Sport Club Corinthians Paulista

The Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly referred to as Corinthians, or by its acronym SCCP, is a Brazilian multi-sport club based in São Paulo, the capital of the state of São Paulo. It was founded as a football team on September 1, 1910, by a group of anarcho-syndicalist workers from the Bom Retiro neighborhood. Its name was inspired by the Corinthian Football Club from London, which was touring Brazil at the time.

Although it has engaged in other sports over the years, its recognition and main achievements have been achieved in football. The club is one of the most successful in Brazil and the Americas in recent years. It is the third greatest national champion, with eleven titles, behind only Palmeiras (18 titles) and Flamengo (14 titles). It has won two FIFA Club World Cups, one Copa Libertadores in an undefeated run, one Recopa Sudamericana, seven Brazilian Championships, three Copa do Brasil titles, one Supercopa do Brasil, five Rio-São Paulo Tournaments (record holder, alongside Palmeiras and Santos), 30 São Paulo Championships (current record holder), and one Copa Bandeirantes (the only winner).

Its traditional colors are black and white. Since 2014, it has played its football matches at Neo Química Arena. Its historical rivals are Palmeiras, with whom it contests the Paulista Derby; São Paulo, with whom it plays the Majestoso; and Santos, with whom it competes in the Alvinegro Classic. Its fanbase is known as "Fiel" (Faithful) and its supporters are estimated to number around 30 million spread across Brazil and the world, being nationally second only to the carioca Flamengo. Its fanbase is also considered one of the largest in the world.

Among important sports modalities throughout Corinthians' history, basketball stands out, where the club enjoyed relative success, especially during the 1950s and 1960s, winning Paulista, Brazilian, and even South American titles, swimming which yielded four victories in the Troféu Brasil de Natação, now known as the Troféu Maria Lenk, and futsal, starting in the 1970s, which brought victories in state and national tournaments. The influence of rowing in the club's history modified the original shield, which alluded solely to football, by adding a pair of oars and an anchor, as they appear to this day.

History

Foundation (1910-1912)

On September 1, 1910, a group of five workers (Joaquim Ambrósio, Antônio Pereira, Rafael Perrone, Anselmo Correa, and Carlos Silva) from the São Paulo neighborhood of Bom Retiro, under the light of a lantern, at eight-thirty at night, decided to create a new football team, along with eight other individuals who contributed 20 thousand réis and were also considered founding members. The idea arose after watching the performance of Corinthian FC, an English football team founded in 1882, which was touring Brazil. The English were referred to by the press of the time as "Corinthian's Team", but the Brazilian team would only be named "Sport Club Corinthians Paulista" after much discussion and several meetings. The chosen president was tailor Miguel Battaglia, who immediately stated, "Corinthians will be the people's team, and the people will make the team." From the first fundraising to purchasing the club's first football, it took little time, in fact, just a week. A rented plot on José Paulino Street was leveled and turned into a field, and it was there that, on September 14, the first training session took place before an enthusiastic audience that declared, "This one is here to stay." From match to match, the team became famous, but it was still a local team.

First Titles (1913-1919)

In 1913, a split among three clubs competing in the Campeonato Paulista opened the opportunity for popular origin clubs, known at the time as "varzeanos," to compete in the competition organized by the LPF, and Corinthians earned the right to compete for the first time in this competition after winning a qualifier against Minas Gerais, the representative from the Brás neighborhood, and FC São Paulo from the Bixiga neighborhood.

Corinthians' debut in the Campeonato Paulista was against Germânia, on April 20, 1913, in a match that ended in an opposing victory, with a score of 3–1. In the next four matches, there were three losses (to Internacional, Americano, and Santos) and one draw (Ypiranga). The first victory occurred on September 7, a 2–0 against Germânia. In the following three matches, there were three more draws (with Internacional, Ypiranga, and Americano). At the end of the 1913 Paulista, Corinthians finished in fourth place, with six points earned (one win, four draws, and three losses, eight goals for and 16 against). Positively, the team revealed two future idols: Neco and Amílcar.

The following season would be significant for Corinthians' history. With just four years of existence, the team won its first title, the Campeonato Paulista of 1914 (organized by the LPF). Corinthians became champions undefeated, with 10 victories in 10 matches, 37 goals scored and 9 goals conceded. With 12 goals, Neco was the top scorer of the competition. The team that won the first title in Corinthians' history was formed by: Aristides, Fúlvio, and Casemiro González; Police, Bianco, and César Nunes; Américo, Peres, Amílcar, Apparício, and Neco. That year, Corinthians played its first match against a foreign team, Torino, with the Italians winning 3–0.

Two Victorious Decades (1920-1940)

Corinthians players in 1933. National Archive.

Teleco was a formidable Corinthians scorer, with the astonishing record of 251 goals in 246 matches (an average of 1.02 goals per match), being the third greatest scorer in Corinthians history to date. He was the top scorer of the Paulista championships of 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939, and 1941. He was known as The King of Comebacks

Amílcar became the first Corinthians player called up to the Brazilian National Team

Neco (wearing the Brazilian National Team jersey, in a photo from 1920) is regarded as the first great Corinthians idol and was the first player from Corinthians to be honored with a bust at Parque São Jorge.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Corinthians established itself as one of the most important teams in São Paulo, rivaling Clube Atlético Paulistano and Societá Sportiva Palestra Itália (future SE Palmeiras). During this period, the club secured nine Paulista titles (including three tri-championships, a feat never achieved by another São Paulo club). Besides Neco, who played for the club until 1930, Rato, Del Debbio, Tuffy, Grané, Teleco, Brandão, and Servílio de Jesus emerged as great idols of the club during this period.

Times of Drought (1941-1950)

In 1941, Corinthians once again won the Campeonato Paulista. The title was not won undefeated due to a loss in the final round against Palestra Itália. The team was great, and the midfield line — Jango, Brandão, and Dino — was impeccable. The celebration of the Corinthians title took place at the newly inaugurated Pacaembu Stadium.

However, in the following nine years, Corinthians experienced a drought of Paulista titles. Without state championships, the club from Parque São Jorge consoled itself by winning the São Paulo Cup four times (in 1942, 1943, 1947, and 1948) - a tournament that gathered the top three teams from the previous year. Lacking the technical prowess of the previous five years, Corinthians finished as vice-champion of the Paulista five times, three of them consecutively, between 1942 and 1950, during a time of São Paulo's rise, led by striker Leônidas da Silva, as a new force in São Paulo football.

Even with the hiring of big names in national football, such as defender Domingos da Guia, at 32 years of age, in 1944, or strikers Milani and Hércules in subsequent years, Corinthians would suffer nearly a decade without significant achievements. The situation would only begin to change starting in 1949, when a new generation of homegrown talents was led by coach Rato (the same Rato who won as a player in the 1920s) to the main team. The fruits would be harvested in the first half of the following decade.

Golden Age (1951-1960)

Baltazar, great Corinthians scorer, was nicknamed Golden Head, for his header goals that inspired the song "Gol de Baltazar," popular to this day.

Gilmar, regarded as the greatest goalkeeper in Corinthians history, defended the club for 10 years, from 1951 to 1961 (on the right in the photo, with Pelé, after the victorious final of the 1958 World Cup).

After a period without major football successes, the club renewed its team for the 1950s. Young players from Corinthians' "youth teams," such as Luizinho, Cabeção, Roberto Belangero, and Idário, joined players like Baltazar, Carbone, Cláudio, and Gilmar, forming one of the best teams in Corinthians and Brazil's history. This team won the Campeonato Paulista (1951 and 1952), the Rio-São Paulo Tournament (1950, 1952, and 1953), and the Small World Cup in 1953.

It was also with this generation that the club went abroad for the first time in its history, having won a friendly match in Uruguay against a local combination, 4–1, in June 1951. The following year, the team toured Europe for the first time, with friendly matches in Turkey, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland (the balance was nine wins, one draw, and one loss). As runners-up in the World Championship after losing the final to Fluminense in the 1953 Copa Rio Internacional, the team left the Campeonato Paulista that year, preparing for the following year's tournament, which would celebrate the "IV Centenary of the Foundation" of the city of São Paulo. That year, the club competed in the Small World Cup, which it ended up winning.

In 1954, the Campeonato Paulista that season garnered great interest from all clubs and fans, as it celebrated the "IV Centenary of the Foundation" of the city of São Paulo. At the time, it was considered the most important Paulista title in history. A draw against Palmeiras secured one of the most significant titles in Corinthians history, crowning the victorious generation of the 1950s. The 1950s also marked the club internationally. Between 1951 and 1959, Corinthians played 64 matches against foreign teams, with 47 wins, ten draws, and only seven losses. The team remained unbeaten for 32 matches, from 1952 to 1954.

By the end of the 1950s, Vicente Matheus was elected club president by direct vote from the members, who led Corinthians for eight terms.

An Annoying Drought and the Rivellino Era (1961-1975)

Although he won only one title with Corinthians, Rivellino is considered by many to be the greatest player in the club's history.

In the 1961 Campeonato Paulista, the team had such a poor campaign that it was nicknamed by rival fans as "Faz-Me-Rir". The club bet on hiring stars who arrived at Parque São Jorge as "saviors," but they ended up not succeeding in the team (like Almir Pernambuquinho in 1960 and Mané Garrincha in 1966). However, that decade also marked the emergence of Roberto Rivellino, "The Little King of the Park." Although he won only one major title with Timão (the Rio-São Paulo Tournament in 1966), he is considered the greatest player in Corinthians history.

In 1966, in an attempt to end the "drought" of titles in the Campeonato Paulista, the Corinthians board hired defender Ditão and midfielder Nair, who came from Associação Portuguesa de Desportos, as well as striker Garrincha, who arrived at Parque São Jorge at 32 years old. At the time, the budget allocated to the football department was record-breaking, and the newspaper "A Gazeta Esportiva" began to refer to the team as the "Timão do Corinthians," and thus the nickname that follows the club to this day was born. Still at the end of the decade, Corinthians would defeat Santos after almost 11 years without victories over Pelé's team in editions of the Campeonato Paulista. Paulo Borges and Flavio scored the goals in that Corinthians victory.

In 1970, after a troubled negotiation with Portuguesa, Corinthians hired left-back Zé Maria. The player had been a world champion with the Brazilian National Football Team in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, as a reserve for Carlos Alberto Torres. To break the drought, the Corinthians board brought in names like Vaguinho (in 1971) and Geraldão in the following years, in addition to promoting players from the youth teams like Wladimir. Besides the endless drought of major achievements, Corinthians also struggled to regularly reach finals in major tournaments. They went from 1957 to 1974 without competing in the Campeonato Paulista finals. In 1974, there was great hope to break the drought in the state final against Palmeiras. But the rival ended up defeating the Corinthians, which hastened Rivellino's departure to Fluminense.

The "Corinthian Invasion" and the End of Anguish (1976-1980)

See main articles: Invasão corintiana, Campeonato Paulista de Futebol de 1977 and Participation of Corinthians in the finals of the Campeonato Paulista de Futebol de 1977

Paulista title trophy of 1977 at the Memorial of Parque São Jorge. (Image: Alessandra A.)

Corinthians and Rivellino would meet in the semifinals of the 1976 Brazilian Championship against Fluminense on December 5, in what is one of the most memorable matches in Corinthians history. Tens of thousands of black-and-white fans traveled to Rio de Janeiro to watch the match at Maracanã Stadium, which ended up being divided between Corinthians and Fluminense fans. That moment became known as "The Corinthians Invasion at Maracanã." The consecration of that memorable day for Corinthians fans came with the victory over the carioca club on penalties, after a 1–1 draw in regulation time. In the Brazilian final, Internacional defeated Corinthians in Porto Alegre.

In early 1977, Corinthians president Vicente Matheus brought Palhinha from Cruzeiro for a record amount at the time: 7 million cruzados. The player would become one of the idols of the "Fiel" during that period. Less than a year after "invading" Maracanã, Corinthians would experience one of its most unforgettable nights on October 13, with the conquest of the Campeonato Paulista, which became one of the most important titles in Corinthians history, as it represented the end of almost 23 years without winning official competitions. In the last of three matches, against Associação Atlética Ponte Preta, the title came with a goal from Basílio in the second half.

For 1978, the club's board hired Sócrates, who belonged to Botafogo de Ribeirão Preto and would eventually be considered one of the greatest stars in the club's history. Another player arriving that year who would be an idol at Timão was Biro-Biro. In 1979, Corinthians would again win the Campeonato Paulista against the same Ponte Preta.

The Era of Corinthian Democracy (1981-1984)

President Vicente Matheus personally sought out midfielder Zenon in Saudi Arabia, who had stood out at Guarani Futebol Clube in previous seasons and would take on the number 10 jersey at Corinthians, replacing Palhinha. However, after failing to perform well in that year's Campeonato Paulista (which was qualifying for the following year's Campeonato Brasileiro), the club had to play in the Taça de Prata, a kind of "second division" of the Campeonato Brasileiro, in 1982.

The poor results on the field led to changes in the board with Vicente Matheus' exit, and the players began to take an active role in the club's decisions. Everything was resolved by vote, from signings to the training location. The period became known as "Corinthian Democracy." The changes bore fruit. In 1982, when led by idols Sócrates, Wladimir, Casagrande, Biro-Biro, and Zenon, the club won the Campeonato Paulista against São Paulo, which was seeking a third consecutive title in the competition. The following year, Corinthians would repeat the final against their rival and once again win the tournament. That year, Corinthians also recorded the largest victory in the history of the Campeonato Brasileiro, a staggering 10–1 against Tiradentes from Piauí, with four goals from Sócrates.

In the following year, the Corinthians team failed to achieve its fourth consecutive Paulista title, losing the championship to Santos. In the Campeonato Brasileiro, the Parque São Jorge team had its best campaign since finishing as runners-up in the 1976 edition and reached the semifinals. The black-and-white squad was eliminated by Fluminense, but the campaign is also remembered for the 4–1 rout against Zico's Flamengo and company.

In 1985, already without Sócrates in its squad and with the end of Corinthian Democracy, the new Corinthians board aimed to consolidate a great team, with the signings of De León, who left Grêmio as the most expensive player in Brazilian football at the time, Serginho Chulapa, and Dunga, who joined reinforcements from the previous year, such as Carlos, Édson, and Juninho, acquired from Ponte Preta, and well-established players Wladimir, Biro-Biro, Zenon, and Casagrande. However, the great team remained just on paper: in the Campeonato Brasileiro, Timão was eliminated before the semifinals, and in the Campeonato Paulista, the team finished only in fifth place.

In the following years, the club renewed itself with a roster of players such as midfielder Wilson Mano, and defender Marcelo, in addition to betting on players raised in the Corinthians youth categories, such as goalkeeper Ronaldo, midfielder Márcio Bittencourt, and forward Viola. Thus, Corinthians would return to winning the Campeonato Paulista.

In 1990, Corinthians would win one of the most important titles in its history. With a team coached by Nelsinho and led on the field by Neto (who would establish himself as a great Corinthians idol), the club won its first Campeonato Brasileiro, defeating São Paulo in the final.

In January 1991, Corinthians won the Supercopa do Brasil, having faced Flamengo, the winner of the 1990 Copa do Brasil, winning 1-0, with a goal by Neto. At the end of the same year, Vicente Matheus left the Corinthians presidency. His wife, Marlene Matheus, took over the club and would hold the position until 1993.

Dualib Era, the Partnership Period (1993-2006)

In 1993, in a new election, the chosen president would be Alberto Dualib, and the club would win in the following years the Campeonato Paulista of 1995 and its first title of the Copa do Brasil, undefeated, after winning the Copa Bandeirantes the previous year. Midfielder Marcelinho Carioca was one of the great highlights of these achievements and would emerge from there as a great idol of the club.

The Dualib Era was marked by partnerships with private groups: Banco Excel (1997), Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Incorporated (from 1999 to 2001), and MSI (from 2005 to 2007), which brought many financial resources to the club, achievements, and controversies. Among the great names who defended the club, stand out Gamarra, Rincón, Vampeta, Edílson, Ricardinho, Kléber, and Dida in the squad between 1998 and 2000 and Carlitos Tevez, Mascherano, and Nilmar in the 2005 and 2006 team, among others.

Regarding titles, the club won three more editions of the Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol (1998, 1999, and 2005), four Campeonato Paulistas (1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003), the Copa Bandeirantes (in its only edition, in 1994), one Copa do Brasil (in 2002), as well as the first FIFA Club World Championship (in 2000), the biggest achievement of this period. The first tournament of its kind organized by FIFA, Corinthians surpassed rivals Raja Casablanca, Real Madrid, and Al Nassr, and won the final against Vasco da Gama in the penalty shootout, becoming the first world champion by FIFA.

End of Partnerships, Relegation, and Comeback (2007-2010)

Ronaldo, the main name between 2009 and 2011.

In 2007, MSI left the club, along with its main players: Tevez, Mascherano, Roger, and Gustavo Nery. Pressured, Alberto Dualib, who had held the Corinthians presidency for over a decade, also left the position. After elections later that year, Andrés Sanchez was elected the new president. The departure of MSI created a period of instability, culminating in the club being relegated to the Série B of the Campeonato Brasileiro.

With investments in marketing projects, restructuring of the football team and coaching staff (led by Mano Menezes), Corinthians made a comeback with a runner-up finish in the Copa do Brasil and the Série B title, which secured their return to the top division of football in the country.

At the end of that year, the Corinthians board finalized the signing of Ronaldo Fenômeno, who became the main athlete of the squad in the following two seasons, marked by the Paulista title (undefeated) and the Copa do Brasil title in 2009, as well as the club's centenary, in September 2010, when the construction of its new stadium was announced, in the Itaquera neighborhood.

The Conquest of America, the Second World Championship, and a New Stadium (2011-present)

See main articles: Copa Libertadores da América de 2012, Copa do Mundo de Clubes da FIFA de 2012, Recopa Sul-Americana de 2013 and Arena Corinthians

The team that won the FIFA Club World Cup in 2012

Corinthians squad celebrates winning the FIFA Club World Cup 2012.

The 2011 season started with an early elimination in the Copa Libertadores da América, but the club recovered with a runner-up finish in the Campeonato Paulista and its fifth title in the Campeonato Brasileiro in 2011.

With the maintenance of the core squad from the national title, Corinthians had one of the most important seasons in its history, being crowned for the first time champion of the Copa Libertadores - and in an undefeated manner, defeating Boca Juniors in the final - and of the FIFA Club World Cup for the second time, with a victory against European champion Chelsea, with a goal from Paolo Guerrero.

Despite winning the Campeonato Paulista and the Recopa Sul-Americana (by beating São Paulo), also winning the honorary title of the International Triple Crown of Football. The black-and-white did not perform well in the main tournaments of the 2013 season, being eliminated in the round of 16 of the Libertadores, in the quarter-finals of the Copa do Brasil, and finishing only in tenth place in the Campeonato Brasileiro. At the end of that year, with Tite's departure, Mano Menezes was hired as the new coach with the mission of reformulating the celebrated Corinthians squad from 2012. The major event of 2014 was the inauguration of the new black-and-white football stadium, built in Itaquera, with a match between Corinthians and Figueirense for the Campeonato Brasileiro. Soon after, the stadium was handed over to FIFA, where it was the stage for the opening of the World Cup that year and five other matches. The team ended the season without titles, having been eliminated in the first phase of the Paulista, in the quarter-finals of the Copa do Brasil, and finishing in fourth place in the Brasileiro.

For the 2015 season, coach Tite returned to the club for the third time. He began preparations for the season by competing in the first edition of the international friendly tournament Florida Cup in the United States. Highlight for the 2-1 victory over the German club Bayer Leverkusen. In the Campeonato Paulista, the team was eliminated in the semifinals, and in the Copa Libertadores and Copa do Brasil, it ended in the round of 16. In the Campeonato Brasileiro, it was crowned champion for the sixth time. In 2016, the black-and-white started preparing for the season by participating in the second edition of the Florida Cup, with a highlight for the 3-2 victory over the Ukrainian team Shakhtar Donetsk. With the dismantling of the championship-winning squad from the previous year and the exit of coach Tite to the Brazilian National Team, the team was eliminated in the semifinals of the Campeonato Paulista, in the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores, and in the quarter-finals of the Copa do Brasil. In the Campeonato Brasileiro, it finished in seventh place, securing a spot in the Copa Sul-Americana for the following year after a ten-year absence from the competition. The year 2017 began with a runner-up finish in the international friendly tournament Florida Cup. Still in the first half, it reached the fourth round of the Copa do Brasil, in addition to the 28th conquest of the Campeonato Paulista. In the second half, it was eliminated in the round of 16 of the Copa Sul-Americana and ended the year with the seventh conquest of the Campeonato Brasileiro.

The year 2018 marked a historic feat, with the 29th conquest of the Campeonato Paulista, over arch-rival Palmeiras, even more so in their arena, after losing the first match at Neo Química Arena, Coringão managed to reverse the score to 1-0 and win the decision on penalties. The year 2019 reserved another historic milestone, the 30th conquest of the Campeonato Paulista, over São Paulo, playing at home, after a long time, Corinthians again achieved a state tri-championship. For the year 2020, several new signings were made, such as Luan, Léo Natel, among others. It began the year as runner-up in the Paulista, losing the final on penalties to its rival Palmeiras. With an extremely fragile squad, it was eliminated early from the Copa do Brasil and Libertadores, in addition to battling against relegation for much of the championship.

With the election of new president Duílio Monteiro Alves, the club assumed the goal of reducing the significant debts imposed on Corinthians, mainly due to his predecessor Andrés Sanchez. In 2021, the club faced several difficulties throughout the season, being eliminated early from the Campeonato Paulista, Copa do Brasil, and Sul-Americana. After releasing several players and signing big names like Willian, Róger Guedes, Renato Augusto, and Giuliano, the club returned to presenting good football, finishing the season qualified for Libertadores. For the 2022 season, with some new reinforcements and a tumultuous start in the competitions after the dismissal of coach Sylvinho and the hiring of coach Vítor Pereira, the club returned to showing good performance on the field. It was eliminated early in the Campeonato Paulista, but returned to the quarter-finals of the Libertadores after 10 years and was a finalist in the Copa do Brasil, finishing as runner-up in the competition. It ended the season qualified for Libertadores. At the beginning of 2023, it had an excellent start to the season. However, it was eliminated early in the Campeonato Paulista. It was eliminated in the group stage of the Libertadores, and was eliminated in the semifinals of the Copa Sul-Americana and Copa do Brasil. In the Campeonato Brasileiro, it flirted with relegation throughout the season but escaped the relegation zone.

In the new presidential elections of the club, Augusto Melo was elected the new president of the club and promised reforms within the club.

Colors and Symbols

The evolution of the Corinthians uniform, in 1910, beige shirt, white shorts and socks. In 1920, white shirt, black shorts and white socks; in 1950, the second uniform in black with fine white stripes and black shorts, which is used to this day. The official colors are white and black.

Uniform

Officially, the first Corinthians shirt would have been beige, in homage to the English team of the same name. The 1910 shirt had black details on the sleeves, hem, and collar. The shorts were white and made from flour sacks. However, for journalist Celso Unzelte, a researcher of the team's history, it would be very unlikely that the club, at the time poor and humble, would have the financial resources to purchase uniforms that were not white, and even the oldest photograph of the team, from the 1913 Campeonato Paulista, shows players wearing white shirts and shorts.

It is undisputed that starting in 1920, Corinthians began to play with a white shirt and black shorts when the board managed to secure funds to buy them. Since then, they have become the official uniform. From this model, records of the first alternative versions of the uniform can be found, used in specific matches. Only on December 22, 1946, would the club's athletes enter the field with numbered shirts, in a friendly against Club Atlético River Plate, at Pacaembu Stadium. In 1949, the club wore a maroon shirt in a friendly against Portuguesa de Desportos, as a way of paying tribute to the Torino Football Club squad in Italy, which was victim to a plane crash against the Basilica of Superga in Turin.

At the end of August 2010, Corinthians launched at Parque São Jorge the shirt commemorating the club's centenary, which was used as the home uniform until the end of that year's Campeonato Brasileiro. The shirt refers to the supposed first uniform used by Corinthians in 1910, with beige jerseys and the letters "CP" on the shield, referencing the first symbol used by the club.

Shield

The flag of the state of São Paulo appears on the shield.

Unlike the shirt, the Corinthians shield has undergone several changes over the years. While the team only played friendlies and local football tournaments, the shirt did not have a badge. The first one was created in a hurry for the match against Minas Gerais, valid for the qualifying round for the Liga Paulista de Foot-Ball in 1913, and bore only the letters "C" and "P" (for Corinthians and Paulista) intertwined. This shield would be used until the following year, when Hermógenes Barbuy, a lithographer and brother of player Amílcar, created the first official shield, elaborating a frame for the letters and adding the "S" (for Sport), which debuted in the friendly against Torino (Italy) in São Paulo.

Artist Orfeu Maia, creator of the latest version of the shield

Shortly after, the frame became larger, and starting in 1919, the badge began to take on its current shape, with the flag of the State of São Paulo at the center. In 1937, President Getúlio Vargas instituted the Estado Novo and held a public ceremony with the burning of the flags of all the states of the federation, as he wanted a strong and centralized government. The São Paulo flag survived only within the Corinthians shield. After the regime fell, the use of regional symbols was permitted. In 1939, the shield gained a buoy surrounding the circle, along with a pair of oars and the anchor, in reference to the club's success in nautical sports. The design was created by modernist painter Francisco Rebolo, who was a player for the second team of Corinthians in the 1920s. After that, the Corinthians symbol underwent minor changes over time, such as in the flag and frame.

In 1980, aiming to modernize the badge, artist Orfeu Maia created a new version of our crest that endures to this day, replacing the buoy with a rope and creating a fantastic graphic design.

In 1990, the first star was added in reference to the first Brazilian title. The same was done with the achievements of 1998, 1999, and 2005, plus a larger star with a silver outline placed above the others, in honor of the FIFA World Cup victory in 2000. In 2011, the Corinthians board decided to set aside all the stars on the club's badge, emphasizing the importance of its own symbol. Below, the evolution of the shields, from the foundation to the present day:

The Musketeer and Saint George

The musketeer, the Corinthians mascot (photo of a statue of D'Artagnan in Maastricht).

Saint George, the patron saint of Corinthians.

Corinthians adopted the "musketeer" as its mascot. There are two versions regarding the origin of the Corinthians mascot. The first is that the club sought a spot in the Liga Paulista de Futebol in 1913, which only participated in Americano, Germânia, and Internacional (like the characters Athos, Porthos, and Aramis from the novel "The Three Musketeers" by French author Alexandre Dumas, published in 1844). As there were other contenders for the spot, Corinthians had to compete in a playoff against Minas Gerais (from Brás) and FC São Paulo (from Bixiga), two other great local teams. After defeating both teams, Corinthians secured the right to compete in the Special Division of the League, earning the nickname D'Artagnan, the fourth musketeer from the press.

A second version for the use of the "musketeer" as Corinthians' mascot emerged in 1929, when Corinthians defeated Barracas (Argentina) 3–1. It was the first victory of the São Paulo club in international matches and garnered attention in the pages of the newspaper "A Gazeta," with the title given by journalist Tomás Mazzoni: "Corinthians won with the 'fiber of a musketeer'". This version is officially adopted by the club and historians like Celso Unzelte.

Besides the mascot, Corinthians has a strong attachment to Saint George. After purchasing the field at Parque São Jorge in 1926, Corinthians adopted the saint as its patron. The club built a chapel in honor of Saint George within its social headquarters.

Structure and Assets

Neo Química Arena

Since Parque São Jorge had become too modest to accommodate the large number of Corinthians fans, there have always been many projects, but none were ever realized.

On August 27, 2010, the construction of a new stadium was announced, with a projected capacity of 48,000 people and an estimated cost of 350 million reais. Its project was authored by Aníbal Coutinho.[note 7] Located on a property of 197,095.14 square meters, the constructed area is 189,000 square meters.

Constructed by Odebrecht between 2011 and 2014, it had an initial cost forecast of 820 million reais. However, its final cost reached R$ 985 million, emphasizing that this amount does not include expenses with mobile stands (funded by the São Paulo government in partnership with AmBev), the complementary structures for FIFA, which were part of the FIFA World Cup project of 2014, and the costs associated with interest payments on bank loans, which raised the costs to R$ 1.15 billion.

The stadium is located 19 kilometers east of the city center and 21 km from São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport. The nearest metro station is Corinthians-Itaquera, located 500 meters from the stadium. It connects to a train station of the same name. Artur Alvim metro station is 800 meters away. If all users boarded trains to leave the stadium, it would be empty in 30 minutes. During the 2014 World Cup matches, an express train connected Luz and the Corinthians-Itaquera Station of CPTM, making the journey in 17 minutes.

Arena Corinthians was officially inaugurated on May 19, 2014, with an official match between Corinthians and Figueirense, valid for the Campeonato Brasileiro, which ended with a 1-0 victory for the visiting team.

Days later, it hosted the opening of the FIFA World Cup 2014 between Brazil and Croatia and five other matches of the main competition among national teams in the world, including a semifinal. During the World Cup, Arena Corinthians exceptionally had 19,800 additional temporary seats to meet FIFA's requirements. The temporary stands were removed after the tournament.

Arena Corinthians was one of the venues for Olympic football at RIO 2016. The stadium hosted 10 matches, including a men's semifinal and the decision for the bronze medal in the women's tournament. It is currently the 12th largest stadium in Brazil and the second largest in the State of São Paulo.

In November 2018, Conmebol announced that Arena Corinthians would replace Allianz Parque in the competition among South American teams, being one of the six stadiums used for the Copa América, which occurred from June 14 to July 7, 2019.

The NFL (National Football League), the American football league, will hold an official game of its regular season in Brazil. The game will take place in the second half of 2024 at Neo Química Arena, with teams yet to be defined. The NFL has set the date of September 6, 2024, for the match.

Match statistics, attendance, revenue, and competitions of Corinthians in its Arena

Parque São Jorge

Estádio Alfredo Schürig, better known as Fazendinha and Parque São Jorge, is a stadium owned by Corinthians. Built between 1926 and 1928 with the financial help of the club's members, it was inaugurated in a friendly match between Corinthians and América-RJ. In 1961, it gained a new lighting system, which debuted in a match against Flamengo, resulting in a black-and-white victory of 7 to 2. The last professional team match at Parque São Jorge occurred on August 3, 2002, in a friendly against Brasiliense. With a current capacity to accommodate about 18,000 spectators, Parque São Jorge has been used to host matches of the club's American Football team, the Corinthians Steamrollers, and is also used for training and matches of Corinthians' youth categories.

With the significant growth of Corinthians' fanbase, Parque São Jorge became too small to host the club's matches, which began to be held in larger stadiums. The main one was Estádio Paulo Machado de Carvalho, better known as Estádio do Pacaembu, owned by the municipality of São Paulo, and since its inauguration in 1940, it was considered the "home" of Corinthians. Between the 1940s and 1960s, the club held almost all its major matches at Pacaembu, which saw the black-and-white club win the Campeonato Paulista three times in the 1950s. Starting in the 1970s, Corinthians also began using Estádio Cícero Pompeu de Toledo, better known as Estádio do Morumbi and owned by São Paulo Futebol Clube, as its home ground. Although the black-and-white club maintained Pacaembu as its main stadium, Morumbi, due to its larger capacity, was almost always the venue for major classics and Corinthians decisions (such as finals of the Campeonato Paulista and Campeonato Brasileiro) from the mid-1970s to the end of the 2000s. Due to a disagreement with Juvenal Juvêncio, then president of São Paulo, regarding the number of tickets for a Majestoso classic match in 2009, the Corinthians board decided to never again hold matches at Morumbi, and Pacaembu resumed hosting major Corinthians decisions, such as the Campeonato Brasileiro final in 2011 and the Copa Libertadores final in 2012, until the inauguration of Arena Corinthians.

Estádio da Ponte Grande

The Estádio da Ponte Grande was the first stadium of Corinthians Paulista. Previously, the club held its matches at "Campo do Lenheiro," on a plot located on the old Rua dos Imigrantes, now Rua José Paulino, in the Bom Retiro neighborhood where the club was founded. The Estádio da Ponte Grande was inaugurated in 1918 and was located near Ponte das Bandeiras, where the Tietê Sports and Leisure Center is now located, in the northern region of São Paulo.

At Estádio da Ponte Grande, Corinthians won state titles in 1922, 1923, and 1924, in addition to being the stage for some cups won in friendlies. Another notable fact was the match between the Brazilian National Team and Corinthians. The friendly match took place in 1925 and ended in a 1-1 draw. Despite the historical importance of the place for the Alvinegro Paulista, there are few photographic records of what was Corinthians' first stadium.

In 1926, the then president of Corinthians Ernesto Cassano purchased the land at Parque São Jorge for the club. The land belonged to the Esporte Clube Sírio and was bought by Ernesto Cassano for 750 contos de réis, to be paid over ten years. From then on, the club began the process of moving from Ponte Grande in northern São Paulo to the Tatuapé neighborhood in the eastern part of the city.

CT Joaquim Grava

The training center for the professional team was inaugurated in September 2010. Its name honors doctor Joaquim Grava, the main idealizer of the project. The Corinthians training center is considered one of the most modern in the world. It was used by the Iranian National Team during the 2014 World Cup.

Next to CT Joaquim Grava, Corinthians plans to build a training center for athletes raised in the youth teams. The project includes three official fields (105x68m) with natural grass and one smaller field with synthetic grass, a dormitory for 152 athletes, and also a cafeteria and kitchen, in addition to a mini school with two classrooms and an auditorium.

Memorial

Inaugurated in January 2006, shortly after the club won its fourth Brazilian championship, the Memorial do Corinthians is located at its social headquarters, at Parque São Jorge. The space presents the history of the team through videos, photos, and spaces that showcase real environments from the football world. In addition to the various trophies displayed, the place has themed spaces for the 1977 Paulista title, the undefeated Libertadores title of 2012, and the two FIFA World Cup trophies.

Financial Situation

In 2012, with the titles of the Libertadores and the World Cup, Corinthians' annual revenue reached the impressive mark of 358 million reais. In April 2015, an official report revealed that Corinthians' total revenue was 258.2 million reais in 2014, an 18% drop from R$ 316 million in 2013, and the club's debts reached 313 million reais. If debts related to paying off Arena Corinthians are included, the indebtedness exceeded 1 billion reais, a value ten times greater than when Andrés Sanchez took over the club at the end of 2007.

The debt of Corinthians increased drastically from 2008 onward, mainly due to expenses with professional football (which made the Parque São Jorge team the one that spent the most on salary payments and signings between 2009 and 2014, with 1.2 billion reais, an average of 200 million per year), unpaid taxes from 2007 to 2010 (which generated a debt of 94 million reais for the subsequent administration, led by Mário Gobbi, who managed to pay off just over half of the relative taxes evaded by Sanchez's management) and also the payment for the construction of Arena Corinthians, which, including interest and construction, cost 1.15 billion reais.

Despite the high indebtedness, from 2010 to 2014, Corinthians was one of the most valuable clubs in Brazilian football, leading the BDO consultancy ranking for five consecutive years and being the first to surpass the mark of 1 billion reais, reaching 1.2 billion in 2014. In 2013, the ranking of the 20 most valuable clubs in the world by Forbes magazine placed Corinthians in 16th place, with revenue valued at 358 million reais, being the only non-European club to appear on the list. Corinthians also led the 2014 ranking of the same magazine on the 30 most valuable clubs in America, being valued at 579.9 million dollars.

The administration of president Duilio Monteiro Alves has been seeking to mitigate the club's serious financial situation; in the first quarter of 2021, Corinthians had a surplus of R$ 3.5 million. Alongside ongoing adjustments, Corinthians signed a contract with the KPMG audit firm for assistance in renegotiating its debts, aiming for a restructuring based on support in renegotiating debts and raising new resources.

Fans

Corinthians fans are affectionately called "Fiel" (Faithful). According to a series of research institutes, such as Ibope and Datafolha, along with the Placar magazine, Timão has between 27 and 33 million supporters spread throughout the country, considering, in the given surveys, Brazilians aged 10 or 16 years and older, having the second-largest fanbase in Brazil, behind only Flamengo nationally. However, more recent nationwide surveys indicate a strong growth of the Corinthians fanbase in recent years, reducing the gap between them and the carioca rubro-negros. According to Datafolha data from 2014, which considers fans aged 16 years and older (in a universe of 202.9 million Brazilians), there are 28.4 million Corinthians fans throughout Brazil, with the family income range above 10 minimum wages, Corinthians leads with 17.6% of Brazilians, well above Flamengo, which has 10.9% in this range, and São Paulo, which has 9.2% of the wealthiest population. The growth of the black-and-white fanbase is evident when comparing the last Ibope survey in 2010, which considered fans aged 10 years and older and estimated 21.7 million black-and-white fans across the country.

Analyzing from the first Datafolha survey conducted in 1993 to the present day, it can be concluded that during this period, the Corinthians fanbase was the only one to grow considerably among Brazilian teams. In 1993, the institute indicated that Corinthians had 10% of the country's fans, with a margin of error of two percentage points more or less. That is, the team from Parque São Jorge would have between 8% and 12% of the fans. In the last survey, in 2014, the São Paulo club appears with 14% of the fans. With the margin of error, 12% or 16%. With these numbers, Corinthians was the only team that managed to grow above the margin of error compared to the first survey. In comparison, Flamengo had 17% in 1993 and 18% in 2014. Therefore, it remained within the margin of error and showed no growth. Only in the State of São Paulo are there about 15.6 million Corinthians fans, so the team from Parque São Jorge surpasses the combined number of fans of São Paulo and Palmeiras (its two biggest rivals). Another 13 million "faithful" fans are spread across the rest of Brazil. Corinthians lead in the Southeast region. In Minas Gerais, "Timão" has 900,000 fans and is the third largest fanbase in that state - behind only Atlético-MG and Cruzeiro. In the southern region of the country, Corinthians only falls behind the fanbases of Grêmio and Internacional, including in Rio Grande do Sul, where it has over 60,000 fans. In Paraná, the presence is significant, with Corinthians having over 1.5 million black-and-white supporters.

"Bando de Loucos," one of the nicknames for the Corinthians fanbase. (Image: Alessandra A.)

Outside the South/Southeast regions, Corinthians consolidates itself as the second most popular team in the country. In the sum of the Midwest and North regions, Corinthians fans also hold the second position in fan popularity. The same happens in the Northeast of Brazil. Corinthians fans have a strong presence in states like Pernambuco (according to Ibope survey, there are almost 700,000 fans, only behind the two local teams: Sport Recife and Santa Cruz; Datafolha places it as the second largest fanbase in the state). In Ceará, Timão has over 700,000 fans and is behind Fortaleza, Ceará, and Flamengo. In Bahia, Corinthians has over 1.1 million fans, being surpassed only by Bahia, Vitória, and Flamengo. In the Federal District, Timão has 122,000 fans, being the third largest fanbase. In Goiás, it is only behind Goiás and Flamengo.

One of the most remarkable moments featuring its fans occurred in 1976, in the semifinal of that year's Brazilian Championship, when tens of thousands of Corinthians fans traveled to Rio de Janeiro to watch the match valid for the semifinals of the Brasileirão against Fluminense, then known as "The Tricolor Machine" due to the immense quality of its squad, at Maracanã Stadium. This event was recorded in history as the "Corinthian Invasion." This also marked the largest attendance recorded at a match involving the black-and-white team at the largest stadium in Brazil. Another significant event with strong support from Corinthians fans was the FIFA Club World Cup of 2012, when over 40,000 "faithful" fans traveled to support the club in Yokohama, Japan.

The attendance records at the two main stadiums in the State of São Paulo, Morumbi and Pacaembu, were registered in matches with the presence of Corinthians. On October 9, 1977, more than 146,000 people attended the match between Corinthians and Ponte Preta, the second of the finals of that year's Campeonato Paulista, which ended the "Timão" 23-year title drought. ([)(needs sources)(]) For the Campeonato Brasileiro, the highest attendance at the stadium is also Corinthians', and the record was set on May 6, 1984, in the match between Corinthians and Flamengo, valid for the quarter-finals of the competition. At Pacaembu, Corinthians reigns supreme with nine of the ten highest attendances in the stadium's history. ([)(needs sources)(]) The record attendance at Pacaembu was in the classic match between Corinthians and São Paulo in 1942, which had over 70,000 spectators and marked the debut of star Leônidas da Silva for the tricolor team.

Organized Fans

Organized Fans of Corinthians in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina. (Image: Alessandra A.)

Corinthians' main Organized Fans are Gaviões da Fiel, Camisa 12, Fiel Macabra, Pavilhão 9, and Estopim da Fiel. Founded in 1969, Gaviões da Fiel is the largest of them and has over 100,000 members. Gaviões and Camisa 12 have a historical rivalry, as the latter was born from a division among directors of the former, two years after Gaviões was founded. Today, there is a division for political reasons within Gaviões da Fiel itself. At home matches, the four largest Corinthians fan groups usually sing their own songs. The lyrics sung by Gaviões da Fiel members often stand out over other organized fan groups due to the larger number of members and tend to be accompanied by other fans, usually not affiliated with any faction, spread throughout the stadium.

Outside the stadium, the organized fans have actively participated in the political-administrative life of Corinthians, sometimes in a somewhat radical manner. One of the most notable cases of this participation occurred in the fall of Alberto Dualib in the 2000s, who had been in power at Corinthians for over 15 years. Other episodes have included pressure and even threats against players, including hostility towards athletes and an invasion of Parque São Jorge during the team's return after the fall in the Copa Libertadores da América in 2000, in addition to a protest that culminated in assaults against employees and threats to athletes during an invasion of CT Joaquim Grava in 2014.

Classics and Rivalries

Corinthians has a rich history against its historical rivals: Palmeiras, São Paulo, and Santos, with the first two and Corinthians forming the so-called Trio de Ferro (Iron Trio) of São Paulo football. The black-and-white team is the only Brazilian club to decide Brazilian Championship titles and confrontations in the Copa Libertadores against its main rivals.

In the Campeonato Brasileiro, it won its first title in the competition by defeating São Paulo in 1990. In 1994 and 2002, it lost the title to Palmeiras and Santos respectively.

In the Copa Libertadores, it faced Palmeiras six times, with three victories each, being eliminated in 1999 and 2000 in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively. Against Santos, there were two confrontations in 2012 in the semi-finals, with one Corinthians victory and one draw. Against São Paulo, there were two confrontations in 2015 in the group stage, with one victory each.

During 2014, the first year of the new Corinthians home, Arena Corinthians, the team achieved three victories against its rivals in the first classics in its arena. Victory over Palmeiras by 2-0, victory over São Paulo by 3-2, and victory by 1-0 over Santos. All matches were valid for the Campeonato Brasileiro that year.

Paulista Derby

The Paulista Derby is the name of the classic contested between Corinthians and Palmeiras, considered the most traditional in the capital of São Paulo and one of the greatest rivalries in the world. The name of the classic was given by journalist Tommaso Mazzoni, in reference to the most important horse race in the world, the Epsom Derby, in which it has always been difficult to point out the winner