Associação Atlética Ponte Preta

Ponte Preta
Full name Associação Atlética Ponte Preta
Nickname(s) Macaca (she-monkey)
Founded August 11, 1900
Stadium Estádio Moisés Lucarelli,
Campinas, Brazil
Capacity 19,722
President Márcio Della Volpe
Head coach Guto Ferreira
League Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
2014 Série B, 2nd (Promoted)
Website Club home page
Estádio Moisés Lucarelli

Associação Atlética Ponte Preta (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐsosjɐˈsɐ̃w ɐˈtlɛtʃikɐ ˈpõtʃi ˈpɾetɐ]), commonly known as Ponte Preta, is a Brazilian football club located in Campinas, São Paulo. Ponte Preta is also known as Macaca. Ponte Preta's biggest rival is from the same city: Guarani. The games between Ponte Preta and Guarani are known as derby (dérbi in Portuguese). They are known as "pontepretanos". Ponte Preta is one of the oldest football teams established in Brazil still in activity, founded on August 11, 1900, the oldest being Sport Club Rio Grande, of Rio Grande do Sul.

History

Ponte Preta was founded on August 11, 1900 by Colégio Culto à Ciência students Miguel do Carmo (nicknamed "Migué"), Luiz Garibaldi Burghi, (nicknamed "Gigette") and Antonio de Oliveira (nicknamed "Tonico Campeão"), nearby a black painted wood railroad bridge, so the name Ponte Preta (which means "black bridge", in English). Ponte Preta's first president was Pedro Vieira da Silva.

Ponte Preta is recognized, by FIFA, as one of the first teams in the Americas to accept black players, since its foundation in 1900. It is also the first countryside team to play a national competition, in 1970.

Pelé's last match in Brazil was against Ponte Preta. On September 2, 1974, at Vila Belmiro stadium, Santos defeated Ponte Preta 2–0.

Ponte Preta lost the Campeonato Paulista final to Corinthians in 1977 in a controversial game that ended in a 2–1 final score. Rui Rey, an important piece of the Ponte Preta team, was shown a red card early in the game. Ponte Preta were considered the favorites for the championship that year.

The club finished in the third position in the 2011 Série B, and gained promotion to the 2012 Série A.[1]

On November 27, 2013, at Romildo Ferreira stadium, Ponte Preta reached the 2013 Sudamericana final defeating São Paulo 4–2 (aggregate). It was a historical time for the club which was playing its first international cup.

Achievements

Copa São Paulo de Juniores:

Campeonato Paulista Série A2:

Campeonato Paulista do Interior:

Achievements time line

  • 1912: Champions - Liga Campineira de Futebol
  • 1928: Champions - Campeonato Paulista da Divisão Principal - 2º quadro (L.A.F.)
  • 1929: Champions - Campeonato Paulista da Divisão Principal - 2º quadro (L.A.F.)
  • 1951: Champions - State Amateur Championship (45 games unbeaten)
  • 1969: Champions - Campeonato Paulista - Divisão de Accesso
  • 1970: Runner-up Campeonato Paulista
  • 1977: Runner-up Campeonato Paulista
  • 1979: Runner-up Campeonato Paulista
  • 1981: Champions - Campeonato Paulista Championship First Stage
  • 1981: Runner-up - Campeonato Paulista
  • 1981: Third placed - Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
  • 1981: Champions - Copa São Paulo de Juniores
  • 1982: Champions - Copa São Paulo de Juniores

Stadium

Ponte Preta's stadium is Estádio Moisés Lucarelli, also known as "Majestoso", or "Estádio Majestoso" (Portuguese for Majestic Stadium), built in 1948, by its own fan's material and work.

Its maximum capacity is of 19,722 people, nowadays. The biggest public in it was in a State's Championship in 1970, against Santos, with an official public of 33,000, but it is said that there were about 40,000 people, as the gates were broken down.

Its nickname is "Majestoso", meaning the "Majestic One" because it was the third largest stadium in Brazil at the time of its inauguration (only smaller than Pacaembu, in São Paulo and São Januário, in Rio de Janeiro).

In Majestoso's entrance hall there is a bust of the stadium's founder, Moisés Lucarelli (after whom the venue is named) facing the outside. In 2000, after a long series of defeats some superstitious fans argued that the founder ought to see the team playing and the bust was rotated 180 degrees. As the team's performance did not improve noticeably, the statue was put back in its original position.

Supporters

Ponte Preta supporters are known as "pontepretanos". A club from Maceió, Alagoas, adopted a similar name and colors as the Campinas club. There is a Norwegian futsal club named after Ponte Preta.[2]

Rivalry

Associação Atlética Ponte Preta's biggest rival is from the same city: Guarani. The games between Ponte Preta and Guarani, known as derby (dérbi in Portuguese), are usually preceded by a week of tension, provocations and also fights in the city of Campinas.

It is a centenary rivalry (the first being held in 24 March 1912), the greatest in Brazil's countryside and one of the most intense in the whole country.

Symbols

The club's mascot is a female monkey (Macaca) wearing Ponte Preta's home kit. It was initially intended as a derogatory term, reflecting the racism against the club (one of the first Brazilian teams to accept blacks, having been even refused participation in championships due to this) and its fans. This co-option of a derogatory term as team mascot was copied by Palmeiras fans, who adopted the pig as their mascot instead of taking offense from it, and other teams.

Ultras

Placar magazine's Silver Ball Prize winners while playing on Ponte Preta

Basketball

Ponte Preta had one of the most powerful teams in the history of Brazilian female Basketball during the early 1990s, winning the World Club Championship twice.[3]

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Brazil GK Marcelo Lomba (on loan from Bahia)
3 Brazil DF Tiago Alves (on loan from Palmeiras)
4 Brazil DF Renato Chaves (on loan from Atlético-PR)
5 Brazil MF Fernando Bob
7 Brazil FW Rildo
9 Brazil FW Borges
10 Brazil MF Renato Cajá
11 Brazil MF Thomás (on loan from Flamengo)
12 Brazil GK Matheus
13 Brazil DF Rodinei
14 Brazil DF Diego Sacoman
16 Brazil MF Juninho
17 Brazil FW Biro Biro (on loan from Fluminense)
20 Brazil MF Adrianinho
23 Brazil GK Reynaldo
No. Position Player
25 Brazil MF Vítor Xavier
26 Brazil DF Raphael
28 Brazil DF Jeferson
29 Brazil MF Citta Jr.
30 Brazil MF Roni (on loan from São Paulo)
31 Brazil DF João Paulo
34 Brazil GK Ivan
44 Brazil DF Pablo
45 Brazil MF Josimar
50 Brazil MF Paulinho
66 Brazil DF Rodrigo Biro
70 Brazil MF Danilo Neves
89 Brazil DF Diego Ivo
Brazil DF Gilson (on loan from Cruzeiro)
Brazil MF Diego

Out on loan Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
88 Brazil MF Bruno Silva (on loan to Chapecoense)
Brazil GK Bruno Fuso (on loan to Villa Nova-MG)
Brazil DF Jonathan (on loan to Água Santa)
Brazil DF Renan Luis (on loan to Rio Claro)
Brazil MF Alef (on loan to France Olympique de Marseille)
Brazil MF Ferrugem (on loan to Japan Vissel Kobe)
No. Position Player
Brazil FW Ademir (on loan to Cuiabá)
Brazil FW Alexandro (on loan to United Arab Emirates Emirates Club)
Brazil FW Rafael Ratão (on loan to Penapolense)
Brazil FW Rossi (on loan to Parana Clube)
Brazil FW Silvinho (on loan to Criciuma)

Technical staff

Head coaches

See also

References

Websites

  1. "Náutico e Ponte Preta estão na Série A" (in Portuguese). Correio de Uberlândia. November 19, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  2. "Ponte Preta Norway". Indoor Football. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  3. Ponte Preta Official Website

Books

  1. O Início de uma Paixão: a fundação e os primeiros anos da Associação Atlética Ponte Preta, José Moraes dos Santos Neto, Editora Komedi, 2000
  2. História da Associação Atlética Ponte Preta, em sete volumes: 1900-2000, Sérgio Rossi, R. Vieira Gráfica, 2001

External links