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Cruzeiro Esporte Clube

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Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on January 2, 1921. It is the only Brazilian team to have won the triple crown for winning the Brazilian League, Brazilian Cup, State Championship, and all in the same year.

Cruzeiro, like most Brazilian clubs, are also known to spend their money within Brazil to secure the services of Brazilian footballer instead of foreign players. Along with that they have been the first to spot some of histories greatest players. Cruzeiro are also a team of class, they are among 4 teams in Brazil, Internacional, Flamengo, and Vasco da Gama, to not be relegated. Cruzeiro are usually among the top five favorites for most of there tournaments, they are among the top 5 clubs in Brazil and usually rank within the top 50 of the [International Federation of Football History and Statistics].

Even though the club's main focus is football, Cruzeiro also offers other less professional teams as well. These include track and field, bocce, and bowling.[Bowling titles] [Bocce titles] [Track and field titles] URL accessed 6 June 2006 In addition the club also has a sports school for children of different ages, among the programs and sports offered there are bellet, basketball, futsal, gymnastic, volleyball, and more. 



Contents





History


The Palestra Years

Cruzeiro Esporte Clube was founded by sportsmen of the former Italian colony of Belo Horizonte, presently one of Brazil's biggest city, with the name of Societá Sportiva Palestra Italia. The adopted colors, as it could not be otherwise, were the same ones of the Italian flag: green, red, and white (in 2005 the colors reappeared in the training uniforms). The first uniform of the club was a green jersey, white shorts and red stockings. The club only allowed participation of men from the Italian colony, until  1925, when it opened its doors for sportsmen of any nationality.


Beyond being recognized as a team of Italians descendents, the Palestra also had men of the working class of Belo Horizonte.  In the social body of the Palestra, men worked at such occupations as masons, policemen, painters, commercial employees and merchants. They were the children of the immigrants who had come and built the capital of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, in 1894, and they had inherited from their parents, the same occupations.



Finally Cruzeiro EC

On January of 1942, Brazil entered the Second World War and a decree of the Federal Government forbade the use of terms from enemy nations in entities, institutions, establishments, etc.  With this, the Italian name was removed and the directors of the club took 10 months to create a new name and symbol for the club that was entirely Brazilian. The name was changed to Ypiranga, but after a defeat on their debut the name was removed. On October a consensus of the directors approved the name Cruzeiro Esporte Clube. Cruzeiro is a constellation of the Southern Cross, and can only be seen from the southern hemisphere, therefore, not related to Italy. The uniform also switched to a blue shirt and stockings, and white shorts, (vice-versa when away).


Cruzeiro started to have national prominence in the 60s, when a team with players such as Tostão, Wilson Piazza and Fontana took the club to the tetracampeonato mineiro and the conquest of Taça Brasil on top of Santos of Pelé (winning  6x2 in the Mineirão and 3x2 in São Paulo). 


In 1976, Cruzeiro conquered its first Copa Libertadores de América, over River Plate of Argentina, being vice champions of the same competition in 1977, defeated by Boca Juniors of Argentina. In the Campeonato Brasileiro, in 1974 Cruzeiro were vice champions for the first time, after losing a very confusing, decisive match against Vasco. Later in 1975 once again they were vice champions this time it was a loss toInternational. In the 1970's Cruzeiro had a lot of success in other area's, like in 1976, one of their finest hours, where they went to the finals of the Intercontinental Cup, now renamed as the FIFA Club World Championship, and faced a strong Bayern Munich side who defeated them 2-0 on aggregate (it stayed 0-0 at the Mineirão).



The Drought

The 80s were not very positive for the club. During the 1980s the club did not have much success nor did they win many titles. The clubs big money investments were not working as well as anticipated. The teams also lacked a lot of chemistry. Though, after some things were moved around the clubs luck turned around. Fortunately for them, the drought did not last long.



Titles, titles, and more titles

Among the top Brazilian football clubs, Cruzeiro has an impressive list of titles that can only be compared to a few others in Brazil. It is undoubtedly  the most successful club in present-day Minas Gerais. In 1990 the clubs drought vanished and it initiated a sequence of 16 years earning at least one title per year. That included, two Supercopa Sudamericana (1991, 1992), a South American Recopa (1998), four Copa do Brasil (1993, 1996, 2000, 2003), a Copa Oro (1995), a Supercopa Masters (1995), two Copa Sul-Minas (2001, 2002), nine Campeonato Mineiro (1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997,1998, 2003, 2004, 2006), a Copa Centro-Oeste (1999), Supercampeonato Mineiro (2002), a second Copa Libertadores de América (1997) and the Campeonato Brasileiro (2003) and many other titles not listed. 


In this period the Cruzeirense earned some ídolos as well, between them Charles, Boiadeiro, Douglas, Ademir, Renato Gaúcho, Ronaldo, Nonato, Dida, Ricardinho, Marcelo Ramos, Alex Alves, Sorín, Fred, and Alex.



Rivalry with Atletico

Many say Clube Atlético Mineiro is the most successful club in Minas, what is not true. From the 432 games against Atlético, Cruzeiro, with much glory, won 136 and was defeated 181 times. The most exciting game between the two teams were made in 1927 that finished Atletico 9 x 2 Cruzeiro.
Besides all that, many specialists say that in some decades Cruzeiro will beat Atletico both in victories and numbers of fans.



2003

The biggest exploit of the last decade happened in 2003, when Cruzeiro under the command of the respected coach Wanderley Luxemburg and commanded by Alex conquered the triple crown. For years Cruzeiro struggled to win the Brazilian League, without success. After a few second places, in 2003 they were finally able to win the only title it did not have until then. With 100 points won during the season, and just over 100 goals scored, it will be a long time until another club achieves the same success as Cruzeiro did in 2003. In 2003, besides winning the Brazilian League, Cruzeiro also won the Brazilian Cup and the State Championship to become the first Brazilian team to win the triple crown.



Mascot

Fernando Pieruccetti, more popularly known as Mangabeira, created the club's mascot. The mascot was a fox, raposa, in Brazil. The club is widely known in the country for their mascot, it appears on TV and on websites that have to do with Cruzeiro.


Mangabeira was so inspired by the clubs ex-president's, Mario Grossa, personality of being so smart and cunning with the clubs business, that he thought the raposa was perfect. "He was a guy who never let anyone trick him. He was so sly, crafty, intelligent and clever just like a fox", observed the cartoonist.



Presidents





  • Aurélio Noce (1921-1922)
  • Alberto Noce (1923-1924)
  • Américo Gasparini (1925-1926, 1928)
  • Antonio Falci (1927, 1929-1930)
  • Braz Pelegrino (1927-1928)
  • Lidio Lunardi (1931-1932)
  • José Viana de Souza (1933)
  • Miguel Perrela (1933-1936)
  • Romeo de Paoli (1936)
  • Osvaldo Pinto Coelho (1936-1940)
  • Ennes Cyro Poni (1941-1942)
  • Together: João Fantoni, Wilson Saliba, Mario Torneli (1942)
  • Mário Grosso (1942-1947)
  • Fernando Tamietti (1947, 1950)
  • Antônio Cunha Lobo (1947-1949)
  • Antônio Alves Simões (1949)
 


  • Manoel F. Campos (1950)
  • Divino Ramos (1951)
  • José Greco (1952-1953, 1955)
  • Wellington Armanelli (1954)
  • José Francisco Lemos Filho (1954)
  • Eduardo S. Bambirra (1955-1956)
  • Manoel A. de Carvalho (1957-1958)
  • Antonio Braz Lopes Pontes (1959-1960)
  • Felicio Brandi (1961-1982)
  • Carmine Furletti (1983-1984)
  • Benito Masci (1985-1990)
  • Salvador Masci (1990)
  • César Masci (1991-1994)
  • José Perrella de Oliveira Costa (Zezé Perrella) (1995-2002)
  • Alvimar de Oliveira Costa (2003-





Cruzeiro anthem


The club's anthem, Hino ao Campeão Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, was written by Jadir Ambrósio.



Relevant titles


International titles


  1. 1976: Raul, Nelinho, Morais, Darci, Vanderlei; Piazza, Zé Carlos; Roberto Batata (Eduardo), Jairzinho, Palhinha, Joãozinho. C: Zezé Moreira
  2. 1997: Dida, Vitor, Gelson Baresi, Wilson Gottardo, Nonato; Donizete Oliveira, Fabinho, Ricardinho, Palhinha; Cleison (Elivélton), Marcelo Ramos. C: Paulo Autuori
    3. 

  • 1991: Paulo César, Paulo Roberto, Adílson, Paulão, Nonato; Ademir, Boiadeiro, Marquinhos, Luis Fernando; Mário Tilico, Charles.
  • 1992: Paulo César, Paulo Roberto, Luizinho, Célio Lúcio, Nonato; Douglas, Boiadeiro, Luis Fernando; Renato Gaúcho, Roberto Gaúcho, Betinho. C: Jair Pereira
    • 

  • 1998: André, Gustavo, Marcelo Djian, Cris (Espínola), André Luiz (Tércio); Donizete Oliveira (Donizeth Amorim), Ricardinho (Marcos Paulo), Valdo; Müller, Alex Alves (Paulo Isidoro), Marcelo Ramos (Geovanni). C: Levir Culpi
    • 


    National titles
    

    1. 2003: Gomes, Maurinho, Cris, Edu Dracena (Luisão), Leandro; Felipe Melo (Augusto Recife), Maldonado, Wendell, Alex (Zinho); Márcio Nobre (Deivid), Aristizábal (Mota). C: Vanderlei Luxemburgo
      2. 

  • 1966: Raul, Pedro Paulo, William, Procópio, Neco; Piazza, Dirceu Lopes; Natal, Tostão, Evaldo, Hílton Oliveira. C: Aírton Moreira
    • 

  • 1993: Paulo César, Paulo Roberto, Luizinho, Célio Lúcio, Nonato; Ademir, Rogério Lage, Boiadeiro; Roberto Gaúcho, Cleison, Edenílson. C: Formiga
  • 1996: Dida, Vitor, Gelson Baresi (Jean), Célio Lúcio, Nonato; Fabinho, Ricardinho, Palhinha, Roberto Gaúcho; Cleison, Marcelo Ramos. C: Levir Culpi
  • 2000: André, Rodrigo, Cris, Cléber, Sorín; Donizete Oliveira, Ricardinho, Marcos Paulo, Jackson; Geovanni (Müller), Oséas. C: Marco Aurélio
  • 2003: Gomes, Maurinho, Cris, Luisão (Edu Dracena), Leandro; Augusto Recife, Jardel, Wendell, Alex; Deivid (Mota), Aristizábal. C: Vanderlei Luxemburgo
    • 

  • 2001: Jefferson, Maicon, Cris, Cléber (Luisão), Sorín; Marcos Paulo, Sérgio Manoel, Ricardinho, Jorge Wagner; Geovanni (Marcelo Ramos), Oséas.
  • 2002: Jefferson, Maicon, Marcelo Batatais, Luisão, Sorín; Fernando Miguel, Ricardinho, Vânder; Alessandro, Jussiê, Edílson.
    • 


*The 2002 Minas Gerais State Championship had no teams that were playing Copa Sul-Minas: América Mineiro, Atlético Mineiro, Cruzeiro and Mamoré.
These teams plus Caldense -- who won the State Championship -- played the Minas Gerais Super State Championship when the State Championship and the Copa Sul-Minas were finished.
    


    Some famous players
    


































    Some famous coaches
    





    Squad
    

    Current squad
    
As of March 30 2006
    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    



    Statistics 2002/03 Historic Season
    

    
First Division
Position
Pts
P
W
D
L
F
A

    
Cruzeiro EC
1
100
46
31
7
8
102
47

    


    Stadium information
    


    Notes
    

    


    


    External links
    

    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    


    



     



    

    From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
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