América Futebol Clube (MG)

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América
Full name	América Futebol Clube
Nickname(s)	Coelho (Rabbit)
Founded	1912
Ground	Independência, Belo Horizonte, Brazil (Capacity 18,000)
Chairman	Antônio Baltazar
Manager	Alemão
League	-
2006	Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, eliminated in third stage
Home colours 　 Away colours

América Futebol Clube, or América (or América Mineiro), as they are usually called, is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais, founded on April 30, 1912.

Home stadium is the Independência stadium, capacity 18,000.

Contents 1 History 2 Achievements 3 Stadiums 4 Noted players 5 Derbies 6 Symbols 7 References 8 External links

[edit] History

On April 30, 1912, a group of young men decided to transform their amateur team into a professional club. In the first meeting, the founders decided that the name of the club would be América Foot-Ball Club and the colors would be green, black and white. The first matches were played on the mayor's field. In 1913, América and Minas Gerais Futebol Clube fused. The first América's players were Oscar Gonçalves, Leonardo Gutierrez and Fioravante Labruna, Luiz Guimarães, Augusto Pena and Lincoln Brandão, Dario Ferraz, Waldemar Jacob and Geraldino de Carvalho. Between 1916 and 1925, the team won ten state championships in a row.

In 1933, as a protest to the professionalization of Brazilian football, the club changed its colors to red and white. Three years later, in 1936, América was renamed to its current name, América Futebol Clube. In 1943, the club professionalized its football division, and returned to its previous colors, which are green, black and white. In 1948, América won its first state championship as a professional club.

In 1997, América won the Campeonato Brasileiro Second Division for the first time, and in 2000, the club won the Copa Sul-Minas first edition, beating Cruzeiro in the final. In 2004, after a poor performance, América was relegated to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, and in 2007, the club finished in Campeonato Mineiro's last position, and was relegated to the following year's Campeonato Mineiro Second Division.

[edit] Achievements

• Brazilian Second Division
  • Winners (1): 1997
• Copa Sul-Minas (South-Minas Cup)
  • Winners (1): 2000
• Campeonato Mineiro (Minas Gerais State Championship)
  • Winners (15): 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1948, 1957, 1971, 1993, 2001
• Copa São Paulo de Juniores (São Paulo Youth Cup)
  • Winners (1): 1996
• Taça Belo Horizonte de Juniores (Belo Horizonte Youth Cup)
  • Winners (1): 2000
• Taça Minas Gerais (Minas Gerais State Cup)
  • Winners (1): 2005

[edit] Stadiums

Main article: Estádio Independência

The first América's stadium was inaugurated in 1922, where now is placed the municipal market. On May 27, 1948, Estádio Otacílio Negrão de Lima was inaugurated. In the 1970s it was demolished. América's current stadium, Estádio Raimundo Sampaio, usually called Estádio Independência, was inaugurated on June 29, 1950 and managed by América since 1989.

[edit] Noted players

• Claudinei
• Britto
• Euller
• Fred
• Gilberto Silva
• Jair Bala
• Juca Show
• Milagres
• Palhinha
• Satyro Tabuada
• Tostão
• Álvaro Santos

[edit] Derbies

América's greatest rivals are Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro. The derby between América and Atlético Mineiro is known as O Clássico das Multidões.

[edit] Symbols

The club's official anthem was composed by Vicente Motta. There are also two other anthems. The unofficial anthem, which was composed by Fernando Brant and Tavinho Moura, and the supporters anthem, whose lyrics were composed by Márcio Dias Vianna and it was sung by Fernando Ângelo. América's mascot is a red-eyed white cartoon rabbit with clearly protruding teeth.

[edit] References

• Enciclopédia do Futebol Brasileiro, Volume 1 - Lance, Rio de Janeiro: Aretê Editorial S/A, 2001.
• (Portuguese) América Futebol Clube (MG) at Arquivo de Clubes

[edit] External links

• (Portuguese) Official website