| Full name | Comercial Futebol Clube | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1911 | ||
| Ground | Francisco de Palma Travassos (Capacity: 35,000) |
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Comercial Futebol Clube (SP), usually known simply as Comercial (or as Comercial de Ribeirão Preto), is a traditional Brazilian football club from Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo state.
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On October 10, 1911, some business owners from Ribeirão Preto founded Commercial Football Club and the club has soon become very rich. The pitch from Estádio da Rua Tibiriçá was one of the first in Brazil to receive grass, because the rich supporters complaint of the dust in the air while matches were played. In 1936, the club has experienced a financial crisis and the Football Department was closed.[1] In 1956, Commercial merged with Paineiras and become Comercial Football Club, entering the second division from Campeonato Paulista that same year.[2]
In 1958, Comercial won its first title, the Campeonato Paulista Second Level, beating Corinthians of Presidente Prudente in the final. The club was promoted to the following year's first level.[3]
In 1978, the club competed in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A for the first time. The club finished in the 42nd position.[4]
In 1979, the club competed in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A for the second time. The club finished in the 14th position, ahead of clubs like Grêmio, Fluminense and Botafogo (RJ).[5]
Comercial's home stadium is Estádio Dr. Francisco de Palma Travassos, nicknamed Jóia (Jewel)[6], inaugurated in 1964, with a maximum capacity of 35,000 people.[7]
The club also owns a training ground, named Centro de Treinamento Francisco de Palma Travassos.[8]
Comercial's rival is Botafogo (SP). The match between the two clubs is nicknamed Come-Fogo (truncation of Comercial and Botafogo). It is one of the oldest Brazilian derbies and some matches have had an attendance of over 30,000 people. Famous footballers, like Sócrates, Raí and Zé Mario played the derby. The derby is disputed not only in football, but also in basketball.[9]
The club's official club colors are black and white. The club's home kit is all white.[10]
Comercial's mascot is a lion, called Leão, which is the Portuguese word for lion.[11]
The club is nicknamed Bafo, meaning Breath [8], and Leão do Norte, meaning Lion of the North [2].