Sport Club Corinthians Paulista
Encyclopedia
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians (koˈɾĩtʃɐ̃s), is a Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

ian football club based in the city of São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

. They play in the 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...

 state league
Campeonato Paulista
The Campeonato Paulista de Futebol Profissional da Primeira Divisão - Série A1, simply known as the Campeonato Paulista, is the top-flight professional football league in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The league is contested between 20 clubs and typically lasts from January to April...

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

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

 group of leading Brazilian football clubs.

Corinthians have won their state championship a record 26 times, the Brasileirão on four occasions, including a double in 1999, and 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...

 three times; in South America, they reached the quarterfinals of the Copa Sudamericana
Copa Sudamericana
The Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...

 in 2005, were Copa CONMEBOL
Copa CONMEBOL
The Copa CONMEBOL was an annual football cup competition organized by CONMEBOL between 1992 and 1999 for eligible South American football clubs. During its time of existence, it was the third most prestigious South American club football contest after the Copa Libertadores and Supercopa...

 and Copa Libertadores semifinalists in 1994
1994 Copa CONMEBOL
The 1994 Copa CONMEBOL was the third edition of CONMEBOL's annual club tournament. Teams that failed to qualify for the Copa Libertadores played in this tournament. Sixteen teams from the nine South American football confederations qualified for this tournament...

 and 2000 respectively, and won the FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...

 in 2000
2000 FIFA Club World Championship Final
The final match of the first FIFA Club World Championship ever, disputed in Brazil, pitted the two Brazilian clubs which were playing the tournament, Corinthians and Vasco da Gama. After a goalless draw during the 120 minutes, Corinthians won the penalty shoot-out 4–3, becoming the first club to...

, where the Timão ended their 90-year wait for international honors, defeating Vasco da Gama 4–3 in the final
2000 FIFA Club World Championship Final
The final match of the first FIFA Club World Championship ever, disputed in Brazil, pitted the two Brazilian clubs which were playing the tournament, Corinthians and Vasco da Gama. After a goalless draw during the 120 minutes, Corinthians won the penalty shoot-out 4–3, becoming the first club to...

, which was held at the Maracanã in 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...

. The Timão play their home games at the Pacaembu
Estádio do Pacaembu
Estádio do Pacaembu , as it is usually called, is a football stadium in São Paulo, located on Praça Charles Miller, no nº - in Pacaembu neighborhood. Its official name is Estádio Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho and it is owned by the Municipal Prefecture of São Paulo...

, which currently holds up to 40,199 spectators. In 2013, Corinthians are due to move to their new home of Novo Estádio do Corinthians, which will have a capacity of 65,000. Corinthians' home kit is white shirts, with black shorts, accompanied by white socks, this combination has been used since 1920. Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...

 are the kit manufacturers and the main shirt sponsor is Neo Química.

Corinthians is Brazil's richest football club in terms of revenue, with an annual revenue of $132.1m (€92.5m
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

), and the most valuable club in the nation, worth over $540.5m (€378.4m
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

) in 2011. During their history, the club has been known by a number of nicknames, including Timão (Big team in English), due to their popularity in Brazil. The Club is the second most popular in Brazil. Between 2004 and 2007, three different surveys were conducted by the research firms Ibope, Data Folha and CNT/Sensus to measure which was the favorite football team in Brazil. According to the results, Corinthians was preferred by 13.2% to 15% of the Brazilian population, which represents approximately 25 to 29 million fans. There are also several Corinthians' organized fan clubs of football factories, among them Gaviões da Fiel, Camisa 12, Coringão Chopp, Pavilhão 9 and Estopim da Fiel.

Foundation

The History of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista starts on September 1, 1910, when a group of laborers in the neighborhood of Bom Retiro
Bom Retiro, São Paulo
Bom Retiro is a central district in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. It is a mainly commercial place, as the industrial and residential areas are greatly decreasing....

 decided to create their own club. Their idea was to found a football team in which anyone could display his abilities in the sport, since back then, in the beginning of the 20th century, football in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 was considered to be an elitist sport, played mainly by British descendants and people who worked for British companies.

Under the lights of an oil lamp, in the "Rua dos Imigrantes" (Immigrants Street), the labourers Joaquim Ambrósio, Antônio Pereira, César Nunes, Rafael Perrone, Anselmo Correia, Alexandre Magnani, Salvador Lopomo, João da Silva, Antônio Nunes founded the first popular club in São Paulo.

Among the founders, the first ideas for the name of the club were full of Brazilian national spirit: Carlos Gomes Football Club and Futebol Clube Santos Dumont. However, these prominent Brazilian names were put aside after the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 amateur team Corinthian, that used to wear pink and brown shirts, won all six games in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro during an exhibitional tour of Brazil. The name Sport Club Corinthians Paulista was agreed upon, as an homage to the great British club of the beginning of the past century. The name was suggested by Joaquim Ambrósio, one of those five laborers who founded the club.

The first order of business after deciding who would become the first club president was to declare that "Corinthians will be a team of the people, by the people and for the people," a claim in reference to the previous "elite"-only football culture in Brazil at the time. The claim stuck and is still used to this day with Corinthians being known as the "Time do Povo" or the "Team for the People"

Early years (1910–1922)

Corinthians played their first match on September 10, 1910, away against União da Lapa, a respected amateur club in São Paulo; and despite being defeated by 1–0, this match would mark the beginning of a successful era as an amateur club.

On September 14, Luis Fabi scored Corinthians' first goal against Estrela Polar, another amateur club in the city, and Corinthians won their first game 2–0.

With good results and an increasing number of supporters, Corinthians joined the Liga Paulista, after winning two qualifying games, and played in the São Paulo State Championship
Campeonato Paulista
The Campeonato Paulista de Futebol Profissional da Primeira Divisão - Série A1, simply known as the Campeonato Paulista, is the top-flight professional football league in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The league is contested between 20 clubs and typically lasts from January to April...

 for the first time, in 1913. Just one year after joining the league, Corinthians was crowned champion for the first time (in 1914), and were again two years later.

There were many fly-by-night teams popping up in São Paulo at the time, and during the first practice held by Corinthians a banner was placed by the side of the field stating "This One Will Last".

Becoming Great (1922–1939)

The year of 1922, the Centennial of Brazilian Independence, marks the start of Corinthians hegemony in the São Paulo State Championship
Campeonato Paulista
The Campeonato Paulista de Futebol Profissional da Primeira Divisão - Série A1, simply known as the Campeonato Paulista, is the top-flight professional football league in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The league is contested between 20 clubs and typically lasts from January to April...

.

As football was almost exclusively played at 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...

 and São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

 by that time, the two state champions were considered to be the two top clubs in Brazil. After defeating the Rio de Janeiro State Championship
Campeonato Carioca
The Campeonato Carioca, also known as Campeonato Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, is the football league of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is one of the most prestigious national football tournaments...

 champion of that year, América, Corinthians joined the company of the great teams in Brazil.

The same year also marked the first of three State Championships in a row, something that happened again in 1928–1930 and 1937–1939.

Ups and downs (1940–1954)

Corinthians seemed destined to win State Championships in threes; after six years without being a champions, they came won three more from 1937 the 1939. The 40's were a more difficult time; and the club would win a championship in 1941 and would only win their next in 1951. It was a time where Corinthians teams was known as “it makes me laugh” or "faz-me rir" in Portuguese.

At the beginning of the 1950s Corinthians made history in the São Paulo Championship. In 1951, the team composed of Carbone, Cláudio, Luisinho, Baltasar and Mário scored 103 goals in thirty matches of the São Paulo Championship, registering an average of 3.43 per game. Carbone was the top goalscorer of the competition with 30 gols. The club would also win the São Paulo Championships of 1952 and 1954.

In this same decade, Corinthians were champions three times of the Rio-São Paulo Championship (1950, 1953 and 1954), the tournament that was becoming most important in the country with the increased participation of the greatest clubs from the two most important footballing states in the country.

In 1953, in a championship in Venezuela, Corinthians won the Small Cup of the World, a championship that many consider as a precursor of the Worldwide Championship of Clubs.
On the occasion, Corinthians, substituting for 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...

, went to Caracas, the Venezuelan capital and recorded six consecutive victories against A.S. Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...

 (1–0 and 3–1), CF Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

 (3–2 and 1–0) and Selection of Caracas (2–1 and 2–0). The club would also win the Cup of the Centenary of São Paulo, in the same year (1954).

After the triumphs in the São Paulo Championship and the Rio-São Paulo of 1954, Corinthians had a lengthy title drought. The breakthrough finally came when they won the São Paulo state championship in 1977, breaking a string of 23 years without a major title.

National success and world champions (1990–2005)

In 1990, Corinthians won its first Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

, beating its rivals, 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 opponent's own stadium, 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....

. In the following year, Corinthians beat 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...

 and won the Supercopa do Brasil
Supercopa do Brasil
The 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:*...

. In 1995, the club won 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...

 for the first time, beating Grêmio
Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense
Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, commonly known as just Grêmio , 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...

 in the final 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...

, 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...

. In the same decade, the club won the state championship
Campeonato Paulista
The Campeonato Paulista de Futebol Profissional da Primeira Divisão - Série A1, simply known as the Campeonato Paulista, is the top-flight professional football league in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The league is contested between 20 clubs and typically lasts from January to April...

 in 1995, 1997, and in 1999, and won the national championship again in 1998 and in 1999.

In 2000, Corinthians won the first edition of the FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...

, beating Vasco
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...

 in the final, at Estádio do 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...

. To reach the final, Corinthians finished ahead of Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...

 of Spain, Al-Nasr
Al-Nasr
Al Nassr FC is a Saudi Arabian football club based in Riyadh. Formed in 1955 the club plays its home games at King Fahd Stadium and Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium. Its home colours are yellow and blue.-History:...

 of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

 and Raja Casablanca of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...

. In the same decade, the club won the state championship in 2001 and in 2003., and the Copa do Brasil in 2002
Copa do Brasil 2002
The Copa do Brasil 2002 was the 14th staging of the Copa do Brasil.The competition started on February 13, 2002 and concluded on May 15, 2002 with the second leg of the final, held at the Boca do Jacaré in Taguatinga, in which Corinthians lifted the trophy for the second time after a 1-1 draw with...

, beating Brasiliense
Brasiliense Futebol Clube
The Brasiliense Futebol Clube is a Brazilian football club, based in Taguatinga, Distrito Federal.Brasiliense wears yellow uniforms, hence one of its supporters' associations is named Febre Amarela...

 in the final.

Between 1990 and 2005, the club also won the Ramón de Carranza Trophy
Ramón de Carranza Trophy
The Ramón de Carranza Trophy is a pre-season football tournament organised by Cádiz CF, in memory of its former president, Ramón de Carranza - after whom their stadium is named as well....

 in 1996, the Rio-São Paulo Tournament
Torneio Rio-São Paulo
Torneio Rio – São Paulo was a traditional Brazilian football competition contested between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro teams until from 1935 until 2002....

 in 2002, the São Paulo Youth Cup
Copa São Paulo de Juniores
The Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior , also known as Copa São Paulo de Juniores and Copinha , is a cup competition played by 88 Brazilian under-18 football teams , most of them from São Paulo state...

 in 1995, 1999, 2004, and 2005, and the Dallas Cup
Dallas Cup
The Dallas Cup is an international football tournament for invited youth teams, held annually in Dallas, Texas. It was first held in 1980. The current champion is Cruzeiro...

 in 1999 and 2000.

Corinthians/MSI (2005–2007)

The club's situation in early 2004 was among the most difficult in its history. Bad administration, lack of money and terrible campaigns both in the 2003 Brazilian Championship and in the 2004 São Paulo State Championship caused its millions of supporters to worry. Fortunately, some young players and a new manager 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:...

 helped the team to improve from their terrible start. At the end of the championship, Corinthians finished in 5th place and gained entry to the Copa Sudamericana
Copa Sudamericana
The Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...

 (a minor continental championship).

This situation was one of the factors which enabled Corinthians' president, Alberto Dualib
Alberto Dualib
Alberto Dualib is a Turkish-Arabian-Brazilian businessman. Alberto Dualib was Sport Club Corinthians Paulista's chairman between 1993-2007...

, to convince the club's advisors to sign a controversial deal with an international fund of investors called Media Sports Investment. The deal granted the company a large degree of control over the club for 10 years in exchange for large financial investments in return. This has brought many quality players to the team, such as Carlos Tévez
Carlos Tévez
Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...

, Roger
Roger Galera Flores
Roger Galera Flores or simply Roger , is a Brazilian attacking midfielder. He currently plays for Cruzeiro.-Career:...

, Javier Mascherano and Carlos Alberto.

Despite the MSI investiments, Corinthians had a slow start in the 2005 state championship, but managed to improve as it progressed, eventually managing to finish second. Their start to the Brazilian championship during 2005 was difficult, too, but after Daniel Passarella
Daniel Passarella
Daniel Alberto Passarella is a former Argentine football centre back and former manager of the Argentine and Uruguayan national football teams. He was captain of the Argentina team that won the 1978 World Cup...

's dismissal (due to an unexpected 5–1 loss to Corinthians' rivals, São Paulo), the club finished the championship well, and were eventually crowned Brazilian Champions for the fourth time, after some controversial annulment of eleven games due to a betting scandal
Brazilian football match-fixing scandal
Máfia do Apito , sometimes referred to as the Escândalo do Apito , was the name given by the Brazilian press to the football match-fixing scandal reported by Veja magazine on September 23, 2005....

.

The relationship between Corinthians' managers and the MSI president, Kia Joorabchian
Kia Joorabchian
Kiavash "Kia" Joorabchian is an Iranian-born British-educated businessman largely involved in association football.In the register of directorships at Companies House in London Joorabchain gives two nationalities, Canadian and British, as well as two names, Kia Joorabchian and Kia Kavash, and two...

 was not good, and after being eliminated in the Copa Libertadores, the club experienced a crisis which was responsible for the bad performances for the rest of 2006. Eventually, the partnership came to an end.

On December 2, 2007, following a 1–1 draw away to Grêmio
Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense
Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, commonly known as just Grêmio , 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...

, Corinthians were relegated to the 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...

.

2008 - 2011: The Overrun

Corinthians, who won promotion to the top division of Brazilian football for 2009 by winning the Serie B tournament
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...

, signed with three-time FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

 Player of the Year
FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...

 Ronaldo
Ronaldo
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima , commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the...

  . In 2009, lead by Ronaldo, Corinthians won its 26th Campeonato Paulista
Campeonato Paulista
The Campeonato Paulista de Futebol Profissional da Primeira Divisão - Série A1, simply known as the Campeonato Paulista, is the top-flight professional football league in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The league is contested between 20 clubs and typically lasts from January to April...

 and its third Copa do Brasil. Confirming the club's good moment, Corinthians finished the Campeonato Brasileiro 2010 in 3rd place, granting its place on the subsequent Copa Libertadores.
After being eliminated from the South American tournament by the relatively less traditional Deportes Tolima
Deportes Tolima
Deportes Tolima, is a Colombian football club based in the city of Ibagué. The club was founded December 18, 1954 and play their home games at the Manuel Murillo Toro stadium, which has a capacity of 30,000.-Foundation:...

, though, Corinthians saw Ronaldo retire from football. To replace him, the club signed with other 2006 national squad veteran Adriano
Adriano Leite Ribeiro
Adriano Leite Ribeiro , commonly known as simply Adriano, is a Brazilian footballer who played striker who currently plays for Corinthians...

.

Achievements

World
  • FIFA Club World Cup
    FIFA Club World Cup
    The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...

     (1): 2000
    2000 FIFA Club World Championship
    The 2000 FIFA Club World Championship was the pilot edition of the FIFA Club World Championship held in Brazil from 5 January to 14 January 2000...



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

     (4): 1990, 1998, 1999, 2005
  • Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
    Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
    The Série B is the second division of Brazilian football. It is played by 20 teams. However, the competition format has changed almost every year since it first occurred, in 1971. In some years, it was not played altogether...

     (1): 2008
  • 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...

     (3): 1995, 2002, 2009
  • Supercopa do Brasil
    Supercopa do Brasil
    The 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): 1991


Regional
  • Rio-São Paulo Tournament (5): 1950, 1953, 1954, 1966, 2002


State
  • Campeonato Paulista
    Campeonato Paulista
    The Campeonato Paulista de Futebol Profissional da Primeira Divisão - Série A1, simply known as the Campeonato Paulista, is the top-flight professional football league in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The league is contested between 20 clubs and typically lasts from January to April...

     (26): 1914, 1916, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2009

Relationship with Torino F.C.
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....

In 1949, Corinthians played Torino. That game was the last game that il Grande Torino played as the Superga air disaster
Superga air disaster
The Superga air disaster took place on Wednesday, 4 May 1949, when a plane carrying almost the entire Torino A.C. football squad, popularly known as Il Grande Torino, crashed into the hill of Superga near Turin killing all 31 aboard including 18 players, club officials, journalists accompanying the...

 followed when the whole team died in a plane crash. To commemorate Torino, Corinthians uses Torino's colors for their third jersey on which Torino's emblem is superimposed.

Corinthians' Fans

The club is the second most popular in Brazil. Between 2004 and 2007, three different surveys were conducted by the research firms Ibope, Data Folha and CNT/Sensus to measure which was the favorite football team in Brazil. According to the results [1], Corinthians was preferred by 13.2% to 15% of the Brazilian population, which represents approximately 24 to 29 million fans.

Corinthians’ fans are famous for being passionate about the team and loyal supporters. In April 2009, the club released a tribute documentary to its fans. Named "Fiel", the documentary highlights the fans' support in one of the most difficult moments in the team’s history: when it was downgraded to the second division in 2007. Directed by Andrea Pasquini and written by Serginho Groisman and Marcelo Rubens Paiva, the movie shows several fans and players’ testimonials.

In 2009, another documentary about the fan's love for the team was released. Directed by Di Morreti, 23 anos em 7 segundos – O fim do Jejum Corinthiano portrays the historical moment when, in 1977, Corinthians won the Campeonato Paulista, after 23 years without wining any Championships.

There are also several Corinthians' organized fan clubs of football factories, among them Gaviões da Fiel, Camisa 12, Pavilhão 9 and Estopim da Fiel.

Rivalries

  • Palmeiras: Palestra Itália
    Palestra Itália
    Palestra Itália may refer to:*Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, a club from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state*Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, a club from São Paulo city, São Paulo state...

     (now known as 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...

    ) was founded in 1914 by a group of Italians, incorrectly known as former members of Corinthians. This mistake occurred because some players, including Bianco, which had Italian family, left Corinthians over Palmeiras (known at the time as Palestra Itália). The match remains one of the most important derbies in Brazil, and it known as the Derby Paulista.

  • Other rivals: Corinthians also have a historic rivalry with 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...

    , 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....

     and 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:...

    . The rivalry against São Paulo is known as "O Majestoso" (The Majestic One) and peaked in the 90s, after Corinthians won its first 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...

     ever against São Paulo, in 1990. The game between Corinthians and Santos is known as "Clássico Alvi-negro" (the Black and White Derby) because of the colors of both teams. Pelé
    Pelé
    However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...

     made the Corinthians fans suffer throughout the 1960s, leading Santos to an 11-year winning streak over Corinthians in the State Championship. In the 80s, Corinthians almost evened the score, going on a seven-year unbeaten streak of their own. The rivalry declined in the 1990s – Corinthians was on the upside, winning 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...

     in 1998 and 1999 and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2000. That all changed in the 2000s, however, after Corinthians' so called "dream team" was dismantled following disheartening defeats in the Copa Libertadores of 1999 and 2000 while fate smiled on Santos, as homegrown world-class young talents Robinho
    Robinho
    Robson de Souza , more commonly known as Robinho, is a Brazilian professional footballer who currently plays as second striker and winger for Serie A club AC Milan...

     and Diego
    Diego Ribas da Cunha
    Diego Ribas da Cunha , commonly known as just Diego, is an international Brazilian footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid on loan from VfL Wolfsburg, as an attacking midfielder.-Santos:...

     led the club to a 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...

     title over Corinthians in 2002.

Colors

The Corinthians' shirt had no crest before 1913, when the club joined the Liga Paulista Even though the club has been recognized by the colors black and white for most of its history, the first Corinthians' kit originally consisted of cream shirts and black shorts. But when the shirts were washed, the cream color gradually became white. After that, early in the club's history, the official colors were changed, so the club would not waste much money on buying new kits. In 1954 the black with thin white stripes uniform was introduced, and became the alternative uniform. The original cream color of the first uniform would come back as a reference in 2007, with the golden
Gold (color)
Gold, also called golden, is one of a variety of orange-yellow color blends used to give the impression of the color of the element gold....

 third uniform. The purple has been associated as a fan color for a long time and, since 2008, has been used as a successful third uniform: in popular culture, a corintiano roxo (purple corintiano) is a term used to describe a fanatic supporter of Corinthians.

Crests

The Corinthians' shirt had no crest before 1913, when the club joined the Liga Paulista and became able to play official matches in the São Paulo State Championship. The club then debuted its first symbol, with the letters "C" and "P", which stood for Corinthians Paulista.

The first crest was created by lithographer Hermógenes Barbuy, the brother of Corinthians' player Amílcar
Amílcar Barbuy
Amílcar Barbuy was an Italian Brazilian football player and manager...

, in 1914. But the crest changed often before 1919, when a new crest (part of the present crest) debuted on Corinthians' shirts in 1919. It featured a São Paulo State flag in a circle and the club's name, S.C. Corinthians Paulista, written around it (the S.C. meaning Sport Club).

The crest changed yet again in 1940 when modernist painter and former member of Corinthians' reserve squad Francisco Rebolo González created the club's current design, with the anchor and two oars (a reference to the aquatic sports practiced in the club), making it unique. This definitive crest has been revised a few times.

Manufacturer and sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt partner
1980–1981 Topper None
1982 Bom Brill
1983 Cofap
1984 Citizen
1984 Bic
1984 Corona
1985–1989 Kalunga
1990–1994 Finta
1995–1996 Penalty Suvinil
1996–1998 Banco Excel
1998 Embratel
1999–2000 Topper Batavo
2000–2002 Pepsi
2003–2004 Nike
2005–2007 Samsung
2008 Medial Saúde
2009 Batavo
2010– Neo Química

The Musketeer

Corinthians' official mascot is the Musketeer, a symbol of bravery, audacity and fighting spirit. The adoption of that character recalls the first years of the club.

In 1913 most of the leading football clubs in São Paulo State founded the APEA (Paulista Athletic Sports Association). The depleted Paulista League was left with only Americano, Germania and Internacional, known as the "three musketeers" of São Paulo football. Corinthians joined the three as D'Artagnan
D'Artagnan
Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, Comte d'Artagnan served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard and died at the Siege of Maastricht in the Franco-Dutch War. A fictionalized account of his life by Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras formed the basis for the d'Artagnan Romances of...

, being the fourth and most adored musketeer, just like in Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...

's novel The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, first serialized in March–July 1844. Set in the 17th century, it recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel to Paris, to join the Musketeers of the Guard...

. To be accepted in that "musketeers universe", Corinthians had to show its bravery. As there was many other teams who coveted the spot in the Liga Paulista, Corinthians participated in a selective tournament against Minas Gerais and São Paulo, two other great teams of Paulista amateur football at that time. The Corinthian team beat Minas 1–0 and São Paulo 4–0, earning acceptance into the group and acquiring the right to participate in the Special Division of the Paulista League in the following year.

Saint George

An important symbol for Corinthians is Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...

. Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...

 is one of the most devoted Catholic Saint in Brazil, and still is often remembered as The Corinthians Patron, and is very devoted in São Paulo's team Headquarters, and over all country, for most of the club's fans. The Estádio Alfredo Schürig is popularly known as Parque São Jorge, and its address is Rua São Jorge, 777 , São Paulo.

Stadiums

As soon as it was founded Corinthians needed a venue in which to host its matches. The team initially played on a field owned by a wood seller, which was henceforth known as Campo do Lenheiro (Portuguese for 'wood seller's field'). The field's conditions were not ideal as the players and fans had to clean the place before every match.

Four years after being invited to play in the São Paulo State Championship in 1918, a more appropriate stadium was required, as the fame and number of fans increased after winning two state championships. Associates, players and fans managed to build another stadium, known as Bom Retiro Stadium which would be Corinthians home ground for nine years.

In 1928, club chairman Alfredo Schürig purchased the terrain where the social club now stands, known as Parque São Jorge. Inside the social club a stadium (named after Schürig) was built. Mostly known as Fazendinha (Portuguese for 'small farm') or Parque São Jorge Stadium this stadium would host Corinthians matches for a long time.

Municipal Prefecture Stadium Paulo Machado de Carvalho (known as Pacaembu) was inaugurated in 1940. As the team with the biggest fanbase in the city, Corinthians would play its bigger matches in the public stadium for a bigger attendance. Eventually every Corinthians home match would be played there.

As the capacity of Pacaembu decreased with time, to 37,000 spectators as of its last improvement in 2008, Corinthians has been forced to play sometimes in rival's São Paulo FC
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...

 ground (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....

) when the expected attendance is greater than Pacaembu's capacity.

Several projects for a new stadium have been presented to the public since the 1960s. The club owns property in Itaquera, reserved for the building of its new stadium by the Municipal Prefecture in 1970s. In the 1990s Corinthians inaugurated its first training centre there, known as CT de Itaquera.

Former partner group HTMF bought land in the Raposo Tavares Highway in late 1990s for the stadium construction, but the partnership ended soon after that.

In late 2006 a NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...

 called Cooperfiel
Cooperfiel
Cooperfiel was a project started in December, 2006 with the objective to build a stadium for the Brazilian soccer club Sport Club Corinthians Paulista. The stadium would be named "Fielzão"...

 established a fund drive for a new stadium.

Former Chairman Alberto Dualib
Alberto Dualib
Alberto Dualib is a Turkish-Arabian-Brazilian businessman. Alberto Dualib was Sport Club Corinthians Paulista's chairman between 1993-2007...

 had conversations with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...

 (an ardent supporter of the club) to ask him for financial assistance to build a new stadium for the team. In that meeting, the president demanded to talk to former coach Emerson Leão and tell him he trusted on him to "fix" the team, which had been having problems with greedy and jealous players. It is also said that the real purpose of that meeting was that Dualib could talk to Lula about Boris Berezovsky's arrival.

Corinthians' practice field is home to Brazil's first FIFA certified artificial turf pitch. This synthetic turf pitch, called Xtreme Turf, was manufactured by ACT Global Sports.

As of 2009, there are some conjectures that the government of São Paulo might make a deal for a 30-year allotment of Pacaembu. Besides that, Fazendinha is being improved to host some matches and shows starting in 2010.

In August 2010 the president of 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...

, Ricardo Teixeira
Ricardo Teixeira
Ricardo Terra Teixeira is the current president of the Brazilian Football Confederation since January 16, 1989. Teixeira has been chosen to remain on the presidency of CBF at least until the end of the 2014 FIFA World Cup to be held in Brazil completing then over 25 years as head of the institution...

, along with Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...

 of São Paulo state
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...

, Albert Goldman
Albert Goldman
Albert Harry Goldman was an American professor and author.Born in Dormont, Pennsylvania, Albert Goldman wrote about the culture and personalities of the American music industry both in books and as a contributor to magazines...

, and the mayor of São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

, Gilberto Kassab
Gilberto Kassab
Gilberto Kassab is a Brazilian politician, current mayor of São Paulo. His term ends in 2012. A civil engineer and economist, of Lebanese descent, Kassab took over from José Serra, after Serra decided to run for governor of São Paulo...

 announced that the opening ceremony of the World Cup of Brazil will be held in the New Corinthians Stadium
New Corinthians Stadium
The New Corinthians Stadium , also known as "Itaquerão", "Fielzão" and "Arena Corinthians" is a proposed football stadium which would be built in Itaquera area of São Paulo, Brazil, and will replace the city owned Pacaembu Stadium as the home stadium of Corinthians...

 to be built by private enterprise in the district of Itaquera, in the eastern part of São Paulo city.

First team squad

(captain)

(vice-captain)

Players with Dual Nationality   Paulo André   Leandro Castán
Leandro Castán
Leandro Castán da Silva , commonly known as Leandro Castán, is a Brazilian football defender, who plays for Corinthians in the Brazilian Série A.-Career:...

   Fábio Santos
Fábio Santos Romeu
Fábio Santos Romeu , or simply Fábio Santos, is a Brazilian left wingback. He currently plays for Corinthians.-São Paulo:...

   Alex
Alex Raphael Meschini
Alex Raphael Meschini is a football player from Brazil, he currently plays at Corinthians.- Career :...

   Emerson
Marcio Emerson Passos
Márcio Passos de Albuquerque , also known as Emerson or Emerson Sheik, is a Brazilian-Qatari football striker, who plays for Corinthians Paulista.-Controversy:...

   Liédson
Liédson
Liédson da Silva Muniz , simply Liédson, is a Brazilian-born Portuguese footballer who plays for Sport Club Corinthians Paulista as a striker....


Youth squad

Out on Loan

Notable players

Current technical staff

  • Head Coach :   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:...

  • Fitness Coach :   Toninho Oliveira
  • Assistant Fitness Coach :   Carlos Alberto Pimentel
  • Goalkeeping Coach :   Marcos Antonio Romando
  • Club Doctor :   Dr. Paulo Antonio de Faria
  • Head of Medical Department :   Dr. Joaquim Grava
  • Physiologist :   Dr. Renato Fraga Moreira Lotufo
  • Physiotherapist :   José Alberto Fregnani Gonçalves
  • Physiotherapist :   Paulo Rogério Vieira
  • Nutritionist :   Christine Fernanda Machado Neves
  • Masseur :   Alexandro Gonçalves Dias
  • Masseur :   José Lazaro do Nascimento
  • Masseur :   Cleber Costa de Souza
  • Physiotherapist :   Fábio Luiz Novi

Notable coaches

Osvaldo Brandão
Osvaldo Brandão
Osvaldo Brandão was a Brazilian football manager that coached Brazil in 1955, 1956, and 1957, and from 1975 to 1977 and the Sport Club Corinthians Paulista in several times....

 Nelsinho Baptista
Nelsinho Baptista
Nélson Baptista Júnior, usually known as Nelsinho Baptista , is a former association football right back and is currently a manager...

 Carlos Alberto Parreira
Carlos Alberto Parreira
Carlos Alberto Gomes Parreira is a Brazilian former football manager. He managed Brazil to championships at the 1994 World Cup, the 2004 Copa América, and the 2005 Confederations Cup...

 Mano Menezes Oswaldo de Oliveira
Oswaldo de Oliveira
Oswaldo de Oliveira Filho is a Brazilian football manager. He currently manages Kashima Antlers.-Manager career:...

 Vanderlei Luxemburgo
Vanderlei Luxemburgo
Vanderlei Luxemburgo da Silva , better known as Vanderlei Luxemburgo, is a Brazilian football manager and former football player. He holds the distinction of being the most successful manager in the history of Brazil's Série A, with 5 league titles...


External links

, ,
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