this Thursday (24), and the “Arabs”, as they are known, will be the principals. The confrontation will take place in Coquimbo, northern Chile, for lack of adequate structure at the Chilean club stadium.
Memory and Tradition
Inaugurated in 1988, the Palestinian stadium is located in La Cistern, distant region of downtown Santiago, and has a capacity of 12,000 people. On a game day, fans with their Kuffiye – typical Palestinian lean – sing songs and shake Palestinian flags. At the time of hunger, Falafel and Shawarma are some options.
Whenever you can, Carlos Medina, 49, goes to the stadium to accompany your heart team. “I like the familiar and quiet environment from there,” he says. Greatly of a Palestinian born in Beit Jala, the computer engineer has been with football since childhood, although he was not encouraged by his parents to like the sport. Only when he was older came to attending the stadium of La Cistern to see the tricolor team play.
Today, Medina is responsible for the Palestinian History website, which compiles club information and stories. “The page was born from the documentary ‘Cuatro Colores’, which is about the team. When it finished the whole process, I found that a lot of information would be out. That’s when I decided to gather it on a site and count it correctly, because until then no one had done it,” he recalls.
One of the sections of the site is dedicated to players who had the most prominence in the team. Among them is Roberto Coli, a member of the team that won the first national title of Palestinian, in 1955. Medina idol, Oscar Fabbiani is considered one of the biggest players of the club and, between 1975 and 1978, won a Chilean championship and two Chilean Cups.
Another player who made history in Palestinian was Elías Figueroa. Shortly after becoming an idol on Brazilian soil playing for Internacional in the 1970s, the Chilean was hired by the “Arabs”, who defended from 1977 and 1980. In the 1990s, Figueroa was Tricolor coach and left the club in 1996 when he returned to Porto Alegre to train Inter.
Palestinian has been a frequent presence in the continental tournaments. The recurring participation and the causes defended have led the club to increase its fans significantly. Today, it also has fans in the Middle East, where the games are broadcast by Al Jazeera. A passion that surpassed borders and narrows an old relationship.
