Based on its style of play, sports journalists and fans nicknamed the club La Academia de los Ecuatorianos desde 1940 (English: The Academy of the Ecuadorians since 1940).

The 1970s were a dark period for the club, which descended and spent several seasons in the second tier Serie B of the Ecuadorian Football League.

The club would wait forty years for its third championship and after a brilliant campaign in 2008, which saw Deportivo Quito in the lead throughout the tournament, the team sealed its third star against Macará of Ambato.

Although it was able to hold on to its star player Luis Saritama on loan, economic problems dogged the club throughout the year.

The next two phases of the tournament were a different story as the defense, solidified with the incorporation of the Ecuador National team captain Ivan Hurtado, led the club to top of the table finishes.

Fans celebrated the long-awaited 2008 as well as the follow-up 2009 and 2011 championships in the popular Plaza del Teatro in Quito.

The building project includes the construction of a shopping mall attached to the same stadium that will serve as a source of revenue for the institution.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.