Atletico Tembetary: From The Brink Of Extinction To Paraguay’s Top Tier

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In 2017 Atletico Tembetary, a Paraguayan club from Ypané and a side with over 100 years of history, were in great danger of becoming extinct due to financial troubles.

In stepped Daniel Campo and his team with ambitions to first, save the club and then rebuild the club into a top-flight side again.

Atletico Tembetary are a club rich in history in terms of producing talent despite only having a handful of seasons in Paraguay’s top flight, the most recent being way back in 1998.

Nelson Valdez, who was part of the Paraguay national team that reached the 2010 World Cup quarterfinal, began his career at the club.

Other iconic figures in South American football have played/begun their career here; Orlando Peloso, Diego Centurión and Nelson Cuevas.

The latest gem from Tembetary’s youth system is Roman Sosa. After progressing through Tembertary’s youth ranks, he made waves domestically and eventually secured a move to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League during the summer of 2024.

After relegation in 2010, The club were playing in the fourth tier of Paraguayan football at the time and in their eighth season in the division, so plenty of planning and preparation was needed to rebuild the club.

In 2018, the club underwent a significant transformation, relocating from Ypané to Villa Elisa, a city close to Paraguay’s capital, Asunción. This move marked the beginning of a new chapter for Tembetary. That same year, the team dramatically clinched the fourth division championship, edging out Sportivo Limpeño by a single point to secure promotion to the third tier. The new era for Tembertary was off to a flyer.

A new division and a new challenge for Tembetary began the following year playing in the First Division B (third-tier) and the club would have to adapt to playing 34 games in a season, rather than the 18 they played to earn promotion.

After an impressive season, they ultimately suffered heartbreak on the final day of the season, losing 3-1 to Club 29 de Setiembre. This resulted in them missing out on back-to-back promotions by just a single point.

Despite their shortcomings, the club nicknamed El Rojiverde showcased that they could challenge for promotion.

In 2020 COVID struck, halting football across the globe. The club used the time to look after people in need, providing 200 food parcels to those in need, as well as, using their sport complex to ensure health workers could earn a much-needed rest.

In this period WFi spoke with Campo about his ambitions for the club and he was inspired by the models of RB Leipzig and Independiente del Valle who aim to produce talent to sell for profit, whilst still being successful.

Tembetary had to wait until 2021 to feature again following the Pandemic, which saw them finish fourth in the league missing out on promotion, but their ambitions to mix with the ‘big boys’ were clear, as they reached the Copa Paraguay semifinals, knocking out Premier Division side, River Plate Asunción along the way.

After holding Sol de America to a goalless draw, Tembetary suffered a penalty shootout heartbreak and in the following year, they would reach the same stage, only to suffer a 2-1 loss to Sportivo Ameliano who eventually went on to win the competition.

In the league, they would finish in fourth place again, but in 2023, things would change for the better.

An early exit from the Copa Paraguay meant that Tembetary could focus on the league and they made sure they achieved their main goal, by lifting the league title with a game to spare.

2024 would be a similar scenario for the club as they reached one round further in the Copa Paraguay but ensured promotion from the División Intermedia, meaning they would play top-tier football for the first time since 1998, finishing four points above their nearest challenger Sportivo Carapeguá.

Shortly after earning promotion, the club announced plans to build a new stadium, near the CONMEBOL headquarters in Luque, something which had been in the pipeline in 2020.

Tembetary begins their top-flight campaign with an opening match against Luque-based Sportivo Luqueño. Preparing for another new era, the club has bolstered its squad with several new signings: Román Gamarra, Francisco Peralta, Aaron Spetale, Adelio Zárate, Víctor Barrios, Nicolás Malvacio, Iván Cazal, Éver Cáceres, Rolando García, and Marcos Riveros.

Campo, who has stepped back from the presidency but still remains heavily involved with the club in an administrative role, told WFi ahead of the new season.

“The club was bankrupt when we took over and left without a home,” he said.

“Today we are building a new stadium and we are back to playing in the first division after 27 years.

“The fans are very excited about the upcoming season and our goal is, to first remain in the division and if possible, earn qualification to continental football.”

The club’s journey from the brink of collapse to its ongoing resurgence demonstrates the power of perseverance and strategic planning.

Atletico Tembertary are not just surviving, they are steadily regaining their identity as a cornerstone of Paraguayan football.

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