
- Chilean player union SIFUP has built an elite training facility south of Santiago
- "The pitches are among the best in the country," says Colo Colo captain Esteban Pavez
- The first stage of a hotel complex will be inaugurated to house sports delegations at the end of this year
There are achievements that, due to their size and the effort invested in them, bring back to those who achieve them double the satisfaction and pride. This is the case of Ruca Mapu, the elite sports complex built by Chilean player union SIFUP in the south of Santiago de Chile.
The quality of the facilities, located on the 9.5-hectare site, is reflected in one indisputable fact: several professional teams have already used its training grounds since it was inaugurated in 2022.
"The complex is very good, especially the pitches, which is very important for a footballer. They are among the best in our country," Colo Colo captain Esteban Pavez told FIFPRO.org.
The ‘Cacique’, one of the giants of Chilean football, have already used the facility on several occasions for micro-training sessions. Chile's U-17 and U-20 teams, local clubs such as Union Espanola – facing the team of out-of-contract players sponsored by the union – and from other parts of South America such as Colombia's DIM, among others, have also passed through Ruca Mapu.
"It has all the amenities a footballer needs," Pavez continued. "The dressing rooms and the gym are very good. I recommend it for any club or national team that wants to train there."
The international standard of the facilities was corroborated in August this year when FIFA assessed them for use as a training ground for the teams that will participate in the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025. The inspectors ranked it as the second best in the country after Pinto Duran, the Chilean national team's regular base.
Beyond the elite status of the facilities and pitches, the location is ideal. "The place provides all the conditions to train in peace and quiet," said SIFUP President Gamadiel Garcia. "It is close to Santiago but at the same time far enough away from the city. There is no noise, it has a lot of vegetation and fresh air. We are in the mountains and that creates a very different atmosphere."




Garcia and his team dreamed of building Ruca Mapu as soon as they took over as SIFUP directors in 2016, not only to be a reference complex in the country but also to be the true home of Chile’s footballers.
"We have swimming pools, common areas for recreation, a gymnasium, rooms for events and, of course, pitches. Players can come with their families all year round and free of charge. This is one of the benefits of being a member."
The union's offices have been operating there since 2022 when the old headquarters in eastern Santiago ran out of space. In addition to the day-to-day work, the current offices allow, for example, the organisation of a financial education course for three teams in the second division.
A hotel complex, the challenge for growth
Not content with what has already been achieved, SIFUP set out to create a hotel that would allow any professional team not only to train at the complex but also to stay for as many days as they need.
In early August, the union signed an agreement with Tecno Fast to build a modular hotel. The first stage of construction is expected to be completed in December this year in time for a full opening in the last months of 2025.
"We already have requests from teams to be able to stay and do pre-season," said Garcia.
The site will have facilities for a delegation of 42 people, with 20 cabins for two people each and two deluxe modular cabins. In addition, a sports-themed library will be built with a collection of more than 5,000 books.
In the medium term, the project includes the construction of new changing rooms, a renovated gymnasium, a ‘wet area’ for jacuzzi and sauna, and a new events hall.

"A medical clinic will also be set up in conjunction with a renowned sports medical clinic here in Santiago so that people can be treated by high quality professionals."
Garcia does not use the word 'people' casually – Ruca Mapu is not only designed for footballers but for the general public.
"All the spaces are open to the public and are designed to maintain a relationship with the community. Nowadays we don't only work with football: we work with football schools throughout our country and on social issues with, for example, shelters."
Pandemic, an opportunity amidst the difficulty
Such an ambitious and costly project requires ingenuity and a search for opportunities to carry it out when funds are not infinite.
"For four years we looked for places in Santiago that were within our economic projection," said Garcia. "And in the pandemic came this opportunity. If it hadn't been for the pandemic, the truth is that this place would have been almost impossible to acquire. But the owners, an Italian family who had owned it for many years, believed in our project and gave us a very affordable price."
That is how the dream became a reality and laid the foundation for what it is today, two years later.
"We are very proud of the way our complex has been received by the footballers because it is finally theirs," said Garcia. "And that they realise that, every time they come, there is something new that we are working on with excellence. It is something that gives us the energy to move forward with all the projects that are coming."