Cruzeiro EC

Cruzeiro's history is traced back to the Italian community living in Belo Horizonte, a city where already some Italian immigrants lived and their desire to set up a football club. Similar to the Italians of São Paulo (who founded Palestra Itália, now known as Palmeiras) the people of Belo Horizonte wanted the Italian colonies in Minas Gerais to have its own club as well. In the sporting goods and footwear Augustine Ranieri's factory, located on the street of Caetés, it was decided the foundation of the club should tackle the three major capital: Atlético Mineiro, América-MG and Yale. Was born at that moment, the Società Sportiva Palestra Italia, established on 2 January 1921. The meeting was attended by 95 founders present the shield and uniform that made reference to the Italian colors, and whose SSPI description would be recorded in the center shell. Another decision was that only members of the Italian colony could wear the shirt. Aurelio Noce was elected the first President. Until 1925 the club would only allow Italian men to participate, despite other teams in the nation accepting people of all skin colors and ethnicities. Palestra debuted in the Prado Mineiro Stadium with a 2–0 win in a friendly on 3 April 1921, against a combination from Nova Lima. The Nova Lima team united players from two teams from the city: Villa Nova, and Palmeiras, another team form Nova Lima. However, the first official match of Palestra was in a 3–0 win over future archrivals Clube Atlético Mineiro. In January 1942, Brazil entered World War II 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 club could no longer call themselves Palestra Italia. The name was changed to Sociedade Esportiva Palestra Mineiro. Around six months later, the president Ennes Cyro Poni called a general assembly for 7 October and suggested the name Ypiranga. Between 3 and 7 October, the local media published the new name thinking it would be approved. In assembly, the counselors and associates kept professional system and approved changing club's name and colors. Yale and Ypiranga were suggested, but Cruzeiro Esporte Clube was chosen to honor the biggest symbol of Brazil, the constellation of Crux. The idea was from Oswaldo Pinto Coelho. However, the club kept playing as "Palestra Mineiro" until 1943, when the local Federation approved the new statutes. The approved colors were blue and white, chosen as a compromise to appease the Italian factions within the club management, as it was both representative of the Brazilian flag and the Italian football national team (blue is the color of House of Savoy, who ruled Italy from 1861 to 1946). With the inauguration of the Mineirão in 1965, Cruzeiro entered one of the most successful periods in its history, in which the club won five Campeonato Mineiro titles in a row, and went on to win its first national title, the 1966 Taça Brasil (the highest honor in Brazilian football at that time) beating Santos of Pelé in the final. Cruzeiro won the first leg 6–2 at the Mineirão, and the second leg 3–2 in São Paulo. In the 1974 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Cruzeiro were runner-up for the first time, after losing to Vasco in the finals. Later in 1975, Cruzeiro were runner-up in the Campeonato Brasileiro again, this time losing to Internacional. In 1976, Cruzeiro won its first Copa Libertadores de América, over River Plate of Argentina. Cruzeiro went on to be runners-up of the same competition in 1977, being defeated in the finals by Boca Juniors, also of Argentina. After winning the 1976 Copa Libertadores, they participated in the 1976 Intercontinental Cup, now renamed the FIFA Club World Championship, for the first time and tied Bayern Munich 0–0 at the Mineirão, but lost 2–0 to Bayern in the Olympiastadion. The 1980s was the only decade Cruzeiro did not participate once in the Copa Libertadores since the tournament's creation in 1960. The club were invited to Europe in 1988 by Scottish side Celtic to play a friendly as part of the Glasgow club's centenary celebrations. In the 1990s a new era began, and a 15-year sequence of at least one title per year was initiated. This included six of the club's seven international championships and a Campeonato Brasileiro (2003). In December 2010 the CBF (the governing body of Brazilian football) also recognized Cruzeiro as Brazilian champion of 1966, for having beaten Santos of Pelé: 6–2 in Belo Horizonte and 2–3 in São Paulo. The club's biggest exploit in the 21st century happened when it won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. With 100 points earned during the season, and just over 100 goals scored in 46 matches, it was one of the most successful campaigns ever by a club in a Brazilian championship. In 2003, besides winning the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Cruzeiro also won the Copa do Brasil and the Campeonato Mineiro, to become the only Brazilian team to win the triple crown. From 2003 to 2012 Cruzeiro have only won one major tournament (four times): the Campeonato Mineiro (2004, 2006, 2008, 2009). However, the club finished in the top five of the Campeonato Brasileiro in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, guaranteeing a spot in the Copa Libertadores for four consecutive years (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011). In 2010, after a great campaign in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, Cruzeiro took the second place and qualified for the Copa Libertadores da America for 2011. Cruzeiro's biggest success in recent years was reaching the finals of the 2009 Copa Libertadores, but they lost to Estudiantes de La Plata 2–1. After a disastrous 2011 season, escaping relegation only in the last round after a triumphant 6–1 against arch-rival Atlético, Gilvan Tavares became president for the 2012-2013-2014 triennium. 2012 was slightly better than 2011, but still Cruzeiro won no titles. In 2013 Cruzeiro lost Campeonato Mineiro again, despite displaying a good game against smaller clubs. Copa do Brasil started promising but Cruzeiro was knocked out by future champion Flamengo in the quarterfinals. After the elimination Cruzeiro went all in to Campeonato Brasileiro and was crowned champion for the third time, this time four rounds before the championship ended, playing an offensive and intense game that led many, including press and runners-up, to attribute the title many rounds before the mathematical confirmation. Cruzeiro's 2014 season was even more successful. It started with Cruzeiro winning the Campeonato Mineiro without losing a single match in the whole competition. In the Copa Libertadores da America, Cruzeiro was knocked out, in the quarter finals, by future champion San Lorenzo de Almagro, being the last remaining Brazilian team in the competition. This loss did not prevent Cruzeiro to lead the Campeonato Brasileiro for almost the whole competition, being crowned champion for the fourth time and becoming the second team not from Rio de Janeiro nor Sao Paulo to win the Campeonato Brasileiro twice in a row. Cruzeiro also got to the final of the Copa do Brasil, but lost both matches to rival Atlético Mineiro. In April 2024, three years after having acquired it for R$ 400 million, the businessman and former football player Ronaldo sold the team's SAF to businessman Pedro Lourenço for R$ 500 million. ==Symbols==

Colors When Cruzeiro was still known as Palestra Italia, the home shirt colour was green. The first home kit was an improvised dark green shirt, with white shorts and green stockings. Cruzeiro used this kit in their first professional game on 3 April 1921, in the Prado Mineiro Stadium, with a 2–0 win over the Villa Nova/Palmeiras combined team, of Nova Lima. In 1928 the shirt became a lighter tone of green, with a white neck design and red cuffs. The shorts continued to be white, but the green stockings now had red and white details, similar to that of the Italian flag. This particular uniform was used up until 1940. The light green color of the shirt would later give the team the nickname "periquito", Portuguese for parakeet. The following year, 1922, the club's crest maintained its rhombus shape, but was now completely white, with the letter P, S and I, inscribed within it in green. Mangabeira took inspiration from the club's ex-president, Mario Grosso. "He was a director who let no one trick him. He was sly, agile, intelligent and skillful like a fox." In the 2000s, Cruzeiro has made the Raposão (Big Fox) its biggest mascot, appearing at all home games and cheering with the crowd while wearing the club's colors. In 2010, Raposão won Rede Globo's Competição de Mascotes (Mascot Competition), held in their Sunday sports show Esporte Espetacular. The program united 20 mascots from the biggest Brazilian teams and had them competing in series of challenges. Raposão won all of the events and was crowned as Brazil's Best Mascot. In 2010, Cruzeiro introduced a "junior mascot", named "Raposinho" (Little Fox), a smaller version of "Raposão". ==Presidents==

• Aurélio Noce (1921–22) • Alberto Noce (1923–24) • Américo Gasparini (1925–26; 1928) • Antonio Falci (1927; 1929–30) • Braz Pelegrino (1927–28) • Lidio Lunardi (1931–32) • José Viana de Souza (1933) • Miguel Perrela (1933–1936) • Romeo de Paoli (1936) • Osvaldo Pinto Coelho (1936–1940) • Ennes Cyro Poni (1941–42) • João Fantoni (1942) • Wilson Saliba (1942) • 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 (1952–53; 1955) • Wellington Armanelli (1954) • José Francisco Lemos Filho (1954) • Eduardo S. Bambirra (1955–56) • Manoel A. de Carvalho (1957–58) • Antonio Braz Lopes Pontes (1959–60) • Felicio Brandi (1961–1982) • Carmine Furletti (1983–84) • Benito Masci (1985–1990) • Salvador Masci (1990) • César Masci (1991–1994) • Zezé Perrella (1995–2002) • Alvimar de Oliveira Costa (2003–2008) • Zezé Perrella (2009–2011) • Gilvan Tavares (2012–2017) • Wagner Pires de Sá (2018–19) • José Dalai Rocha (2019–20) • Sérgio Santos Rodrigues (2020–2023) • Lidson Potsch (2024–present) ==Current squad==

Youth team Out on loan First-team staff Source: Notable players ==Former coaches==

• Matturio Fabbi (1928–31) • Rizzo (1932) • Matturio Fabbi (1932–35) • Nello Nicolai (1935–37) • Ninão (1937) • Matturio Fabbi (1938–39) • Bengala (1939–43) • Ninão (1943–44) • Bengala (1944) • Nello Nicolai (1946) • Bengala (1946–47) • Niginho (1948–49) • Ricardo Diéz (1953) • Niginho (1953–55) • Bengala (1955–56) • Ayrton Moreira (1957) • Gérson dos Santos (1957) • Danilo Alvim (1958) • Gérson dos Santos (1958–59) • Ninão (1959) • Niginho (1959–61) • Gérson dos Santos (1962) • Niginho (1962–63) • Ayrton Moreira (1964–67) • Orlando Fantoni (1967–68) • Hilton Chaves (1968–69) • Gérson dos Santos (1969–70) • Hilton Chaves (1970) • Filpo Núñez (1970) • Hilton Chaves (1970–71) • Orlando Fantoni (1971–72) • Yustrich (1972) • Hilton Chaves (1972–75) • Zezé Moreira (1975–77) • Yustrich (1977) • Aymoré Moreira (1977–78) • Procópio (1978) • Hilton Chaves (1979–80) • Procópio (1981) • Yustrich (1982) • Orlando Fantoni (1983) • Hilton Chaves (1983–84) • Procópio (1986) • Carlos Alberto Silva (1986–87) • Jair Pereira (1987–88) • Ênio Andrade (1989–90) • Carbone (1990) • Ênio Andrade (1991–92) • Jair Pereira (1992) • Pinheiro (1993) • Carlos Alberto Silva (1993–94) • Zé Maurício (1993–94) • Ênio Andrade (1994) • Palhinha (1994) • Nelinho (1994) • Ênio Andrade (1995) • Jair Pereira (1995) • Levir Culpi (1996) • P. Autuori (1 March 1997–30 June 97) • Levir Culpi (1998–99) • Paulo Autuori (1999–00) • Marco Aurélio (2000) • Felipão (1 July 2000 – 30 June 2001) • PC Carpegiani (1 May 2001 – 6 Aug 2001) • Marco Aurélio (2001–02) • Vanderlei Luxemburgo (2002–03) • E. Leão (5 May 2004 – 29 July 2004) • Marco Aurélio (2004) • Levir Culpi (1 Jan 2005 – 30 June 2005) • PC Gusmão (5 July 2005 – 14 Aug 2006) • Oswaldo de Oliveira (2006) • P. Autuori (4 Dec 2006 – 1 May 2007) • D. Júnior (8 May 2007 – 2 Dec 2007) • A. Batista (1 Jan 2008 – 3 June 2010) • Cuca (8 June 2010 – 19 June 2011) • J. Santana (20 June 2011 – 2 Sept 2011) • E. Ávila (4 Sept 2011 – 25 Sept 2011) • V. Mancini (26 Sept 2011 – 10 May 2012) • Celso Roth (15 May 2012 – 2 Dec 2012) • M. Oliveira (3 Dec 2012 – 2 June 2015) • V. Luxemburgo (2 June 2015 – 31 Aug 2015) • Mano Menezes (1 Sept 2015 – 6 Dec 2015) • Deivid (10 Dec 2015 – 25 April 2016) • Paulo Bento (11 May 2016 – 26 July 2016) • Mano Menezes (27 July 2016 – 8 Aug 2019) • Rogerio Ceni (13 Aug 2019 – 26 Sept 2019) • Abel Braga (27 Sept 2019 – 29 Nov 2019) • A. Batista (29 Nov 2019 – 15 Mar 2020) • Enderson Moreira (18 Mar 2020 – 8 Sept 2020) • Ney Franco (9 Sept 2020 – 11 Oct 2020) • Felipão (15 Oct 2020 – 25 Jan 2021) • Felipe Conceição (30 Jan 2021 – 9 Jun 2021) • Mozart (10 Jun 2021 – 30 Jul 2021) • V. Luxemburgo (3 Aug 2021 – 28 Dec 2021) • Paulo Pezzolano (3 Jan 2022 – 19 Mar 2023) • Pepa (20 Mar 2023 – 29 Aug 2023) • Zé Ricardo (5 Sept 2023 – 12 Nov 2023) • P. Autuori (14 Nov 2023 – 6 Dec 2023) • Nicolás Larcamón (20 Dec 2023 – 8 Apr 2024) • Fernando Seabra (9 Apr 2024 – 23 Sep 2024) • Fernando Diniz (23 Sep 2024 - 27 Jan 2025) • Leonardo Jardim (4 Feb 2025 – 15 Dec 2025) • Tite (16 Dec 2025 - 15 Mar 2026) • Artur Jorge (22 Mar 2026 – ) ==Records and statistics==

Most appearances Roberto Perfumo, with 138 matches, was the non-Brazilian with the most appearances for the club, this was recently changed however as Ariel Cabral was awarded this record with 200 appearances for the club. In third place on that list is 1971's Bola de Ouro Winner, "The Prince" Dirceu Lopes, while the fourth place belongs to former Brazilian international and 1970 FIFA World Cup champion Wilson Piazza. The fifth overall player, and second goalkeeper with the most appearances for Cruzeiro is the notorious Raul Plassman, who played a total of 557 games with the team. The non-Brazilian with the most appearances for the club is the Argentine Roberto Perfumo who made 138 appearances for the club between 1971 and 1974. ==Honours==

Official tournaments • • shared record Others tournaments International • Torneio Quadrangular (1): 1966 • Caracas Triangular Trophy (2): 1970, 1977 • October 11th Tournament (1): 1971 • Lunar New Year Cup (1): 1972 • Miller Cup (2): 1972, 1973 • Independence Cup (1): 1978 • Trofeo Cidade de Vigo (1): 1978 • Lagos Tournament (1): 1980 • Trofeo Ciudad de Valladolid (1): 1982 • Trofeo Ciudad de Santander (1): 1982 • Zaragoza Tournament (1): 1982 • Torneio 20 anos do Estádio Mineirão (1): 1985 • Trofeo Reyno de Navarra (1): 1986 • Trofeo Ciudad de Alicante (1): 1986 • Tokyo Dome Cup (2): 1994, 1994 • Emperor's Cup (1): 1996 • Guadalajara International Tournament (1): 2001 • Campeonato Internacional de Verano (1): 2009 National and Inter-state • Torneio Dante Alighieri (1): 1921 • Torneio Imprensa (1): 1927 • Torneio Otacílio Negrão de Lima (1): 1936 • Torneio Minotti Mucelli (1): 1952 • Torneio de Ponte Nova (1): 1954 • Torneio Afonso Rabelo (1): 1961 • Torneio Guilherme de Oliveira (1): 1964 • Torneio de Barbacena (2): 1964, 1965 • Torneio Mário Coutinho (1): 1965 • Torneio do Bispo (1): 1965 • Torneio do Governador (1): 1971 • Torneio Juiz de Fora (1): 1985 • Troféu Wilson Piazza (1): 1993 • Troféu João Saldanha (2): 2009, 2013 • Taça Alexandre Queiroz de Oliveira (1): 2012 • Troféu Osmar Santos (2): 2013, 2014 State • Copa dos Campeões Mineiros (2): 1991, 1999 • Torneio Início do Campeonato Mineiro (10): 1926, 1927, 1929, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1948, 1966 • Campeonato AMET (1): 1926 City • Copa Belo Horizonte (1): 1960 Runners-up • Intercontinental Cup (2): 1976, 1997 • Copa Libertadores (2): 1977, 2009 • Copa Sudamericana (1): 2024 • Recopa Sudamericana (2): 1992, 1993 • Supercopa Sudamericana (2): 1988, 1996 • Copa Mercosur (1): 1998 • Copa Master de Supercopa (1): 1992 • Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (5): 1969, 1974, 1975, 1998, 2010 • Copa do Brasil (2): 1998, 2014 • Copa dos Campeões (1): 2002 • Seletiva Libertadores (1): 1999 • Copa Sul-Minas (1): 2000 • Campeonato Mineiro (28): 1922, 1924, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1942, 1954, 1962, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2017, 2022, 2024 • Taça Minas Gerais (5): 1975, 1976, 1979, 1986, 1987 Youth team • Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-20 (1): 2017 • Copa do Brasil Sub-20 (1): 2023 • Supercopa do Brasil Sub-20 (1): 2017 • Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior (2): 2007, 2026 • Taça Belo Horizonte de Juniores (5): 1985, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2004 • Copa Rio Grande do Sul de Futebol Sub-20 (3): 2007, 2010, 2012 • Copa Santiago de Futebol Juvenil (2): 2002, 2004 • Copa Macaé de Juvenis (2): 2007, 2008 • Copa Votorantim Sub-15 (3): 2002, 2005, 2006 Trebles and doubles Trebles – Domestic Triple Crown : State, Cup and League: 2003¹ Doubles – Domestic Double :State and League: 1966 :State and Cup: 1996 :State and League: 2014 :State and Cup: 2018 – Continental Double : State and Supercopa Sudamericana: 1992 : State and Copa Libertadores: 1997 ==Grounds and facilities==

Cruzeiro's first stadium was the Estádio do Prado Mineiro, which belonged to the Federação Mineira de Futebol (FMF). The club's first game at the stadium was 2–0 win over a Villa Nova/Palmeiras combine team from Nova Lima on 3 April 1921. Cruzeiro would use the stadium until 1923 when the club built its own stadium, Estádio do Barro Preto. On 23 July 1923, Cruzeiro debuted at the stadium in a 2–2 tie with Flamengo. Since 1965, Cruzeiro play their home games at Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto, often referred to as just Mineirão in Belo Horizonte, MG. Cruzeiro shares the stadium with rivals Atlético Mineiro. The stadium does not belong to Cruzeiro, rather it belongs to the state of Minas Gerais (through a land grant from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais) and is administrated by Minas Arena, a private company, on lease from the state since 2013. The stadium, which was built in 1963, had an original capacity of about 130,000, Cruzeiro also holds the attendance record at the stadium, when 132,834 spectators watched Cruzeiro beat Villa Nova in the 1997 Campeonato Mineiro final. Cruzeiro have had plans to build a new stadium, especially under president Alvimar de Oliveira Costa's tenure. However, the state of Minas asked Cruzeiro to stay at the stadium, and after president Zezé Perrella came to the presidency in 2009, plans for a new stadium virtually disappeared. The Mineirão was selected as a host stadium for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, with renovations beginning on 25 June 2010, and projected to be completed by December 2012. After the stadiums closing, Cruzeiro began playing home games at the Arena do Jacaré and Ipatingão stadiums, both outside the city of Belo Horizonte. Independência stadium is also being renovated and Cruzeiro will start playing homes games there in 2011 until the Mineirão is ready in 2012. The club has private ownership of other facilities though, including two training facilities (Toca da Raposa I, which serves the youth division and Toca da Raposa II for the senior squad), an administrative headquarters and two social club facilities. Cruzeiro has often been praised for having one of the leading infrastructure systems in Brazil. ==Administration and finances==

Cruzeiro used to be a nonprofit organization, where the real owner are sócios (literally, "partners") or members (who pay an annual fee), in return, sócios receive benefits from the club, such as access to club's properties and tickets, as well as a right to vote for the next club officials. This bylaw lasted from the club's foundation in 1921 until late 2021, when Wagner Pires de Sá's run as club president led to the club to declare bankruptcy. Wagner Pires de Sá's run as club president was filled with corruption. This led Cruzeiro to stop paying its players, leading to the club's first relegation in 2019. Over the next two years, Cruzeiro played the second division while still under the sócios program. This changed in December 2021, when the former footballer Ronaldo, who started his professional career in Cruzeiro, announced he would be the owner of Cruzeiro's football department. In April 2024, Ronaldo sold his shareholding to Fan and Billionaire Pedro Lourenço. In an operation whose values revolve around R$ 600 million ( USD 100 million) for 90% of SAF. ==See also==