Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense
Encyclopedia
Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, commonly known as just Grêmio (ˈɡɾẽmiu), is a Brazilian professional association football team based in Porto Alegre
, Rio Grande do Sul
founded by English and German immigrants on September 15, 1903. Major titles captured by Grêmio include one Intercontinental Cup
, two Copa Libertadores de América
, two national championships
and four national cups
. Grêmio plays in a tricolour
(blue, white and black) striped shirt, black shorts and white socks (first kit). The club enjoys a cross-city rivalry with Sport Club Internacional
, with their derbies known as "Gre–Nal".
The club is officially ranked the #1 Brazilian team by the CBF
(Brazilian Football Confederation).
Grêmio is also ranked the #3 Brazilian team in continental competitions by CONMEBOL
(South American Football Confederation)
, played an exhibition match in Porto Alegre
. An entrepreneur from Sorocaba
, São Paulo
named Cândido Dias was besotted with the sport and went to the ground to watch the match. During the match, the ball deflated. As the only owner of a football in Porto Alegre, he lent his ball to the players, and the match resumed. After the match, he talked to the players about how to found a football club. On September 15, 1903, 32 people, including Cândido Dias, met at Salão Grau restaurant in the city and founded Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense. Carlos Luiz Bohrer was elected as first president.
The new club's first match took place on March 6, 1904, against Fuss Ball Porto Alegre, the first of two matches played that day. Grêmio won the first match 1-0. Unfortunately, newspaper reports of the time do not record the name of the player who scored the first goal in the club's history. The trophy Grêmio won that day, the Wanderpreis, still exists and is displayed at the club's museum. Five months later, Grêmio opened its first stadium, named Baixada.
In the early years of Grêmio's history, football was not a very popular game in Brazil and few teams existed. On July 18, 1909, Grêmio beat Internacional
10-0 on the latter's debut. Grêmio's goalkeeper Kallfelz reportedly left the field and went to talk with fans during the match. Even now this victory is remembered with pride by the Gremistas (Grêmio supporters). The match was the starting point for a strong rivalry which lives on to this day. Gre–Nal is the name given to this city derby.
Grêmio was one of the founding members of Porto Alegre's football league in 1910, and in 1911 won the city league for the first time. On August 25, 1912, in a city league match, Grêmio beat Sport Clube Nacional of Porto Alegre 23-0. Sisson scored 14 goals in the match in Grêmio's biggest ever win.
In 1918, Grêmio was one of the founders of Fundação Rio-Grandense de Desportes (later known as Federação Gaúcha de Futebol), a club federation which organized the first state championships of Rio Grande do Sul
. The first championship was scheduled for 1918, but the Spanish flu epidemic forced the whole event to be postponed until 1919. In 1921, a year after the arrival of legendary goalkeeper Eurico Lara, Grêmio won its first state championship.
Grêmio enjoyed many pioneering moments in the 20th century. On July 7, 1911 Grêmio beat Uruguay
's national team 2-1. In 1931, Grêmio became one of the first teams in Brazil to play matches at night after installing floodlights at its Estádio Baixada. On May 19, 1935, Grêmio became the first team from Rio Grande do Sul to beat a team from the state of São Paulo (considered the strongest Brazilian league at the time) when it defeated Santos
3-2. Grêmio was also the first club outside Rio de Janeiro
state to play at the Maracanã
Stadium, defeating Flamengo
3-1 in 1950.
During this period, Grêmio started to earn a reputation abroad. In 1932 it played its first international match in Rivera
(Uruguay). In 1949, the match against Uruguay's Nacional
ended in a 3-1 win for Grêmio and the players received a hero's welcome on their return to Porto Alegre. In that same year, Grêmio played for the first time in Central America. During the years 1953–1954, Grêmio travelled to Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia, an achievement dubbed "the conquest of the Americas". On February 25, 1959, Grêmio defeated Boca Juniors
4-1 in Buenos Aires, becoming the first foreign team to beat Boca at La Bombonera
Stadium. And in 1961, Grêmio went for its first (and very successful) European jaunt, playing 24 matches in 11 countries: France, Romania, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Denmark, Estonia and Russia.
In the late 1950s, Grêmio joined the Taça Brasil
, as the Brazilian league was known at the time. The team reached the Taça Brasil semi-finals in 1959, 1963 and 1967. In 1968, the team won its first international title in a friendly cup with teams from Brazil and Uruguay
. In 1954, Grêmio first played at what was the biggest private stadium in Brazil at the time, the Olímpico
Stadium.
In 1971, the Taça Brasil
championship was replaced by the Campeonato Brasileiro
, which is the top football showcase in Brazil today. The first goal ever scored in the Campeonato Brasileiro was by Grêmio player Néstor Scotta
, an Argentine, in a match against São Paulo
at Estádio do Morumbi
. Grêmio maintained a series of respectable results in Campeonato Brasileiro, usually staying at the top half of the league table.
. On May 3, 1981, Grêmio won its first Campeonato Brasileiro after defeating São Paulo
in the final at the Morumbi Stadium
in São Paulo. The scores in the two-leg final were 2-1 at Olímpico and 1-0 for Grêmio at Morumbi. The winning goal was scored by striker Baltazar. Earlier, on April 26, 1981 Olímpico had its biggest attendance ever, when 98,421 fans watched Grêmio lose to Ponte Preta
0-1 in the Campeonato Brasileiro semi-final. This record will never be beaten, as the Olímpico Monumental was later rebuilt and now holds no more than 50,000 people.
1983 was the most successful year in Grêmio's history. First, Grêmio won the South-American Copa Libertadores, after a consistent yet eventful campaign. One of the matches of the triangular semi-final, the 3-3 draw against Estudiantes
at Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium, became legendary for its belligerence on and off the pitch, and is dubbed the "Batalha de La Plata" ("Battle of La Plata"), in reference to the hometown of Estudiantes. In the finals, Grêmio beat the 1982 South America and World champions Peñarol from Uruguay, with a 1-1 draw in Montevideo
and a 2-1 win in Porto Alegre. The winning goal was scored by César just before the end of the match. A year later, Grêmio was runner-up in the Copa Libertadores final, being defeated by Argentina's Independiente
.
Also in 1983, Grêmio won the Intercontinental Cup
after defeating Hamburger SV
of Germany 2-1. Renato
scored both goals, and Uruguayan defender De León
and goalkeeper Mazaropi were also regarded as heroes of this victory. In Porto Alegre, Grêmio's fans began the chant: "The Earth is Blue". Another chant created by Grêmio's fans when the club won the World Club title was "Nada Pode Ser Maior" ("Nothing Can Be Greater"). Soon after winning the Intercontinental Cup, Grêmio beat America
of Mexico in Los Angeles, and won the Los Angeles Cup.
In 1989, Grêmio won the first Copa do Brasil
, a Brazilian knockout cup featuring football teams from all around the country. After humiliating Flamengo – the best supported football team in Brazil – with a 6-1 win in the second leg of the semi-finals, Grêmio defeated Sport Recife
in the final, with a 0-0 draw in Recife and a 2-1 win in Porto Alegre.
In 1991, after a poor season, Grêmio was relegated for the first time to the Brazilian Second Division
of Campeonato Brasileiro, but gained immediate promotion back to the Campeonato Brasileiro's elite in the following season (1993). After this return to top form, 1994 saw Grêmio win its second Copa do Brasil, defeating Ceará
in the two-leg final (0-0 and 1-0), the solitary goal scored by striker Nildo. The club then started its Tokyo Project
.
, Grêmio was runner-up in the Copa do Brasil
, losing the final match to Corinthians
0-1 at Olímpico Monumental. In August, a few days after beating arch-rivals Internacional for the state title with a reserve squad, the club won the Copa Libertadores for the second time. In the finals, Grêmio defeated Atlético Nacional
of Colombia, by winning 3-1 in Porto Alegre and drawing 1-1 in Medellín
. The tournament was marked by the matches against Palmeiras
in the quarter-finals. Palmeiras had perhaps the best squad on the competition, with players such as Rivaldo
, Cafu
, Edmundo
, César Sampaio, Antônio Carlos, Roberto Carlos and Mancuso
, but was beaten by Grêmio on the 1st leg in an epic 5-0 match with a hat-trick from Jardel
in the 2nd half. In the 2nd match Palmeiras beat Grêmio in another incredible match by a 5-1 score, which wasn't quite enough for Palmeiras.
In the World Club tournament, Grêmio had a player sent off and was eventually defeated by Ajax Amsterdam
of the Netherlands in the penalty shootout. Early 1996 saw Grêmio win the Recopa Sudamericana
, beating Argentina's Independiente
4-1.
On December 15, 1996, Grêmio won its second Campeonato Brasileiro
, after defeating Portuguesa
in the final. Portuguesa won the first match at home 2-0, and therefore Grêmio was forced to win the final match at Porto Alegre for the same score or more. Grêmio got to 2-0, with midfielder Ailton scoring the second goal a few minutes before the final whistle. Grêmio won the title due to their higher finish in the league.
In 1997, Grêmio won its third Copa do Brasil
title. In the finals against Romário
's Flamengo, Grêmio won on away goals after a 0-0 draw in Porto Alegre and a 2-2 in Rio de Janeiro. Four years later, in 2001, Grêmio won its fourth Copa do Brasil, defeating Corinthians
. The first leg of the final, in Porto Alegre, finished with the score of 2-2. The second game in São Paulo ended with a 3-1 Grêmio victory, in a match which is regarded by many as one of the finest in Grêmio's history.
. Grêmio's task was much more difficult this time, with only two clubs able to qualify for promotion to the First Division. On November 26, 2005, at Estádio dos Aflitos
, Recife
, Grêmio had four players sent off and two penalty kicks against them. The first penalty was shot off the post by Bruno Carvalho in the first half when Grêmio still had 11 players on the field; the second was saved by goalkeeper Galatto after Grêmio had been reduced to 7 men. Grêmio beat Náutico
by 1-0, with Anderson
the scorer. With this victory, Grêmio won the Série B of the Campeonato Brasileiro and were promoted back to the Série A. That crucial match is referred to by fans as "The Battle of the Aflitos
" ("A Batalha dos Aflitos", "Aflitos" being the name of Náutico's home field), because all the incidents both on and off the pitch resembled a true battle. The match became so legendary for Grêmio supporters that 2 movies and a book were made to tell the story.
On April 9, 2006, at Estádio Beira-Rio
, Grêmio won the state championship against Internacional
, preventing its rival from winning a fifth title in a row. Playing away, Grêmio managed to obtain a 1-1 draw at the last match, enough to secure the title. Grêmio players said after the match that there were more than 50,000 Internacional fans in Beira Rio's Stadium, and they could still hear the noise made by 6,000 Gremistas, which was an extra source of motivation. In 2007, at Estádio Olímpico Monumental
, Grêmio won the state championship (Campeonato Gaúcho
) once again, against Juventude
. In the semi-finals against Caxias
, Grêmio suffered a 3-0 defeat in the first match, but managed to score a 4-0 win at Olímpico to qualify to the final.
Also in 2007, Grêmio reached the final of the Copa Libertadores 2007
, after a series of dramatic matches against the top clubs in South America. Even after a 3-0 defeat at the away match, Gremistas formed huge lines to buy tickets for the final match in Porto Alegre, with some of the fans queuing for four days or more. In the Campeonato Brasileiro 2007
, Grêmio came sixth in the league table.
In 2008, after the sudden firing of their new manager Vagner Mancini, the club hired Celso Roth
. Within a month they had prematurely dropped out of both the domestic cup (Copa do Brasil
) and their state championship (Campeonato Gaucho). This led to the team going through a state of crisis and, soon after, major renovation. They were expected to be on the bottom half of the Campeonato Brasileiro's table, and maybe even relegated, but managed to finish in 2nd place. For many supporters, even that was considered a failure as in the first half of the championship, the team was considered the best of the country, and more than 10 points ahead of their rivals. But unexpected loses during the final games of the season lost the championship.
In 2009, giving priority to the Copa Libertadores 2009
, the team played most of the state championship matches with the reserve squad. This and some controversial attitudes of coach Celso Roth
led to several poor results, notably three losses to their main rival Internacional
. In April, after the premature loss of the state championship, Celso Roth
was fired.
Players with Dual Nationality
Marcelo Grohe
Júlio César
Professional players able to play in the youth team
Youth players with first team experience
(on loan from Pelotas
)
Airton Pavilhão
Alcindo
Altemir Amoroso
Anderson
Ânderson Lima Anderson Polga
André Catimba Áureo Arílson Artigas Baidek Baltazar Batista Calvet Carlos Eduardo Carlos Miguel Cesar Santin
China Chistian
Cláudio Pittbull
Cuca Delém
Danrlei
Dener Dinho Éder
Eduardo Costa
Edinho
Ênio Rodrigues Emerson
Émerson Leão
Everaldo
Fernando Menegazzo
Galatto
Gélson
Gessi Gilberto Grafite
Iúra Jardel
João Severiano Juarez Lara
Lucas Leiva Lúcio
Luís Carlos Goiano Luís Eduardo Luiz Mário
Manga
Marcelinho Paraíba
Mário Sérgio
Marino Mauro Galvão
Mazaropi
Milton Kuelle Nildo Oberdan
Ortunho Paulo Isidoro
Paulo Nunes
Paulo Roberto
Pingo Renato Portaluppi
Rodrigo Fabri
Rodrigo Mendes Roger Ronaldinho
Sandro Goiano
Sérgio Moacir Tarciso Tesourinha
Tcheco
Tinga
Valdir Espinosa
Valdo Zé Alcino Zinho
Argentina
Leonardo Astrada
Agustin Cejas
Germinaro Maxi López Oberti Alejandro Sabella
Sebastián Saja
Rolando Schiavi
Héctor Scotta
Chile
Fernando Astengo
Jean Beausejour
Colombia
Edixon Perea
England Cox
Germany Black Booth
Grunewald Kallfelz Koch Kuntz Mohrdieck Schuback Siebel Sisson
Paraguay
Francisco Arce
Diego Gavilán Catalino Rivarola
Uruguay
Sebastián Abreu
Atílio Ancheta
Julian Bertola Walter Corbo
Hugo De León
Marcelo Lipatin
Obdulio Trasante
from Montevideo; Grêmio won by a score of 2-0, with both goals scored by Vitor.
In 1980 a second tier was added to the Olímpico, and the stadium was renamed the Olímpico Monumental. The first game at the renamed Olímpico Monumental was played on June 21, 1980, when Grêmio beat Vasco da Gama
by a score of 1-0.
Estádio Olímpico Monumental has an attendance record of 98,421 people for the game against Ponte Preta
on April 26, 1981.
Estádio Olímpico Monumental has 40 luxury booths which hold 10 people, and 5 booths which hold 20 people. It also has 140 places in a Tribune of Honor. It has 28 seats reserved for handicapped fans, 22 of which have space for people accompanying them.
The Estádio Olímpico Monumental's Parking lot has space for 700 vehicles.
Celso Roth
Ênio Andrade
Evaristo de Macedo
Hugo De Leon
Juan Mujica
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Mano Menezes Orlando Fantoni Renato Gaúcho
Rubens Minelli
Telê Santana
Tite
Valdir Espinosa
. Featuring a vivid and playful melody, the anthem features the famous verses: Até a pé nós iremos / para o que der e vier / mas o certo é que nós estaremos / com o Grêmio onde o Grêmio estiver (Even on foot we shall go / against all obstacles / but it is for sure we will be / with Grêmio wherever Grêmio may be). Grêmio fans are very fond of their faith, even when the club is not doing well, and boast that Grêmio, as the anthem hints, has never played without supporters somewhere in the world.
Eurico Lara, a goalkeeper who played for the club in the 1920s and in the 1930s, is mentioned in the anthem, where he is called the immortal idol (or craque imortal, in Portuguese).
, a star from 1970s who was the first Gaúcho (people from Rio Grande do Sul) to become a world champion with the Brazilian National team.
The Brazilian Flag was the inspiration for the Tricolor's standard from 1918 to 1944.
|align=left bg color=#ffffff|>
, started to form a rivalry. Soon the games between these two clubs got their own name, Gre–Nal, and resulted in record attendance. Now the games fill the streets of Porto Alegre with football-crazed fans. The rivalry is now so ingrained that for many gaúcho
s and portoalegrenses
blue is the opposite color of red, much like in video game culture.
In 1935, Eurico Lara, who was Grêmio's goalie, conceded a penalty kick. When the Internacional player was about to kick it, Lara's brother stopped the game and reminded him of his doctor's recommendation that he didn't overexert himself. He didn't listen. Soon the Internacional player took the shot. Lara caught it, but as soon as he did he fell sideways and didn't move. He was substituted after the wondrous save, and Grêmio won the game. But unfortunately he died two weeks later as a result from the fatigue from that game. Lara has been immortalized in the club anthem.
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...
, Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
founded by English and German immigrants on September 15, 1903. Major titles captured by Grêmio include one Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, 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...
, two Copa Libertadores de América
Copa Libertadores de América
The Copa Santander Libertadores de América , known simply as the Copa Libertadores and originally known as the Copa Campeones de América , is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960...
, two national championships
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...
and four national cups
Copa do Brasil
The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
. Grêmio plays in a tricolour
Tricolour
A tricolour is a flag or banner more-or-less equally divided into three bands of differing colours...
(blue, white and black) striped shirt, black shorts and white socks (first kit). The club enjoys a cross-city rivalry with Sport Club 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...
, with their derbies known as "Gre–Nal".
The club is officially ranked the #1 Brazilian team by the CBF
Brazilian Football Confederation
The Brazilian Football Confederation is the governing body of football in Brazil. It was founded on June 8, 1914, as Confederação Brasileira de Desportos , meaning Brazilian Sports Confederation. Its first president was Álvaro Zamith. It organizes the Brazilian national competitions, like...
(Brazilian Football Confederation).
Grêmio is also ranked the #3 Brazilian team in continental competitions by CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
(South American Football Confederation)
The beginning
On September 7, 1903 Brazil's first football team, Sport Club Rio GrandeSport Club Rio Grande
Founded in 1900, Sport Club Rio Grande is Brazil's oldest active football club. Rio Grande currently plays in the second division of the Campeonato Gaúcho, the regional league of Rio Grande do Sul, which the club won in 1936 - its greatest achievement to date....
, played an exhibition match 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...
. An entrepreneur from Sorocaba
Sorocaba
Sorocaba is a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Sorocaba is the fourth largest city in the state of São Paulo. Outside the Greater São Paulo region, it ranks behind only Campinas, Sao Jose dos Campos and Ribeirão Preto...
, São Paulo
São Paulo (state)
São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...
named Cândido Dias was besotted with the sport and went to the ground to watch the match. During the match, the ball deflated. As the only owner of a football in Porto Alegre, he lent his ball to the players, and the match resumed. After the match, he talked to the players about how to found a football club. On September 15, 1903, 32 people, including Cândido Dias, met at Salão Grau restaurant in the city and founded Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense. Carlos Luiz Bohrer was elected as first president.
The new club's first match took place on March 6, 1904, against Fuss Ball Porto Alegre, the first of two matches played that day. Grêmio won the first match 1-0. Unfortunately, newspaper reports of the time do not record the name of the player who scored the first goal in the club's history. The trophy Grêmio won that day, the Wanderpreis, still exists and is displayed at the club's museum. Five months later, Grêmio opened its first stadium, named Baixada.
In the early years of Grêmio's history, football was not a very popular game in Brazil and few teams existed. On July 18, 1909, Grêmio beat 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...
10-0 on the latter's debut. Grêmio's goalkeeper Kallfelz reportedly left the field and went to talk with fans during the match. Even now this victory is remembered with pride by the Gremistas (Grêmio supporters). The match was the starting point for a strong rivalry which lives on to this day. Gre–Nal is the name given to this city derby.
Grêmio was one of the founding members of Porto Alegre's football league in 1910, and in 1911 won the city league for the first time. On August 25, 1912, in a city league match, Grêmio beat Sport Clube Nacional of Porto Alegre 23-0. Sisson scored 14 goals in the match in Grêmio's biggest ever win.
In 1918, Grêmio was one of the founders of Fundação Rio-Grandense de Desportes (later known as Federação Gaúcha de Futebol), a club federation which organized the first state championships of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
. The first championship was scheduled for 1918, but the Spanish flu epidemic forced the whole event to be postponed until 1919. In 1921, a year after the arrival of legendary goalkeeper Eurico Lara, Grêmio won its first state championship.
Grêmio enjoyed many pioneering moments in the 20th century. On July 7, 1911 Grêmio beat Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
's national team 2-1. In 1931, Grêmio became one of the first teams in Brazil to play matches at night after installing floodlights at its Estádio Baixada. On May 19, 1935, Grêmio became the first team from Rio Grande do Sul to beat a team from the state of São Paulo (considered the strongest Brazilian league at the time) when it defeated Santos
Santos Futebol Clube
Santos Futebol Clube is a Brazilian professional football club based in Santos, São Paulo They play in the Campeonato Paulista and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the highest professional leagues in São Paulo state and Brazil, respectively....
3-2. Grêmio was also the first club outside Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, 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, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
state to play at the Maracanã
Estádio do Maracanã
The Estádio do Maracanã , officially Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Owned by the Rio de Janeiro State Government, it is named after the Maracanã neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro. It was opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup, and in the final...
Stadium, defeating 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...
3-1 in 1950.
During this period, Grêmio started to earn a reputation abroad. In 1932 it played its first international match in Rivera
Rivera
Rivera is the capital of Rivera Department of Uruguay. It is located at the north end of Route 5, on the border with Brazil. The Brazilian city of Santana do Livramento is right across the border, only a street away of it...
(Uruguay). In 1949, the match against Uruguay's Nacional
Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División....
ended in a 3-1 win for Grêmio and the players received a hero's welcome on their return to Porto Alegre. In that same year, Grêmio played for the first time in Central America. During the years 1953–1954, Grêmio travelled to Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia, an achievement dubbed "the conquest of the Americas". On February 25, 1959, Grêmio defeated Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
4-1 in Buenos Aires, becoming the first foreign team to beat Boca at La Bombonera
Estadio Alberto J. Armando
The Estadio Alberto J. Armando is a stadium located in the La Boca district of Buenos Aires. Widely known as La Bombonera due to its shape, with a "flat" stand on one side of the pitch and three steep stands round the rest of the stadium...
Stadium. And in 1961, Grêmio went for its first (and very successful) European jaunt, playing 24 matches in 11 countries: France, Romania, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Denmark, Estonia and Russia.
Professionalism at the club
The Gremistas (Grêmio fans) were growing in number. 1946 saw the first appearance of the famous statement "com o Grêmio onde o Grêmio estiver" ("with Grêmio wherever Grêmio may be"), which was later incorporated at Grêmio's official anthem. This phrase was created by Salim Nigri, one of the most famous and revered Grêmio fans. It celebrates the Gremistas reputation for attending all Grêmio matches, regardless of the difficulties and obstacles, making long trips to follow their team wherever they played.In the late 1950s, Grêmio joined the Taça Brasil
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 is compared, in importance level, to the current Campeonato Brasileiro.Bahia, Cruzeiro and...
, as the Brazilian league was known at the time. The team reached the Taça Brasil semi-finals in 1959, 1963 and 1967. In 1968, the team won its first international title in a friendly cup with teams from Brazil and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. In 1954, Grêmio first played at what was the biggest private stadium in Brazil at the time, the Olímpico
Estádio Olímpico Monumental
Estádio Olímpico Monumental, also known as Estádio Olímpico, is a football stadium inaugurated on September 19, 1954 in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with a maximum capacity of 45,000 people. The stadium is owned by Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense.-History:The stadium was inaugurated on...
Stadium.
In 1971, the Taça Brasil
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 is compared, in importance level, to the current Campeonato Brasileiro.Bahia, Cruzeiro and...
championship was replaced by the Campeonato Brasileiro
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...
, which is the top football showcase in Brazil today. The first goal ever scored in the Campeonato Brasileiro was by Grêmio player Néstor Scotta
Néstor Scotta
Néstor Leonel Scotta was an Argentine football striker who was twice top scorer in Copa Libertadores.Néstor Tola Scotta was born in San Justo in 1948, he came from a footballing family, his father played for Colón de San Justo and his elder brother Héctor was an Argentina international and twice...
, an Argentine, in a match against São Paulo
São Paulo Futebol Clube
São Paulo Futebol Clube , commonly known as São Paulo, is a professional football club based in São Paulo, Brazil. They play in the Campeonato Paulista, São Paulo's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão, Brazil's national league, and are one of the only five clubs to...
at Estádio do Morumbi
Estádio do Morumbi
Estádio Cícero Pompeu de Toledo is a stadium in São Paulo, Brazil, home of São Paulo Futebol Clube and its formal name honors Cícero Pompeu de Toledo, who was São Paulo FC's chairman during most of the stadium construction, and died before its inauguration....
. Grêmio maintained a series of respectable results in Campeonato Brasileiro, usually staying at the top half of the league table.
Valdir Espinosa and the Intercontinental Cup 1983
The greatest period in Grêmio's history came in the 1980s, coinciding with the completion in July, 1980 of their new stadium, the Olímpico MonumentalEstádio Olímpico Monumental
Estádio Olímpico Monumental, also known as Estádio Olímpico, is a football stadium inaugurated on September 19, 1954 in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with a maximum capacity of 45,000 people. The stadium is owned by Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense.-History:The stadium was inaugurated on...
. On May 3, 1981, Grêmio won its first Campeonato Brasileiro after defeating São Paulo
São Paulo Futebol Clube
São Paulo Futebol Clube , commonly known as São Paulo, is a professional football club based in São Paulo, Brazil. They play in the Campeonato Paulista, São Paulo's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão, Brazil's national league, and are one of the only five clubs to...
in the final at the Morumbi Stadium
Estádio do Morumbi
Estádio Cícero Pompeu de Toledo is a stadium in São Paulo, Brazil, home of São Paulo Futebol Clube and its formal name honors Cícero Pompeu de Toledo, who was São Paulo FC's chairman during most of the stadium construction, and died before its inauguration....
in São Paulo. The scores in the two-leg final were 2-1 at Olímpico and 1-0 for Grêmio at Morumbi. The winning goal was scored by striker Baltazar. Earlier, on April 26, 1981 Olímpico had its biggest attendance ever, when 98,421 fans watched Grêmio lose to Ponte Preta
Associação Atlética Ponte Preta
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 . They are known as "pontepretanos"...
0-1 in the Campeonato Brasileiro semi-final. This record will never be beaten, as the Olímpico Monumental was later rebuilt and now holds no more than 50,000 people.
1983 was the most successful year in Grêmio's history. First, Grêmio won the South-American Copa Libertadores, after a consistent yet eventful campaign. One of the matches of the triangular semi-final, the 3-3 draw against Estudiantes
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
at Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium, became legendary for its belligerence on and off the pitch, and is dubbed the "Batalha de La Plata" ("Battle of La Plata"), in reference to the hometown of Estudiantes. In the finals, Grêmio beat the 1982 South America and World champions Peñarol from Uruguay, with a 1-1 draw in Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
and a 2-1 win in Porto Alegre. The winning goal was scored by César just before the end of the match. A year later, Grêmio was runner-up in the Copa Libertadores final, being defeated by Argentina's Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
.
Also in 1983, Grêmio won the Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, 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...
after defeating Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
of Germany 2-1. Renato
Renato Gaúcho
Renato Gaúcho, real name Renato Portaluppi is a former association footballer who played forward and a football manager, he was born in Guaporé, Rio Grande do Sul.He is currently unemployed...
scored both goals, and Uruguayan defender De León
Hugo De León
Hugo Eduardo de León Rodríguez, is a Uruguayan football coach and former player.-National team player career:The 189 cm defender was capped 48 times for Uruguay between July 1979 and June 1990, including four games at the 1990 World Cup...
and goalkeeper Mazaropi were also regarded as heroes of this victory. In Porto Alegre, Grêmio's fans began the chant: "The Earth is Blue". Another chant created by Grêmio's fans when the club won the World Club title was "Nada Pode Ser Maior" ("Nothing Can Be Greater"). Soon after winning the Intercontinental Cup, Grêmio beat America
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
of Mexico in Los Angeles, and won the Los Angeles Cup.
In 1989, Grêmio won the first Copa do Brasil
Copa do Brasil
The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
, a Brazilian knockout cup featuring football teams from all around the country. After humiliating Flamengo – the best supported football team in Brazil – with a 6-1 win in the second leg of the semi-finals, Grêmio defeated 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:...
in the final, with a 0-0 draw in Recife and a 2-1 win in Porto Alegre.
In 1991, after a poor season, Grêmio was relegated for the first time to the Brazilian Second Division
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...
of Campeonato Brasileiro, but gained immediate promotion back to the Campeonato Brasileiro's elite in the following season (1993). After this return to top form, 1994 saw Grêmio win its second Copa do Brasil, defeating Ceará
Ceará Sporting Club
Ceará Sporting Club, or Ceará as they are usually called, is a Brazilian football team from Fortaleza in Ceará, founded on June 2, 1914....
in the two-leg final (0-0 and 1-0), the solitary goal scored by striker Nildo. The club then started its Tokyo Project
Projeto Tóquio
The Projeto Tóquio is a Portuguese language term traditionally used by Brazilian media and clubs' staff and supporters in the context of winning or attempting on winning the Copa Libertadores football competition and then compete in the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan...
.
Luiz Felipe Scolari (Felipão) and the Libertadores 1995
In May 1995, under manager Luiz Felipe ScolariLuiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari , ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and Phil Scolari in the United Kingdom, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager. He is currently the manager of Palmeiras. He served as the manager of the Portuguese national team from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2008...
, Grêmio was runner-up in the Copa do Brasil
Copa do Brasil
The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
, losing the final match to Corinthians
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league...
0-1 at Olímpico Monumental. In August, a few days after beating arch-rivals Internacional for the state title with a reserve squad, the club won the Copa Libertadores for the second time. In the finals, Grêmio defeated Atlético Nacional
Atlético Nacional
Corporación Deportiva Atlético Nacional is a Colombian football team based in Medellín. They play their home games at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot stadium which also serves as home to Deportivo Independiente Medellín...
of Colombia, by winning 3-1 in Porto Alegre and drawing 1-1 in Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
. The tournament was marked by the matches against Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras is a Brazilian football club from São Paulo. The club was founded on August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942...
in the quarter-finals. Palmeiras had perhaps the best squad on the competition, with players such as Rivaldo
Rivaldo
Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira , commonly known simply as Rivaldo , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for São Paulo, on loan from Mogi Mirim, as an attacking midfielder and sometimes as a supporting striker.He most notably played five years with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he...
, Cafu
Cafu
Marcos Evangelista de Moraes , better known as Cafu, is a former Brazilian footballer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest right-backs ever. He was given this nickname due to his speed up and down the right flank which was reminiscent of Cafuringa, a Brazilian forward from the 1970s...
, Edmundo
Edmundo
Edmundo Alves de Souza Neto , better known simply as Edmundo, is a retired Brazilian footballer.Edmundo played for Brazil at the 1998 World Cup. For Palmeiras, he won the Campeonato Brasileiro in the beginning of the Nineties. For Vasco da Gama he won 1997's Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, scoring...
, César Sampaio, Antônio Carlos, Roberto Carlos and Mancuso
Alejandro Mancuso
Alejandro Víctor Mancuso is a former Argentine football player.During his club career in Argentina he played for Ferro Carril Oeste, Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield, Boca Juniors and Club Atlético Independiente. He is one of the best friends of Diego Maradona.After leaving his country, he played in...
, but was beaten by Grêmio on the 1st leg in an epic 5-0 match with a hat-trick from Jardel
Mário Jardel
Mário Jardel de Almeida Ribeiro is a former Brazilian professional footballer.Jardel was most noted for his positioning on the field and "being at the right place, at the right time"...
in the 2nd half. In the 2nd match Palmeiras beat Grêmio in another incredible match by a 5-1 score, which wasn't quite enough for Palmeiras.
In the World Club tournament, Grêmio had a player sent off and was eventually defeated by Ajax Amsterdam
Ajax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
of the Netherlands in the penalty shootout. Early 1996 saw Grêmio win the Recopa Sudamericana
Recopa Sudamericana
The Recopa Sudamericana is an annual football match-up between the reigning champions of the previous year's Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana, South America's premier club competitions....
, beating Argentina's Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
4-1.
On December 15, 1996, Grêmio won its second Campeonato Brasileiro
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...
, after defeating Portuguesa
Associação Portuguesa de Desportos
Associação Portuguesa de Desportos, usually called Portuguesa or Lusa, is a sports club, and a Brazilian football team from São Paulo in São Paulo state, founded on August 14, 1920 by the Portuguese population of the city.-History:...
in the final. Portuguesa won the first match at home 2-0, and therefore Grêmio was forced to win the final match at Porto Alegre for the same score or more. Grêmio got to 2-0, with midfielder Ailton scoring the second goal a few minutes before the final whistle. Grêmio won the title due to their higher finish in the league.
In 1997, Grêmio won its third Copa do Brasil
Copa do Brasil
The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
title. In the finals against Romário
Romário
Romário de Souza Faria , better known simply as Romário , is a former footballer who played striker,manager and current politician where is currently running for a mayor like position in his hometown...
's Flamengo, Grêmio won on away goals after a 0-0 draw in Porto Alegre and a 2-2 in Rio de Janeiro. Four years later, in 2001, Grêmio won its fourth Copa do Brasil, defeating Corinthians
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league...
. The first leg of the final, in Porto Alegre, finished with the score of 2-2. The second game in São Paulo ended with a 3-1 Grêmio victory, in a match which is regarded by many as one of the finest in Grêmio's history.
Batalha dos Aflitos and the Libertadores 2007
In 2004, after performing poorly for two consecutive seasons in the Série A, Grêmio finished bottom of the league and was once again relegated to Campeonato Brasileiro's Second DivisionCampeonato 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...
. Grêmio's task was much more difficult this time, with only two clubs able to qualify for promotion to the First Division. On November 26, 2005, at Estádio dos Aflitos
Estádio dos Aflitos
Estádio Eládio de Barros Carvalho, also known as Estádio dos Aflitos, is a football stadium located in Recife, Brazil. The stadium was built in 1939 and is able to hold 20,000 people....
, Recife
Recife
Recife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil with 4,136,506 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper...
, Grêmio had four players sent off and two penalty kicks against them. The first penalty was shot off the post by Bruno Carvalho in the first half when Grêmio still had 11 players on the field; the second was saved by goalkeeper Galatto after Grêmio had been reduced to 7 men. Grêmio beat Náutico
Clube Náutico Capibaribe
Clube Náutico Capibaribe, also known as Náutico, is a Brazilian sports club, including a professional football team, in Recife, Pernambuco....
by 1-0, with Anderson
Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira
Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira , best known as Anderson, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Manchester United and the Brazil national team....
the scorer. With this victory, Grêmio won the Série B of the Campeonato Brasileiro and were promoted back to the Série A. That crucial match is referred to by fans as "The Battle of the Aflitos
Batalha dos Aflitos (2005)
The Batalha dos Aflitos is a name used by the Brazilian press to refer to a memorable Campeonato Brasileiro Série B play-off match played on Saturday, 26 November 2005 between Náutico and Grêmio...
" ("A Batalha dos Aflitos", "Aflitos" being the name of Náutico's home field), because all the incidents both on and off the pitch resembled a true battle. The match became so legendary for Grêmio supporters that 2 movies and a book were made to tell the story.
On April 9, 2006, at Estádio Beira-Rio
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...
, Grêmio won the state championship 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...
, preventing its rival from winning a fifth title in a row. Playing away, Grêmio managed to obtain a 1-1 draw at the last match, enough to secure the title. Grêmio players said after the match that there were more than 50,000 Internacional fans in Beira Rio's Stadium, and they could still hear the noise made by 6,000 Gremistas, which was an extra source of motivation. In 2007, at Estádio Olímpico Monumental
Estádio Olímpico Monumental
Estádio Olímpico Monumental, also known as Estádio Olímpico, is a football stadium inaugurated on September 19, 1954 in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with a maximum capacity of 45,000 people. The stadium is owned by Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense.-History:The stadium was inaugurated on...
, Grêmio won the state championship (Campeonato Gaúcho
Campeonato Gaúcho
The Campeonato da Primeira Divisão de Futebol Profissional da FGF is the top tier of the footballleague of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.-Clubs:Clubs qualified to Campeonato Gaúcho Primeira Divisão 2011.*Canoas*Caxias...
) once again, 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:...
. In the semi-finals against Caxias
Sociedade Esportiva e Recreativa Caxias do Sul
Sociedade Esportiva e Recreativa Caxias do Sul, also known as Caxias, is a Brazilian football team in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul.Together with Juventude, it is one of the biggest teams of Rio Grande do Sul state, losing only the Internacional and Grêmio.-History:Caxias was founded on April...
, Grêmio suffered a 3-0 defeat in the first match, but managed to score a 4-0 win at Olímpico to qualify to the final.
Also in 2007, Grêmio reached the final of the Copa Libertadores 2007
Copa Libertadores 2007
The 2007 Copa Libertadores de América was the 48th edition of the Copa Libertadores. It started on January 24, 2007 and finished on June 20, 2007...
, after a series of dramatic matches against the top clubs in South America. Even after a 3-0 defeat at the away match, Gremistas formed huge lines to buy tickets for the final match in Porto Alegre, with some of the fans queuing for four days or more. In the Campeonato Brasileiro 2007
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2007
The 37th season of the Campeonato Brasileiro began on May 12, 2007, and ended on December 2, 2007.-Format:The format was identical to the 2006 edition. 20 teams competed, each team playing the other 19 twice in a double round-robin format...
, Grêmio came sixth in the league table.
In 2008, after the sudden firing of their new manager Vagner Mancini, the club hired Celso Roth
Celso Roth
Celso Juarez Roth, usually known as Celso Roth , is a Brazilian football manager.- Coaching career :...
. Within a month they had prematurely dropped out of both the domestic cup (Copa do Brasil
Copa do Brasil
The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
) and their state championship (Campeonato Gaucho). This led to the team going through a state of crisis and, soon after, major renovation. They were expected to be on the bottom half of the Campeonato Brasileiro's table, and maybe even relegated, but managed to finish in 2nd place. For many supporters, even that was considered a failure as in the first half of the championship, the team was considered the best of the country, and more than 10 points ahead of their rivals. But unexpected loses during the final games of the season lost the championship.
In 2009, giving priority to the Copa Libertadores 2009
Copa Libertadores 2009
The 2009 Copa Libertadores de América was the 50th edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's premier annual international club tournament....
, the team played most of the state championship matches with the reserve squad. This and some controversial attitudes of coach Celso Roth
Celso Roth
Celso Juarez Roth, usually known as Celso Roth , is a Brazilian football manager.- Coaching career :...
led to several poor results, notably three losses to their main rival 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...
. In April, after the premature loss of the state championship, Celso Roth
Celso Roth
Celso Juarez Roth, usually known as Celso Roth , is a Brazilian football manager.- Coaching career :...
was fired.
Achievements
World
- Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, 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...
: 1
-
- 19831983 Intercontinental CupThe 1983 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 11 December 1983 between Hamburg, winners of the 1982-83 European Cup, and Grêmio, winners of the 1983 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the National Stadium in Tokyo, and the German team had only two players on the reserves'...
- Runner-up: 19951995 Intercontinental CupThe 1995 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on November 28, 1995 between Ajax, winners of the 1994-95 European Cup, and Grêmio, winners of the 1995 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the National Stadium in Tokyo...
- 1983
Continental
- Copa Libertadores de AméricaCopa Libertadores de AméricaThe Copa Santander Libertadores de América , known simply as the Copa Libertadores and originally known as the Copa Campeones de América , is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960...
: 2
-
- 1983Copa Libertadores 1983The Copa Libertadores 1983 was won by Grêmio against C.A. Peñarol.-Qualified teams:-First round:One team from each group qualified to the semi-finals.*Two points were given for a win.*One point was given for a tie.*No points were given for a loss....
, 1995Copa Libertadores 1995The 1995 edition of the Copa Libertadores saw Grêmio of Brazil as the champions after they defeated Atlético Nacional of Colombia in the finals.-Group 1:-Group 2:-Group 3:-Group 4:-Group 5:-Round of 16:... - Runner-up (2): 1984, 2007Copa Libertadores 2007The 2007 Copa Libertadores de América was the 48th edition of the Copa Libertadores. It started on January 24, 2007 and finished on June 20, 2007...
- 1983
- Recopa SudamericanaRecopa SudamericanaThe Recopa Sudamericana is an annual football match-up between the reigning champions of the previous year's Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana, South America's premier club competitions....
: 1
-
- 1996
National
- Campeonato Brasileiro - Série A (First Division)Campeonato Brasileiro Série AThe 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...
: 2
-
- 1981Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 1981-Overview:It was performed in 44 teams, and Grêmio won the championship.-Final standings:-References:...
, 1996Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 1996The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 1996 was played between August 8 and December 15, 1996. It had 24 teams and divided into two stages. In the first one, every team played against each other once...
. - Runner-up: 1982Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 1982-Overview:44 teams took part, with Flamengo winning the championship.-Final standings:-References:...
, 2008Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2008The 38th season of the Campeonato Brasileiro began on May 8 and ended on December 7. For the first time, one club has won the championship three times in a row...
- 1981
- Copa do BrasilCopa do BrasilThe Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
: 4
-
- 1989Copa do Brasil 1989The Copa do Brasil 1989 was the 1st staging of the Copa do Brasil.The competition started on July 19, 1989 and concluded on September 2, 1989 with the second leg of the final, held at the Estádio Olímpico Monumental in Porto Alegre, in which Grêmio lifted the trophy for the first time with a 2-1...
, 1994Copa do Brasil 1994The Copa do Brasil 1994 was the 6th staging of the Copa do Brasil.The competition started on February 18, 1994 and concluded on August 10, 1994 with the second leg of the final, held at the Estádio Olímpico Monumental in Porto Alegre, in which Grêmio lifted the trophy for the second time with a 1-0...
, 1997Copa do Brasil 1997The Copa do Brasil 1997 was the 9th staging of the Copa do Brasil.The competition started on February 18, 1997 and concluded on May 22, 1997 with the second leg of the final, held at the Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, in which Grêmio lifted the trophy for the third time after a 2-2 draw...
, 2001Copa do Brasil 2001The Copa do Brasil 2001 was the 13th staging of the Copa do Brasil.The competition started on March 14, 2001 and concluded on June 13, 2001 with the second leg of the final, held at the Estádio do Morumbi in São Paulo, in which Grêmio lifted the trophy for the fourth time with a 3-1 victory over... - Runner-up (3): 1991Copa do Brasil 1991The Copa do Brasil 1991 was the 3rd staging of the Copa do Brasil.The competition started on February 9, 1991 and concluded on June 2, 1991 with the second leg of the final, held at the Estádio Heriberto Hülse in Criciúma, in which Criciúma lifted the trophy for the first time with a 0-0 draw with ...
, 1993Copa do Brasil 1993The Copa do Brasil 1993 was the 5th staging of the Copa do Brasil.The competition started on March 2, 1993 and concluded on June 3, 1993 with the second leg of the final, held at the Mineirão Stadium in Belo Horizonte, in which Cruzeiro lifted the trophy for the first time with a 2-1 victory over...
, 1995
- 1989
- Campeonato Brasileiro - Série B (Second Division)Campeonato Brasileiro Série BThe 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...
: 1
-
- 2005Campeonato Brasileiro Série B 2005The Campeonato Brasileiro Série B 2005, the second level of Brazilian National League, was played from April 23 to November 26, 2005. The competition had 22 clubs, which two were promoted to Série A and six were relegated to Série C....
- 2005
- Supercopa do BrasilSupercopa do BrasilThe Supercopa do Brasil was a Brazilian association football trophy. It was contested between the champions of the Campeonato Brasileiro and the winners of the Copa do Brasil, similarly to the FA Community Shield and other domestic competitions across the world.-List of champions:-References:*...
: 1
-
- 1990
State
- State ChampionshipsCampeonato GaúchoThe Campeonato da Primeira Divisão de Futebol Profissional da FGF is the top tier of the footballleague of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.-Clubs:Clubs qualified to Campeonato Gaúcho Primeira Divisão 2011.*Canoas*Caxias...
: 36
-
- 1921, 1922, 1926, 1931, 1932, 1946, 1949, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2010
- Copa FGFCopa FGFThe Copa FGF , is a cup competition organized by the Rio Grande do Sul state football federation for clubs that are in the first and second divisions of the Campeonato Gaúcho. It is held in the second half of the year and usually clubs participating in the higher levels of the Campeonato Brasileiro...
: 1
-
- 2006
City
- Porto AlegrePorto AlegrePorto 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...
champion: 26
-
- 1911, 1912, 1914, 1915, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1946, 1949, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960
- Wanderpreiss CupWanderpreiss CupThe Wanderpreiss Cup was a cup contested by Grêmio and Fussball Club Porto Alegre. The cup was sponsored by Banco Alemão, a Brazilian bank. It was granted to the club which won three consecutive matches. The matches were disputed every six months. Grêmio FBPA was the only club to win the...
: 3
-
- 1904, 1905, 1906
Youth
- Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-20Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-20In 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...
: 2
-
- 2008Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-20 2008The Campeonato Brasileiro Sub 20 2008 was the 3rd edition of the annual tournament organized by FGF, the Rio Grande do Sul State Football Federation. Only players with 20 years-old or less are allowed to play...
, 2009
- 2008
- Copa Macaé de JuvenisCopa Macaé de JuvenisThe 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...
: 1
-
- 2004
- Copa Santiago de Futebol JuvenilCopa Santiago de Futebol JuvenilThe 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...
: 6
-
- 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2008
- Taça Belo Horizonte de JunioresTaça Belo Horizonte de JunioresThe 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....
: 1
-
- 2008
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A record
| Year | Position | Year | Position | Year | Position | Year | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 6th | 1981 | 1st | 1991 | 19th | 2001 | 5th |
| 1972 | 10th | 1982 | 2nd | 1992 | |||
| 2002 | 3rd | ||||||
| 1973 | 5th | 1983 | 14th | 1993 | 13th | 2003 | 20th |
| 1974 | 5th | 1984 | 3rd | 1994 | 14th | 2004 | 24th |
| 1975 | 15th | 1985 | 23rd | 1995 | 15th | 2005 | |
| 1976 | 6th | 1986 | 14th | 1996 | 1st | 2006 | 3rd |
| 1977 | 13th | 1987 | 5th | 1997 | 15th | 2007 | 6th |
| 1978 | 6th | 1988 | 4th | 1998 | 8th | 2008 | 2nd |
| 1979 | 22nd | 1989 | 11th | 1999 | 18th | 2009 | 8th |
| 1980 | 6th | 1990 | 3rd | 2000 | 4th | 2010 | 4th |
Current squad
As of August 2011.Players with Dual Nationality
Marcelo GroheMarcelo Grohe
Marcelo Grohe , is a Brazilian Goalkeeper. He currently plays for Grêmio.-External links:...
Júlio CésarJúlio César Coelho de Moraes Júnior
Júlio César Coelho de Moraes Júnior , is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays as a defender for Grêmio.-Honours: Flamengo** Taça Guanabara: 2004** Rio de Janeiro State League: 2004 Cruzeiro...
Professional players able to play in the youth team
Youth players with first team experience
(on loan from Pelotas
Esporte Clube Pelotas
Esporte Clube Pelotas, usually known simply as Pelotas, is a Brazilian football club in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul. The club competed several times in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B and in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, and won the Campeonato Gaúcho in 1930...
)
Out on loan
Notable former players
Adílson Batista AiltonAílton dos Santos Ferraz
Aílton dos Santos Ferraz, commonly known as Aílton , is a retired association footballer who played as an attacking midfielder for several Série A clubs.-Career:...
Airton Pavilhão
Airton Ferreira da Silva
Airton Ferreira da Silva, best known as Airton Pavilhão was an association footballer in defensive role....
Alcindo
Alcindo Martha de Freitas
Alcindo Martha de Freitas , known simply as Alcindo, is a former Brazilian football striker.During his club career he played for Rio Grande , Grêmio , Santos , Club Jalisco and Club América of Mexico, and Francana . He was part of the Brazilian team for the 1966 FIFA World Cup...
Altemir Amoroso
Márcio Amoroso
Márcio Amoroso dos Santos is a retired Brazilian footballer. He has played his football for several teams in Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain and Greece while representing Brazil at international level.-Club career:...
Anderson
Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira
Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira , best known as Anderson, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Manchester United and the Brazil national team....
Ânderson Lima Anderson Polga
Ânderson Polga
Ânderson Corrêa Polga is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Sporting Clube de Portugal as a central defender.-Club career:...
André Catimba Áureo Arílson Artigas Baidek Baltazar Batista Calvet Carlos Eduardo Carlos Miguel Cesar Santin
César Santín
César Santin is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a forward for Danish Superliga club F.C. Copenhagen. He formerly played 5 years in Sweden for Kalmar FF....
China Chistian
Christian Corrêa Dionisio
Christian Corrêa Dionisio, simply Christian , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Atlético Monte Azul as a striker.-Football career:...
Cláudio Pittbull
Cláudio Mejolaro
Cláudio Mejolaro, aka Pitbull , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Vitória de Setúbal in Portugal, as a striker.-Football career:...
Cuca Delém
Delém
Vladem Lázaro Ruiz Quevedo, "Delém" was a former Brazilian footballer that played for clubs in Brazil, Argentina and Chile....
Danrlei
Danrlei
Danrlei de Deus Hinterholz, or just Danrlei is a Brazilian footballer who played goalkeeper.He made his debut for the Brazilian national team against Honduras in March 1995, and played three additional games during the run-up to the 1996 Olympic Games. He did not appear in any Olympic matches...
Dener Dinho Éder
Éder Aleixo de Assis
Éder Aleixo de Assis, was also known as Éder or Éder Assis , is a former Brazilian footballer. He played as a left winger and striker, most notably with Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, Clube Atlético Mineiro in the Campeonato Brasileiro and with the Brazilian national team...
Eduardo Costa
Eduardo Costa
Eduardo Nascimento Costa , known as Eduardo Costa or simply Eduardo, is a Brazilian professional footballer. He currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Vasco da Gama.- Career :...
Edinho
Edino Nazareth Filho
Edinho, real name Edino Nazareth Filho, was a football player from Brazil. He played central defender with Fluminense Football Club, Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense and with the Brazilian national team...
Ênio Rodrigues Emerson
Emerson Ferreira da Rosa
Émerson Ferreira da Rosa , simply known as Emerson, is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a midfielder. He had 73 caps for Brazil from 1997 to 2006.-Grêmio:...
Émerson Leão
Émerson Leão
Émerson Leão is a Brazilian manager and former football player. He is one of the all-time best Brazilian goalkeepers. A documentary video produced by FIFA, FIFA Fever, called him the third-most impressive defense player of all time. He was born in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo.-Playing career:He was...
Everaldo
Everaldo
Everaldo Marques da Silva , nicknamed Everaldo, was a football player from Brazil. He was defender with Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense and with the Brazilian national team. He won the Football World Cup 1970. The golden star in Gremio's flag was added in 1970 in his homage...
Fernando Menegazzo
Fernando Menegazzo
Fernando Menegazzo is a footballer from Brazil who currently plays as a central midfielder for Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab Riyadh.-Football career:...
Galatto
Rodrigo José Galatto
Rodrigo José Galatto or simply Galatto is a Brazilian football goalkeeper who last played for Neuchâtel Xamax.-In Brazil:...
Gélson
Gélson da Silva
Gélson da Silva known as Gélson , is a football manager and former player. He played football for Grêmio FBPA, and scored a penalty for the club in the penalty shootout against AFC Ajax in the 1995 Intercontinental Cup in Japan.- • Criciúma EC :* Champion of Santa Catarina State League 1989, 1990...
Gessi Gilberto Grafite
Grafite
Edinaldo Batista Libânio , commonly known as Grafite is a Brazilian footballer who plays for UAE Football League club Al-Ahli Dubai....
Iúra Jardel
Mário Jardel
Mário Jardel de Almeida Ribeiro is a former Brazilian professional footballer.Jardel was most noted for his positioning on the field and "being at the right place, at the right time"...
João Severiano Juarez Lara
Eurico Lara
Eurico Lara , was a Brazilian footballer.-Biography:He was born in Uruguaiana. Eurico Lara played in Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense from 1920 to 1935. He played his last match on 23 September 1935, when his club beat Internacional 2–0. Due to cardiac problems, he was substituted in the half-time,...
Lucas Leiva Lúcio
Lúcio Carlos Cajueiro Souza
Lúcio Carlos Cajueiro Souza , commonly known as Lúcio, is a Brazilian footballer, currently playing for Grêmio.- Career :...
Luís Carlos Goiano Luís Eduardo Luiz Mário
Luís Mário Miranda da Silva
Luís Mário Miranda da Silva or simply Luís Mário , is a Brazilian striker.-Club career:He played for FC Seoul of the South Korean K-League, then known as Anyang LG Cheetahs.-External links:* * *...
Manga
Aílton Corrêa Arruda
Aílton Corrêa de Arruda, best known as Manga was a Brazilian goalkeeper, famous for playing alongside with Garrincha, Nílton Santos and Zagallo in the great Botafogo of the 1960s, and also for defending the Brazilian national team in the 1966 FIFA World Cup.Manga started his career in 1955 in...
Marcelinho Paraíba
Marcelinho
Marcelo dos Santos , better known as "Marcelinho Paraíba" or simply "Marcelinho", is a Brazilian footballer currently playing for Sport Recife, in the Brazilian Série B....
Mário Sérgio
Mário Sérgio (Brazilian footballer)
Mário Sérgio Pontes de Paiva, more commonly known as Mário Sérgio , is a retired Brazilian footballer and manager.-Playing career:...
Marino Mauro Galvão
Mauro Galvão
Mauro Geraldo Galvão is a retired Braziian footballer who played as a sweeper, and a current manager.-Playing career:...
Mazaropi
Mazarópi
Geraldo Pereira de Matos Filho is a retired Brazilian professional footballer nicknamed Mazarópi who currently manages SER Santo Ângelo....
Milton Kuelle Nildo Oberdan
Ortunho Paulo Isidoro
Paulo Isidoro
Paulo Isidoro, full name Paulo Isidoro de Jesus, was an association footballer. He played offensive midfielder...
Paulo Nunes
Paulo Nunes
Arílson de Paula Nunes, better known as Paulo Nunes , is a former Brazilian football player. He retired in 2003 playing for Mogi Mirim Esporte Clube.-Career:...
Paulo Roberto
Paulo Roberto
Paulo Roberto De Oliveira is a Brazilian football player, currently playing for Pattaya United in the Thailand Premier League.-External links:*...
Pingo Renato Portaluppi
Renato Gaúcho
Renato Gaúcho, real name Renato Portaluppi is a former association footballer who played forward and a football manager, he was born in Guaporé, Rio Grande do Sul.He is currently unemployed...
Rodrigo Fabri
Rodrigo Fabri
Rodrigo Fabri is a retired football player from Brazil.-External links:**...
Rodrigo Mendes Roger Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year...
Sandro Goiano
Sandro Gomes da Luz
Sandro Gomes da Luz or simply Sandro Goiano , is a Brazilian defensive midfielder.-Honours:* Campeonato Goiano in 1990, 1991 and 1994 with Goiás* Campeonato Paranaense in 1997 with Paraná...
Sérgio Moacir Tarciso Tesourinha
Tesourinha
Osmar Fortes Barcellos, best known as Tesourinha was an association footballer famous for his remarkable dribbling skills....
Tcheco
Anderson Simas Luciano
Anderson Simas Luciano or Tcheco , is a Brazilian attacking midfielder who plays for Coritiba.-Honours:*Paraná State League: 1997, 2003*Rio Grande do Sul State League: 2006, 2007 - Grêmio...
Tinga
Paulo César Tinga
Paulo César Fonseca do Nascimento , aka Tinga, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Sport Club Internacional as a central midfielder....
Valdir Espinosa
Valdir Espinosa
Valdir Ataualpa Ramirez Espinosa, usually known as Valdir Espinosa is a Brazilian football manager.-Titles:Grêmio...
Valdo Zé Alcino Zinho
Crizam César de Oliveira Filho
Crizam César de Oliveira Filho, better known as Zinho , is a retired Brazilian footballer.He was a member of the 1994 FIFA World Cup winning team, Brazil. He was capped 57 times between March 1989 and February 1998...
Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Leonardo Astrada
Leonardo Astrada
Leonardo Rubén Astrada is a retired Argentine football player, who went on to become a football manager. He currently manages Paraguayan team Cerro Porteño.-Playing career:...
Agustin Cejas
Agustín Cejas
Agustín Mario Cejas is a former Argentine football goalkeeper. He played for a number of clubs in Argentina and Brazil and has the all time record number of appearances for Racing Club de Avellaneda....
Germinaro Maxi López Oberti Alejandro Sabella
Alejandro Sabella
Alejandro Sabella is an Argentine football manager and former player. He is currently the coach of the Argentina national football team.-Early career:...
Sebastián Saja
Sebastián Saja
Diego Sebastián Saja is an Argentine football who plays for Racing Club de Avellaneda as a goalkeeper.-San Lorenzo:...
Rolando Schiavi
Rolando Schiavi
Rolando Schiavi is an Argentine football defender. He currently plays for Boca Juniors.-Club career:Schiavi started his career in the lower leagues with Argentino de Rosario, before moving to Argentinos Juniors in 1995. Schiavi played for Argentinos for six years, before joining Boca Juniors...
Héctor Scotta
Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
Fernando Astengo
Fernando Astengo
Fernando Astengo is a retired football player and a current manager.Astengo was the manager of Colo-Colo during 2008,losing the Apertura final against Everton de Viña del Mar. Astengo currently coaches the youth team of Unión San Felipe.-Player: Colo-Colo** Primera División de Chile:1986-References:...
Jean Beausejour
Jean Beausejour
Jean André Emanuel Beausejour Coliqueo , nicknamed Palmatoria or Francés, is a Chilean footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City...
Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
Edixon Perea
Edixon Perea Valencia
Edixon Perea Valencia is a Colombian footballer that currently play with Cruz Azul in the Primera Division de Mexico.-Football career:...
England Cox
Germany Black Booth
Edgar Booth
Edgar Booth was a German and naturalized Brazilian footballer.Booth played for Grêmio FBPA, and was famously involved in the first Porto Alegre derby match between Grêmio and SC Internacional on July 18, 1909...
Grunewald Kallfelz Koch Kuntz Mohrdieck Schuback Siebel SissonParaguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
Francisco Arce
Francisco Arce
Francisco Javier "Chiqui" Arce Rolón is a retired Paraguayan footballer and coach. He played at the right defender position, competing a total of 61 times for the Paraguay national team between 1995 and 2002.-As player:...
Diego Gavilán Catalino Rivarola
Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
Sebastián Abreu
Sebastián Abreu
Washington Sebastián Abreu Gallo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays with Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas in Brazil as a striker.Best known by his nickname El Loco , the prolific goalscorer – for club and country – played for more than 20 teams during his professional career, in six different...
Atílio Ancheta
Atílio Ancheta
Atilio Genaro Ancheta Weigel is a former footballer from Uruguay, who played for the national team at the 1970 FIFA World Cup. He was a defender and spent most of his career with Grêmio Football Porto-Alegrense, appearing in 164 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A matches...
Julian Bertola Walter Corbo
Walter Corbo
Wálter Luis Corbo Burmia, known as "Corbo", is a former professional footballer. He spent many years with Peñarol and the Uruguay national football team...
Hugo De León
Hugo De León
Hugo Eduardo de León Rodríguez, is a Uruguayan football coach and former player.-National team player career:The 189 cm defender was capped 48 times for Uruguay between July 1979 and June 1990, including four games at the 1990 World Cup...
Marcelo Lipatin
Marcelo Lipatin
Marcelo Lipatin Lopez is an Uruguayan professional football player.-Playing career:In July 2008, Lipatin was offered a contract from Maccabi Tel Aviv after they discovered that Lipatin's father is Jewish and his mother converted to Judaism...
Obdulio Trasante
Obdulio Trasante
Obdulio Trasante is a former Uruguayan footballer.-Club career:Trasante played for Grêmio in the 1988 and 1989 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.-International career:...
Technical staff
- ManagerManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
: Celso Roth - Assistant Coach : Roger
- Goalkeeping CoachCoach (sport)In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
: Francisco Cersósimo - Under-20 Team CoachCoach (sport)In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
: Andrey Lopes - Under-17 Team CoachCoach (sport)In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
: Luís Paulo Peixoto "Bugre" - Club DoctorsPhysicianA physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
: Alarico Endres, Felipe do Canto, Márcio Bolzoni - PhysiotherapistsPhysical therapyPhysical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
: José Leandro, Henrique Valente, Rafael Gobato - MasseursMassageMassage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle"...
: Marcos Zeilmann, Zezinho
Stadium
Estádio Olímpico Monumental, as it is called today, was inaugurated on September 19, 1954 as Estádio Olímpico. At the time it was the largest private stadium in Brazil. Estádio Olímpico's first game was between Grêmio and NacionalClub Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División....
from Montevideo; Grêmio won by a score of 2-0, with both goals scored by Vitor.
In 1980 a second tier was added to the Olímpico, and the stadium was renamed the Olímpico Monumental. The first game at the renamed Olímpico Monumental was played on June 21, 1980, when Grêmio beat Vasco da Gama
Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama
Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama |Rowing Club]]), 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...
by a score of 1-0.
Estádio Olímpico Monumental has an attendance record of 98,421 people for the game against Ponte Preta
Associação Atlética Ponte Preta
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 . They are known as "pontepretanos"...
on April 26, 1981.
Estádio Olímpico Monumental has 40 luxury booths which hold 10 people, and 5 booths which hold 20 people. It also has 140 places in a Tribune of Honor. It has 28 seats reserved for handicapped fans, 22 of which have space for people accompanying them.
The Estádio Olímpico Monumental's Parking lot has space for 700 vehicles.
Former coaches
Cláudio DuarteCláudio Duarte
Cláudio Roberto Pires Duarte, or simply Cláudio Duarte is a former Brazilian footballer and coach.Cláudio Duarte is currently a Sports commentator at RBS TV....
Celso Roth
Celso Roth
Celso Juarez Roth, usually known as Celso Roth , is a Brazilian football manager.- Coaching career :...
Ênio Andrade
Ênio Andrade
Ênio Vargas de Andrade was a football player and manager from Brazil.- Biography :...
Evaristo de Macedo
Evaristo de Macedo
Evaristo de Macedo Filho is a former Brazilian footballer and coach. He was capped by Brazil 14 games scoring 8 goals. He played for Barcelona until 1962. Then, the Catalan officials tried to talk him into taking Spanish citizenship so he can play for Spain, but he refused...
Hugo De Leon
Hugo De León
Hugo Eduardo de León Rodríguez, is a Uruguayan football coach and former player.-National team player career:The 189 cm defender was capped 48 times for Uruguay between July 1979 and June 1990, including four games at the 1990 World Cup...
Juan Mujica
Juan Mujica
Juan Martín Mujica is a former Uruguayan football player and manager, who represented his country at the 1970 FIFA World Cup.Mujica made 22 appearances for the Uruguay national football team between 1966 and 1970, scoring 2 goals....
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari , ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and Phil Scolari in the United Kingdom, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager. He is currently the manager of Palmeiras. He served as the manager of the Portuguese national team from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2008...
Mano Menezes Orlando Fantoni Renato Gaúcho
Renato Gaúcho
Renato Gaúcho, real name Renato Portaluppi is a former association footballer who played forward and a football manager, he was born in Guaporé, Rio Grande do Sul.He is currently unemployed...
Rubens Minelli
Rubens Minelli
Rubens Francisco Minelli is a Brazilian former football player and manager.As a player he played for Ypiranga, Nacional , Palmeiras, Taubaté and São Bento, where he ended his career after broken a leg when he was 27....
Telê Santana
Telê Santana
Telê Santana da Silva, also known as Telê Santana , was a Brazilian football manager and former player...
Tite
Adenor Leonardo Bacchi
Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, known as Tite is a Brazilian football manager. He has played for and managed a number of clubs. Tite is currently coaching Corinthians.-As a player:...
Valdir Espinosa
Valdir Espinosa
Valdir Ataualpa Ramirez Espinosa, usually known as Valdir Espinosa is a Brazilian football manager.-Titles:Grêmio...
Anthem
Grêmio's anthem is one of the most critically well-acclaimed amongst all Brazilian clubs because, other than the anthems of the clubs from Rio de Janeiro (all composed by Lamartine Babo), it is the only football anthem composed by a renowned composer, Lupicínio RodriguesLupicínio Rodrigues
Lupicínio Rodrigues was a great composer of sambas from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. He was the main exponent of a style of samba called Dor-de-Cotovelo. The term, literally "elbow pain", translates as "heartbreak".Rodrigues left his compositions to be recorded by many Brazilian composers...
. Featuring a vivid and playful melody, the anthem features the famous verses: Até a pé nós iremos / para o que der e vier / mas o certo é que nós estaremos / com o Grêmio onde o Grêmio estiver (Even on foot we shall go / against all obstacles / but it is for sure we will be / with Grêmio wherever Grêmio may be). Grêmio fans are very fond of their faith, even when the club is not doing well, and boast that Grêmio, as the anthem hints, has never played without supporters somewhere in the world.
Eurico Lara, a goalkeeper who played for the club in the 1920s and in the 1930s, is mentioned in the anthem, where he is called the immortal idol (or craque imortal, in Portuguese).
Stars
According to the club the gold star represents the victory in the World Club Championship; the silver one represents the two South American competition victories; and the bronze one represents the National competitions. There is also a gold star in Grêmio's flag that represents a player EveraldoEveraldo
Everaldo Marques da Silva , nicknamed Everaldo, was a football player from Brazil. He was defender with Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense and with the Brazilian national team. He won the Football World Cup 1970. The golden star in Gremio's flag was added in 1970 in his homage...
, a star from 1970s who was the first Gaúcho (people from Rio Grande do Sul) to become a world champion with the Brazilian National team.
Flag
The first club flag was unveiled by the club for the first time during the opening ceremony for the Baixada stadium. At that time, it had a horizontal stripe of blue, black and white, with a medallion on the left top corner.The Brazilian Flag was the inspiration for the Tricolor's standard from 1918 to 1944.
The supporters
There are around 8 Million Grêmio fans in Brazil, meaning that, in terms of numbers of followers, Grêmio is 6th in Brazil. Grêmio's main supporters groups include Geral do Grêmio, Garra Tricolor and Torcida Jovem do Grêmio.Team kit
- Home colors - Vertical stripes of light blue and black, with white piping;
- Away colors - White with black and blue detail;
- Alternative colors - Black with white and blue stripes.
The rivalry
As the years went on, Grêmio and another important Brazilian football club, InternacionalSport 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...
, started to form a rivalry. Soon the games between these two clubs got their own name, Gre–Nal, and resulted in record attendance. Now the games fill the streets of Porto Alegre with football-crazed fans. The rivalry is now so ingrained that for many gaúcho
Gaucho
Gaucho is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American pampas, chacos, or Patagonian grasslands, found principally in parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Chile, and Southern Brazil...
s and portoalegrenses
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...
blue is the opposite color of red, much like in video game culture.
In 1935, Eurico Lara, who was Grêmio's goalie, conceded a penalty kick. When the Internacional player was about to kick it, Lara's brother stopped the game and reminded him of his doctor's recommendation that he didn't overexert himself. He didn't listen. Soon the Internacional player took the shot. Lara caught it, but as soon as he did he fell sideways and didn't move. He was substituted after the wondrous save, and Grêmio won the game. But unfortunately he died two weeks later as a result from the fatigue from that game. Lara has been immortalized in the club anthem.
Books
- Enciclopédia do Futebol Brasileiro, Volume 1 - Lance, Rio de Janeiro: Aretê Editorial S/A, 2001.
- Especial Placar - 500 Times do Brasil, São Paulo: Editora Abril: 2003.
External links
- Grêmio Official Website
- Twitter Official
- Geral do Grêmio Official Website
- Nação Tricolor
- Ducker - Unofficial Website Biggest source of pictures and videos of Gremio's fans
- Coleção Grêmio Gianfranco The best online collection of Grêmio memorabilia; organized by Gianfranco Spolaore