Full name | América Futebol Clube | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | Coelho (Rabbit) | |||
Founded | April 30, 1912 | |||
Stadium | Estádio Independência, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil (Capacity: 25,000) |
|||
Chairman | Marcos Salum | |||
Head coach | Givanildo Oliveira | |||
League | Campeonato Brasileiro Série B | |||
2011 | Série A, 19th (relegated) | |||
|
América Futebol Clube (also known as América Mineiro or simply América) is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on April 30, 1912.
Their home stadium is the Independência ("Independence") stadium, which holds a capacity of 25,000. During the 2010-2011 rebuilding of the stadium, América plays at the Arena do Jacaré in Sete Lagoas.
Contents |
On April 30, 1912, a group of young men who played football purely for the love of the game, decided to turn their team into a football club.[1] In the first meeting, the founders decided that the name of the club would be América Foot-Ball Club,[2] and the colors would be green and white.[1] The first matches were played on the mayor's field.[1] In 1913, América and Minas Gerais Futebol Clube fused, and the club changed its colors to green, white and black.[3] Between 1916 and 1925, the team won ten state championships in a row.[3]
In 1933, as a protest to the professionalization of Brazilian football, the club changed its colors to red and white.[1] In 1943, the club professionalized its football division, and returned to its previous colors.[1] In 1948, América won its first state championship as a professional club.[3]
In 1997, América won the Série B for the first time,[4] and in 2000, the club won the Copa Sul-Minas first edition, beating Cruzeiro in the final.[5] In 2004, after a poor performance in the Série B, América was relegated to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C,[6] and in 2007, the club finished in Campeonato Mineiro's last position, and was relegated to the following year's Campeonato Mineiro Second Division.[7] América won the Série C in 2009, beating ASA in the final.[8] The following year, the team was fourth at Série B and returned to the top level of the Brazilian championship after 10 years.[9]
The first América's stadium was inaugurated in 1922, where now is placed the municipal market.[10] In the 1970s, América's stadium at the time, Estádio Otacílio Negrão de Lima, was demolished.[11] América's current stadium, Estádio Raimundo Sampaio, usually called Estádio Independência, was inaugurated on June 29, 1950 and managed by América since 1989.[12] The stadium is currently being rebuilt, with an estimated delivery date of December 2011.[13]
As of May 2011. Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Players with dualnationality
Junior players with first team experience
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Position | Name | Nationality |
---|---|---|
Coach | Givanildo Oliveira | Brazilian |
América's greatest rivals are Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro.[14] The derby between América and Atlético Mineiro is known as O Clássico das Multidões (The Derby of the Masses),[2] and was first played on November 15, 1913, in a friendly game that ended in a 1–1 draw.[15]
The club's official anthem was composed by Vicente Motta. There are also two other anthems. The unofficial anthem, which was composed by Fernando Brant and Tavinho Moura, and the supporters anthem, whose lyrics were composed by Márcio Dias Vianna and it was sung by Fernando Ângelo.[16] América's mascot, was created by the cartoonist Fernando Pierucetti, and is a red-eyed white cartoon rabbit with clearly protruding teeth.[3]
|