Alianza Lima celebrates another year of existence this February 15. On a day like today, but in 1901, the blue and white team was created by a group of young workers from the Alianza stable (hence the name of the team), owned by the then president Augusto B. Leguía. Its founders surely did not imagine that, more than a century later, the club would grow to be one of the most important sports institutions in the country.
Throughout these 123 years, Alianza has seen its history enriched by winning numerous First Division titles and being the birthplace of countless Peruvian soccer talents. As a result of these achievements, his popularity has grown to the point where even his nicknames, among which Intimas stands out, are known even by rival fans.
How did the nickname of the Intimates of La Victoria come about in Alianza Lima?
According to the fan page El Blog Íntimo, in 1929, Alianza Lima was sanctioned by the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF), because the club’s players who had been called up to the Peruvian team to participate in the Copa América of that year (called at that time the South American Championship) they resigned citing economic reasons.
The punishment consisted of the disqualification of the team from the local league, which had already been played for seven dates. In addition, Alianza Lima was prohibited from playing matches throughout the national territory, at least under that name.
Alejandro Villanueva, Alianza Lima’s greatest idol, was one of the members of the intimate team of 1929. Photo: El Blog Íntimo
The solution that the footballers found to continue exercising their activity was to adopt the name of Intimates, a nickname with which the Alliance players were already known (the addition “La Victoria” was for the district in which the institution had its headquarters). With the newly formed team, they toured the surrounding areas of Lima and made the club’s fame grow.
Why are Alianza Lima players called intimate?
Although the previous story mentions the circumstances in which the nickname Intimates became popular, it does not clarify what caused the use of this specific word. The explanation simply has to do with the atmosphere of camaraderie that emerged among the members of the blue and white team, which has come to be included in official documents.
In its Council Agreement No. 022-2007/MDJM, from 2007, on the occasion of greeting the Victorian squad for its anniversary, the Municipality of Jesús María summarized part of the history of Alianza Lima as follows: ” Due to the internal climate that existed among the players, who developed great ties of friendship and camaraderie, they became known with the nickname ‘the intimates’.”
Agreement of the Council of the Municipality of Jesús María which includes the explanation of the nickname of intimates for the players of Alianza Lima. Photo: capture from cdn.www.gob.pe
The term transcended generations and, claimed by fans, has remained to this day as one of the preferred variants to refer to the Lima Allianceespecially among the sports press.
What other nicknames does Alianza Lima have?
- Blue and White: because of the color of their shirt.
- The People’s Team: for its great popular roots and having one of the largest fans in Peru.
- Foals: nickname given to reserve players. It has its origins in the Alliance generation that died in the Fokkerm tragedy whose young players were known in this way.