| Full name | Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Alviverde (Green and White) Verdão (The Big Green) Porco (Pig) |
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| Founded | August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia | |||
| Ground | Estádio do Pacaembu (Capacity: 37,952) |
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| President | Arnaldo Tirone | |||
| Head Coach | Luiz Felipe Scolari | |||
| League | Campeonato Brasileiro Série A | |||
| 2011 | 11th | |||
| Website | Club home page | |||
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Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (Portuguese pronunciation: [pawˈmejɾɐs]) is a Brazilian football club from São Paulo. The club was founded on August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia (pronounced: [paˌlɛstɾiˈtaliɐ]) but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942. It is one of the most popular and successful Brazilian clubs, with almost 17 million supporters, including a large number Brazilians of Italian ancestry.
Palmeiras is one of the most successful clubs in Brazilian football. The team has won 10 national competitions, a record in the country. The club's most important titles have been the 8 national league titles (4 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, 2 Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa and 2 Taça Brasil) and 2 national cups (1 Copa do Brasil and 1 Copa dos Campeões).[1]
Their international titles include one Copa Libertadores. The team won the competition in 1999, after beating Deportivo Cali of Colombia. In 1951, Palmeiras won the international Copa Rio, known as the first world soccer club tournament, after beating Juventus of Italy. In 1999, the team was declared the Champion of the Century in Brazilian football.[2]
Palmeiras was founded on August 26, 1914, initially as Palestra Italia, by Luigi Cervo, Vicenzo Ragognetti, Luigi Emanuele Marzo and Ezequiel Simone, four Italian men who were members of the Italian community of São Paulo. Its original colors were red, white and green (those of Italy). During the World War II, Brazil entered the war supporting the allies and its dictatorship along with the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB) forced Palestra Italia (and also Palestra Italia of Minas Gerais) to change its name because of the reference to Italy. The original badge (a white ornamental "P" in a green shield) is still present in the current one, and the club has used red as a third color (mostly in friendly games during the club's 75th anniversary).
At the beginning of the 20th Century, several young Italians decided to start club whose main goal was to form a soccer team that would be representative of the Italian community, and face the big names of São Paulo's soccer elite. Just over three decades earlier, Italy had been reunified – a fact that was not known to some Italian-Brazilians and to some non-Italian Brazilians.
There were numerous Italian clubs, but each one represented an Italian Province or was geared to activities other than soccer. At the time, the game was starting to take hold and drew many players and fans.
The founders of the club sought out the Fanfulla newspaper, which was the media mouthpiece that defended the interests of Italians in Brazil, and entrusted young Vincenzo Ragognetti – another supporter of the idea – to draft an invitation to those interested in forming a sports club.
After several meetings, 46 interested individuals (led by Luigi Marzo and Luigi Cervo) gathered at the Alhambra Room on what is now Rua do Ruachuelo, and founded a sports club for all Italian-Brazilians named "Palestra Italia". Ezequiel Simone was named club president. The Italian Consulate in São Paulo became interested in the new club because it would help spread the word among Italians that their country now had one flag and one anthem.
After some initial difficulties, Palestra Italia played its first game in the town of Votorantim (São Paulo State) – beating Savoy 2–0 with goals from Bianco and Alegretti to win the Savoy Cup.[3]
In 1916, the team joined the city's main sports league and held its first official championship match. The following year it would be runner-up in the São Paulo State Championship, facing Corinthians for the first time. Palestra won that initial game 3–0 with three goals from Caetano; it also won the rematch 3–1 of what would become the team's chief rivalry. In 1920, Palestra Italia captured the São Paulo State championship with a victory over the rugged Paulistano squad in the deciding match.
Palestra continued to grow as a sports club and also began acquiring more assets. Estádio Palestra Itália, purchased in 1920, was remodeled and expanded in 1933 – when it became the first Brazilian stadium with concrete grandstands and barbed-wire fences. Starting in 1964, the playing field would be suspended, which gave fans a complete, broad view and also created space in the lower levels.
The club continued to grow and won more championships, and at the outset of the 1930s became the three-time São Paulo State soccer and basketball champion – a feat which prompted Palestra fans to chant in celebration: "With the feet or with the hands, Palestra is the best in the land."[3]
In 1942 during World War II, the government of President Getúlio Vargas made a decree banning any organization from using names related to the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan). Palestra Italia was compelled to change its name, and became Palestra São Paulo. "Palestra" is a Greek word that did not violate the government measure. However, the change did not soothe political and sporting pressures. Under penalty of forfeiting all its assets to another club and facing ejection from the championship that it currently led, Palestra was forced to change its name a second time. The night before the last game of the State championship, scheduled for 20 September 1942, the Palestra board of directors held a heated meeting and changed the club's name. When the debate reached its peak, Dr. Mario Minervino took the floor and asked club Secretary, Dr. Pascoal W. Byron Giuliano, to note in the minutes:
– "They don't want us to be Palestra, so then we shall be Palmeiras – born to be champions."
Tensions flared during the final league match, where Palmeiras' opponent was the São Paulo Futebol Clube (SPFC) which was laying claim to the assets of the former Palestra Italia.
Palmeiras took the field carrying the Brazilian flag under the leadership of army Captain Adalberto Mendes. Palmeiras won the game 3–1 when a penalty was called in its favor. At that moment, the SPFC ordered its players to consider the Palmeiras squad an enemy of the homeland and pulled its side off the field amid jeers from even the club's own fans. The celebrations began on the spot. The next day, newspapers contained a photograph of Palmeiras entering the field with the headline: "A Leader Dies, A Champion is Born."[3]
In January 1951, the Brazilian sports newspaper O Globo Sportivo ran a lead story reporting that FIFA President Jules Rimet would grant unconditional support to holding a world club championship in Rio de Janeiro.
The first World Club Championship was held in 1951, with the participation of eight squads, divided into two brackets of four teams apiece: Vasco da Gama (Brazil), Austria Vienna (Austria), Nacional (Uruguay), and Sporting Lisbon (Portugal), playing in Rio; and Palmeiras (Brazil), Juventus (Italy), Red Star (Yugoslavia), and Olympique (France) playing in São Paulo. As it happened, FIFA would adopt this same number of teams, seed-city system, and tournament model for the World Club Championship in 2000.
The zeal to compete in this contest was such that the Uruguayan Football Association issued a directive signed by all first division team bosses on June 15, 1951 suspending its national championship from June 25 to July 27, so that a sufficiently strong Nacional team could represent the 1950 World Cup champs.
Palmeiras and Juventus played in the final, held over two matches. Palmeiras managed to win one game and tied the other to win the Rio Cup – the first ever World Club Championship.[3]
In the 1960s, the standard of quality of Palmeiras play – led by the one who would come to symbolize this period of soccer excellence, Ademir de Guia – led the Palestra Italia team to be called the "Academy" of Brazilian football.
Headed by Filpo Nunes, Palmeiras players won the most important national competition in 1965, the Rio – São Paulo championship, with stand-out performances. Blow-outs against top rivals included seven goals scored against Santos, five against Botafogo in their home stadium of Maracanã, five against São Paulo, and another four4 scored against Vasco. The title came to Palmeiras in another lopsided victory against Botafogo at Pacaembú Stadium in São Paulo.
That same year, the Brazilian Sports Federation (CBD) used the entire Palmeiras roster to launch Minerão Stadium and represent Brazil in an official national team match against Uruguay for the Inconfidência Cup. The day that it donned the green and white, Palmeiras as Brazil was victorious 3–0 over the Uruguayan blue.
In the previous year, Palmeiras had won the Rio de Janeiro Quadricentennial Cup by beating the Paraguayan national team 5–2 and besting Peñarol of Uruguay in the final.
At the end of the 1970s, Palmeiras won the Copa do Brasil and the Roberto Gomes Pedrosa tournament – the Brazilian Championship equivalent at the time. These victories laid the groundwork for the second Palmeiras Academy.
Led by Oswaldo Brandão, the team captured several titles in the 1970s. It was three-time São Paulo State champion – emerging undefeated in one of those tournaments – two-time Brazilian Champion, three-time winner of Spain's Ramón de Carranza Trophy, and winner of Argentina's Mar Del Plata Trophy – considered the South American Club Championship.[3]
Accustomed to victories at the "Academy" in the 1960s and 1970s, Palmeiras fans saw the 1980s come and go without championships or titles. In 1986, Palmeiras fielded a good team – routing Corinthians 5–1 and playing an historic game in the semifinals of the São Paulo State Championship against that same rival, prevailing 3–0. The team had arrived at the final of the State Championship – 10 years after winning its last State title – but lost to Inter de Limeira.
On October 29, 1986, Palmeiras fans adopted the "Pig" as their mascot. At a game against Santos, the rival fans were chanting "pig"; the Palmeiras crowd responded with "Come On Pig!! Come On Pig!! Olé Olé Olé..." and "Go Piiiig...." A few days later, Placar sports magazine popularised the new nickname when it published an issue with Jorginho Putinatti – the symbol of that generation – holding a pig in his lap.
There were two noteworthy events during this decade. In the 1983 State Championship against Santos, referee José de Assis Aragão scored a goal for Palmeiras in the 47th minute of the second half. Striker Jorginho kicked inside the penalty area, the ball was on its way out but it hit Aragão – who was on the goal line about a meter from the goal and went into the Santos net. The game ended in a 2–2 tie – much to the chagrin of Santos.
The second unexpected event occurred on November 11, 1988, when striker Gaúcho defended two penalties against Flamengo in a game for the Brazilian Championship at Maracanã. Gaúcho was put in goal after keeper Zetti broke a leg in the final minutes of the match. The game ended in a tie, and advanced to the penalty shootout phase. During the shootout, Gaúcho stopped two shots, from Aldair and Zinho. To cap off the evening, he scored a penalty himself while wearing the goalkeeper's jersey.
In 1989, Palmeiras had another chance to celebrate a title. Undefeated until the second last match, the team was eliminated when it lost to Bragantino in the semifinals of the São Paulo State Championship. The 1980s ended without significant victories, but the 1990s would make up for that.[3]
In the 1990s, Palmeiras enjoyed countless sporting achievements, winning numerous important titles. In the first full year of the relationship, the team won the São Paulo State Championship in 1993. That same year, it also captured the Rio-São Paulo Championship and the Brazilian Championship. The next year, it achieved the unprecedented feat of becoming two-time State Champion and two-time Brazilian Champion.
Palmeiras also won the Mercosur Cup and the Brazil Cup – both in 1998. In 1996 it handily won the State Championship, scoring more than 100 goals. It would also win the Champions' Tournament against top Brazilian clubs (in 2000).
Featuring players with tremendous technical prowess like Edmundo, Evair, Zinho, Rivaldo, Alex, and César Sampaio, Palmeiras won other international tournaments – culminating with victory at the Libertadores de América Cup in 1999; an accomplishment ranking among the biggest in the club's history.
Having won key national and international competitions, Palmeiras was proclaimed Brazilian soccer's Champion of the 20th Century by the São Paulo State Soccer Federation (FPF), newspapers Folha and Estado de São Paulo, and Placar magazine rankings.[3]
Famous coach Luiz Felipe Scolari led the team to one of the club's most important titles: The 1999 Libertadores Cup. The final match was against Deportivo Cali from Colombia. Important players from that team were World Cup winners Marcos, Zinho and Roque Júnior, as well as Alex de Souza, Evair, Paulo Nunes and César Sampaio. In the first leg, in Cali, Deportivo beat Palmeiras 1–0. In the second leg, at Estádio Palestra Itália, Palmeiras beat Deportivo 2–1 and won the competition in the penalty shootout.
In the same year, in Tokyo, Palmeiras disputed Intercontinental Cup, but were defeated in the final by Manchester United of England.
In 2000, Palmeiras disputed 4 Final Championship Matches. At first, the team won the Rio-São Paulo Tournament after beating Vasco da Gama in the final. In the first leg, in Rio de Janeiro, Palmeiras beat Vasco 2–1. In the second leg, at Estádio do Morumbi, the club from São Paulo beat Vasco 4–0.
The club again reached the Libertadores Cup final, this time against Boca Juniors from Argentina. In the first leg, in Buenos Aires, the game ended 2–2. In the second leg, at Morumbi stadium, in São Paulo, the game ended 0–0 and Boca won the competition in the penalty shootout.
In the same year, Palmeiras won Brazilian Champions' Cup after beating Sport Recife in the final. By the end of this year, the club again reached the Mercosur Cup final against Vasco da Gama.
The 2004 and 2005 seasons were rather successful when the team qualified for the Libertadores Cup but unfortunately was sent home before the end of the championship.
In 2008, Palmeiras made a sponsorship agreement with Traffic, a Sports Marketing Agency. The club made some big investments on some big name players and also on coach Wanderley Luxemburgo. This new strategy paid off with a 22nd Paulista Championship.
Also in 2008, Palmeiras won the São Paulo State Cup with a 5–0 victory over Ponte Preta. Palmeiras finished 4th in the Campeanato Brasileiro, which qualified them to the 2009 edition of the Copa Libertadores.
In 2009 Palmeiras were close to the Brazilian championship, but political problems inside the club caused internal turmoil and affected on-field performances, and Palmeiras finished the League in the 5th position.
The year 2008 marked the beginning of the planning phase for a new stadium for the club, as well as remodeling the social club, to prepare Palmeiras for both the centenary of the club, and the World Cup, in 2014. The planned arena will seat 42,000 fans or 60,000 people at events like concerts, and will consist of fully covered spectator seating. It is planned to open in 2012. In 2008 Palmeiras once again won the Campeonato Paulista and qualified for the Copa Libertadores.
Palmeiras plays its home games at Estádio Palestra Itália. In the past its capacity was listed as 35,000 spectators. However, even though its grandstands were extended in the late 1990s, it currently only seats 27,640 people[4] due to regulations which enforce safety and comfort. The venue is also known as Parque Antártica because the area was a park built by the Antarctica Paulista Company in the beginning of the last century, before being acquired by Palmeiras in 1920.
Local derbies against São Paulo are still played at home, while derbies against Corinthians are usually played in a larger stadium.
There are plans to rebuild the stadium. The project proposes the first FIFA ready stadium in South America, billed as a multipurpose events arena (for shows, seminars, meetings, parties, etc.). Capacity will be increased to 43,000 seats and 2,000 press staff for soccer games. Many other facilities will be in place, including: enhanced parking area, VIP area, 3 restaurant and bar, helicopter point, etc.
On July 9, 2010, Palmeiras played its last match in Palestra Itália against Boca Juniors in an international friendly, due to the construction of the new stadium, the Arena Palestra Itália.
The Arena Palestra Itália will hold up to 45,000 seats and should be inaugurated in January 2013.
Palmeiras' first kit consisted of green jerseys, white shorts and green socks. Palmeiras' first jersey was green with a horizontal white band, and a red and white Savoy cross as the crest.[5] Palmeiras have played in blue shirts twice as a tribute to the Italian National Team. Their supporters are also well known for creating the mancha verde (green spot) of fog and smoke when Palmeiras is entering the pitch.
From 2007 to 2009 Palmeiras used a third jersey: a light yellow shirt with a dark green shorts and socks.
In 2010 Palmeiras the light yellow jersey became the second jersey, and started using a blue and white shirt, with white shorts, for their third jersey.
Originally, Palmeiras was a club heavily supported by Brazilians of Italian descent. Over time, that distinction has reduced, and today the fan base is very diverse.
Palmeiras largest ultras groups are Mancha Alvi-Verde (in English: White and Green Stain – a green version of "Phantom Blot", the enemy of Mickey Mouse in a cartoon), TUP (which is the oldest ultra group), Acadêmicos da Savóia, Porks and others.
Palmeiras' biggest rival is Corinthians. The rivalry between the two clubs is considered one of the most intense in Brazil, and their matches are known as The Paulista Derby. São Paulo is another local rival; the games between the two clubs are called the Choque-Rei (King Clash). Palmeiras was featured heavily in the film O Casamento de Romeu e Julieta where the rivalry between Palmeiras and Corinthians played a major role in the plot.
The club's official mascot is a green parrot.
During the late 1960s, fans of Palmeiras' biggest rivals Corinthians would mockingly refer to the team as "Pig", (Espírito de Porco in Portuguese) and soon after, other teams followed.
In 1986, at the Campeonato Paulista playoffs, supporters adopted the pig like their mascot.[6] Although the parrot is the official mascot, fans will refer to and yell: "PORCO!" (Pig) enthusiastically during matches, as the pig became their preferred mascot.
Palmeiras' anthem was composed in 1949 by conductor Antonio Sergi. Sergi also wrote the lyrics for the anthem, but did that under the pseudonym Gennaro Rodrigues.
Quando surge o alviverde imponente
(When the imposing white-green emerges)
No gramado em que a luta o aguarda
(On the pitch where battle awaits)
Sabe bem o que vem pela frente
(Aware of what lies ahead)
Que a dureza do prélio não tarda
(That the hardness of the game is approaching)
E o Palmeiras no ardor da partida
(And Palmeiras, in the heat of the match)
Transformando a lealdade em padrão
(Making a pattern out of loyalty)
Sabe sempre levar de vencida
(Always knows how to emerge as the winner)
E mostrar que de fato é campeão
(And show that it's indeed the champion)
Defesa que ninguém passa
(Impenetrable defense)
Linha atacante de raça
(Vigorous attacking line)
Torcida que canta e vibra
(Singing, cheering supporters)
Por nosso alviverde inteiro
(For our white-green whole)
Que sabe ser brasileiro
(Who know how to be Brazilian)
Ostentando a sua fibra
(Boasting its fiber)
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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These are Palmeiras's top scorers since its foundation (data as of 12 May 2006):
| # | Name | Goals | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heitor | 284 | 1916–1931 |
| 2 | César Maluco | 180 | 1967–1974 |
| 3 | Ademir da Guia | 153 | 1961–1977 |
| 4 | Lima | 149 | 1938–1954 |
| 5 | Servílio | 140 | 1963–1968 |
| 6 | Evair | 127 | 1991–1994, 1999 |
| 7 | Humberto | 126 | 1953–1958, 1960–1961 |
| 8 | Rodrigues | 125 | 1950–1955 |
| 9 | Luizinho | 123 | 1935–1941 |
| 10 | Tupãzinho | 122 | 1963–1968 |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Luiz Felipe Scolari |
| Assistant Coach | Flávio Murtosa |
| Football Supervisor | Marcos Aurélio Galeano |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Carlos Pracidelli and Fernando Miranda |
| Fitness Coaches | Anselmo Pereira Sbragia and José Omar Alves Feitosa |
| Club Doctors | Rubens Sampaio, Vinícius Martins and Otávio Vilhena |
| Physiotherapists | José Rosan Júnior, Mário Galdi Peixoto and Joao Carlos Ferreira de Sousa |
| Masseurs | Sérgio Luís, Miguel de Oliveira and Luiz Carlos |
The club associates congregate in a general assembly every four years to elect the seventy-six members of the Conselho Deliberativo (Deliberating Council)[7] who in their turn chose amongst them a president for a two-year mandate.[8] As of 2006 the president can only be re-elected once.[9]
These are all Palmeiras presidents since the club's foundation,[10][11]:
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In its history, the club has won 22 championships of the State of São Paulo and 5 Rio-São Paulo Tournament, but the most important titles have been 8 national league titles ( 4 Campeonato Brasileiros, 2 Torneios Roberto Gomes Pedrosa and 2 Taças Brasil), 2 national cups (1 Brazil Cup and 1 Brazilian Champion's Cup), 1 Libertadores Cup, 1 Mercosur Cup and 1 world tournament (1951 Copa Rio). Palmeiras is recognised as Brazil's most victorious club. In 1999, the Club was claimed by Federação Paulista de Futebol (Football Federation of São Paulo) 'Champion of The 20th Century' in Brazil.[12]
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Palmeiras has a "second" team that plays the second division of the Paulista Championship (Série A2). Palmeiras B is a second team to put young boys to train real competitions.
Palmeiras has a victorious tradition in various sports, such as rink hockey and basketball. Leandro Barbosa and Oscar Schmidt, two of the best Brazilian basketball players of all time, started their careers at Palmeiras.
Palmeiras has in it history 2 Brazilian Roller Hockey National Championships, being one of the main teams from São Paulo.
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