One of the most famous squads to ever play for Internacional was called “The Steamroller”. In just 9 years starting in the early 1940s, the extremely offensive minded team won eight Rio Grande do Sul championships. Part of that success leads back to the decision to accept black players on the team, which local rival Grêmio did not do until 1952. These circumstances had people call Internacional “The People’s club.”
Another Brazilian club, Corinthians, had other problems on their hands in the past. Two Italian teams came to Brazil to tour across the country and play friendlies against the locals. A handful Corinthians fans of Italian ancestry were inspired to found their own club, which led to a split of the fan base. The club’s name? Palmeiras. The Consequence? The fiercest rivalry in São Paulo.
Let’s move on to a team called “Pincharratas”, rat stabbers. Estudiantes are named after Felipe Montedónica, who carried the nickname because he used to chase after the rats in the La Plata market. He can be seen on a lot of pictures together with some players. Another origin of the name is the work done by medicine students who were some of the first members of the club.
Atlético Mineiro, 42-time winner of the state championship, leads us back to Brazil. You wonder what else is so special about them? In 2013, when winning their first Copa Libertadores against Olimpia Asuncion, they were the comeback kings of the tournament. In the semi final as well as in the final, they erased a 0-2 deficit from the first leg, winning both ties on penalties. Centre back Leandro Silva became the hero, scoring in the 87th minute of the final to send the game to extra time, only to also score the decisive penalty.
Number 10 in this ranking goes to a country we have not been to before: to Chile. Well-sounding Colo-Colo are the most famous club of the country.
Their emblem as seen above is known across the globe. It shows Mapuche chieftain Colocolo, who led the Arauco War against the Spanish empire during the 1560s. When the club was founded in 1925, the legend was adapted for the badge.
0 comments:
Post a Comment