Botafogo
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas is placed 12th in FIFA Football Clubs of the 20th Century. The club symbol is the lone star, represented on its badge. Botafogo means (he who) sets fire and is also the name of the neighbourhood where the club has its origins (Botafogo Beach). Botafogo is one of the four big football clubs in Rio de Janeiro (along with Flamengo, Fluminense, and Vasco da Gama).
After winning the Rio de Janeiro League in 1989, 1990, and 1997 and the Brazilian League in 1995, Botafogo would be relegated to the Second Division after ranking last in the Brazilian League of 2002. In 2003, Botafogo ranked second in Brazil’s Second division (after Palmeiras) and returned to the First Division.
Stadium
Botafogo’s home stadium is the Maracanã stadium (capacity 103,045).
Trivia
Nicknames
Fogo, Bota, Fogão, Alvinegro (White-black), O clube da Estrela Solitária (The Lone Star club, reference to the club’s major symbol), O Glorioso (The Glorious, nickname given after 1910’s astonishing campaign)
Mascots
The first mascot was Donald Duck, abandoned due to royalties issues. Nowadays, the club’s mascot is the Manequinho a replica of the Manneken-Pis situated in front of the club. However, Botafogo’s cheers have largely adopted the dog Biriba as a mascot. The idea of officializing it is being studied by the club’s owner. Biriba was Botafogo’s talisman in the late 40’s, considered lucky by the fans.
Insults
Some pejorative terms used by rival supporters when referring to Botafogo: Bostafogo (Bosta means shit in portuguese), Cachorrada (“Bunch of Dogs”, an obvious reference to Biriba).
Rivals
Its biggest rivals are from the same city: Fluminense, Flamengo and Vasco da Gama, as well as the other big teams from Brazil: Corinthians, Santos, Palmeiras, São Paulo, Atlético Mineiro, Grêmio, Cruzeiro and Internacional.
Titles
National
- Brazilian Champions 1995
- Brazil Trophy 1968
- Rio-São Paulo Tournament 1962, 1964, 1966, 1998
State
Famous players
| Alemão | Amarildo | Bebeto | Brito |
| Carlos Alberto Torres | Carvalho Leite | Didi | Donizete |
| Garrincha | Gérson | Gonçalves | Heleno de Freitas |
| Jairzinho | Josimar | Manga | Marinho Chagas |
| Mário Zagallo | Mauro Galvão | Nilo | Nilton Santos |
| Pamplona | Patesko | Quarentinha | Túlio |
Click here for Botafogo's Current squad
History
On July 1, 1894, the Clube de Regatas Botafogo, a rowing club, was founded. The name was meant to evoke neighbourhood where the club was. The colours of the club were black and white, and its symbol the Lone Star, or the Estrela D’alva, the first star to appear on the sky (not a star really, but Venus). It soon became one of the strongest teams in Rio de Janeiro, winning several competitions, along with sea rivals such as Flamengo, Vasco da Gama, Guanabara, Icaraí and São Cristóvão.
About ten years later, on August 12, 1904, another club was founded in the neighbourhood: the Electro Club, first name given to the Botafogo Football Club. The idea came during an algebra lesson, in the college Alfredo Gomes, when Flavio Ramos wrote to friend Emmanuel Sodre: “Itamar has a football club in Martins Ferreira Street. Let’s establish another one, in Largo dos Leões, what do you think? We can speak to the Wernecks, to Arthur Cesar, Vicente and Jacques”. And so the Electro Club was founded. But this name wouldn’t last. After a suggestion from Dona Chiquitota, Flavio’s grandmother, the club finally became the Botafogo Football Club, on September 18 of the same year. The badge was drawn by Basílio Vianna Jr., in Swiss style with the BFC monogram. The Botafogo Football Club would soon became one of the strongest football teams in Rio de Janeiro, winning the championships of 1907, 1910, 1912 and more.
The same name, the same location, the same colours and the most important thing: the same supporters. It seemed that the destiny of both clubs was to become only one. And so it happened: on December 8, 1942 they finally merged together. It was after a basketball match between both clubs, when Botafogo Football Club player Albano died suddenly, that the idea began to become truth. At the tragic occasion, the president of Clube de Regatas Botafogo, Augusto Frederico Schimidt (also a major Brazilian poet) spoke: “At this time, I declare to Albano that his last match ended with the victory of his team. We won’t play no longer the time left of the interrupted game. We all want that the young fighter leaves to the great night as a winner. This is how we greet him”. Eduardo Góis Trindade, Botafogo Football Club’s president said: “Between the matches of our clubs, only one can be the winner: Botafogo!”. And then Schimidt declared the fusion: “What else do we need to our clubs become one?”. And so they did: the Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas finally became true. The Football Club’s badge became black, and the monogram substituted by Clube de Regatas’ lone star. This badge, according to the club’s statute, can never be modified. The water sports maintained the Clube de Regatas’s uniform, all black, while the terrestrial sports maintained Football Club’s one, vertical-striped black and white jersey with black shorts.
External links
Click here to see other Argentinean and Brazilian Football Clubs
Source: Wikipedia On-line Encyclopedia
