The San Martín University fell 4-0 in the last round of Phase 2 of the League 1 and descended to the second division. The white team ended their stay in the highest category of Peruvian football. Since 2004, when they bought the category from Deportivo Coopsol, the saints have been a serious club both in terms of leadership and as a result of that, they achieved some sporting successes.
Their toughest season so far was their debut in the first division. In the Apertura of that year, they only scored 10 points and were significantly compromised with relegation. A dominant second half of the year, in which they finished second in the Clausura, allowed them to stay in the first division. In the following seasons, the club from Santa Anita made signings that gave them greater prominence at the local level.
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In 2006, they played their first international tournament, the Copa Sudamericana, and were eliminated by Coronel Bolognesi. In 2007, they achieved their first championship. Led by Leao Butrón, Pedro García, John Hinostroza, Jorge Huamán, Hernán Rengifo, among others, they won the title of the Descentralizado Championship.
Pedro García played for San Martín from 2005 to 2010. Photo: Libero
In 2008, they won the first division again by maintaining the base of the squad that had won the title the previous year and adding some players like Josepmir Ballón, Ronald Quinteros, and Roberto Silva. They won both championships under the command of Víctor Rivera.
In 2009, they didn't fight for the title, but their consistency allowed them to qualify for the following year's Sudamericana. In 2011, they won their third and final first division title. Led by Aníbal 'Maño' Ruiz, they defeated León de Huánuco in the final. In that season, the saints had German Alemanno, Pablo Vitti, and Herber Arriola as their main players towards the title.
Aníbal 'Maño' Ruiz passed away on March 10, 2017, in Mexico. Photo: Difusión
The San Martín University started losing prominence from 2013 onwards. With some ups and downs, the Santa Anita team could only fight for short tournaments. The club's policy of not making big signings and betting on young players immediately resulted in the fight to avoid relegation.
In recent years, San Martín signed young foreign players and based their squad on their youth divisions and the youth players they could incorporate on loan. In 2017, the Santa squad started to rank among the bottom positions of the cumulative table and even reached the final rounds in serious trouble.
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The good start of 2021, with qualification for the final of Phase 1, was forgotten in Phase 2. In the second tournament of the year, the saints only scored seven points and reached 26 points in the cumulative table. The white team finished in 17th place and next year they will have to play in the Liga 2.