Show notes

Club Deportivo Palestino, Chile’s Liga de Primera and the Palestinian community in Santiago are the focus of this episode of Why We Love This Club , exploring one of world football’s most distinctive stories of migration, identity and belonging. Founded by Palestinian immigrants in 1920, Palestino has won 2 Chilean league titles and 3 Copa Chile trophies while competing against giants including Colo-Colo, Universidad de Chile and Universidad Católica . The episode traces the club’s rise through stars such as Elías Figueroa, Óscar Fabbiani and Roberto Coll , its historic 44-match unbeaten run and memorable Copa Libertadores campaigns. Chris also explores Palestino’s powerful connection to the Palestinian diaspora, from its red, green, black and white shirts and map-inspired crest to the controversial 2014 jersey design that sparked an international dispute. The story includes Estadio Municipal de La Cisterna , the Clásico de Colonias rivalry with Unión Española and Audax Italiano , modern players Bryan Carrasco, Enzo Roco and Nelson Da Silva , manager Guillermo Farré , and Rania Sansur’s historic connection between Palestino and the Palestine women’s national team. It’s a remarkable story of Chilean football, Palestinian identity and a club representing a community across two continents . ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris. The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered The Underdog Football Show Thanks for listening!