Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Esporte Clube Bahia Greatest All-Time Team

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram



Campeonato Baiano 2015

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

SantosFlamengoSao PauloCorithiansBotafogo
Vasco Da Gama
PalmeirasInternacionalFluminenseGremioCruzeiroAtlético MineiroBahia

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for the club.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Bahia has won the Brasileirão title twice: in the 1959 season, defeating Santos' Santásticos which contained figures such as Gilmar, Mauro, Mengálvio, Coutinho, Pepe and Pelé, in the finals and in the 1988 season Bahia edged Internacional. Bahia has only appeared in the Copa Libertadores three times, reaching the quarterfinals in 1989, Bahia's best-ever performance. The club has also won their state title a record 46 times.


Taça Brasil of 1959
Team  
GK: Nadinho (Brazil)
Nadinho is widely considered the greatest goalkeeper in the history of Bahia, Nicknamed “O Macho”, he played for the club from 1958 to 1968. He won several state championships (1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1962).  and he started for Bahia on the 1959 Brazilian championship winning team. Nadinho was part of a player pool for the 1962 World Cup.

GK: Ronaldo Vieira Passocs (Brazil)
Ronaldo Vieira Passocs helped Esparto Clube Bahia to win the 1988 Brazilian Championship, where he was the team's starting goalkeeper. He started as a reserve, but became a starter after Sidmar left the club. In 1991, he moved to to rival Vitoria.  With them, he won Campeonato Baiano: 1992, 1995, 1996.

GK: Emerson Ferretti (Brazil)
Emerson Ferretti started his career with Grêmio in 1991.  He also played for Flamengo, Juventude and Bahia.  With Bahia, he was an idol for  club.  He played six years there between 2000 and 2005.  He is their appearance record holder.  He transferred to Vitória in 2006, where he ended his career as a player after a single season.

RB: Leone (Brazil) 
Leone was the captain of Bahia that won the Taça Brasil of 1959, currently considered by the CBF as the first Brazilian Championship in history.  It is considered by many historians as the most important football tournament in Brazil at the time. Before this, he won three Rio state champion with in 1953, 1954 and 1955.

RB: Perivaldo (Brazil)
Perivaldo played with Esporte Clube Bahia, Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas, São Paulo FC, Palmeiras and Bangu Atlético Clube. In the late 80s, he relocated to Portugal in hopes of finding a new club, but ended up with him as an homeless person having to resort to street vending in Lisbon.  Perivaldo returned to his homeland on 11 December 2013 at the age of 60, with the help of the Portuguese Professional Footballers Union.  Perivaldo gained two caps for Brazil. He was on the players' pool for the WC Finals in 1982.
Perivaldo 
CB: Henricão (Brazil)
Henricão played with Associação Atlética Portuguesa. In 1957, he joined Esporte Clube Bahia with teammate Joe. He was a big centerback of Bahia that won the Taça Brasil of 1959, currently considered by the CBF as the first Brazilian Championship in history.  It is considered by many historians as the most important football tournament in Brazil at the time. In 1961 and 192, Esporte Clube Bahia finished second behind Pele's Santos. 

CB: Vicente Arenari (Brazil)
Vicente Arenari was born in 1935.  He began in Flamengo's youth teams, where he start his professional career in 1954, but did not feature much.  He became a star with Bahia, where he played between 1956 and 1962, winning the 1959 Brazilian Football Championship.  He would also play with Palmeiras and Nacional-SP, where he finished his career in 1967.

CB: Juvenal Amarijo (Brazil)
Juvenal Amarijo started his career with Cruzeiro-RS, joining Flamengo in 1949, then Palmeiras in 1951. He moved to Bahia in 1954. At the international level, he played for the Brazil in the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Juvenal lost his money after retiring from playing and was living in poverty.  He died on October 30, 2009, at to age 85, in the city of Salvador, in Bahia, Brazil, due to respiratory failure.

CB: Roberto Rebouças (Brazil)
Roberto Rebouças was a legend with Bahia.  He joined the club in 1963 from Victoria. He earned nicknamed the "Baiana Wall".  He was known to clash with the club President Osorio Vilas Boas.  In 1972, he was suspended by club, in which he missed the Final of Campeonato Baiano. His absence gave Vitória the title. Roberto also played with Botafogo of Ribeirão Preto before returning to Bahia, where he won the regional titles of 1970 and 1971, and from 1973 to 1977. 
Roberto Rebouças
LB: Romero (Brazil)
Jorge Romero Filho, better known as Romero, was a left-back soccer player who played for Esporte Clube Bahia from 1973 until 77 , conquering five state titles. He also played for Palmeiras in 1977/78 and Atlético Mineiro.  Then, he would return to Esporte Clube Bahia.  He ended his career after he discovered that he had diabetes.

DM: Baiaco (Brazil)
Baiaco was the star of the  Seleção de Francisco do Conde.  He joined Bahia because the club also took his friend Caetano.  In 1969, Pele was seeking his 1000th goal when Baiaco famously marked Pele out for the historical goal.  He scored a goal in that match. He played with them until the year 1980 when he left the club at the age of 34 and a year later he finished his career defending the Leonico. He was capped in 1974 by Brazil.

DM: Paulo Rodrigues  (Brazil)
Until he turned 28 years old, Paulo Rodrigues spent his career playing with Uberaba National in Minas Gerais and Botafogo in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo. He joined Esporte Clube Bahai in 1986 at the age of 28, where he finally found stardom.  He was a key player as his club won the 1988 nation title, forming a midfield with Gil, Bobô and Zé Carlos. The title was the club's second one in history.
Paulo Rodrigues 
CM: Elizeu (Brazil)
Elizeu started in 1962 with Santo FC.  At that time, he played in the same position as Pele.  He would play for São Cristóvão do Rio, Fluminense, Olaria, New York General,  Anderlecht, Belenenses, of Portugal and Vitória de Salvador.  He had three stints with  Bahia - the first one in 1967, the second in 1969 and the third in 1971/1972.  He represented Brazil at the 1964 Olympics.

RW: Marito (Brazil)
Known as the "Blond Devil", Marito was a part of Bahai's team that won the that won the Taça Brasil in 1959.  He was was selected as one of the best players in the history of Bahia by the newspaper Correio in 2010.  He also earned the nickname “Garrincha do Bahia” (Bahia’s Garrincha) because he was playing on the same position as Garrincha..  He started his career with São Cristovão-BA.  He later played for Ypiranga-BA.
Marito
RW: Ze Carlos (Brazil)
Ze Carlos was the top scorer for Bahia as the club won the Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol in 1988.  He started his career in 1986 with Esporte Clube Bahai.  He also played for Internacional, Athletic Mineiro and America.  From 1991 to 1995, he played for Atlético Mineiro.  He also played in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal.  He was capped 4 times in 1989, making his international debut in a friendly against Peru.
Ze Carlos
LW: Biriba (Brazil)
Biriba was known for his partnership with Marito while playing for Bahia in 1950's.  He began his successful career in the club in 1957, the famous team known as ""Juventude Transviada". He was a part of Bahia that won the Taça Brasil of 1959, currently considered by the CBF as the first Brazilian Championship in history.  He spent 14 years with the club.

LW: Jesum (Brazil)
Jésum Gabriel was a left-wing.  At the domestic club level, he played for São Paulo, Cruzeiro, Bahia and Vitória-BA.  Born on December 25, 1953, Jésum became more famous during his times with Bahia.  He was known for a successful partnership with teammate Beijoca. For the São Paulo, he played 42 matches between 1972 and 1975.

AM: José SanFilippo (Argentina)
During his club career he played for San Lorenzo, Boca Juniors and Banfield in Argentina, Nacional in Uruguay, and Bangu and SC Bahia in Brazil. He is the 5th highest scoring player in Argentine football.  At the international level, Sanfilippo played for the Argentina in the 1958 and 1962 World Cup Finals. He was also part of the Argentina squads that won the 1955 Pan American Games and the 1957 South American Championship.

AM: Bobô  (Brazil)
In 1982, Bobô started his professional career with Catuense. In 1985, he joined Bahia, where he won the 1988 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. In 1989, he was signed by São Paulo, winning the 1989 Bola de Prata, and that year's Campeonato Paulista. He also played for Flamengo, Fluminense, Corinthians and Internacional. He was capped 3 times for Brazil in 1989. He played against  Paraguay and Peru twice between April and May of 1989.
Bobô 
AM: Douglas (Brazil)
Douglas da Silva Franklin started with Santos in 1967, but he made his name with Bahia.  He was voted as one of the greatest players in the history of Esporte Clube Bahia by the fans of the club.  He is the second highest scorer in the history of Bahia with 211 goals. Douglas also played a short passage (three months) with Bahia's greatest rival: Vitória.

ST: Alencar (Brazil)
Alencar began his career playing in the amateur categories of Ceará Sporting Club in the first half of the fifties. He briefly played playing for America Football Club of Ceará, then returning to Ceará in the middle of the year 1957.  Alencar joined Bahai in early 1959. With Bahia, he won essential the 1959 Brazilian Championship, earning the nickname “Bahia’s Pele”. He was known as Alencarzinho at the beginning of his career.

ST: Beijoca (Brazil) 
Born in 1954, Beijoca played for many clubs in Brazil: São Domingos, Fortaleza, Sport, Flamengo, Catuense, Vitória, Londrina, Leônico, Sergipe, Mogi-Mirim and Guará, but better known for his playing career with Bahia.  He spent seven years with Bahia, but on separated stints (69, 70, 75, 76, 77, 78 and 84). He won six Bahian titles (70, 75, 76, 77, 78 and 79).  In 1979, he played 9 matches with Flamengo.

ST: Carlito (Brazil)
Carlito was one club man for Esporte Clube Bahia.  He is the all-time leading scorer for Bahai with 253 goals.  He was known for scoring against Vitoria, Bahai's main rival.  He won the Campeonato Baiano: 1947; 1948; 1949; 1950; 1952; 1954; 1956; 1958; 1959.  Flamingo tried to sign him, but his wife preferred to stay in Bahai.

ST: Uéslei (Brazil)
Uéslei won many trophies in Bahia, where he played for the two big clubs in the state, Bahia and Vitória. In the five seasons with Bahia, he won five Bahian championships (in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1998 and 1999).  He won another title in 1997 with Vitória. He also  played for five seasons at Nagoya Grampus in Japan and finished his career in 2009 at Oita Trinita.

ST:  Charles Fabian (Brazil)
Charles fist made his name as a 20 years old striker with Bahia, winning the 1988 Campeonato Baiano de Futebol. In 1991, he joined Cruzeiro where he won two Supercopa Libertadores. In 1992, he moved to Boca Juniors, but never settled down.  With Flamengo, Charles was known "Charles Baiano" because the club  already had Charles Guerreiro on the team.  He managed to score incredible 18 goals in just 29 matches, but only played one season. In 1994, he returned to Bahia, where he once again starred.  Capped 9 times.
Charles


Honorable Mention
Rodolfo Rodriguez, Marcelo Lomba, Beto, Edinho, Sapatão, Romeo, Dani Alves, Dada Maravilha, Nonato, Lima, Beberto Campos, Léo Briglia.

Squad Explanation
-- Esporte Clube Bahai is the most difficult club to research.  Most of the players are unknown outside Brazil.  The information on the players are very limited. I have to use google-translate for most of the players.
-- In Brazilian football, the term Big Twelve (Portuguese: Doze Grandes) refers to a group of twelve clubs: Atlético Mineiro, Botafogo, Corinthians, Cruzeiro, Flamengo, Fluminense, Grêmio, Internacional, Palmeiras, Santos, São Paulo and Vasco da Gama. They are the most successful clubs in Brazil.  Bahia is not one of them.
-- I decided to do an All-Time team for this club because they won 2 Brasileiro Série A titles.  They actually did better than Atlético Mineiro.
-- José SanFilippo is the only player who had a successful career outside of Bahai. He is one of the few famous player who played for this team. 
-- Eporte Clube Bahia won Taça Brasil of 1959, which was then the most important trophy in Brazil. It was the 1st ever edition of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. I selected 8 players from that team. They are Nadinho, Carlito, Alencar, Henricão, Biriba, Marito, Leone and Vicente Arenari.  In the Final, Bahai beat Santos' Santásticos which included players such as Gilmar, Mauro, Mengálvio, Coutinho, Pepe and Pelé.
-- Juvenal Amarijo left the club the season before Taça Brasil of 1959.
-- The 1980s were the best in Bahia's history. Esporte Clube Bahai won another Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 1988. Bobo, Charles Fabian, Ze Carlos and Paulo Rodrigues played on the 1988 team.
-- Rodolfo Rodriguez was the most established keepers ever played for the club, but he only spent two seasons there. I selected three keepers who have contributed more.  Emerson Ferretti is the club's all-time appearance leader.  Nadinho won the 1959 Taça Brasil.
-- Goalkeeper Ronaldo Vieira Passocs was born in 1959.  He played here between 1979 and 1990.  He was known as Ronaldo.  Another goalkeeper Ronaldo Giovanelli was born in 1967.  He was known as Ronaldo.  He never played for Bahia.
-- The peak of Perivaldo's career was actually with Botafogo. I admitted that I selected him because of the human interest stories of his life after football.  He ended up as a homeless living in Portugal. I took him over Dani Alves, who also only played in the beginning of his career.
-- Bebeto Campos is not the same Bebeto who won the World Cup in 1994.  Bebeto Campos was born in 1975.  He made honourable mention for this team.

Formation

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Cruzeiro Greatest All-time team


Copa Libertadores 1997

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

SantosFlamengoSao PauloCorithiansBotafogo
Vasco Da GamaPalmeirasInternacional
FluminenseGremioCruzeiroAtlético MineiroBahia.

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for the club.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

The club was founded on January 2, 1921 by sportsmen from the Italian colony of Belo Horizonte, some members of Yale Atlético Clube and many Italian immigrant workers decided to create a new club called Societá Sportiva Palestra Italia. As a result of the Second World War, the Brazilian federal government banned the use of any symbols referring to the Axis powers in 1942. The club board members rebaptized the club with the name of a leading national symbol: the Cruzeiro do Sul's constellation. A Raposa also obtained many international laurels such as two Copa Libertadores, two Supercopa Libertadores, one Recopa Sudamericana, one Copa de Oro and one Copa Master de Supercopa. Cruzeiro is the only Brazilian and South American club to complete the Domestic Treble, a feat accomplished in 2003 after winning the Campeonato Mineiro, the 2003 Copa do Brasil and the 2003 Brasileirão.


Back-to-Back league titles: 2013, 2014
Team
GK: Raul Plassman (Brazil)
Raul Plassman was the starting keeper for the great Flamengo team of the 1980's.  He played for them between 1978 and 1983, winning the Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup in 1981.  His longest stint was with Cruzeiro, where he spent the prime of his career and won the Copa Libertadores in 1976.  At the international level, he was capped 17 times, but never went to the World Cup Finals.

GK: Fabio (Brazil)
With Vasco De Gama, Fabio won the Copa do Brasil, the Campeonato Brasileiro, and the Copa Mercosur all in 2000. He has also won two state championship, the Campeonato Carioca, and the Campeonato Mineiro.  From 2005 to 2018, he played for Cruzeiro, amassing over 700 games.  He was their captain furing both the 2013 and 2014 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A winning campaigns. For Brazil, he played 3 times.  He was on the squad of Copa America 2004, but he did not play in the tournament.
Fabio

GK: Dida (Brazil)
Dida is remembered for his 8 seasons with AC Milan.  He was the hero of the 2003 Champions' League Final when he helped Milan to win the penalty shootout against Juventus.  He became the first Brazilian goalkeeper to be nominated for Ballon d' Or that year.  At the international level, he was capped 91 times between 1995 and 2006. He went to three World Cup Finals.  He was the starting keeper in 2006 World Cup Finals for the Seleção.  

RB: Nelinho (Brazil)
Nelinho was considered one of the best right backs in Brazil's history.  He was capped 28 times by Brazil, and scored eight goals. He went to both 1974 and four 1978 World Cup Finals.  He scored one of the most stunning goals in World Cup history against Italy in 1978. For his clubs career, he played for many clubs, most notably Belo Horizonte rivals Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro.  With Cruzeiro, he won the Copa Liberatores in 1976.
Nelinho
CB: Roberto Perfumo (Argentina)
At club level, Roberto Perfumo played for Racing, River Plate and Brazilian team Cruzeiro. He was a legend with Racing Club in Argentina winning the Primera title, the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup.  He was considered their greatest player. For Argentina, he had 37 caps. He played in 1966 and 1974 World Cup Finals. 

CB: Luisão (Brazil)
Most of his professional career has been spent with Benfica, for which he has appeared in more than 500 official matches, having won 17 major titles. Luisão is the longest-serving captain in Benfica history.  Before moving to Europe, he played for Clube Atlético Juventus and Cruzeiro Esporte Clube.  Earned 44 caps.  He was on the team for WC Finals in 2006 and 2010.

CB/DM: Wilson Piazza (Brazil)
Wilson Piazza almost spent his entire career with Cruzeiro.  He was the greatest captain in the history of Cruzeiro. He helped the club to win the Copa Libertadores in 1976.    For the national team, he won 59 caps.  He was the starting centerback for the 1970 WC winning team.  He also went to the World Cup Finals in 1974.

CB: Cris (Brazil)
Cris has won the Ligue 1 with Lyon from 2005 to 2008, the Brazilian Championship in 1998 with Corinthians and in 2003 with Cruzeiro.  He also won the Copa do Brasil in 1995 with Corinthians and 2000 with Cruzeiro.  He also played for Galatasaray, Gremio and Vasco de Gama.  He played 17 times for Brazil.  He won the Copa América in 2004.  He was a member the World Cup team in 2006.
Cris
LB/LW: Juan Pablo Sorin (Argentina) 
Juan Pablo Sorin had a successful club career in his native Argentina with River Plate, in Brazil with Cruzeiro, and with various teams in Europe, including Barcelona, Lazio, Paris Saint-Germain and Villarreal. He won the Copa Libertadores in 1996 with River Plate.  He earned 76 caps and was the captain of Argentina national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

LB: Nonato (Brazil)
Nonato began as an amateur with Baraunas.  In February 1989, ABC bought his pass. In 1990, he was loaned to Pouso Alegre and competed in the Mineiro Championship. On January 10, 1991, Cruzeiro bought him from Pouso Alegre. When he arrived at the team he already had two fullbacks, Eduardo and Paulo César. He played  7 seasons with the club winning 14 titles.

DM: Ricardinho (Brazil)
From 1994 to 2002, Ricardinho won 15 titles with Cruzeiro, making him the most decorated player in the club's history. He was a part of their 1997 Copa Libertadores winning team.  He played in the Final against Sporting Cristal. He was awarded into the Bola de Uuro twice. From 2002 to 2006, he played in Japan mainly with Kashiwa Reysol.  he spent some time with Corinthians at the end of his career. He earned 3 caps between 1996 and 2001.
Ricardinho 
CM: Ze Carlos (Brazil)
Ze Carlos was a legend at Cruzeiro.  He played with Dirceu Lopes, Toastao and Piazza. He was the club's record appearance holder until 2015 when the record was broken by Fabio.  He won the Copa Libertadores in 1976. He was capped 4 times for the Brazilian National team.  He was a member of the 1975 Copa America team.

CM: Ademir Roque Kaefer (Brazil)
Ademir Roque Kaefer started his career with Toledo.  He transferred to the International, where he would win four Gaucho champions. With Cruzeiro, he won the Supercopa Sul-Americana in 1991.  With the Olympic team, he won two silver medals in 1984 and 1988. He also won Gold at the 1987 Pan-American Games.

RW: Natal (Brazil)
Natal was born in Belo Horizonte. He is known for having played for Cruzeiro, where he won five straight Campeonato Mineiros: 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, and for having played 14 times for the Brazilian national team, scoring three goals.  Natal made 89 appearances and scored 11 goals in the Campeonato Brasileiro.

LW: Bengala (Brazil)
Bengala's real name was Italo Fratezzi.  He arrived at the Palestra Italia, the former name of Cruzeiro in 1925. Bengala soon stood out for the club playing with the jersey 11 or the 10 through the midfielder. Bengal became the great idol for the fans along with his teammate Niginho and the Fantoni family. He played there until 1935.

AM/FW: Dirceu Lopes (Brazil)
Dirceu Lopes played mainly for Cruzeiro and was considered one of their best ever player.  He won the Copa Libertadores in 1976. He formed one of the best offensive duos with Tostao in Brazilian football.  He won Taça Brasil in 1966, beating Pele's Santos in the Final. He earned 19 caps for Brazil.  He was a part of Saldanha's plan for the World Cup Finals in 1970, but  he was dropped by Mário Zagallo, due to too many players to their position.
Dirceu Lopes
AM: Everton Ribeiro (Brazil)
Everton Ribeiro started his career with Corinthians, after a loan spell with São Caetano,  he was sold to Coritiba in 2011, winning the Campeonato Paranaense in both of his seasons. He also won Série A twice with Cruzeiro, being voted the best player of each season.  In 2014, hejoined Al-Ahli. A full international since 2014, Ribeiro represented Brazil at the 2015 Copa América.

AM: Alex (Brazil)
Alex has played for Coritiba, Palmeiras, Flamengo and Cruzeiro in Brazil, Parma in Serie A and Fenerbahçe in Turkey.  He made a name at Palmeiras winning the Copa Libertadores in 1999. With Cruzeiro, Alex won the Brazilian triple crown (State Championship, the Brasileirão and the Brazilian Cup).  He was capped 47 times.  He captained Brazil as they won the Copa America in 2007.

FW: Palhinha (Brazil)
Palhinha started his career in Cruzeiro in 1969 . In 1976, he was the top scorer of Copa Libertadores and helped the club to win the trophy for the first time. He also played for Corinthians, Atlético Mineiro, Santos FC, Vasco da Gama and América. Palhinha was capped 16 times from 1973 to 1979, including leading the national team to the second runners-up in Copa América 1979.

FW: Joãozinho (Brazil)
Joãozinho spent most of his career with Cruzeiro.  He was best remembered for the final of the Copa Libertadores in 1976, where Joãozinho scored winning goal against River Plate in the playoff. His nickname was the "Dancer" or "John Travolta" because he was known for his high speed dribbling. He played 482 games for Cruzerio and scored 116 goals. From 1975 to 1979, he played 4 times for Brazil. 
Joãozinho
FW: Ninão (aka Fantoni I) (Brazil/Italy)
Ninão belonged to the famous Italian-Brazilian family of soccer players. His brothers Leonízio Fantoni (Niginho) and Orlando Fantoni and cousin Otávio Fantoni (Nininho) played for Palestra Italian(Cruzeiro's former name) before moving to  played for Lazio in Italy. João played for Palestra Italia, between 1923 and 1931 and between 1933 and 1938, He scored 167 times in 127 matches.

FW: Nininho (aka Fantoni II) (Brazil/Italy)
Nininho was a member of the Fantoni family who played Lazio in Italy and in Brazil.  Liked his brothers, he played for Palestra Italia before moving to Lazio in Italy.  In 1931, they were sold to Lazio, where they would be known by their surnames: Ninão was Fantoni I, Nininho was Fantoni II and him, Fantoni III. They played with another Italian-Brazilian player, Anfilogino Guarisi, in a Lazio squad known as "Brasilazio". 

FW: Niginho (aka Fantoni III) (Brazil/Italy)
Fantoni started his career with Cruzeiro(known as Palestra Itália) , playing with his brother Ninão and their cousin Nininho. They also played with Lazio in a team known as "Brasilazio" along with another Italian-Brazilian player, Anfilogino Guarisi.  He was called to the 1938 World Cup as a Leônidas da Silva stand-by player. Unfortunately, the Italians warned FIFA that Niginho was ineligible. 

ST: Tostao (Brazil)
Tostao was the starting forward of Brazil's 1970 WC Team. He was a false nine, providing assists for the rest of the team.  He nearly missed the World Cup Finals due to an eye injury.  He also went to England 1966.  He was South American Player of the Year in 1973.  He played 11 years with Cruzeiro.  In 1972, he signed for CR Vasco da Gama for a then record fee in the country He is also a medical doctor.
Tostao
ST: Ronaldo
Ronaldo led Brazil to two World Cup Finals match, winning the one in 2002.  He was also an unused player at the 1994 World Cup Finals. He scored 8 goals in 2002.  He was the winner of Ballon d'Or twice and the FIFA World Player of the Year three times.  He is the second top-scorer in World Cup  history.  He started his career as a teenager with Cruzeiro.  He then played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid, and for both AC Milan and Inter Milan. 
Ronaldo
Honorable Mention
Orlando Fantoni, Geraldão, Procópio Cardoso, William Douglas, Cláudio Maldonado, Ricardo Goulart, Marcelo Ramos, Fred, Eder, Maicon, João Leite, Reinaldo,  Dario, Mário de Castro, Zé do Monte, Carlyle, Valdo.

Squad Explanation
-- Cruzeiro won their first Copa Libertadores in 1976.  I selected the following players from that team: Nelinho, Raul Plassman, Wilson Piazza, Zé Carlos, Joãozinho and Palhinha. 
-- Robert Perfumo played for their opponent River Plate in the Final.  He played for Cruzeiro between 1971 and 1974.  He captained Argentina at the 1974 World Cup Finals while playing for Cruzeiro.
-- Nelinho made his name scoring a super goal against Italy at the 1978 World Cup Finals.  While at the club, he was also selected for the Bola de Prata (Campeonato Brasileiro team of the year) three times, in 1975, 1979 and 1980.
-- They won their second Copa Libertadores in 1997.  Dida, Ricardinho and Nonato.  The starting lineup included another player named Palhinha, but he was not the same player as the one from the 1976 team.
-- As mentioned, there are two Palhinha who won the Copa Libertadores with Cruzeiro.  The one who made my all-time team was born in 1950. He was the top scorer of 1976 Copa Libertadores.  The second Palhinha was born in 1967. He won two Copas Libertadores in 1992 and 1993 with Sao Paulo before winning the 1997 edition with Cruzeiro.  Liked the other Palhinha, he was the top scorer in the 1992 edition(but Sao Paulo).
-- Ninão (aka Fantoni I), Leonízio Fantoni (Niginho) and Orlando Fantoni are three brothers from the early history of the club.  Their cousin Otávio Fantoni (Nininho) played for Palestra Italian (Cruzeiro's former name).  The Fantoni family was important to the club's history. I do not know much about the Fantoni family. I only left Orlando off the team.
-- For goalkeepers, both Raul Plassman and Dida won the Copa Libertadores.  Fabio is the club's all-time appearance record holder.
-- Cris won the League title in 2003, playing liked the best player on the team. Wilson Piazza almost spent his entire career with Cruzeiro.  He was famous for being a member of Brazil's World Cup team in 1970.  
-- Juan Pablo Sorin was  a fan favorite here.  He was well-respected.
-- Dirceu Lopes played roughly at the same time as Dirceu José Guimarães who was known as Dirceu.  Dirceu won the Bronze Ball at the 1978 World Cup Finals, but never played for Cruzeiro.  I selected Dirceu Lopes here.  He won Bola de Ouro award in 1971 while playing here.  The pair almost crossed path at Fluminense FC.
-- Eder just missed out. Jairzinho only played one season, but he won Copa Libertadores in 1976.
-- Ronaldo left the club as a teenager.  I selected him to this team because he was the greatest homegrown talent from the club. Ronaldo came to national public attention in 1993, scoring five goals in the game against Bahia.  
-- Tostão spent 11 years at the club.  I think he is their greatest ever player.
-- Everton Ribeiro won the player of the year twice: back to back.

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Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Clube Atlético Mineiro Greatest All-Time Team

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

2013 Copa Libertadores


Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

SantosFlamengoSao PauloCorithiansBotafogo
Vasco Da GamaPalmeirasInternacional
FluminenseGremioCruzeiroAtlético MineiroBahia.

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for the club.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Atlético Mineiro is the oldest active football club in Minas Gerais, founded on 25 March 1908 by twenty-two students from Belo Horizonte. Atlético has won the Campeonato Mineiro a record 43 times. At national level, the club has won the Campeonato Brasileiro once and has finished second on five occasions. Atlético has also won one Copa do Brasil, one Copa dos Campeões Estaduais and the Copa dos Campeões Brasileiros. In international club football, Atlético has won the Copa Libertadores and the Recopa Sudamericana once each, and a record two Copa CONMEBOL; the team has also reached three other continental finals. The club has also competed in other sports throughout its history, with the futsal department becoming especially notable.
"Trio Maldito" 

Team
GK: Kafunga (Brazil) 
Kafunga began playing football with local side Fluminense Atlético Clube (Niterói). He started his professional career with Atlético Mineiro, and made his debut in a friendly defeat 2–0 by Villa Nova in 1935. He helped his club win the Campeonato Mineiro in 1936, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954 and in 1955. He retired in 1955, after having played 667 games for the club in two decades. After his retirement, he worked as a football commentator and as a deputy.
Kafunga 
GK: João Leite (Brazil)
João Leite spent 17 years with Clube Atlético Mineiro, for which he holds the record for most appearances and most trophies won. He won twelve Campeonato Mineiro and one Copa CONMEBOL. He also played for Vitória de Guimarães, Guarani and América. He was selected for Brazil at the 1980 Mundialito and the 1979 Copa América. He played 5 official games with the Seleção between 1980 and 1981.

GK: Victor (Brazil)
At the time of writing, Victor is still an active player with Atletico Mineiro.  He played for Gremio and Paulista before moving there.  He was a hero during the club's victory at the Copa Libertadores in 2013.  He made a critical penalty save in the quarterfinal that saved the club from elimination. In both semifinal and the final, he made saves during the penalty shootouts.  

RB: Mexicano (Brazil) 
Alfredo Lúcio de Moura, known better as Mexicano, was an all-time great with Atletico Mineiro.  He played for them from 1946 to 1948.  The 1948 team was considered one of the club's greatest ever team.  He later would play for Palmeiras from 1949 to 1954. He retired at the age of 28 because of an injury.

RB: Marcos Rocha (Brazil) 
Marcos Rocha started his career with loans to Ponte Preta and América Mineiro.  He returned to Atlético Mineiro in 2011. He was immediately elected as first-choice, and was among the squad which won the state league twice, the Copa Libertadores in 2013, and the Recopa Sudamericana and Copa do Brasil in 2014.  At the time of writing, he earned 3 caps.

CB: Luizinho (Brazil)
Luizinho had 34 caps between 1980 and 1983.  He was Brazil's starting centerback at the World Cup Finals in 1982, where he also made the team of the tournament.  At the domestic club level, he played for several clubs, but mainly with Atlético Mineiro from 1978 to 1989, winning 8 State Championships of Minas Gerais.  He also played three seasons overseas for Sporting CP in Portugal.  He won the Bola de Prata award twice in 1980 and 1987.
Luizinho 
CB: Murilo Silva (Brazil)
Murilo played for Atletico Mineiro between 1944 and 1956. In his first stint, he stayed until the year 1950. He then played with Corinthians until 1954. He returned to the club in 1955.  He  won the "Belfort Duarte" award, an award given to the most disciplined players of football at the time.  He never received any expulsion in the 550 games he played with Atletico and Corinthians. He won the Copa Libertadores.  He was selected as an unused sub for Brazil once.

CB: Rever (Brazil) 
Rever started his career with Paulista in Serie B, winning g the Copa Brazil in 2005 while the club was in Serie B.  After Paulista went down to Serie C, he was sold to Greimo, where he became a star and earned a move to Germany in 2010 with Wolfsburg.  A year later, he returned home and played with Atletico Mineiro.  He won the Copa Libertadores as their captain in 2013.  He was capped 9 times.

CB: Leonardo Silva (Brazil)
Before 2011, Leonardo Silva played for a number of Brazilian club and Al-Wahda in UAE.  In 2011, he moved to Atletico Miniero, where he had his career break. He formed a great partnership with Rever.  They were known as "Twin Towers" due their heights.  They won Copa Libertadores in 2013.  He scored the winning penalty in the Final. In 2012, Silva was called by Mano Menezes to play Superclásico de las Américas for Brazil, against Argentina.
"Twin Towers": Leonardo Silva(L) and Rever

LB: Oldair (Brazil)
Oldair began his career at Palmeiras, winning the 1959 São Paulo champion and won the 1960 Rio-São Paulo Tournament. He then played five years for Fluminense and three more for Vasco. With Atletico Mineiro, he won the club's first Brazilian champion in 1971 as its captain.  He was on the player pool for the World Cup Finals in 1966, but was not selected for the Finals.

LB: Paulo Roberto (Brazil)
Born in Porto Alegre, in Rio Grande do Sul, Paulo Roberto began his career with Internacional in 1982.  He also played for Botafogo and Palmeiras. In 1986, he joined Atletico Mineiro, where he played for ten years.  He played over 500 games for them.  He won 5 Campeão Mineiro and Campeão da Conmebol in 1992.  

DM: Toninho Cerezo (Brazil)
Throughout his career, Cerezo played as a defensive midfielder with Atlético Mineiro, Roma, Sampdoria, São Paulo and the Brazilian national team. He was a legend at Atlético Mineiro. With São Paulo FC, he was the two-times winner of the Intercontinental Cup and Copa Libertadores.  He went to Argentina 1978 and Spain 1982. During his time in Italy, Cerezo won the Coppa Italia four times; in 1991 he won the Serie A with Sampdoria, but lost the Coppa Italia final to A.S. Roma.
Toninho Cerezo 
DM: Vanderlei Paiva (Brazil)
With Atlético Mineiro, Paiva was a part of the squad which won the first Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 1971. He played 27 matches and scored one goal in that season, and was selected for the team of the tournament, winning the Bola de Prata, awarded by Placar magazine. He is the second player with most appearances for the club, with 559.  He earned 6 caps.

CM/DM: Zé do Monte (Brazil)
Born in 1927, José do Monte Furtado Sobrinho was better known as Zé do Monte. He spent his entire career with Atletico Miniero.  He was only 18 years old when he first played for them in 1946.  He played 10 years for the club, winning eight Campeonato Mineiro titles. He played 443 matches and scored 26 goals.

LW: Eder Assis (Brazil)
Eder played for many clubs in his career, most notably with Grêmio and Atlético Mineiro in the Campeonato Brasileiro.  His career was best remembered for playing with Brazil at the World Cup Finals in 1982. He scored a wonderful, winning goal against the Soviet Union, flicking the ball up and volleying it with blistering power into the net from 25 yards. He followed that up with another outstanding goal in the 4–1 win over Scotland. He earned 52 caps.  
Eder
AM/FW: Guara (Brazil)
Guara started his career with Sport Club Aymorés, where he formed a partnership with Nicola.  In 1933, he transferred to Clube Atlético Mineiro along with his teammate Nicola.  Guara would earn the nickname Diabo Loiro "Blond Devil". He made 168 goals for Clube Atlético Mineiro that has only been surpassed by Reinaldo, Dadá Maravilha and Mário de Castro. At age 24, Guará became the highest paid player in Minas Gerais football.

AM/LM: Ronaldinho (Brazil)
From 1999 to 2013, Ronaldinho played 97 times for Brazil. He was a member of the "Three R's" with Rivaldo and Ronaldo that helped Brazil winning the World Cup in 2002.  At the club level, he started his career with Gemio before moving to Europe. He played with Paris St Germaine and Barcelona before his form started to drop. He formed the REM line with Etoo and Messi before fighting among them destroyed the team.  In 2013, he won the Copa Libertadores with Atlético Mineiro.
Ronaldinho
FW: Jairo de Assis (Brazil)
Jairo went Belo Horizonte was born in 1904.  He first went to Belo Horizonte to study medicine, but divided his time studying and playing for Atletico Mineiro.  He played for the club between 1927 and 1933.  He formed the famous line known as "Trio Maldito" with Said Paulo Arges and Mario de Castro. Together, they scored more than 450 goals for Atlético Mineiro. 

ST: Said Paulo Arges (Brazil)
Said Paulo Arges was a part of the legendary offensive trident known as "Trio Maldito" (Portuguese for Unholy Trio) with Mario de Castro and Jairo de Assis in the late 1920's. Said was studying law when he played for the club.  He would also play for Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro. Because of his playing career, he delayed in finishing his law degree by 10 years.

ST: Mário de Castro (Brazil)
Mário de Castro spent his entire career at Atlético Mineiro, with whom he won three Campeonato Mineiro titles. He helped Atlético Mineiro break América's decade-long dominance in Campeonato Mineiro, the state league of Minas Gerais. He was the competition's top scorer twice in that period. Mário was part of offensive line called the "Trio Maldito" with Said and Jairo. Mário was the first Atlético Mineiro player and first outside of Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo to be called up for the Brazilian national football team. 

ST: Guilherme (Brazil)
In his career, he played 8 clubs in Brazil, and also competed professionally in Spain and Saudi Arabia during a 13-year career. Over the course of 11 Série A seasons, he amassed totals of 155 games and 68 goals.  In 1999, Guilherme signed with Clube Atlético Mineiro, where he experienced his best years as a professional. In the year's Série A, he was crowned top scorer by breaking the record which belonged to club legend Reinaldo, and led the team to the vice-championship.  He earned 6 caps.

ST: Diego Tardelli (Brazil)
Diego Tardelli was named after Italian World Cup winner Marco Tardelli. His early career included playing for Sao Paulo, Real Betis, PSV and Flamengo before making a name with Atletico Mineiro between 2009 and 2011.  He played with Anzhi Makhachkala and Al-Gharafa.  In 2013, he returned to Atletico Mieiro helping them to win the Copa Libertadores.  At the time of writing, he plays for Shandong Luneng in China and has 14 caps.
Diego Tardelli 
ST: Marques (Brazil) 
In his career, Marques has played for Corinthians, Flamengo, Sao Paulo Futebol Clube, Vasco da Gama, Atletico Mineiro and clubs in Japan.  His best period was with Atletico Mineiro, where he played in more than 350 games and scored around 130 goals. He won the 1997 Copa CONMEBOL. He was capped 13 times.

ST: Paulo Isidoro (Brazil)
Paulo Isidoro played for many clubs in Braizl, but his best years were spent with Atletico Mineiro.  He started his career in 1975 with them, where he formed a great partnership Reinaldo.  He later played with Gremio and Santos before returning to Atletico Mineiro in 1985.  From 1987, he played for several clubs.  He won the Bola de Prata in 1976, 1981 and1983, and Bola de Ouro in 1981.  He earned 41 caps.  He played in four of five matches at the 1982 World Cup, always as a substitute.
Paulo Isidoro 
ST: Dada Maraviha (Brazil)
As of 2006, Dada is the third top scorer in the history of Brazilian football, trailing Pelé and Romário.  His best club career were spent with Atletico Mineiro and Internacional.  In 1969 his prestige was so great that then Brazilian President Emílio Garrastazu Médici asked coach Mário Zagallo to call Dadá to join the national team going to the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. He was benched for most of the tournament, however. In total he was capped 6 times for Brazil between 1970 and 1973.

ST: Reinaldo (Brazil)
Reinaldo was a hero at Atlético Mineiro, where the fans called him the "King"("o Rei", in Portuguese, which also served as a pun on his name).  He was their all-time leading scorer.  He still holds the record of highest goal average per game in the Brazilian league, with 1.55 goals per match. He won eight Campeonato Mineiro titles including six consecutively: in 1976, 1978–1983 and 1985.  For the national team, he earned 37 caps and went to the 1978 World Cup Finals.
Reinaldo 

Honorable Mention
Bernard, Gilberto Silva, Nelinho, Marques Batista, Carlyle, Lucas Miranda,  Cláudio Taffarel, Ladislao Mazurkiewicz, Vantuir, Pierre, Jô, Marcelo Oliveira, Héctor Cincunegui, Guilherme Milhomem Gusmão.

Squad Explanation
--  Atletico Mineiro won the 2013 Copa Libertadores.  I selected the following players from that team: Victor, Marcos Rocha, Rever, Diego Tardelli, Leonardo Silva and Ronaldinho.  
-- Ronaldinho helped Atlético win the Campeonato Mineiro and led the club to its first Copa Libertadores. He scored four goals and assisted on seven occasions during their dramatic title run, which included consecutive comeback wins from 0–2 first leg defeats in both the semi-finals against Argentinian Newell's Old Boys and the finals against Club Olimpia from Paraguay. It was Ronaldinho's only Copa Libertadores trophy.  He won the 2013 South American Player of the Year because of his performance at the tournament.  He also won the Bola de Ouro award, selected as the best player in the league in 2012.  
-- Leonardo Silva and Rever formed a defensive pair that was known as the "Twin Towers".
-- There are two footballers named "Guilherme" who played for the club. I selected Guilherme de Cássio Alves who played for the club between 1999 and 2003 for my all-time team. The other player was Guilherme Milhomem Gusmão who was a part of the team that won the 2013 Copa Libertadores.
-- Atletico Mineiro has many great keepers. I have no space for the two big names who played for the club. Both Cláudio Taffarel and Ladislao Mazurkiewicz did not play long enough for the club.  The other selections have played and won more for the club.  Kafunga was widely considered the club's greatest keepers.  João Leite holds the record for most appearances and most trophies won.  Without Victor, Atletico Mineiro might not have won the Copa Libertadores in 2013.  He made several penalty saves as the club advanced through the tournament, including penalty shootouts in both semifinal and the Final.
-- Nelinho joined the club in 1982 right after he caused a massive brawl between his then team Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro less than a year earlier.  He was seen attacking Eder.  I only put him on honorable mention.
-- Marcos Rocha played over 400 games for the club.  He surprisingly took one of the fullback position over Héctor Cincunegui who deserved a spot on the team.
-- Gilberto Silva only played two seasons at the club.  He was injured for one of the seasons.  The club had many other great defensive midfielders.  So I did not pick him.
-- Toninho Cerezo was one of Brazil's greatest midfielders.  While at Atletico Mineiro, he won the Bola de Ouro in 1977 and 1980 and the Bola de Prata in 1976.
-- Vanderlei Paiva played over 600 games for the club. He kept Elzo out of this team.
-- Mário de Castro was the first Atlético Mineiro player and first player outside of Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo to be called up for the Brazilian national football team.  He formed an attack line known as "Trio Maldito" (Portuguese for Unholy Trio) with Jairo de Assis Almeida and Said Paulo Arges. Together, they scored more than 450 goals for Atlético Mineiro.  Said Paulo Arges is among the top ever scorers for the club. I took all three of them.
-- Reinaldo was a legend at the club.  He still holds the record of highest goal average per game in the Brazilian league, with 1.55 goals per match.  He played with Toninho Cerezo and Eder in the 1980's.  Eder who made famous by his participation at the 1982 World Cup Finals. His prime was spent with Atletico Mineiro.  I created an alternative Brazil blog team at the 1982 World Cup that featured Toninho Cerezo, Reinaldo and Eder.

Formation