Andirá Esporte Clube, commonly known as Andirá, is a
Brazilian football club based in
Rio Branco,
Acre
The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imp ...
. The club currently competes in
Campenato Acreano, the top division of the Acre
state football league. Andirá played three times in the
Brazilian Série C, with their best result being a 37th place finish in the
2001 season.
The club has spent most of its existence fighting against relegation in the Acre state championship, despite being runners-up in the 2007 season. Andirá won the
Acreano Segunda Divisão twice.
Andirá Esporte Clube's home kit is a shirt with vertical black and green stripes, black shorts and black socks. The team mascot is a
bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...
.
History
Andirá Esporte Clube was founded on 1 November 1964,
by the Dantas family, one of the most traditional clans in Acre. The club takes its name from the word "''andyrá''", which is
Tupi Tupi may refer to:
* Tupi people of Brazil
* Tupi or Tupian languages, spoken in South America
** Tupi language, an extinct Tupian language spoken by the Tupi people
* Tupi oil field off the coast of Brazil
* Tupi Paulista, a Brazilian municipalit ...
for "
bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...
".
Andirá's colors were initially black and white, but in 2006, the club adopted green in its uniform, which, according to then club president Gilberto Braga, is a tribute to
the Amazon and
rubber
Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...
, which is prominently produced in Acre.
Andirá competed in the Acre state league for the first time in the 1964 season, taking part in all Campeonato Acreano seasons in the amateur era, but failing to win the title.
Professional era
On 28 May 1989, Andirá took part in the first ever professional Campeonato Acreano match, losing 1–5 to
Rio Branco at
Estádio José de Melo
Estádio José de Melo, sometimes called Stadium José de Melo, is a multi-use stadium located in Rio Branco, Brazil. It is used mostly for football matches and as the training ground of Rio Branco Football Club. The stadium has a maximum capaci ...
. The Morcego didn't fare well in the
1989 season, finishing dead last after losing nine of ten games and scoring just one point overall, following a goalless draw with
Atlético
Atlético, Spanish for ''athletics'', or Athletico in English, may refer to:
Sports Teams Athletico
*Athletico SC (Lebanon), a Lebanese football academy
*Athletic Bilbao, or Atletico Bilbao, Basque students athletic club (also forming Athletic Cl ...
.
The following years, the Morcego were a mainstay in the bottom of the Campeonato Acreano table, more often than not failing to win a single game. After defeating Grêmio 2–0 on 23 July 1995, Andirá had a winless streak that lasted more than two years, ending with a 4–3 victory over Atlético on 1 August 1997.
In 1995, Andirá played for the first time in a national competition, taking part in the
1995 Série C. The club finished last among 107 clubs, losing all four games they played.
In the 90's, Andirá were in the losing side of several blowout games, including a 1–11 loss to
Independência Independência (Portuguese meaning ''independence'') may refer to:
Places in Brazil
* Independência, Ceará, a municipality in the state of Ceará
* Independência, Rio Grande do Sul, a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul
*Independênci ...
in
1993
File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...
, a 0–8 defeat to
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
on 11 June 1995, a 0–7 defeat once again to Independência, on 17 June 1997, and another 0–8 loss, this time to
ADESG, on 5 June 1999.
Andirá had a better showing in the 2000 season, finishing second in the second stage of the Campeonato Acreano, but nevertheless failing to advance to the finals. They played for the second time in the Série C in 2001, finishing sixth out of seven in their group and 37th overall. The next year, Andirá had another shot at the Série C, but failed to win a single game and finished 55th overall.
After a 4th place finish in the 2001 state league, the Morcego finished last in 2002 and 2003, improving their record to a 5th place finish in 2004.
The club decided not to play in the 2005 Campeonato Acreano, returning in 2006. The club made it to the first stage semifinals, losing 2–3 to ADESG. Andirá finished fourth overall in the 2006 Campeonato Acreano. The next season, Andirá had their best showing in the state league, finishing second overall, conceding only seven goals in 12 games. The club however decided not to play in the 2008 season, returning in 2009 to a sixth place finish.
Andirá once again failed to win a single match during the 2010 season, which saw the team getting relegated for the first time in club history. The Morcego quickly found their way back to the top tier of the state league, claiming the second division title in 2011. Led by league top goalscorer Eduardo, the club finished 6th in the
2012 Campeonato Acreano
The 2012 Campeonato Acreano was the 66th season of the Campeonato Acreano
Campeonato Acreano (sometimes referred as Campeonato Acriano) is the football league of the State of Acre, Brazil. It is organized by the Acre State Football Federation.
...
. Andirá escaped relegation in
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
, finishing second-last, but a last place finish in 2014 meant the club would have to play in the Segunda Divisão for the second time.
Andirá won their second Segunda Divisão title on 29 September 2015, beating ADESG 4–2 aggregate in the finals. After three consecutive second-last finishes between 2016 and 2018, Andirá had a better showing in the following years, finishing 7th in 2019 and 2020.
Honours
Domestic
State
*
Campeonato Acreano
Campeonato Acreano (sometimes referred as Campeonato Acriano) is the football league of the State of Acre, Brazil. It is organized by the Acre State Football Federation.
Format 2020 First Division
First stage
*The 10 clubs are divided into two gr ...
:
: Runners-up (1): 2007
*
Campeonato Acreano Segunda Divisão:
: Winners (2): 2011, 2015
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andira Esporte Clube
Association football clubs established in 1964
Football clubs in Acre (state)
1964 establishments in Brazil