Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense

Football club infobox
clubname = Grêmio


fullname = Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense
nickname = "Imortal Tricolor" (Three-colored Immortal)
founded = September 15, 1903
ground = Olímpico Monumental,
Porto Alegre, Brazil
capacity = 51,082 | chairman = flagicon|Brazil Paulo Odone Ribeiro
manager = flagicon|Brazil Celso Roth
league = Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
season = 2007
position = Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, 6th
pattern_la1=_black_stripes|pattern_b1=_lightblue_black_white|pattern_ra1=_black_stripes
leftarm1=0093E0|body1=000000|rightarm1=0093E0|shorts1=000000|socks1=FFFFFF
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_thinsidesonwhite|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=0093E0|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=FFFFFF|socks2=000000

pattern_la3=_thinblackborder|pattern_b3=_vneckblack
pattern_ra3=_thinblackborder| leftarm3=0093E0|body3=0093E0|rightarm3=0093E0|shorts3=0093E0|socks3=0093E0

Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, commonly referred to as Grêmio, is a Brazilian football team from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded 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 blue, white and black striped shirts, 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" There have been three Gre-Nal matches in 2008 and all of those finished in ties; it must be noted that Grêmio played with its second team in two of those matches and still Internacional was unable to produce a victory.

Grêmio is officially ranked number one by CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) [ [http://www.cbf.com.br/ranking/ranking.pdf Brazilian Football Confederation ranking] ] .Grêmio is also officially ranked the 3rd Brazilian team in continental competitions by CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation) [ [http://www.conmebol.com/ranking_pais_index.jsp?pais=bra&slangab=S CONMEBOL ranking] ]

As of October 11 2008, after 29 of the scheduled 38 rounds were played in the 2008 Brazilian National Championship, Grêmio is the leader, having been in that position (either outright leader or shared the lead in points) for the last sixteen rounds. The club sports the highest number of wins (16), the least losses (5), the best defense (23 goals against), a tie for the second best attack (46 goals scored) and the best goal difference (+23 goals).

History

On September 7, 1903 Brazil's first football team, Sport Club Rio Grande, played an exhibition match in Porto Alegre. An entrepreneur from Sorocaba, São Paulo named Cândido Dias became bewildered by the sport and went to the field 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 was resumed. After the match, he learned from the players how to found a club. On September 15, 1903, 32 people, including Cândido Dias, met at Salão Grau restaurant and founded Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense. Carlos Luiz Bohrer was elected the first president.

The first match of the new club took place in March 06, 1904, against Fuss Ball Porto Alegre. Two matches were played that day. Grêmio won the first match 1-0. Newspaper reports of the day do not mention which player who scored the first goal of Grêmio’s history. The trophy Grêmio won that day, the Wanderpreis, still exists and is displayed at the club’s museum. Five months later, Grêmio inaugurated his first stadium, called 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, when S.C Internacional made its debut. Reportedly Grêmio’s goalkeeper Kallfelz left the field and went to talk with the 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. The so-called Gre-Nal is considered by many to be one of the most impressive derbies in the world.

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, on a match for this city league, Grêmio beat Sport Clube Nacional of Porto Alegre 23-0. Sisson scored 14 goals in the match. That was Grêmio's largest win ever.

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 an epidemic of Spanish Flu forced the whole event to be cancelled. The first Rio Grande do Sul championship took place in 1919. In 1921, a year after the arrival of legendary goalkeeper Eurico Lara, Grêmio won its first state championship.

Grêmio reached a lot of pioneering achievements throughout the years. July 07, 1911 saw Grêmio beat Uruguay's National squad team 2-1, a nearly unbelievable triumph at the time (recall that Uruguay was on its way to back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 1924-1928 and to win the first FIFA World Cup in 1930.) In 1931, Grêmio installed a light system at Baixada Stadium and became one of the first teams in Brazil to play matches at night. 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. Grêmio beat Santos 3-2. Grêmio was also the first club outside Rio de Janeiro state to play at legendary Maracanã Stadium, defeating Flamengo 3-1, in 1950.

During this period, Grêmio started to make a name abroad. In 1932 it participated in its first international match, when Grêmio went to Rivera (Uruguay) to face a local squad. A 1949 match against Uruguay’s Nacional ended in a 3-1 win for Grêmio, and the players were received with great honors when they returned to Porto Alegre. In that same year, Grêmio played for the first time in Central America. During the years 1953-1954, Grêmio went to play on three different countries (Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia). This achievement was named “the conquest of the Americas”. On February 25, 1959, Grêmio defeated Boca Juniors 4-1 in Buenos Aires, becoming the first foreign team in history to beat Boca at the mythic La Bombonera Stadium. And in 1961, Grêmio went for its first (and very successful) European jaunt, playing 24 matches at 11 countries: France, Rumania, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Denmark, Estonia and Russia.

The Gremistas were growing in number, and soon became known for their fanaticism and loyalty to Grêmio. In 1946 appears for the first time the famous statement “com o Grêmio onde estiver o Grêmio” (“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’s fans. It refers to the Gremistas fame of being at the attendance of all Grêmio matches, regardless of the difficulties and obstacles, even making long trips to reach the fields where Grêmio would play.

At the late 1950s, Grêmio became a participant of Taça Brasil, the Brazilian league at the time. The team from Porto Alegre went well, reaching the Taça Brasil semifinals at the years 1959, 1963 and 1967. At 1968, the team won its first international title, in a friendly cup with teams from Brazil and Uruguay. During this period, Grêmio was also the owner of the biggest private stadium in Brazil at the time, the Olímpico Stadium, which was inaugurated at 1954.

In 1971, the Taça Brasil championship was substituted by the Campeonato Brasileiro, which is the greatest football event in Brazil even today. The first goal ever scored in the Campeonato Brasileiro was signed by the Grêmio player 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 tables.

The major achievements on Grêmio history came in the 1980s. It coincides with the conclusion of the Grêmio stadium in July 1980, which was called Olímpico Monumental from that point onwards. 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 at the two-leg final were 2-1 at Olímpico and 1-0 for Grêmio at Morumbi. The winning goal was scored by attacker Baltazar. A little bit earlier, in April 26, 1981 Olímpico had its biggest attendance ever, when 98.421 fans went to see Grêmio lose to Ponte Preta 0-1 on Campeonato Brasileiro semifinals. This record will never be beaten, as Olímpico Monumental later went through reforming and nowadays it holds no more than 50.000 people.

1983 was the most well-succeeded year in Grêmio’s history. First, it won the South-American league Copa Libertadores, after a consistent yet eventful campaign. One of the matches of the semifinal triangular, the 3-3 draw against Estudiantes at Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium, became legendary for its belligerence inside and outside the pitch, and now is recalled as the “Batalha de La Plata” (“Battle of La Plata”), alluding to the hometown of Estudiantes. In the finals, Grêmio ousted Peñarol from Uruguay, with a 1-1 tie in Montevideo and a 2-1 win in Porto Alegre. The winning goal was scored by César nearly before the end of the match. A year later, Grêmio would be the runner-up of the Copa Libertadores finals, being defeated by Argentina’s Independiente.

In the same year of 1983, Grêmio won the Intercontinental Cup after defeating Hamburguer SV of Germany 2-1. Renato scored the two goals, and players like the Uruguayan defender De León and goalkeeper Mazaropi are also regarded as heroes of this feat. In Porto Alegre, Grêmio's fans started to repeat the famous statement: "The Earth is Blue". Another famous statement created by Grêmio's fans when the club won the World Club title is "Nada Pode Ser Maior" (in English, "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 at the first edition of Copa do Brasil, a Brazilian knockout cup created to congregate football teams from all of the country. After humiliating Flamengo – the most supported football team in Brazil – with a 6-1 win in the second leg of the semifinals, Grêmio defeated Sport Recife in the finals, 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. Next year Grêmio succeed to ascend again to Campeonato Brasileiro’s elite in 1993. After this return to top form, 1994 saw Grêmio winning its second Copa do Brasil, defeating Ceará in the finals with 0-0 and 1-0, goal scored by striker Nildo.The club then started its Tokyo Project.
[
Luiz Felipe Scolari win the Libertadores 1995, the Campeonato Brasileiro 1996 and other important competitions] In May 1995, Grêmio, managed by Luiz Felipe Scolari, was runner up of the Copa do Brasil, losing the final match to Corinthians 0-1 at Olímpico Monumental. When the game finished, no one could hear the Corinthians crowd, because Grêmio's fans, even losing the title, started to sing the club's anthem. This event became another landmark of Gremistas fidelity to the club. In August, a few days after beating historic antagonists Internacional for the state title (a match in which Grêmio played with a second squad), the club won Copa Libertadores for the second time in its history. In the finals, Grêmio defeated Atletico Nacional of Colombia, with 3-1 on Porto Alegre and a 1-1 draw in Medellín. However, trying to reach its second World Club title, Grêmio had a player sent off and was eventually defeated by Ajax Amsterdam of the Netherlands in the penalty shootout of the Intercontinental Cup. Early 1996 saw Grêmio winning Recopa Sudamericana, beating Argentina's Independiente 4-1.

On December 15, 1996, Grêmio won its second Campeonato Brasileiro, after defeating Portuguesa in the finals. Portuguesa won the first match 2-0, and therefore Grêmio was forced to win the final match at Porto Alegre for the same score or more, so it could be champion for having the best campaign throughout the league. Eventually, Grêmio reached the 2-0 score, with midfielder Ailton scoring the winning goal few minutes before the final whistle.

In 1997, Grêmio won its third Copa do Brasil title. In the finals against Flamengo, Grêmio won after a 0-0 draw in Porto Alegre and a 2-2 in Rio de Janeiro. For scoring as a visitor, Grêmio was the winner. Four years later, in 2001, Grêmio won its fourth Copa do Brasil, defeating Corinthians. The first final game, in Porto Alegre, finished with the scoreboard 2-2, and the second game in São Paulo ended with Grêmio's victory by 3-1, in a match which is regarded by many as one of the finest in Grêmio’s history.

In 2004, performing poorly for two consecutive seasons in the Série A, Grêmio was once again relegated to Campeonato Brasileiro’s Second Division, after placing in the last position of the league table. Grêmio’s task was much more difficult this time, as only two clubs would be qualified for the First Division. On November 26, 2005, at Estádio dos Aflitos, Recife, after having four players sent off and two penalty kicks against (one shot at the post by Bruno Carvalho and the other saved by its goalkeeper Galatto), Grêmio beat Náutico 1-0. The goal was scored by Anderson. Grêmio won the second division of Campeonato Brasileiro, thus being promoted to the following year's first division. That match is now called "The Battle of the Aflitos" ("A Batalha dos Aflitos", "Aflitos" being the name of Náutico's home field), because all the incidents both in and outside the pitch resembled a true battle. The event became so mythical for Grêmio supporters alike that 2 movies and a book were made to relate the second qualification for the First Division.On April 9, 2006, at Estádio Beira-Rio, Grêmio, won the state championship against Internacional, preventing the rival from winning its fifth title in a row. Playing away, Grêmio managed to obtain a 1-1 draw at the last match, enough to secure the title’s conquest. Grêmio players said, after the match, that there were more than 50 thousand 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. At the semifinals, against Caxias, Grêmio suffered a 3-0 defeat at the first match, but managed to score a 4-0 win at Olímpico and qualify to the final.

Also in 2007, Grêmio reached the final of the Copa Libertadores 2007, after a series of dramatic matches against the most regarded clubs of South America. The title, however, was won by Boca Juniors on a 5-0 aggregate score. Even after a 3-0 defeat at the first match in La Bombonera, Gremistas formed huge lines to buy tickets for the final match, some of the fans standing there for four days or more. In Campeonato Brasileiro 2007, Grêmio marked as sixth position 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 prematurley dropped out of both the domestic cup (The 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 table.

Titles

* "International"
**Toyota Intercontinental Cup: 1983
**Copa Libertadores de América: 1983 and 1995
**Recopa Sudamericana: 1996
* "National"
**flagicon|Brazil Campeonato Brasileiro First Division: 1981 and 1996
**flagicon|Brazil Copa do Brasil: 1989, 1994, 1997 and 2001
**flagicon|Brazil Campeonato Brasileiro Second Division: 2005
**flagicon|Brazil Supercopa do Brasil: 1990
* "Regional"
**Copa Sul: 1999
**Sul-Brasileiro: 1962 (Special Edition)
* "State"
**flagicon|Rio Grande do Sul Thirty-five State Championships: 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 and 2007
* "City"
**Thirty-one times champion: 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1911, 1912, 1914, 1915, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1949, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960.
**Wanderpreiss Cup: 1904, 1905 and 1906

*"Other"
** Copa FGF - 2006
** Phillips Cup – 1986 e 1987
** Torneio de Rotterdam – 1985
**Los Angeles Cup: 1983
** Sanwa Bank Cup - 1995
** Taça Hang Ching – 1998
** Copa Rio de La Plata – 1968
** Torneio Ciudad Palma de Mallorca – 1985
** Troféu Ciudad de Valladolid – 1981
** Torneio San Salvador del Mundo – 1981
** Troféu Agrupacion Peñas Valencianas – 1996
** Torneio De Verão de Rosário – 1979
** Taça do Atlântico – 1971
** Taça Cidade de Salvador – 1972
** Copa Farroupilha 120º Aniversário – 1955
** Copa Porto Alegre – 1971
** Copa Renner – 1996
** Torneio Colombino – 1997
** Taça Rio Branco – 1914, 1915 e 1916
** Taça Fernando Caldas – 1928
** Taça da Legalidade - 1962
** Troféu Domingos Garcia Filho – 1970
** Taça Luiz Viana Filho – 1971
** Troféu RBS 25 Anos – 1988
** Copa Solidariedade – 1995

* "Youth"
**Copa Macaé de Juvenis 2004
**Copa Santiago de Futebol Juvenil: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2008
**Taça Belo Horizonte de Juniores : 2008

=Brazilian League record=

The rivalry

As the years went on, Grêmio and another important Brazilian football club, Internacional, 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 gaúchos and portoalegrenses blue is the opposite colour of red...

The Gre-Nal legend

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.

Ultras

*Geral do Grêmio
*Máfia Tricolor
*Garra Tricolor
*Super Raça Gremista
*Torcida Jovem do Grêmio

References

Websites

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

* en_icon [http://www.gremio.net Grêmio Official Website]
* en_icon [http://www.almacastelhana.com.br Barra bravas Official Website]
* en_icon [http://www.nacaotricolor.com.br Nação Tricolor]
* en_icon [http://www.ducker.com.br Ducker - Unofficial Website]
* [http://www.torcedor.gremista.nom.br/ Coleção Grêmio Gianfranco] The best online collection of Grêmio memorabilia; organized by Gianfranco Spolaore