Club Profile: Atletico Mineiro

Clube Atlético Mineiro was formed in March 1908 in Belo Horizonte. The club was originally known as Athletico Mineiro Foot Ball Club, and played in white shirts with a green horizontal stripe, but soon changed the kit to the black and white striped design they wear today, and in 1913 the name changed to its […]
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sambafoot_admin
2011-05-19 17:20:00

Clube Atlético Mineiro was formed in March 1908 in Belo Horizonte. The club was originally known as Athletico Mineiro Foot Ball Club, and played in white shirts with a green horizontal stripe, but soon changed the kit to the black and white striped design they wear today, and in 1913 the name changed to its current form.

 

Atlético enjoyed great success in the 1930s, winning the state championship five times, and the Brazilian Champions Tournament once, beating three other state champions. They continued their success in the state championship, winning it 15 times between 1940 and 1963, and managed five successive triumphs between 1952 and 1956.

 

But for all these state championship success, Atlético’s finest moment came in 1971, when they won their first and only Brazilian Championship, defeating Sao Paulo and Botafogo in the final phase. They finished third in the competition in 1976, and runners-up in 1977, despite not losing a game.

 

They won eight state championships in the 1980s, and were knocked out of the 1981 Copa Libertadores without losing a game. The 90s saw more success, with three state championships and two CONMEBOL Cups, a now defunct continental competition. They came third in the Brazilian Championship in 1996, and second in 1999.

 

In 2000, Atlético reached the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores, where they were knocked out by Corinthians. There was a low point in 2005 when the club was relegated to Serie B, but they were promoted again the following year, and have enjoyed solid campaigns since their return.

 

Some of Atlético’s most famous players include Gilberto Silva, who won the World Cup with the Seleção in 2002 and was an important part of the Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ of 2003-04. The most capped goalkeeper in Brazil’s history, Claudio Taffarel, also played for the club, and starred in three World Cups, winning it in 1994.

 

These days, the club can boast the likes of Mancini, formerly of Roma and Internazionale, Daniel Carvalho, who won the UEFA Cup with CSKA Moscow in 2005, and Réver, who has recently become a regular in the Brazil squads of Mano Menezes.

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