Galícia Esporte Clube is a
Brazilian football club from
Salvador, capital of the state of
Bahia
Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
, in
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
's northeast region.
History
Galícia was founded on January 1, 1933 by immigrants from the autonomous region of
Galicia,
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. Its founder and first president was Mr.
Eduardo Castro de la Iglesia.
Galícia was the first club to win the
Bahia League Championship (Campeonato Baiano) three times in a row, quickly becoming one of the strongest teams in the state. In its first decade, the club won the League in 1937, 1941, 1942 and 1943, being runner-up another five times (1935, 1936, 1938, 1939 and 1940).
However, after this superb beginning, the club only managed to return to the top in 1968, with its fifth and last Bahia League title. Besides, it was runner-up in 1967, 1980, 1982 and 1995.
Galícia’s best regional performance was in 1969, when it was runner-up of the Northeast Zone of the
North-Northeast Cup (Copa Norte-Nordeste). The club only played twice in the
Brazilian League (Campeonato Brasileiro) First Division: 1981 and 1983.
In 1999, the team was relegated to
Bahia League’s Second Division.
In 2001, Galícia occupied 54th place in the Brazilian Football Clubs Ranking of the prestigious "
Placar" magazine.
In 2013, Galícia won the
Bahia League’s Second Division, returning to the
Bahia League Championship after 14 years of absence.
In 2017, the club finished in the last place of
Bahia League Championship, being relegated once more to the
Bahia League’s Second Division
Stadiums
In its early years, Galícia played in the old "Campo da Graça" stadium. After its demolition, its home matches moved to Salvador's biggest stadium,
Fonte Nova, and sometimes to
Pituaçu Stadium. Nowadays, the club has its own stadium, the
Parque Santiago, with a
seating capacity
Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
of 8,000 fans.
Symbols
Galícia’s nicknames are "Demolidor de Campeões" ("Champions' Demolisher"), "Azulino" ("The Blue One") and "Granadeiro" ("grenadier").
Galícia's logo is white, with a blue diagonal strip featuring the letters "G", "E" and "C", and a
Saint James Cross in the center, remembering its galicean heritage. The players wear blue shirts and white shorts and socks. The club anthem was composed by
Francisco Icó da Silva.
Honours
State
*
Campeonato Baiano
** Winners (5): 1937, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1968
** Runners-up (12): 1935, 1936, 1938 (I), 1939, 1940, 1944, 1945, 1948, 1967, 1980, 1982, 1995
*
Campeonato Baiano Segunda Divisão
** Winners (3): 1985, 1988, 2013
*
Torneio Início da Bahia
** Winners (9): 1935, 1936, 1939, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1954, 1957, 1960
Friendly tournaments
*
Torneio Quadrangular de Salvador
** Winners (1): 1948
Awards
*
Fita Azul
** Winners (1): 1974
Fita Azul do Futebol Brasileiro (Brazilian Football Blue Ribbon) was an award given for the club which succeeds in an excursion out of the country.
Women's Football
*
Campeonato Baiano de Futebol Feminino
** Winners (1): 1999
External links
Galícia Esporte – Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Galicia Esporte Clube
Association football clubs established in 1933
Football clubs in Bahia
Rugby union teams in Brazil
1933 establishments in Brazil
Sport in Salvador, Bahia
Organisations based in Salvador, Bahia