Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
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Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas is a Brazilian multimodality sportive association from Rio de Janeiro.Its football team, placed 12th in ''FIFA Clubs of the 20th Century. The club symbol is the lone star, represented on its badge. Botafogo means (he who) sets fire and is also the name of the neighbourhood where the club has its origins (Botafogo Beach).
Botafogo is one of the four big football clubs in Rio de Janeiro (along with Flamengo, Fluminense, and Vasco).
After winning the Rio de Janeiro League in 1989, 1990, and 1997 and the Brazilian League in 1995, Botafogo would be relegated to the Second Division after ranking last in the Brazilian League of 2002. In 2003, Botafogo ranked second in Brazil's Second division (after Palmeiras) and returned to the First Division.
Despite its origins, the club has played in the neighbouring city of Niterói (much like some "New York" teams actually play in New Jersey) since it rented the Mestre Ziza stadium (a modest venue with 15,000 seats). This stadium is currently used for training. Now Botafogo is playing at Maracanã.
History
On July 1, 1894, the Clube de Regatas Botafogo, a rowing club, was founded. The name was meant to evoke neighbourhood where the club was. The colours of the club were black and white, and it's symbol the Lone Star, or the "Estrela D'alva", the first star to appear on the sky (not a star really, but Venus). It soon became one of the strongest teams in Rio de Janeiro, winning several competitions, along with sea rivals such as Flamengo, Vasco da Gama, Guanabara, Icaraí and São Cristóvão.About ten years later, on August 12, 1904, another club was founded in the neighbourhood: the Electro Club, first name given to the Botafogo Football Club. The idea came during an algebra lesson, in the college Alfredo Gomes, when Flávio Ramos wrote to friend Emmanuel Sodré: "Itamar has a football club in Martins Ferreira Street. Let's establish another one, in Largo dos Leões, what do you think? We can speak to the Wernecks, to Arthur César, Vicente and Jacques". And so the Electro Club was founded. But this name wouldn't last. After a suggestion from Dona Chiquitota, Flávio's grandmother, the club finally became the Botafogo Football Club, on September 18 of the same year. The colour's? The black and the white. And the badge, drawn by Basílio Vianna Jr., in Swiss style with the BFC monogram. The Botafogo Football Club would soon became one of the strongest football teams in Rio de Janeiro, winning the championships of 1907, 1910, 1912 and more.
The same name, the same location, the same colours and the most important thing: the same supporters. It seemed that the destiny of both clubs was to become only one. And so it happened: on December 8, 1942 they finally merged together. It was after a basketball match between both clubs, when Botafogo Football Club player Albano died suddenly, that the idea began to become truth. At the tragic occasion, the president of Clube de Regatas Botafogo, Augusto Frederico Schimidt (also a major Brazilian poet) spoke: "At this time, I declare to Albano that his last match ended with the victory of his team. We won't play no longer the time left of the interrupted game. We all want that the young fighter leaves to the great night as a winner. This is how we greet him". Eduardo Góis Trindade, Botafogo Football Club's president said: "Between the matches of our clubs, only one can be the winner: Botafogo!". And then Schimidt declared the fusion: "What else do we need to our clubs become one?". And so they did: the Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas finally became true. The Football Club's badge became black, and the monogram substituted by Clube de Regatas' lone star. This badge, according to the club's statute, can never be modified. The water sports maintained the Clube de Regatas's uniform, all black, while the terrestrial sports maintained Football Club's one, vertical-striped black and white jersey with black shorts.
Stadiums
Botafogo's home stadium is the Maracanã stadium (capacity 103,045).
Trivia
- Their primary uniform consists of a black jersey with vertical white stripes, black shorts and grey socks. Their secondary uniform is all black. An all white uniform, a white jersey and black shorts, or black jersey with white shorts, always carrying the lone-star shield, may also be used. The socks, although tradionally grey, may also be white or black.
- The club is placed 12th in ''FIFA Clubs of the 20th Century.
- Nicknames: "Fogo", "Bota" (breakdowns of the club's name), "Fogão" (augmentative of "Fogo", largely used), "Alvinegro" (White-black), "O clube da Estrela Solitária" (The Lone Star club, reference to the club's major symbol), "O Glorioso" (The Glorious, nickname given after 1910's astonishing campaign)
- Mascots: the first mascot was Donald Duck, abandoned due to royalties issues. Nowadays, the club's mascot is the Manequinho a replica of the Manneken-Pis situated in front of the club. However, Botafogo's cheers have largely addopted the dog Biriba as a mascot. The idea of officializing it is being studied by the club's owner. Biriba was Botafogo's talisman in the late 40's, considered lucky by the fans.
- Some pejorative terms used by rival supporters when referring to Botafogo: "Bostafogo" ("Bosta" means shit in portuguese), "Cachorrada" ("Bunch of Dogs", an obvious reference to Biriba)
- Its biggest rivals are from the same city: Fluminense, Flamengo and Vasco da Gama.
- The other big teams from Brazil (including the four mentioned) are: Corinthians, Santos, Palmeiras, São Paulo, Atlético Mineiro, Grêmio, Cruzeiro and Internacional.
Titles
- FOOTBALL
- * National
- ** Brazilian Champions 1995
- ** Brazil Trophy 1968
- ** Rio-São Paulo Tournament 1962, 1964, 1966, 1998
- * State
- ** 18 state championships: 1907*, 1910, 1912, 1930, 1931-34, 1948, 1957, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1968, 1989 (undefeated), 1990, 1997, 2006
- ** 8 Torneio Início 1934, 1938, 1947, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1967 and 1977
- ** 4 Taça Guanabara 1967, 1968, 1997 (undefeated) and 2006
- ** 2 Taça Rio de Janeiro 1989 and 1997
- ** 1 Taça Cidade Maravilhosa 1996
- * Youth
- ** 1 Taça Belo Horizonte de Juniores 1999
- ** 1 Copa Macaé de Juvenis 1997
- * International
- ** 1 Copa CONMEBOL 1993
- ** Torneio Internacional da Colômbia 1960
- ** Pentagonal do México 1962
- ** Torneio de Paris 1963
- ** Quadrangular de Buenos Aires 1964
- ** Trofeo Carranza 1966
- ** Torneio de Caracas 1967, 68 and 70
- ** Hexagonal do México 1968
- ** Torneio de Genebra 1984
- ** Torneio de Berna 1985
- ** Torneio de Palma de Mallorca 1988
- ** Torneio da Amizade 1990
- ** Troféu Tereza Herrera 1996
- ** Torneio de Osaka 1996
- ** III Torneio Presidente da Rússia 1996
Famous players
- Football
- *Alemão
- *Amarildo
- *Bebeto
- *Brito
- *Carlos Alberto Torres
- *Carvalho Leite
- *Didi
- *Donizete
- *Garrincha
- *Gérson
- *Gonçalves
- *Heleno de Freitas
- *Jairzinho
- *Josimar
- *Manga
- *Marinho Chagas
- *Mário Zagallo
- *Mauro Galvão
- *Nilton Santos
- *Quarentinha
- *Túlio
Current squad
External links
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