Cuiabá Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football club based in the city of Cuiabá. It was founded on December 12, 2001, by former player Luís Carlos Tóffoli, widely known as Gaúcho. Its traditional colors are yellow and green. The club's crest features the obelisk of the Geodesic Center of South America, a symbol also present on the city’s flag. Its mascot is the Dourado. The team usually plays its matches at Arena Pantanal, one of the stadiums for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Its main rivals are Mixto Esporte Clube, with whom it contests the Dérbi Cuiabano, and Luverdense Esporte Clube, against whom it plays the Clássico Ouro-Verde.
Among its main achievements are the two-time championship of the Copa Verde, in 2015 and 2019, and its 13 titles of champion Mato-Grossense, making it the second most successful team in the state of Mato Grosso, behind only its rival Mixto.
It is one of three teams that have never been relegated in the history of the Campeonato Brasileiro - Série A.
History
2001-2008 – The Origin and Early Years
At the beginning of its history, Cuiabá Esporte Clube was a training center focused on youth categories called "Escolinha do Gaúcho," a reference to its founder Luís Carlos Tóffoli, known as Gaúcho. Until the end of 2002, the team only competed in amateur championships in Mato Grosso. In 2003, the name was changed, and Cuiabá Esporte Clube became a professional team, making its debut in that year's Campeonato Mato-Grossense. In its early years competing in the state elite, Cuiabá was the two-time champion of Mato Grosso in 2003 and 2004. At the national level, it debuted in the Série C of the Campeonato Brasileiro with a 4-3 victory against Jaciara-MT and led Group 13, which also included Chapadão-MS, corresponding to the competition's first phase. In the second phase, facing Palmas-TO, after two matches ending 1-3, the elimination came in the penalties with a score of 4-2 for the visitors. In 2004, history repeated itself, with qualification in the group stage and elimination in the second phase, this time against Gama-DF. In the Copa do Brasil, it debuted in 2004 against Goiás.
Between 2007 and 2008, the team underwent a licensing period, with financial issues being one of the main reasons for this occurrence. During this period, the partnership between Gaúcho and the Nepomuceno brothers, the other two partners of Cuiabá Esporte Clube, was dissolved.
2009-2013 – The Comeback, Achievements, and Promotions
In 2009, Cuiabá resumed its activities after being acquired by the Grupo Dresch, owner of Drebor Borrachas Ltda, the club's main sponsor since its inception. In 2009, it also competed in the Copa Mato Grosso and the second division of the Campeonato Mato-grossense, finishing as vice-champion, thus securing the team's return to the elite division of the state championship. The following year, Cuiabá won its first title since the licensing, the Copa Mato Grosso, against Operário Várzea-Grandense.
In 2011, Cuiabá became state champion again after seven years. Additionally, it made its only appearance in the Série D of the Campeonato Brasileiro, being promoted after finishing third in the overall classification of the competition. The team's third participation in Série C was in 2012, and, thanks to a direct confrontation against Salgueiro in the final round, the team avoided relegation. At the start of the 2013 season, Cuiabá won another state championship against Mixto. In the Campeonato Brasileiro, as in the previous year, Cuiabá's stay in Série C was also determined in the last round, thanks to a combination of results.
2014-2017 – Arena Pantanal, Winning the Copa Verde and Debuting in the Copa Sul-Americana
In the following season, in 2014, Cuiabá won its fifth state championship title, which was the last won at Estádio Passo das Emas. This was due to the inauguration of Arena Pantanal, one of the venues for the 2014 World Cup, which became the new stadium for most teams in the cities of Cuiabá and Várzea Grande from then on. The Dourado made its debut at Arena Pantanal against Internacional, in the second phase of the 2014 Copa do Brasil.
In 2015, Cuiabá was state champion for the third consecutive time, totaling six titles. This season is also significant in the club's history due to the conquest of its first regional title, the Copa Verde de Futebol. On that occasion, Cuiabá and Remo staged one of the most surprising finals in Brazilian football, a match known as "The Miracle of Pantanal" and "Cuiabaço". Consequently, the team secured a spot in the 2016 Copa Sul-Americana, its first international competition.
In 2016, in addition to competing in the third division of the Campeonato Brasileiro, Cuiabá won the Copa FMF, becoming the two-time champion of the competition. This year was also marked by the team's debut in international competitions, being the first football team from Mato Grosso to achieve this. This was because, thanks to winning the Copa Verde in 2015, Cuiabá participated in the Copa Sul-Americana, playing the second phase against Chapecoense, winning at Arena Pantanal and being defeated, and subsequently eliminated, by the Santa Catarina team in the return leg, in Chapecó. The following year, Cuiabá won its seventh title in the Campeonato Mato-Grossense and reached the mark of the third most successful team in the state since the competition's inception in 1943.
2018-2020 – A New Promotion, Enea Mato-Grossense, Two-time Copa Verde Champion, and Promotion to Série A
In the subsequent season, in 2018, Cuiabá won its eighth state title, undefeated. In the second half of the year, in the Campeonato Brasileiro, the team had its best campaign in Série C, even having the best attack in the competition. Consequently, it finished among the top four in Group B and reached the finals of the competition, finishing as vice-champion and thereby securing promotion to the Série B of the Campeonato Brasileiro.
In the first half of 2019, Cuiabá won the Campeonato Mato-grossense for the ninth time, again undefeated. With this title, the team became the biggest champion of Mato Grosso in the last decade, with a total of nine official titles, including state and regional championships. In April of the same year, it made its debut in the Série B of the Campeonato Brasileiro. At the end of the second half, the team won the Copa Verde for the second time, and thanks to the regional title, the team qualified for the round of 16 of the 2020 Copa do Brasil de Futebol. In the Campeonato Brasileiro, Cuiabá had an above-average campaign, finishing the competition in eighth place.
In 2020, Cuiabá was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Campeonato Mato-grossense by Luverdense. It achieved its best campaign in the Copa do Brasil, reaching the quarterfinals, where it was eliminated by Grêmio. In the Série B of the Campeonato Brasileiro, it reached fourth place with 61 points, securing its unprecedented promotion to Série A in 2021, ending a 35-year drought without a team from Mato Grosso in the elite of Brazilian football.
2021 – Ten-time Mato-Grossense Champion, Debut in Série A, and Spot in Copa Sul-Americana
Aiming for the unprecedented dispute in the first division of the Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol in 2021, the Dourado sought important reinforcements, including goalkeeper Walter, now a fan favorite, as well as well-known names in Brazilian football like defenders Paulão and Marllon and striker Jonathan Cafu.
In the competitions, Cuiabá won the Campeonato Mato-Grossense de Futebol 2021 undefeated, defeating Nova Mutum Esporte Clube, which had been the champion in 2020, highlighting the impressive goal difference of the team: 31-6. In the Copa Verde de 2021, the club suffered elimination in the round of 16 against Brasiliense, and in the Copa do Brasil, it failed to reach the third phase, falling to 4 de Julho Esporte Clube. With all attention focused on the national championship but with little consistency, the Cuiabá team finished the Brasileirão in 15th place, which allowed the team to qualify for the 2022 Copa Sul-Americana, making its second participation in the history of the competition.
Venues, Stadiums, and Training Center
Verdão
At Estádio José Fragelli, also known as Verdão, Cuiabá played its first official matches and it was the venue for the team's first title, the Campeonato Mato-grossense de 2003. It was demolished in 2010 to make way for Arena Pantanal, a new stadium to be used in the 2014 World Cup.
Dutrinha
Estádio Eurico Gaspar Dutra was one of the most important stadiums in Mato Grosso in the 20th century. Between 2003 and 2014, it was the location where Cuiabá regularly hosted most of its matches and was the stage for numerous important competitions, such as the Série D and Série C of the Campeonato Brasileiro, as well as its first state titles.
Arena Pantanal
Arena Pantanal was built to meet all FIFA requirements to be one of the venues for the 2014 World Cup. It replaced the old Estádio Governador José Fragelli, which was demolished to make way for the new stadium.
Since its inauguration, it has been where Cuiabá plays its home matches.
In the Copa do Brasil, Cuiabá played its first match at Arena Pantanal against Internacional, a game that ended in a 1-1 draw, attended by 21,000 people, the largest crowd before the World Cup. On September 22, 2018, a new attendance record was set when 41,311 people watched the final of the Série C do Campeonato Brasileiro between Cuiabá and Operário Ferroviário.
CT Manoel Dresh
Dourado announced the CT Manoel Dresh on 08/04/2021. The new training center was budgeted at R$ 50 million and its progress was accelerated thanks to early funding from the Liga Forte Futebol. The new CT includes three official-sized football fields, an artificial lake to assist with drainage, and all necessary facilities for the football department, from a market analysis room to an auditorium for 94 people. In total, the CT has more than 8,000 square meters of built area. The final phase involves a hotel for 50 people, where the team will stay before matches. Future plans also include building new facilities for the youth categories. For now, the club's lower divisions continue at the old CT, but will soon share the same space as the main team.
Fans
Cuiabá Esporte Clube has been experiencing a steady increase in the number of supporters each season. The highlight of this growth came during the final phase of the Série C do Campeonato Brasileiro in 2018, when the auriverde fans broke the attendance record at Arena Pantanal, previously held by a World Cup match, gathering over 41,000 supporters for the competition final. Furthermore, the club has been gaining fans in the interior of Mato Grosso, one of the main reasons being Cuiabá's contribution to Mato Grosso football and the team's rise in national and international football.
Rivalries
Clássico Ouro-Verde
Cuiabá and Luverdense Esporte Clube, from the city of Lucas do Rio Verde, contest the Clássico Ouro-Verde. This matchup is considered the biggest classic in current Mato Grosso, as they are currently the two most prominent teams in Mato Grosso football. Additionally, it is seen as a confrontation between the capital and the interior of the state.
Dérbi Cuiabano
Against Mixto Esporte Clube, Cuiabá plays the Dérbi Cuiabano, one of the most prestigious classics in the capital of Mato Grosso. A rivalry that has grown not only due to geographical proximity (both teams are based in the capital) but also due to Cuiabá's strengthening, along with the large fan base and relevance of Mixto as one of the most traditional teams in the state.
Rivalries in the Midwest
With Cuiabá's increasing rise on the national stage in recent years, a certain rivalry has emerged between Cuiabá and teams from Goiás, such as Goiás Esporte Clube, Atlético Clube Goianiense, and Vila Nova Futebol Clube. This rivalry may continue to grow in the coming years, as the teams compete annually for the title of the Copa Verde. (except for Atlético Goianiense)
