- This article is about the football (soccer) team. For the currency, see Brazilian cruzeiro
The cruzeiro was the currency of Brazil from 1942 to 1986 and again between 1990 and 1993.The first cruzeiro circulated between 1942 and 1967 and had the symbol
or
₢ and the ISO 4217 code...
.
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a
Brazilian football club, from the city of
Belo HorizonteBelo Horizonte is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country...
,
Minas GeraisMinas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, the second most populous and fourth largest by area in the federation. The capital is the city of Belo Horizonte, located near the central area...
, founded on January 2, 1921. Cruzeiro is the most popular team in the state of Minas Gerais
Even though the club's main focus is
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
, Cruzeiro also supports a
professionalA professional is a member of a vocation founded upon specialised educational training.The word professional traditionally means a person who has obtained a degree in a professional field...
volleyball team and
semi-professionalA semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
teams as well, these include track and field,
bocha, and
bowling Bowling is a Sport in which players attempt to score points by rolling a bowling ball along a flat surface either into objects called pins or to get close to a target ball. There are many forms of bowling, with one of the most recent being ten-pin bowling and the earliest dating back to ancient...
.
Early Palestra years
Cruzeiro was born off a political administrative crisis at
YaleYale Atlético Clube, usually called Yale, was one of the first sports club in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It was founded in 1910, by Italian immigrants , but is no longer in existence. It supplied the city with many different sport teams, one of them was football...
, one of the first sporting clubs of
Belo HorizonteBelo Horizonte is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country...
, a city where already some
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
immigrants militated. The Italians in Belo Horizonte, wanted to follow the example of the Italians in
São PauloSão Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and the world's 7th largest metropolitan area. The city is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous Brazilian state. It is also the richest city in Brazil. The name of the city honors Saint Paul. São Paulo exerts strong regional influence in...
, who had established a football club, the
Palestra ItáliaPalestra Itália was the original name of two traditional Brazilian football clubs. The term palestra derives from Ancient Greek palaistra and describes in Italian usage a covered sports hall or a gym....
, now
PalmeirasSociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, usually called Palmeiras, is a Brazilian football team from São Paulo. The team was founded on August 26, 1914, as Società Sportiva Palestra Italia but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942. It is one of the most popular, traditional and successful...
. The people of Belo Horizonte wanted the Italian colony in
Minas GeraisMinas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, the second most populous and fourth largest by area in the federation. The capital is the city of Belo Horizonte, located near the central area...
to have its own club as well.
Yale, formed in 1910, competed in the
Campeonato de Belo Horizonte (Belo Horizonte Championship) up to 1925, when it gave up football. The majority of the players of Yale were of Italian origin and when the
Palestra ItáliaPalestra Itália was the original name of two traditional Brazilian football clubs. The term palestra derives from Ancient Greek palaistra and describes in Italian usage a covered sports hall or a gym....
was created, had a total bond to the new club. With the disagreement in Yale, in a rainy night on December 1920, Yale separated and the Palestra Itália (of Belo Horizonte) was born, also known as Palestra Mineiro.
Later Palestra years
The initiative was taken by Null Savini, Spagnuolo Sundays, Sílvio Pirani, Júlio Lazarotti, Hamleto Magnavacca, Henriqueto Pirani, Marguerite Funatino and João Ranieri. Other Italians had promised to help in what was necessary, especially financially. Some years later, Yale ended, but in the same time its still lives, through Cruzeiro. On December 20, 1920, the Italian Consul of Belo Horizonte decided on a meeting, which had the presence of 195 people, of which 92 had signed an act. Some proposals had been made and approved, marking a new meeting to be held on January 2, 1921, at the same time and place. On this day, January 2, 1921, about 250 Italians had appeared for the great event, the foundation of the Sociedade Esportiva Palestra Itália, or Societá Sportiva Palestra Itália. The adopted colors, as it could not be otherwise, were the same ones of the Italian flag: green, red, and white (in 2005 the colors reappeared in the training uniforms). The first uniform of the club was a green jersey, white shorts and red stockings. On the shield, in the form of a
rhombusIn geometry, a rhombus or rhomb is a quadrilateral whose four sides all have the same length. The rhombus is often called a diamond, after the diamonds suit in playing cards, or a lozenge, though the latter sometimes refers specifically to a rhombus with a 45° angle.In general, a polygon whose...
, were the initials SSPI. The club only allowed participation of men from the Italian colony, until 1925, when it opened its doors for sportsmen of any nationality
The debut of the Palestra in the lawns of Belo Horizonte was in the Stadium of the Prado Mineiro. It was in a friendly, on April 3, 1921, against a combination from
Nova LimaNova Lima is a city in the Minas Gerais state of Brazil, located close to the state's capital, Belo Horizonte. Its 2001 population was estimated at 66,700. The city is home to several mines, including the Morro Velho, Mostardas], and Rio de Peixe mines. A number of minerals are extracted from...
, uniting players of
Villa NovaVilla Nova is a Brazilian football team team from Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, founded on June 28, 1908.Home stadium is the Castor Cifuentes, capacity 15,000. They play in red and white striped shirts, red shorts and red socks.-History:...
, which was the club of the English, and Palmeiras, another team form that city. The Palestra won 2 v 0. The goals were from Nani (Lazarotti João), in the 16 minute of the first half and in the 7 minute of the second half. The Palestra team was formed by: Nullo, Polenta and Ciccio; Checchino, Américo and Bassi; Lino, Spartaco, Nani, Henriqueto and Armandinho. Nova Lima: Ferreira, Marcondes, Ruanico, Christovão, Bahiano, Oscar, Raymundo, Gentil, Badu, Damaso e Juá.
The first official presentation of the Palestra to the sporting public of Belo Horizonte was in a game against
Clube Atlético MineiroClube Atlético Mineiro, usually known as Atlético Mineiro, is a football club based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Founded on March 25, 1908, Atlético is one of the most traditional clubs in Brazilian football. The first official match was played on March 21, 1909, against Sport Club Futebol...
, where the Palestra won 2 to 0. The team of the Palestra contained: Nullo, Henriqueto and Polenta; Grande, Gallo and Checchino; Pederzoli, Parizi, Nani, Attílio and Armandinho.
Finally Cruzeiro EC
In January 1942,
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
entered the Second World War and a decree of the Federal Government forbade the use of terms from enemy nations in entities, institutions, establishments, etc. With this, the Italian name was removed and the directors of the club took 10 months to create a new name and symbol for the club that was entirely Brazilian. The name was changed to Ypiranga, but this name didn't get the affection of the congress of the Advice, so it was removed. In October a consensus of the directors approved the name Cruzeiro Esporte Clube. Cruzeiro is the constellation of the Southern Cross, and can only be seen from the southern hemisphere, therefore, it was not related to Italy. The uniform also switched to a blue shirt and stockings, and white shorts, (vice-versa when away).
Only, however, in November 1942, did Cruzeiro Esporte Clube make its first presentation to the world, using the blue-starred shirt, erasing themselves of the existence of the Palestra Itália. The first presentation as Cruzeiro Esporte Clube happened in November 11, 1942, in the fields of
AméricaAmérica Futebol Clube, is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on April 30, 1912....
, a game refereed by João Narciso. Cruzeiro Esporte Clube won 1 to 0 over America, with a goal by Ismael, in the 38 minutes of the first half. Cruzeiro‘s team that day was: Geraldo II, Gerson and Azevedo; Rizão, Juca and Caieirinha; Nogueirinha, Orlando Fantoni, Niginho, Ismael and Zezé Papatela. Manager: Bengala. America: Aldo, Lulu, Pescoço, Cabral, Célio Bizzoto, Du, Coquinho, Alfredinho, Gabardinho, Gerson and Cara Larga. Manager: Jacyr de Assis.
With the inauguration of the
MineirãoEstádio Mineirão , officially Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto established in 1965 after Governor Magalhães Pinto, is the largest football stadium in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and the second largest of the country...
, the Giant of Pampulha, in 1965, Cruzeiro transformed itself, permanently. It became a national football power, and became well known. The “celestial team” introduced Brazil and the world to stars such as
TostãoEduardo Gonçalves de Andrade , better known as Tostão, is a former Brazilian footballer. In his prime he was one of the best strikers in the world and also contributed with many assists thanks to his great passing....
,
PiazzaA piazza is a city square, found in Italy, Malta, along the Dalmatian coast and in surrounding regions. The term is roughly equivalent to the Spanish plaza...
, Natal,
Dirceu Lopes Dirceu Lopes, full name Dirceu Lopes Mendes, was a Brazilian football player.He was attacking midfielder and forward who played mainly with Cruzeiro....
, and many others. Cruzeiro became the first great football force in Brazil, aside from Atletico MG, and the
RioRio de Janeiro is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America. The city was the capital of Brazil for nearly two centuries, from 1763 to 1822 during the Portuguese colonial era, and...
-
São PauloSão Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and the world's 7th largest metropolitan area. The city is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous Brazilian state. It is also the richest city in Brazil. The name of the city honors Saint Paul. São Paulo exerts strong regional influence in...
teams.
Golden era
Cruzeiro started to have national prominence in the 60s, when a team with players such as
TostãoEduardo Gonçalves de Andrade , better known as Tostão, is a former Brazilian footballer. In his prime he was one of the best strikers in the world and also contributed with many assists thanks to his great passing....
, Wilson Piazza and
Fontana-Places:* Fontana, Chaco, a settlement in San Fernando Department in Chaco Province, Argentina* Fontana, Cape Verde, a settlement in the island of Sal, Cape Verde* Fontana, Gozo, on Gozo Island, Republic of Malta...
took the club to win five
Campeonato MineiroCampeonato Mineiro is the state football league of the state of Minas Gerais and is controlled by the Minas Gerais Football Federation FMF ....
titles in a row, and the conquest of
Taça BrasilThe Taça Brasil was a Brazilian national football competition which was contested from 1959 to 1968. It is considered by many historians the most important football tournament in Brazil at the time and can be compared, in importance level, to the current Campeonato Brasileiro.Bahia, Cruzeiro and...
on top of
SantosSantos Futebol Clube, usually known simply as Santos, is a Brazilian football team from the city Santos, State of São Paulo. It has been nicknamed Peixe for decades, but the usual mascot is a whale. The nickname evokes that the city of Santos is a seaport, when all other big clubs from the state...
of
PeléEdison Arantes do Nascimento , , best known by his nickname Pelé is a Brazilian football player. He was given the title "Athlete of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee...
(winning 6x2 in the
MineirãoEstádio Mineirão , officially Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto established in 1965 after Governor Magalhães Pinto, is the largest football stadium in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and the second largest of the country...
and 3x2 in
São PauloSão Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and the world's 7th largest metropolitan area. The city is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous Brazilian state. It is also the richest city in Brazil. The name of the city honors Saint Paul. São Paulo exerts strong regional influence in...
).
In 1976, Cruzeiro won its first
Copa Libertadores de AméricaThe Copa Libertadores de América, officially the Copa Santander Libertadores de América for sponsorship reasons, is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the most prestigious club competition in South American football. Despite being a South...
, over
River PlateClub Atlético River Plate, known also as River Plate or simply River, is an Argentine sports club best known for its football team, established in 1901. The club is based in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Núñez, and play at the Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti...
of
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
, being runners-up in the same competition in 1977, defeated by
Boca JuniorsClub Atlético Boca Juniors, known simply as Boca Juniors or Boca, is a popular Argentine sports club, best known for its football team. Its home base is the neighborhood of La Boca, in Buenos Aires, and their home field is Estadio Alberto J. Armando, better known as La Bombonera...
of Argentina. In the
Campeonato BrasileiroThe Campeonato Brasileiro da Série A is the highest division of Brazilian football. It is composed of 20 teams; currently, the bottom four teams in Série A are relegated and the top four teams in Série B are promoted...
, in 1974 Cruzeiro were runners-up for the first time, after losing a very confusing, decisive match against
VascoClub de Regatas Vasco da Gama, usually known as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, is a famous and traditional Brazilian multisports club from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, founded on August 21, 1898...
. Later in 1975 once again they were runners-up, this time losing to
InternationalSport Club Internacional, known simply as Internacional or Inter, is a Brazilian football team from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909. They play in red shirts, white shorts and socks, the first of which gives the team its nickname of O Colorado, or The Reds...
in the final. In the 1970s Cruzeiro was successful in other tournaments. In 1976, one of their finest moments, they were in the
Intercontinental CupThe European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
, now renamed as the FIFA Club World Championship, for the first time and faced a strong Bayern Munich side who defeated them 2-0 on aggregate (0-0 at the
MineirãoEstádio Mineirão , officially Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto established in 1965 after Governor Magalhães Pinto, is the largest football stadium in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and the second largest of the country...
and 2-0 in Munich).
The 80s were not very positive for the club, since the club neither had much success nor won many titles, although the drought did not last long.
Among the top Brazilian football clubs, Cruzeiro has an impressive list of honors that can only be compared to a few others in Brazil. It is undoubtedly the most successful club in present-day
Minas GeraisMinas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, the second most populous and fourth largest by area in the federation. The capital is the city of Belo Horizonte, located near the central area...
. In 1990 the club's drought vanished and it initiated a sequence of 15 years earning at least one trophy per year. That included two
Supercopa SudamericanaSupercopa Sudamericana , also known as Supercopa João Havelange was a competition played from 1988 to 1997 by the past winners of Copa Libertadores...
(1991, 1992), a South American Recopa (1998), four
Copa do BrasilThe Copa do Brasil is a knockout competition played by 64 football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. From 2001 onwards, due to the busy schedule in the first semester in Brazil, teams playing in the Copa Libertadores have not been allowed to participate in the...
(1993, 1996, 2000, 2003), a Copa Oro (1995), a Supercopa Masters (1995), two
Copa Sul-MinasCopa Sul-Minas was a Brazilian football competition contested between South region and Minas Gerais state teams.From 2000 to 2002, the Copa Sul-Minas champions granted qualification to the Copa dos Campeões....
(2001, 2002), nine
Campeonato MineiroCampeonato Mineiro is the state football league of the state of Minas Gerais and is controlled by the Minas Gerais Football Federation FMF ....
(1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997,1998, 2003, 2004), a
Copa Centro-OesteCopa Centro-Oeste was a Brazilian football competition contested between Center-West region teams.Minas Gerais state clubs only competed in the first Copa Centro-Oeste edition, joining the new Copa Sul-Minas in 2000....
(1999), Supercampeonato Mineiro (2002), a second
Copa Libertadores de AméricaThe Copa Libertadores de América, officially the Copa Santander Libertadores de América for sponsorship reasons, is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the most prestigious club competition in South American football. Despite being a South...
(1997) and the
Campeonato BrasileiroThe Campeonato Brasileiro da Série A is the highest division of Brazilian football. It is composed of 20 teams; currently, the bottom four teams in Série A are relegated and the top four teams in Série B are promoted...
(2003) and many other titles not listed.
In this period, several icons of Brazilian soccer wore the club's jersey. Among them, we can mention Charles, Boiadeiro, Douglas, Ademir, Roberto Batata, Ronaldo, Nonato, Dida, Ricardinho, Marcelo Ramos, Alex Alves,
SorínJuan Pablo Sorín is a former Argentine footballer. He was born in Buenos Aires. He is a much-travelled player, having spent time in Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Italy, France and Germany. He was captain of the Argentine team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.He is a versatile left wing-back who can play...
,
FredFrederico Chaves Guedes, nicknamed Fred , is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a striker for Brazilian club Fluminense and the Brazilian national team....
, Ramires, Guiherme, and Alex.
Rivalry with Atlético
As it is usual in many Brazilian states, there are two main football powerhouses and throughout time they have become greatest rivals.
AtléticoClube Atlético Mineiro, usually known as Atlético Mineiro, is a football club based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Founded on March 25, 1908, Atlético is one of the most traditional clubs in Brazilian football. The first official match was played on March 21, 1909, against Sport Club Futebol...
and Cruzeiro are no exception. It’s the biggest derby in the state of Minas Gerais, and besides Rio and São Paulo derbies, it is one of the greatest in Brazil.
There is always a big feud between the two fan sides, some claiming one is stronger and the other claiming the other is stronger. Overall, Atlético has managed to win 169 derby matches, Cruzeiro has won 139 and there have been 113 draws, out of 420 derbies. Cruzeiro has won over 106 titles (official and nonofficial).
But when the two play it seems like history or statistics mean nothing to the players, because every time the teams play each other, a show is truly put on for their fans.
Modern age: 2003-Present
The biggest breakthrough of the last decade happened in 2003, when Cruzeiro, under the command of the respected coach
Vanderlei LuxemburgoWanderley Luxemburgo da Silva , better known as Vanderlei Luxemburgo, is a Brazilian football manager and former football player...
and captained by
AlexAlex, real name Alexsandro de Souza, is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder, who is currently playing for Fenerbahçe in Turkey after being transferred from Cruzeiro in 2004 for 5 million dollars. He is formerly known for his role as team captain on the Brazilian National Team after rising...
, conquered the
triple crownThe Triple Crown of Brazilian Football is an unofficial title given to the club that won the three most important competitions of the Brazilian football in the same year:# Brazilian Football State Championship...
. For years Cruzeiro has struggled to win the Brazilian League, without success. After a few second places, in 2003 they were finally able to win the only title it did not have until then, winning 100 points during the season, and scoring just over 100 goals. It will be a long time until another club achieves the same success as Cruzeiro did in 2003. In 2003, besides winning the
Brazilian LeagueThe Campeonato Brasileiro da Série A is the highest division of Brazilian football. It is composed of 20 teams; currently, the bottom four teams in Série A are relegated and the top four teams in Série B are promoted...
, Cruzeiro also won the
Brazilian CupThe Copa do Brasil is a knockout competition played by 64 football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. From 2001 onwards, due to the busy schedule in the first semester in Brazil, teams playing in the Copa Libertadores have not been allowed to participate in the...
and the
State ChampionshipCampeonato Mineiro is the state football league of the state of Minas Gerais and is controlled by the Minas Gerais Football Federation FMF ....
to become the first Brazilian team to win the triple crown.
In 2004, Cruzeiro continued to do well, winning the
Belo Horizonte Youth CupThe Taça Belo Horizonte de Juniores , also known as Taça Belo Horizonte de Futebol Júnior is a cup competition usually played by 36 Brazilian under-20 football teams, most of them from Minas Gerais state....
, and, with stars such as
ArgentineArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
Juan Pablo SorínJuan Pablo Sorín is a former Argentine footballer. He was born in Buenos Aires. He is a much-travelled player, having spent time in Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Italy, France and Germany. He was captain of the Argentine team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.He is a versatile left wing-back who can play...
, the
Campeonato MineiroCampeonato Mineiro is the state football league of the state of Minas Gerais and is controlled by the Minas Gerais Football Federation FMF ....
. After much glory, in 2005 Cruzeiro did not win a major competition, something they’ve been doing since 1990. Not only did they not win a title they ended up in 8th place in the Brazilian league in 2005, a bad performance for them. In 2006, with a combination of young and experienced talent, they got off to a good start winning the
Campeonato MineiroCampeonato Mineiro is the state football league of the state of Minas Gerais and is controlled by the Minas Gerais Football Federation FMF ....
, their 34th state championship, now only 4 titles away from archrivals Atlético. They have also got off to a good start in the league table, making some believe they might have a good placement in the table, this year. Cruzeiro ended up in 10th place. In 2007, Cruzeiro lost the Campeonato Mineiro crown to archrivals Atlético Mineiro in the final, but had a good performance in the Campeonato Brasileiro. Cruzeiro ended up the national league in 5th place, qualifying once again for Copa Libertadores. In 2008, Cruzeiro had a good start in the Copa Libertadores, but were eliminated by
Boca JuniorsClub Atlético Boca Juniors, known simply as Boca Juniors or Boca, is a popular Argentine sports club, best known for its football team. Its home base is the neighborhood of La Boca, in Buenos Aires, and their home field is Estadio Alberto J. Armando, better known as La Bombonera...
in the round of 16. Cruzeiro won the state tournament defeating Atlético Mineiro in the finals, avenging the previous year defeat. In the Brazilian League, Cruzeiro were contenders to the title up to 3 rounds before the end, when they were eventually ousted from the competition for the title. They finished in 3rd place, qualifying once again for
Copa Libertadores 2009The 2009 Copa Libertadores de América was the 50th edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's premier annual international club tournament....
, in which won the 2nd place losing to
Estudiantes de la PlataClub Estudiantes de La Plata is a sports club in La Plata, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, with a history of achievement in professional football.Estudiantes are the reigning South American champions having won the 2009 Copa Libertadores...
.
In 2009, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) ranked Cruzeiro as the second best team of Brazil (after Grêmio ) and 11th best team of the world, ahead of teams like
Real MadridReal Madrid Club de Fútbol is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. It is the most successful team in Spanish football and was voted by FIFA as the most successful club of the 20th century, having won a record thirty-one La Liga titles, seventeen Spanish Cups, a record nine European...
,
A.C. MilanAssociazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan and as just Milan in Italy, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy...
and
Liverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club plays in the Premier League, and has won more trophies than any other English club...
.
Mascot
Fernando Pieruccetti, more popularly known as Mangabeira, created the club's
mascotThe term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
. The mascot is a
foxFox is a common name for many species of carnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail ....
(
raposa, in Portuguese). The club is widely known in the country for their mascot, it appears on TV and on websites that have to do with Cruzeiro.
Mangabeira was inspired by the clubs' ex-president, Mario Grossa, celebrity known for being very smart and cunning, and he thought the fox was perfect. "He was a guy who never let anyone trick him. He was so sly, crafty, intelligent and clever just like a fox", observed the
cartoonistA cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. Traditionally much of this work was, and still is, humorous, and is intended primarily for entertainment purposes...
.
Crest
The evolution of Cruzeiro’s crest has followed the transformation of their uniforms. The club was born as
Societá Sportiva Palestra ItáliaPalestra Itália was the original name of two traditional Brazilian football clubs. The term palestra derives from Ancient Greek palaistra and describes in Italian usage a covered sports hall or a gym....
and so the crest was a rhombus with the initials SSPI. In 1943 however in a game against
São CristóvãoSão Cristóvão de Futebol e Regatas, or São Cristóvão as they are usually called, is a traditional Brazilian football team from Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro, founded on February 2, 1943. Their home stadium is the Figueirinha stadium, capacity 8,000. They play in white shirts, white shorts and...
,
the club started to use a new crest which was a blue circle with five white stars in it, symbolizing the Southern Cross. Cruzeiro used this crest on their jerseys, alternatively switching to loose stars on the shirt many times. As in 2004 the crest has been on the shirts rather than just loose stars. They also changed their crest from just a circle with five stars to having
CRUZEIRO ESPORTE CLUBE being written around it. Lately they have been adding features to the crest, like in 2003 when the it had two trophies on its sides, representing two
LibertadoresThe Copa Libertadores de América, officially the Copa Santander Libertadores de América for sponsorship reasons, is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the most prestigious club competition in South American football. Despite being a South...
conquers. In 2005 they added a crown to the crest along with the two trophies, representing the triple crown title of 2003. In 2006 they dropped the two trophies and just kept the crown on top.
Presidents
- Aurélio Noce (1921-1922)
- Alberto Noce (1923-1924)
- Américo Gasparini (1925-1926, 1928)
- Antonio Falci (1927, 1929-1930)
- Braz Pelegrino (1927-1928)
- Lidio Lunardi (1931-1932)
- José Viana de Souza (1933)
- Miguel Perrela (1933-1936)
- Romeo de Paoli (1936)
- Osvaldo Pinto Coelho (1936-1940)
- Ennes Cyro Poni (1941-1942)
- Together: João Fantoni, Wilson Saliba, Mario Torneli (1942)
- Mário Grosso (1942-1947)
- Fernando Tamietti (1947, 1950)
- Antônio Cunha Lobo (1947-1949)
- Antônio Alves Simões (1949)
|
|
Manoel F. Campos (1950)
Divino Ramos (1951)
José Greco (1952-1953, 1955)
Wellington Armanelli (1954)
José Francisco Lemos Filho (1954)
Eduardo S. Bambirra (1955-1956)
Manoel A. de Carvalho (1957-1958)
Antonio Braz Lopes Pontes (1959-1960)
Felicio Brandi (1961-1982)
Carmine Furletti (1983-1984)
Benito Masci (1985-1990)
Salvador Masci (1990)
César Masci (1991-1994)
José Perrella de Oliveira Costa - "Zezé Perrella" (1995-2002)
Alvimar de Oliveira Costa - "Alvimar Perrella" Alvimar "Perrella" de Oliveira Costa, is currently the president of Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais and he has been reelected for an additional three-year term, which started in 2006 and will end in 2008...
(2003-2008)
José Perrella de Oliveira Costa - "Zezé Perrella" (2009-2011) |
Cruzeiro anthem
See also: Jadir AmbrósioJadir Ambrósio, , is a Brazilian musician. He took a course on piano, singing, and chorus at the Conservatório Mineiro de Música in Belo Horizonte. It was the Conservatory the place chosen for the musician to distill his emotion...
The club's anthem,
Hino ao Campeão, was written by
Jadir AmbrósioJadir Ambrósio, , is a Brazilian musician. He took a course on piano, singing, and chorus at the Conservatório Mineiro de Música in Belo Horizonte. It was the Conservatory the place chosen for the musician to distill his emotion...
in 1966, in homage to the team of his heart. He never meant for it to become the official anthem, but once fans started hearing it they liked it enough to adapt it as the new anthem. Cruzeiro have also had another anthem that was originally written by Arrigo Buzzacchi and Tolentino Miraglia when the club was still
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
, (-1925), and when it was still called the
Palestra ItáliaPalestra Itália was the original name of two traditional Brazilian football clubs. The term palestra derives from Ancient Greek palaistra and describes in Italian usage a covered sports hall or a gym....
. The anthem was published in newspapers in
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
on May 5, 1922 it was called
Hino ao Palestra.
Current squad
As of August 27, 2009. Sources from official website.
Junior players with first team experience
Notable managers
Vanderlei LuxemburgoWanderley Luxemburgo da Silva , better known as Vanderlei Luxemburgo, is a Brazilian football manager and former football player...
(won the triple crown in 2003)
Levir CulpiLevir Culpi is a football manager and a former player.He began his manager career as soon as he retired from football, in 1987, he coached Esporte Clube Juventude...
(won the Copa do Brasil in 1996)
Luiz Felipe ScolariLuiz Felipe Scolari, ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and sometimes in Portugal, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager who is currently managing FC Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan.-Playing career:A defender regarded as more uncompromising than skillful Luiz Felipe...
(left to manage the national team in 2001)
Paulo Autuori de MelloPaulo Autuori de Mello is a Brazilian football manager.He is graduated in Physical Education at Universidade Castelo Branco; and attended a Sport Admninstration course at PUC-RJ and a Soccer Coach Course at UERJ....
(won the
Copa Libertadores de AméricaThe Copa Libertadores de América, officially the Copa Santander Libertadores de América for sponsorship reasons, is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the most prestigious club competition in South American football. Despite being a South...
in 1997)
Adílson BatistaAdílson Dias Batista, is a retired Brazilian football player and now a coach at Cruzeiro.Adílson Batista played for Clube Atlético Paranaense, Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, Clube Atlético Mineiro, Sport Club Internacional, Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense and Sport Club Corinthians Paulista in the...
(current manager)
Zezé MoreiraAlfredo Moreira Júnior, usually known as Zezé Moreira was a Brazilian footballer and football manager that coached Brazil for some games in 1952. He was born in Miracema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was brother of Aymoré Moreira and Ayrton Moreira, both of them also successful coaches in the...
(won the
Copa Libertadores de AméricaThe Copa Libertadores de América, officially the Copa Santander Libertadores de América for sponsorship reasons, is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the most prestigious club competition in South American football. Despite being a South...
in 1976)
Statistics 2002/03 Historic Season
| First Division |
Position |
Pts |
Matches played |
Wins |
Draws |
Loses |
Goals scored |
Goals against |
| Cruzeiro |
1 |
100 |
46 |
31 |
7 |
8 |
102 |
47 |
Brazilian League Record
| Year | Position | Year | Position | Year | Position | Year | Position |
|---|
| 1971 |
8th |
1981 |
19th |
1991 |
16th |
2001 |
21st |
| 1972 |
6th |
1982 |
21st |
1992 |
8th |
2002 |
9th |
| 1973 |
3rd |
1983 |
17th |
1993 |
15th |
2003 |
1st |
| 1974 |
2nd |
1984 |
33rd |
1994 |
22nd |
2004 |
13th |
| 1975 |
2nd |
1985 |
29th |
1995 |
3rd |
2005 |
8th |
| 1976 |
19th |
1986 |
8th |
1996 |
5th |
2006 |
10th |
| 1977 |
16th |
1987 |
6th |
1997 |
20th |
2007 |
5th |
| 1978 |
10th |
1988 |
8th |
1998 |
2nd |
2008 |
3rd |
| 1979 |
6th |
1989 |
3rd |
1999 |
5th |
2009 |
|
| 1980 |
10th |
1990 |
10th |
2000 |
3rd |
2010 |
|
Top Appearances
| # |
Name |
Career |
Appearances |
| 1 |
Zé Carlos |
1965–1977 |
619 |
| 2 |
Dirceu Lopes |
1966–1977 |
601 |
| 3 |
Piazza |
1964–1977 |
559 |
| 4 |
Raul |
1966–1978 |
558 |
| 5 |
Joãozinho |
1972–1986 |
482 |
| 6 |
Palhinha |
1968–1977, 1983–1984 |
448 |
| 7 |
Ademir |
1986–1991, 1993–1995 |
439 |
| 8 |
Ricardinho |
1994–2002 |
415 |
| 9 |
Nelinho |
1973–1982 |
410 |
| 10 |
Nonato |
1990–1997 |
392 |
| 11 |
Tostão |
1963–1972 |
378 |
| 12 |
Dida |
1994–1998 |
304 |
Top Scorers
| # |
Name |
Career |
Goals |
| 1 |
Tostão |
1963–1972 |
248 |
| 2 |
Dirceu Lopes |
1963–1977 |
224 |
| 3 |
Niginho |
1926–1930, 1936–1937, 1939–1947 |
207 |
| 4 |
Bengala |
1925–1939 |
166 |
| 5 |
Ninão |
1923–1924, 1925–1930, 1936 |
163 |
| 6 |
Palhinha |
1969–1977, 1982–1985 |
155 |
| 7 |
Alcides |
1934–1946 |
152 |
| 8 |
Marcelo Ramos |
1994–1996, 1998–2002 |
151 |
| 9 |
Roberto Batata Roberto Monteiro, commonly known by the nickname Roberto Batata was a Brazilian football player who played for several Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Cruzeiro and for the Brazilian national team.-Nickname:...
|
1969—1976 |
118 |
| 10 |
Joãozinho |
1974–1981 |
116 |
International
- Copa Libertadores de América
The Copa Libertadores de América, officially the Copa Santander Libertadores de América for sponsorship reasons, is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the most prestigious club competition in South American football. Despite being a South...
(2): 1976, 1997
- Supercopa Sudamericana
Supercopa Sudamericana , also known as Supercopa João Havelange was a competition played from 1988 to 1997 by the past winners of Copa Libertadores...
(2): 1991, 1992
- Recopa
The Recopa Sudamericana is an annual football match-up between the reigning champions of the previous year's Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana. It is the South American equivalent to UEFA's Super Cup....
(1): 1998
- Copa Oro
The Copa de Oro , or Copa de Oro Nicolás Leoz, was an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL between 1993 and 1996. It was disputed between the winners of the Copa Libertadores de América, the Supercopa Sudamericana, the Copa CONMEBOL, and the Supercopa Masters...
(1): 1995
- Supercopa Masters
The Supercopa Masters, also known as Copa Master de Supercopa, was a football tournament, played in 1992 and 1995. It was disputed by the past winners of Supercopa Sudamericana.-List of champions:...
(1): 1995
Domestic
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro da Série A is the highest division of Brazilian football. It is composed of 20 teams; currently, the bottom four teams in Série A are relegated and the top four teams in Série B are promoted...
(1): 2003
- Taça Brasil
The Taça Brasil was a Brazilian national football competition which was contested from 1959 to 1968. It is considered by many historians the most important football tournament in Brazil at the time and can be compared, in importance level, to the current Campeonato Brasileiro.Bahia, Cruzeiro and...
(1): 1966
- Copa do Brasil
The Copa do Brasil is a knockout competition played by 64 football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. From 2001 onwards, due to the busy schedule in the first semester in Brazil, teams playing in the Copa Libertadores have not been allowed to participate in the...
(4): 1993, 1996, 2000, 2003
- Copa Sul-Minas
Copa Sul-Minas was a Brazilian football competition contested between South region and Minas Gerais state teams.From 2000 to 2002, the Copa Sul-Minas champions granted qualification to the Copa dos Campeões....
(2): 2001, 2002
- Copa Centro-Oeste
Copa Centro-Oeste was a Brazilian football competition contested between Center-West region teams.Minas Gerais state clubs only competed in the first Copa Centro-Oeste edition, joining the new Copa Sul-Minas in 2000....
(1): 1999
- Campeonato Mineiro
Campeonato Mineiro is the state football league of the state of Minas Gerais and is controlled by the Minas Gerais Football Federation FMF ....
(36): 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1940, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1956, 1959,1960, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009The Campeonato Mineiro de Futebol do Módulo I de 2009 is the 99th season of Minas Gerais's top-flight professional football league. The season began on January 25 and ended on May 3. Cruzeiro were crowned the league champion after going through the competition undefeated.-Participating...
Youth
- Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-20
In 2006, the Brazilian Football Confederation created the Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-20, the official national tournament for U-20 teams. The first edition was played in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, contested by 30 clubs – the 20 clubs currently playing in the Campeonato Brasileiro plus 10...
(1): 2007
- Copa São Paulo de Juniores
The Copa São Paulo de Juniores , also known as Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior and Copinha , is a cup competition played by 88 Brazilian under-18 football teams , most of them from São Paulo state...
(1): 2007
- Taça Belo Horizonte de Juniores
The Taça Belo Horizonte de Juniores , also known as Taça Belo Horizonte de Futebol Júnior is a cup competition usually played by 36 Brazilian under-20 football teams, most of them from Minas Gerais state....
(5): 1985, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2004
- Copa Santiago de Futebol Juvenil
The Copa Santiago de Futebol Juvenil, formerly known as Torneio Romeu Goulart Jacques, is a U-17 football tournament played on annual basis in the Brazilian city of Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul...
(2): 2002, 2004
- Copa Macaé de Juvenis
The Copa Macaé de Juvenis is a cup competition usually played between 18 and 24 Brazilian and international under-17 football clubs, most of them from Rio de Janeiro state...
(2): 2007, 2008
- Copa Sub-17 de Promissão (3): 2004, 2005, 2006
External links
Official WebsiteOfficial Cruzeiro ProductsOfficial Fans WebsiteBlog do CruzeirenseUltras Website (Máfia Azul)Web collected videos about CruzeiroClub InformationClub FactsCruzeiro Squad Stats 2007