Esporte Clube Bahia
Encyclopedia
Esporte Clube Bahia known familiarly as Bahiaço, is a Brazilian professional football club
Football team
A football team is the collective name given to a group of players selected together in the various team sports known as football.Such teams could be selected to play in an against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-star team or even selected as a...

, based in Salvador, Bahia
Salvador, Bahia
Salvador is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first...

. They play in the Campeonato Baiano
Campeonato Baiano
The Campeonato Baiano is the football league of the state of Bahia, Brazil. The championship has been played since 1905 without interruption.-2008 format:First stage:...

, Bahia's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

, Brazil's national league. Bahia was a founding member of the Clube dos 13
Clube dos 13
Clube dos 13 is the organization responsible for representing the interest of the 20 greatest football clubs of Brazil, including members from several football state federations such as Federação Paulista de Futebol, Federação de Futebol do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Federação Gaúcha de Futebol and...

(English: Club of the 13) group of Brazil's leading football clubs. Since the Brazilian football league system
Brazilian football league system
The Brazilian football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for football clubs in Brazil. It consists of several independent pyramids, which are the national pyramid, and the state pyramids. As those pyramids are independent, clubs usually compete in both pyramids in the same year...

 was established in 1959, it has spent all but ten seasons in the top tier, being promoted from Série B
Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
The Série B is the second division of Brazilian football. It is played by 20 teams. However, the competition format has changed almost every year since it first occurred, in 1971. In some years, it was not played altogether...

to Série A in 2010.

Bahia has won the Brasileirão title twice: in the 1959 season
1959 Taça Brasil
The 1959 Taça Brasil is the inaugural edition of a national wide club tournament in Brazil. It began on August 23, 1959 and ended on March 3, 1960.- Format :The competition is a single elimination knockout tournament featuring two-legged ties.- Teams :...

, defeating Santos' Santásticos which contained figures such as Gilmar, Mauro
Mauro Ramos
Mauro Ramos, full name Mauro Ramos de Oliveira, was an association footballer. He played centre-back for São Paulo F.C., Santos F.C. and the Brazilian national team....

, Mengálvio
Mengálvio Pedro Figueiró
Mengálvio Pedro Figueiró , nicknamed Mengálvio, is a former Brazilian footballer who played as a midfielder.He earned 13 caps and scored 1 goal for the Brazil national football team...

, Coutinho
Coutinho
Antônio Wilson Vieira Honório , nicknamed Coutinho, is a Brazilian former football player. He played as a forward for Santos Futebol Clube, being a teammate and attacking partner of Pelé, and became a member of the Brazilian national team.Born in Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Coutinho was...

, Pepe
José Macia
Pepe, real name José Macia, is a former association footballer and manager. He was left winger for Santos F.C. and the Brazilian national team...

 and Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...

, in the finals and in the 1988 season Bahia edged Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...

. Bahia has only appeared in the Copa Libertadores three times, reaching the quarterfinals in 1989, Bahia's best ever performance. The club has also won their state title a record 43 times; however, the 2000s has been a dark decade for Bahiaço as they have only won one state title. Furthermore, Bahia were relegated to Série B in 2003 and relegated, for the first time ever, to Série C
Campeonato Brasileiro Série C
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série C is the third division of Brazilian football.Unlike the first and second divisions, the Série C is not played in a double round robin system, arguably because many participating teams lack the financial conditions to travel long distances...

 in 2005.

Under the presidency of Marcelo de Oliveira Guimarães Filho, Bahia started turning their fortunes around, being promoted to Série B in 2007. After a great campaign in 2009, the club found themselves back to Série A after eight seasons. Bahia have played their home games at the 66,080 capacity Estádio Fonte Nova
Estádio Fonte Nova
The Estádio Fonte Nova, also known as Estádio Octávio Mangabeira, was a football stadium inaugurated on January 28, 1951 in Salvador, Bahia, with a maximum capacity of 66,080 people. The stadium was owned by the Bahia government, and was the home ground of Esporte Clube Bahia and Esporte Clube...

 since 1951, but will move to the Arena Fonte Nova after its completion. Their traditional home kit consists of white shirts with blue shorts and red socks. The club has a long-standing rivalry with national opponents Esporte Clube Vitória
Esporte Clube Vitória
Esporte Clube Vitória, usually known simply as Vitória, is a Brazilian football team from Salvador in Bahia, founded on May 13, 1899.Vitória's home games are played at the club's own stadium . They play in red and black horizontal striped shirts, black shorts and black socks...

, and matches between the two sides are known as the Ba–Vi
Ba–Vi
BaVi is a football derby between two teams of the Brazilian city of Salvador, Bahia: Esporte Clube Bahia and Esporte Clube Vitória.- Statistics :- Largest attendances :# Bahia 1–1 Vitória, 97.240, August 7, 1994# Bahia 0–1 Vitória, 90.000, March 26, 1972...

.

Early years and the first national title

Esporte Clube Bahia was founded in 1931, when players from two clubs decided to merge; the two clubs, Associação Atlética da Bahia and Clube Bahiano de Tênis, had decided to discontinue their football divisions. Only a few years later, Bahia has become the most popular team in the Northeast of Brazil.

These players went to a house at Princesa Isabel Avenue, where they discussed things like: finance, structure and local training. In the club's first year, Bahia won the Torneio Inicio and the Bahia State Championship. The first Bahia president was Waldemar Costa, an established medic of Salvador. Bahia crest is based on Corinthians' Crest. They took the Bahia state flag, created by Raimundo Magalhães, in place of the São Paulo state flag.

The team was founded with the motto "Nasceu para Vencer" (In English: "Born to Win"). Bahia won 43 State Championships, 17 more than Vitória (the rival club), and was the first club to participate in the Taça Libertadores da America, in 1960. On Thursday, April 4, 1957, they lost 3–5 to Brentford F.C.
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....

 in a floodlight friendly.

Between 1959 and 1963, and in 1968, Bahia was the team representing Bahia state at the Taça Brasil (the precursor of the Brazilian Championship), winning the title in 1959 and finishing as runner-up in 1961 and 1963.

The 1980s and the second national title

The 1980s were the best in Bahia's history. Bahia won their second national title in 1988, placed 5th in 1986, and 4th in 1990. Bahia's idols were born: Bobo, Charles, Ronaldo, and others.

In 1989, Bahia won its first Brazilian Championship
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

 against Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...

 from Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...

. Bahia won the first leg in Salvador
Salvador, Bahia
Salvador is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first...

 by 2–1. The second leg ended in a 18–19 tie in Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...

, at Beira Rio Stadium
Estádio Beira-Rio
Estádio José Pinheiro Borda, better known as Estádio Beira-Rio due to its location beside the Guaíba River, is a football stadium in Porto Alegre, Brazil. It serves as the home stadium for Sport Club Internacional...

. After these results, Bahia won the Brasileirão, their second national title. The championship gave Bahia the right to play Copa Libertadores for a third time. It was a real shock for the southern press because Salvador is in the Northeast, the poorest region of Brazil, and the victory was over Internacional, a team from southern Brazil, the region that has the highest Human Development Index
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index is a composite statistic used to rank countries by level of "human development" and separate "very high human development", "high human development", "medium human development", and "low human development" countries...

 of the country.

Dark years

In 1996, Bahia needed to win the last game of the season, but the club was relegated to Série B
Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
The Série B is the second division of Brazilian football. It is played by 20 teams. However, the competition format has changed almost every year since it first occurred, in 1971. In some years, it was not played altogether...

 for the first time in its history after a 0–0 draw against Juventude
Esporte Clube Juventude
Esporte Clube Juventude, also known as Juventude, is a Brazilian football team in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul.Juventude's greatest rival is Caxias.-History:...

 at the Fonte Nova stadium. In 1999, Bahia was close to being promoted to Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

 again. Bahia had a very good season, but finished in 3rd place, which was not enough to see them promoted. In order to be promoted, Bahia would have to win the final match against Brasiliense, but the referee Paulo César de Oliveira was assigned to that match, and many people say he was all but fair on that day.

In 2000, due to bribe scandals involving clubs such as São Paulo and Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...

, the team returned to the Brazilian First Division
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

, invited by the Clube dos Treze, along with Fluminense
Fluminense Football Club
Fluminense Football Club is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in the beginning of the 20th century as a single-sport institution, Fluminense is today an umbrella organization for several teams in more than 16 different sport activities. The most popular endeavor of Fluminense,...

, which was made a scapegoat for the controversy and was nationally victimized by the media (see Copa João Havelange).

In 2002, the bank that had fully sponsored the team went bankrupt, and Bahia began a descent down the Brazilian football pyramid. After the title of the Northeast Cup in 2001 and 2002, Bahia had a horrible year in 2003, and was relegated to the Série B
Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
The Série B is the second division of Brazilian football. It is played by 20 teams. However, the competition format has changed almost every year since it first occurred, in 1971. In some years, it was not played altogether...

 for the second time in the club's history. In 2004, the team was close to getting promoted to the Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

 again, finishing 4th. In 2005, the club again competed in the Série B
Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
The Série B is the second division of Brazilian football. It is played by 20 teams. However, the competition format has changed almost every year since it first occurred, in 1971. In some years, it was not played altogether...

, finishing in 18th place, and was relegated to the Série C
Campeonato Brasileiro Série C
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série C is the third division of Brazilian football.Unlike the first and second divisions, the Série C is not played in a double round robin system, arguably because many participating teams lack the financial conditions to travel long distances...

 for the first time in the club's history.

Fênix tricolor (tricolored phoenix)

Bahia finished 2007 amongst the first four teams of the Third Division's octagon, and were promoted to the Second Division for the 2008 season, but it was not easy. Bahia began strongly, but the last game of the 3rd stage of the Série C
Campeonato Brasileiro Série C
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série C is the third division of Brazilian football.Unlike the first and second divisions, the Série C is not played in a double round robin system, arguably because many participating teams lack the financial conditions to travel long distances...

 against the already-eliminated Fast Club was one of the most difficult games in the club's history. Bahia needed to win to advance to the final octagon. The victory came in the very last minute of the game, with a goal scored by Charles. During the final octagon, the team finished the third division in 2nd place, only losing the title in the final round.

This moment is called the "Fênix Tricolor" amongst Bahia fans. The phoenix represents Bahia re-surging from the ashes.

Despite playing in the Third Division of Brazilian football in 2007, Bahia had the largest average attendance in Brazil: 40,400 people per match. No club in the Third, the Second, or even the First Division was able to match it. However, this is not unusual for Bahia; having also achieved the biggest average attendance in Brazil in 2004 (Second Division), 1988 (First Division), 1986 (First Division), and 1985 (First Division).

Symbols

Bahia's colors are blue, red, and white. The blue color is a homage to Associação Atlética da Bahia; white, to Clube Baiano de Tênis; and red is a color present in the Bahia state flag. The club's mascot is called Super-Homem Tricolor, meaning Tricolor Superman, inspired by the DC Comics character
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...

. The mascot was created by the famous cartoonist Ziraldo
Ziraldo Alves Pinto
Ziraldo Alves Pinto is a Brazilian author, painter, comic creator, and journalist.He is normally known just as "Ziraldo." His books have sold about ten million copies, have been translated to many foreign languages and adapted to the theater and cinema.He and other progressive artists created the...

 based on the expression "Esquadrão de Aço" (Steel Squad in English), and wears a costume very similar to the original Superman's costume, which shares the team's colors.

State

  • Bahia State League
    Campeonato Baiano
    The Campeonato Baiano is the football league of the state of Bahia, Brazil. The championship has been played since 1905 without interruption.-2008 format:First stage:...

    : 43
1931, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1938 (1), 1940, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999 (2), 2001
Runners-up (9): 1941, 1964, 1972, 1989, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2007

  • Bahia's State Trophy: 3
2000, 2002, 2007
Runners-up (2): 2004, 2006

  • Begin's Tournament: 9
1931, 1932, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1951, 1964, 1967, 1979

Notable players

José Sanfilippo
José Sanfilippo
José Francisco "El Nene" Sanfilippo is a former Argentine footballer.During his club career he played for San Lorenzo, Boca Juniors and Banfield in Argentina, Nacional in Uruguay and Bangu and SC Bahia in Brazil He also earned 29 caps and scored 21 goals for the Argentina national football team,...

 Alencar Baiaco Beijoca Bobô
Bobô (footballer born 1962)
Raimundo Nonato Tavares da Silva, commonly known by the nickname Bobô , is a retired Brazilian professional football right midfielder and head coach, who played for several Campeonato Brasileiro Série A clubs.-Playing career:...

 Carlito Charles
Charles Fabian Figueiredo Santos
Charles Fabian Figueiredo Santos, usually known as Charles is a Brazilian football manager and former footballer.-Playing honors:Bahia* Brazilian League: 1-Individual:...

 Cícero Santos
Cícero Santos
Cícero Santos , simply known as Cícero, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for São Paulo.-Early career:...

 (still active, plays for Hertha Berlin in Germany) Cláudio Adão
Cláudio Adão
Cláudio Adalberto Adão, or simply Cláudio Adão , is a former Brazilian football player. A gifted forward, Adão was the top-scorer of almost every championship he's played....

 Daniel Alves
Daniel Alves
Daniel Alves da Silva , commonly known as Dani Alves, is a Brazilian footballer. He plays as an attacking right defender for FC Barcelona and the Brazilian national team. Before joining Barcelona, Alves spent a successful six year spell with Sevilla FC, winning two UEFA Cups and the Copa del Rey...

 (still active, plays for FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

 in Spain) Douglas Eliseu
Jorge Wagner
Jorge Wágner
Jorge Wagner Goés Conceição, or simply Jorge Wagner, , is a Brazilian attacking midfielder, who currently plays football for J...

 (still active, plays for São Paulo FC) Luis Henrique Mailson Mário Marito Naldinho Roberto Rebouças Sandro Serginho
Sergio Claudio dos Santos
Sérgio Cláudio dos Santos is a former association footballer, who last played as a left winger and left back for A.C. Milan. His nickname is Il Concorde, due to his quick and tireless pace on the pitch.-Career:He played for Cruzeiro EC and Bahia, and moved to AC Milan from São Paulo FC in 1999...

 (former player of AC Milan in Italy) William Andem
Bassey William Andem
Bassey William Andem is a retired Cameroonian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.In spite of a very large frame, he was known for his above-average reflexes, and spent most of his career professional career in Portuguese-speaking countries, namely at the service of Boavista.-Club career:After...

 Rodolfo Rodríguez
Rodolfo Rodríguez
Rodolfo Sergio Rodríguez Rodríguez is a retired Uruguayan football goalkeeper. He is the second most capped player in the history of the Uruguayan national team with 78 appearances between 1976 and 1986...



First team

As of October 1, 2011.


Players with Dual Nationality   Tiago   Fahel
Leandro Fahel Matos
Leandro Fahel Matos or simply Fahel , is a Brazilian football defensive midfielder who plays for Bahia.He previously played for Atlético Paranaense and Botafogo.-Honours : Botafogo...

   Dodô
José Rodolfo Pires Ribeiro
José Rodolfo Pires Ribeiro, better known as Dodô, is a Brazilian defender who currently plays for Bahia on loan from Corinthians.-Career:...

   Ricardinho
Ricardinho
Ricardinho, real name Ricardo Luis Pozzi Rodrigues is an association footballer. He is usually a deep-lying playmaker. He is best known for his accurate passing and technique.-International career:...


Professional players able to play in the youth team

Youth players with first team experience

Out on loan

First-team staff

As of May 22, 2011.
Position Name Nationality
Coach Joel Santana
Joel Santana
Joel Natalino Santana is a Brazilian football head coach and former football player. He is the current head coach of Bahia.-Biography:...

Assistant Coach Eduardo Souza
Chiquinho de Assis
Fitness coaches Ronny Silva
Goalkeeping Coach Ricardo Palmeira

Stadium

Bahia had always played at the Fonte Nova stadium
Estádio Fonte Nova
The Estádio Fonte Nova, also known as Estádio Octávio Mangabeira, was a football stadium inaugurated on January 28, 1951 in Salvador, Bahia, with a maximum capacity of 66,080 people. The stadium was owned by the Bahia government, and was the home ground of Esporte Clube Bahia and Esporte Clube...

, from its inauguration in 1951 until November 2007.
At the game against Vila Nova (during Bahia's promotion campaign), part of the stadium collapsed and 7 people died. More than 30 were injured.

After that episode, the state government declared that the stadium would be demolished. A new stadium is being built on the site for the 2014 World Cup.

Some notable games at the Fonte Nova:
  • Bahia : Internacional
    Sport Club Internacional
    Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...

     2–1 (Série A
    Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
    The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

     – Final – 1988)
  • Bahia : Fluminense
    Fluminense Football Club
    Fluminense Football Club is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in the beginning of the 20th century as a single-sport institution, Fluminense is today an umbrella organization for several teams in more than 16 different sport activities. The most popular endeavor of Fluminense,...

     2–1 (Série A
    Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
    The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

     – Semi-Finals – 1988)
  • Bahia : Flamengo
    Clube de Regatas do Flamengo
    Clube de Regatas do Flamengo , also known as Flamengo and familiarly as Mengão, is a Brazilian sports club based in the Flamengo bairro, Zona Sul, Rio de Janeiro, best known for its professional football team...

     4–1 (Série A
    Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
    The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

     – 2001)
  • Bahia : Sport Recife
    Sport Club do Recife
    Sport Club do Recife, more popularly known as Sport in Recife or Sport Recife in Northeastern Brazil, is a football team from Recife, Pernambuco.-1905 - Foundation:...

     3–1 (Northeast Cup – Final – 2002)
  • Bahia : Fast Club
    Nacional Fast Clube
    Nacional Fast Clube, usually known simply as Fast or Fast Clube is a Brazilian football club from Manaus, Amazonas state.- History :...

     1–0 (Série C
    Campeonato Brasileiro Série C
    The Campeonato Brasileiro Série C is the third division of Brazilian football.Unlike the first and second divisions, the Série C is not played in a double round robin system, arguably because many participating teams lack the financial conditions to travel long distances...

     – 3rd Stage – 2007)


Bahia's state championship games will be played at the Pituaçu Stadium
Estádio de Pituaçu
Estádio Metropolitano Roberto Santos, usually known as Estádio de Pituaçu, is a football stadium located in Salvador, Bahia state, Brazil. The stadium is owned by the Government of Bahia state and it was built in 1979...

, which has a capacity of 32,157 spectators, until the new stadium is built.

External links

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