Campeonato Carioca

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Campeonato Carioca
Founded 1906
Country Brazil
State Rio de Janeiro
Organiser Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation
Number of Teams 16
Current champion Flamengo
Most successful clubs Flamengo (30 times)
Fluminense (30 times)
Website FFERJ Official Website

The Campeonato Carioca, also known as Campeonato Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, is the football league of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is one of the most prestigious football national tournaments. It is organized by the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation.

The first season of the Campeonato Carioca was played in 1906 making it the third oldest league in Brazil, with only the Campeonato Paulista of São Paulo and the Campeonato Baiano of Bahia predating it.

Rivalries amongst four of the most prestigious Brazilian teams (Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama) have marked the history of the competition.

The oldest clubs from Rio de Janeiro (América, Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, São Cristóvão, Vasco da Gama) had inspired the creation of many clubs from other states.

For the first 103 years of championship, Fluminense FC used to be the team with biggest number of conquests. But Flamengo won 2008's edition, finally getting the same number of titles as Fluminense, 30.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] The early years

In the beginning of the 20th century, the number of football clubs in Rio de Janeiro and Niterói largely increased, clubs such as Rio Cricket and Athletic Association in Niterói, Fluminense Football Club in 1902, and Bangu Atlético Club, América Football Club, and Botafogo Football Club in 1904 being founded. Football became very popular, and a campaign was initiated to organize a football league bringing together clubs such as Rio Cricket and Athletic Association, Fluminense Football Club, Football and Athletic Club, América Football Club, Bangu Atlético Club, Sport Club Petrópolis and Payssandu Cricket Club. On June 8, 1905, the Liga Metropolitana de Football (abbreviated LMF, Metropolitan Football League in English) was founded. LMF's first president was Bangu's José Villas Boas, who was soon replaced by Francis Walter in December of the same year.

In 1906, the first Campeonato Carioca was contested by six clubs: Fluminense, Botafogo, Bangu, Football and Athletic, Payssandu and Rio Cricket. América, despite being one of the league founders, did not contest the league's first edition. Fluminense became the first Rio de Janeiro state champion.

In 1907 the championship ended with Botafogo and Fluminense sharing the first position. As there was no official tie-break criteria on the league rules, both clubs diverged about how to decide the title: Botafogo claimed an extra-match, Fluminense claimed that the league should addopt the goal-average criteria. This crisis led the league to end its activities without declaring a champion. In 1996, after 89 years of argument, both clubs were finally declared champions.

On February 29, 1908, Fluminense, Botafogo, América, Paysandu, Rio Cricket, and Riachuelo founded Liga Metropolitana de Sports Athleticos (LMSA, meaning Metropolitan Athletic Sports League, in English), which organized the Campeonato Carioca of that year. This was won by Fluminense.

[edit] The splits of the league

[edit] AFRJ: the first split

In 1911, the first league split occurred, when Botafogo abandoned LMSA and founded Associação de Football do Rio de Janeiro (AFRJ - Rio de Janeiro Football Association in English). The league was nicknamed Liga Barbante (which means String League), because Botafogo was the only significant club contesting the competition. AFRJ was incorporated by LMSA in 1913.

[edit] LMDT: 1925-1932

In 1917, after several accusations of bribery, LMSA was replaced by Liga Metropolitana de Desportos Terrestres (Terrestrial Sports Metropolitan League, in English), usually known as LMDT. Fluminense won the competition of that year.

[edit] AMEA: the second split

On March 1, 1924, a second league split occurred, with the Associação Metropolitana de Esportes Athleticos (which means Athletic Sports Metropolitan Association, in English) being founded. AMEA, founded by the aristocratic clubs Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo and América imposed discriminatory rules against blacks and lower class citizens to their members. The Confederação Brasileira de Desportos (CBD - Brazilian Sports Confederation) itself stood on the racist league's side, declaring AMEA the official league of Rio de Janeiro from 1924 on, and disaffiliating LMDT. AMEA's competition was won by Fluminense, and LMDT's competition was won by Vasco da Gama, the only significant club that remained on the old league. In 1925, however, AMEA abandoned it's racist conditions and Vasco joined the strongest league, while LMDT remained being disputed only by minor clubs. Years later, the LMDT championship of 1924 was considered official - but not the following LMDT championships, though.

[edit] Professionalization and the union of the league

On January 23, 1933 Bangu, Fluminense, Vasco and América founded the Liga Carioca de Futebol (Carioca Football League, in English), also known as LCF, the first professional league of Rio de Janeiro. At the time, the Confederação Brasileira de Desportos did not accept profissionalism, and stood on AMEA's side. For this reason, LCF was nicknamed "pirate league". On 1934 CBD finally accepeted profissionalism, but LCF and AMEA didn't merge for political reasons. On December 11, 1934, Botafogo, Vasco, Bangu, São Cristóvão, Andaraí, Olaria, Carioca and Madureira founded the professional Federação Metropolitana de Desportos (which means Sports Metropolitan Federation, in English), usually known as FMD, replacing AMEA as the official Rio de Janeiro league affiliated to CBD.

In 1937, the Brazilian football clubs became professional teams. On July 29, 1937, FMD and LCF merges, giving birth to the Liga de Football do Rio de Janeiro (which means Rio de Janeiro Football League), also called LFRJ. In 1941, LFRJ changed its name to Federação Metropolitana de Futebol (which means Metropolitan Football Federation), also known as FMF. To celebrate the union, a friendly match between Vasco da Gama and América was played. Because of this match, the matches played between Vasco and América are nicknamed Clássico da Paz, which means Peace Derby, in English.

[edit] Federação Carioca de Futebol (FCF)

On April 21, 1960, the Brazilian capital city became Brasília, so, Federação Metropolitana de Futebol changed its name to Federação Carioca de Futebol (Carioca Football Federation, in English), also called FCF. América won the state championship of that year.

[edit] After 1975

On March 15, 1975, Rio de Janeiro and Guanabara states merged under the name of Rio de Janeiro.

On September 29, 1978, Federação de Futebol do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation, in English), also known as FERJ, was founded, after Guanabara state's FCF and Rio de Janeiro state's FFD (which means Federação Fluminense de Desportos, or Sports Football Federation, in English) fused.

In 1979, there was an extra Campeonato Carioca which also included the countryside state teams, which, until that year, contested the Campeonato Fluminense. This extra competition, known as Primeiro Campeonato Estadual de Profissionais (First Professionals State Championship, in English) was won by Flamengo, who was also the champion of the regular competition.

In 1996, Taça Cidade Maravilhosa was contested only by clubs from Rio de Janeiro city. This competition was contested by eight teams (América, Bangu, Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, Madureira, Olaria and Vasco da Gama), which played against each other once. Botafogo was the champion, Flamengo being the runners up. In the same year, a state championship was played, which was won by Flamengo.

[edit] Format

The competition is usually divided in three stages: the traditional Taça Guanabara, Taça Rio and the Finals.

Taça Guanabara is the first stage of the competition, with the teams divided into two groups. The traditional four prestigious teams, namely, Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama are seeded. Two of them would be in one group and the other two would be in the other group. It is possible other teams are also be seeded in some ways, but the seeding criteria is not codified in the regulation and has never been publicly available. The teams then play against each team of the same group once and the top team of each group plays against the second team of the other group in the semi-finals, with the winners qualified for the final.

Taça Rio is the second stage of the competition. Teams are divided into the two same groups of Taça Guanabara, but each team play against every team from the other group once. The top team from each group compete the semi-finals with second team from the opposite group, and winners of the semi-finals compete for the Taça Rio.

The winners of Taça Guanabara and Taça Rio compete in the two-legged Finals of Campeonato Carioca, and the winner is crown the champion of the tournament. If the same team wins both the Taça Guanabara and Taça Rio, it is automatically crowned the champion with no Finals are needed.

[edit] List of Champions

Season Winner Runner-up Comments
1906 Fluminense Paysandu
1907 Botafogo
Fluminense
Paysandu both clubs were declared champions in 1997
1908 Fluminense Botafogo
América
1909 Fluminense Botafogo
1910 Botafogo Fluminense
1911 Fluminense América
1912 Paysandu Flamengo by LMSA, Liga Metropolitana de Sports Athleticos
1912 Botafogo SC Americano by AFRJ, Associação de Football do Rio de Janeiro - recognized later as an official championship
1913 América Flamengo
1914 Flamengo Botafogo
1915 Flamengo Fluminense
1916 América Botafogo


1917 Fluminense América
1918 Fluminense Botafogo
1919 Fluminense Flamengo
1920 Flamengo Fluminense
1921 Flamengo América
1922 América Flamengo
1923 Vasco da Gama Flamengo
1924 Fluminense Flamengo by AMEA, Associação Metropolitana de Esportes Athleticos
1924 Vasco da Gama Bonsucesso by LMDT, Liga Metropolitana de Desportos Terrestres - recognized later as an official championship
1925 Flamengo Fluminense
1926 São Cristóvão Vasco da Gama
1927 Flamengo Fluminense
1928 América Vasco da Gama
1929 Vasco da Gama América
1930 Botafogo Vasco da Gama
1931 América Vasco da Gama
1932 Botafogo Flamengo
1933 Botafogo Fluminense by AMEA, Associação Metropolitana de Esportes Athleticos
1933 Bangu Andaraí by LCF, Liga Carioca de Futebol - recognized later as an official championship
1934 Botafogo Olaria by AMEA, Associação Metropolitana de Esportes Athleticos
1934 Vasco da Gama São Cristóvão by LCF, Liga Carioca de Futebol - recognized later as an official championship
1935 Botafogo Vasco da Gama by FMD, Federação Metropolitana de Desportos
1935 América Fluminense by LCF, Liga Carioca de Futebol - recognized later as an official championship
1936 Vasco da Gama Madureira by FMD, Federação Metropolitana de Desportos
1936 Fluminense Flamengo by LCF, Liga Carioca de Futebol - recognized later as an official championship
1937 Fluminense Flamengo
1938 Fluminense Flamengo
1939 Flamengo Vasco da Gama
1940 Fluminense Flamengo
1941 Fluminense Flamengo
1942 Flamengo Botafogo


1943 Flamengo Fluminense
1944 Flamengo Vasco da Gama
1945 Vasco da Gama Botafogo
1946 Fluminense Botafogo
1947 Vasco da Gama Botafogo
1948 Botafogo Vasco da Gama
1949 Vasco da Gama Fluminense
1950 Vasco da Gama América
1951 Fluminense Bangu
1952 Vasco da Gama Flamengo
1953 Flamengo Fluminense
1954 Flamengo América
1955 Flamengo América
1956 Vasco da Gama Fluminense
1957 Botafogo Fluminense
1958 Vasco da Gama Flamengo
1959 Fluminense Botafogo
1960 América Fluminense
1961 Botafogo Flamengo
1962 Botafogo Flamengo
1963 Flamengo Fluminense
1964 Fluminense Bangu
1965 Flamengo Bangu
1966 Bangu Flamengo
1967 Botafogo Bangu
1968 Botafogo Vasco da Gama
1969 Fluminense Botafogo
1970 Vasco da Gama Fluminense
1971 Fluminense Botafogo
1972 Flamengo Fluminense
1973 Fluminense Vasco da Gama
1974 Flamengo Vasco da Gama
1975 Fluminense Botafogo
Vasco da Gama
1976 Fluminense Vasco da Gama
1977 Vasco da Gama Flamengo
1978 Flamengo Vasco da Gama
1979 Flamengo Fluminense
1979 Flamengo Vasco da Gama extra tournament
1980 Fluminense Vasco da Gama
1981 Flamengo Vasco da Gama
1982 Vasco da Gama Flamengo
1983 Fluminense Flamengo
1984 Fluminense Flamengo
1985 Fluminense Bangu
1986 Flamengo Vasco da Gama
1987 Vasco da Gama Flamengo
1988 Vasco da Gama Flamengo
1989 Botafogo Flamengo
1990 Botafogo Vasco da Gama
1991 Flamengo Fluminense
1992 Vasco da Gama Flamengo
1993 Vasco da Gama Fluminense
1994 Vasco da Gama Flamengo
1995 Fluminense Flamengo
1996 Flamengo Vasco da Gama
1997 Botafogo Vasco da Gama
1998 Vasco da Gama Flamengo
1999 Flamengo Vasco da Gama
2000 Flamengo Vasco da Gama
2001 Flamengo Vasco da Gama
2002 Fluminense Americano FC sub judice, according to FFERJ [1]
2003 Vasco da Gama Fluminense
2004 Flamengo Vasco da Gama
2005 Fluminense Volta Redonda
2006 Botafogo Madureira
2007 Flamengo Botafogo
2008 Flamengo Botafogo

[edit] Titles by Team

(*)The Paysandu Cricket Club abandoned football activities in 1914. Nowadays it is called Paissandu Atlético Clube, and it is a social club only.


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • MÉRCIO, Roberto. A História dos Campeonatos Cariocas de Futebol. Rio de Janeiro: Ed. FERJ.

[edit] External links