Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian professional football club based in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on January 2, 1921. The club competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Brazil's top division, and plays their home matches at the Mineirão stadium, which holds 61,919 spectators. Originally established as Società Sportiva Palestra Itália by Italian immigrants, the club was renamed Cruzeiro in 1942 due to World War II restrictions. Cruzeiro is considered one of Brazil's most successful clubs, having won the Brasileirão four times (1966, 2003, 2013, 2014), a record six Copa do Brasil titles, and two Copa Libertadores trophies. The club achieved the remarkable feat of completing the Domestic Treble in 2003, becoming one of only two Brazilian clubs to accomplish this. Their traditional colors are blue shirts with white shorts and white socks, and they maintain a historic rivalry with Atlético Mineiro.
History
Overview
General information about the club
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian professional football club based in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, competing in multiple sports but primarily known for association football. The club participates in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Copa do Brasil, and Campeonato Mineiro. It is often considered one of the biggest clubs in Latin American history and the largest club in Minas Gerais state. The club's home stadium is the Mineirão, shared with rivals Atlético Mineiro, and their regular kit features blue shirts with white shorts and white socks.
Most recent season and achievements
Cruzeiro has contributed numerous players to Brazil's FIFA World Cup squads, including Wilson Piazza, Tostão, Nelinho, Ronaldo, Luisão, Alex, Maicon, Cris, Dida, Jairzinho, Rivaldo, and Edílson. The club has also provided players to other national teams, including Roberto Perfumo and Juan Pablo Sorín from Argentina, and Giorgian de Arrascaeta from Uruguay. In April 2024, former player Ronaldo sold the team's SAF to businessman Pedro Lourenço for R$ 500 million, three years after acquiring it for R$ 400 million.
History
Early years
Cruzeiro's history traces back to the Italian community in Belo Horizonte, where Italian immigrants desired to establish their own football club, similar to the Italians in São Paulo who founded Palestra Itália (now Palmeiras). The club was founded on January 2, 1921, at Augustine Ranieri's sporting goods factory on Caetés street as Società Sportiva Palestra Italia. The meeting was attended by 95 founders who designed a shield and uniform referencing Italian colors. Aurelio Noce was elected as the first president, and initially, only members of the Italian colony could wear the shirt.
The idea gained momentum when Yale, a local sports team, went through an administrative crisis. Some players left Yale and joined the founding of the all-Italian Sociedade Esportiva Palestra Itália. Until 1925, the club only allowed Italian men to participate. Palestra debuted at Prado Mineiro Stadium with a 2-0 friendly win against a Nova Lima combination team on April 3, 1921. Their first official match was a 3-0 victory over future archrivals Clube Atlético Mineiro.
Successful period
In January 1942, Brazil entered World War II, and federal government decree forbade the use of enemy nation terms in institutions. The Italian name was removed, and the club became Sociedade Esportiva Palestra Mineiro. In October 1942, president Ennes Cyro Poni suggested the name Ypiranga, but Cruzeiro Esporte Clube was chosen to honor Brazil's constellation symbol, the Crux. The idea came from Oswaldo Pinto Coelho, and the approved colors were blue and white.
With the Mineirão's inauguration in 1965, Cruzeiro entered one of its most successful periods, winning five consecutive Campeonato Mineiro titles and their first national title, the 1966 Taça Brasil, defeating Santos of Pelé in the final. They won the first leg 6-2 at Mineirão and the second leg 3-2 in São Paulo. In 1976, Cruzeiro won its first Copa Libertadores over River Plate of Argentina, and participated in the 1976 Intercontinental Cup, tying Bayern Munich 0-0 at Mineirão but losing 2-0 in the return leg.
Crisis and recovery
After success in the 1960s and 1970s, Cruzeiro entered a difficult period in the 1980s. Except for a few Campeonato Mineiro wins, the club won no other championships and had poor Campeonato Brasileiro performances, finishing 33rd in 1984 and 29th in 1985. The 1980s was the only decade Cruzeiro didn't participate in the Copa Libertadores since the tournament's 1960 creation.
In the 1990s, a new era began with a 15-year sequence of at least one title per year, including six of the club's seven international championships and the 2003 Campeonato Brasileiro. In December 2010, the CBF recognized Cruzeiro as 1966 Brazilian champion for beating Santos 6-2 in Belo Horizonte and 2-3 in São Paulo.
Current period
The club's biggest 21st-century achievement was winning the 2003 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A with 100 points and over 100 goals in 46 matches, one of the most successful campaigns in Brazilian championship history. In 2003, Cruzeiro also won the Copa do Brasil and Campeonato Mineiro, becoming the only Brazilian team to win the triple crown.
From 2003 to 2012, Cruzeiro won mainly the Campeonato Mineiro (2004, 2006, 2008, 2009) but consistently finished in the top five of the Campeonato Brasileiro, guaranteeing Copa Libertadores spots. In 2013, under Gilvan Tavares' presidency, Cruzeiro won their third Campeonato Brasileiro title. The 2014 season was even more successful, winning the Campeonato Mineiro undefeated and securing their fourth Campeonato Brasileiro title, becoming the second team outside Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo to win consecutive championships.
Achievements and Honors
Domestic competitions
Cruzeiro has won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A four times (1966, 2003, 2013, 2014), with their 2003 campaign being particularly notable for earning 100 points. The club holds a record six Copa do Brasil titles and has won the Campeonato Mineiro 38 times. They have also won the defunct Taça Minas Gerais five times, Copa dos Campeões Mineiros twice, Copa Sul-Minas twice, Torneio Início eight times, and Supercampeonato Mineiro once.
Continental and global competitions
Internationally, Cruzeiro has achieved significant success with two Copa Libertadores titles, two Supercopa Libertadores, one Recopa Sudamericana, one Copa de Oro, and one Copa Master de Supercopa. The club is one of only two Brazilian teams to complete the Domestic Treble, accomplished in 2003 after winning the Campeonato Mineiro, Copa do Brasil, and Brasileirão in the same year.
Symbols and Colors
Current logo and logo history
The first Palestra Itália crest was a rhombus with red top half and green bottom half (Italian flag colors), featuring a white circle with letters P and I. In 1922, the crest became completely white with green letters P, S, and I. From 1928 to 1939, the crest returned to the original 1921 design, with a 1940 variation featuring green top, red bottom, and yellow letters.
Cruzeiro's first crest in 1950 was simple: a blue circle with white border containing five white stars positioned like the Southern Cross. This design lasted until 1959, when a white border was added with "CRUZEIRO ESPORTE CLUBE-BELO HORIZONTE" in blue. This version was used until 1996, making it the longest-used crest. In 2006, a crown was added to honor the successful 2003 triple crown season.
Traditional home and away kits colors
When Cruzeiro was Palestra Italia, the home shirt was green. The first kit featured improvised dark green shirts with white shorts and green stockings, used in their first professional game on April 3, 1921. In 1928, the shirt became lighter green with white neck design and red cuffs, earning the nickname "periquito" (parakeet). In 1940, horizontal stripes were introduced with the club crest in the center.
After becoming Cruzeiro in 1942, the club briefly used a blue shirt with central horizontal stripe under the name Ypiranga. In 1943, the first game under the current name featured an all-blue shirt with large white v-neck design, white shorts and stockings. The current traditional colors are blue shirts with white shorts and white socks.
Traditional club anthem
The club's anthem, "Hino ao Campeão," was written by Jadir Ambrósio in 1966 as a homage to his beloved team. He never intended it to become the official anthem, but when fans heard it, they liked it enough to adopt it as the new club anthem.
Traditional Rivals
Atlético Mineiro
Cruzeiro holds a long-standing rivalry against Atlético Mineiro, sharing the same city and stadium. This rivalry is one of the most intense in Brazilian football, with both clubs competing for supremacy in Belo Horizonte and Minas Gerais state.
Club Traditions and Behind the Scenes
Sponsors
In 1984, Cruzeiro had the first company logo on its shirt with manufacturer Topper's logo. The same year, the club had its first shirt sponsor, Medradao, which was only used on away shirts.
Nicknames
The club has several nicknames, including "A Raposa" (The Fox), derived from their mascot created in the 1940s. During their Palestra Italia days, they were called "periquito" (parakeet) due to their light green shirt color, and later "tricolor" when horizontal stripes were introduced.
Ownership and finances
Cruzeiro was traditionally a nonprofit organization owned by sócios (members) who paid annual fees and received club benefits and voting rights. This structure lasted from 1921 until late 2021, when financial difficulties led to bankruptcy. In December 2021, former footballer Ronaldo acquired the football department. In April 2024, Ronaldo sold his shareholding to businessman Pedro Lourenço for R$ 500 million for 90% of the SAF.
Traditions and culture
Cartoonist Fernando Pieruccetti, known as "Mangabeira," created the club's fox mascot in the 1940s, inspired by ex-president Mario Grosso, who was described as "sly, agile, intelligent and skillful like a fox." In the 2000s, "Raposão" (Big Fox) became the main mascot, appearing at home games. In 2010, Raposão won Rede Globo's Mascot Competition, and the club introduced "Raposinho" (Little Fox) as a junior mascot.
Stadium
Since 1965, Cruzeiro plays at Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto (Mineirão) in Belo Horizonte, shared with Atlético Mineiro. The stadium belongs to Minas Gerais state and is administered by Minas Arena. Built in 1963 with original capacity of 130,000, it currently seats 64,800. Named after former governor José de Magalhães Pinto, it required over 4,000 workers to build. Cruzeiro holds the attendance record with 132,834 spectators in the 1997 Campeonato Mineiro final against Villa Nova. The club owns training facilities (Toca da Raposa I and II), administrative headquarters, and social club facilities.