Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense (), commonly known as Grêmio, is a Brazilian professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club based in
Porto Alegre,
capital city of the
Brazilian state of
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...
. The club plays in the
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (; English: "Brazilian Championship A Series"), commonly referred to as the Brasileirão (; English: "Big Brazilian"), and also known as Brasileirão Assaí due to sponsorship with Assaí Atacadista, is a Br ...
, the first division of the
Brazilian football league system, and the
Campeonato Gaúcho, Rio Grande do Sul's top
state league. The club was founded in 1903 by European immigrants Englishman Andy Fairbank and German Paul Cochlin. The club's home ground is the
Arena do Grêmio
Arena do Grêmio is a multi-use stadium in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. It was inaugurated on December 8, 2012.
It is used mostly for association football, football matches and as the home stadium of Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, replac ...
, to which it moved in 2013, having previously played at
Estádio Olímpico Monumental since 1954.
Grêmio also became Champions of the
Intercontinental Cup, after beating
Hamburger SV in 1983 (2–1). Also, Grêmio is the Brazilian club that has won the most
Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores de América (3) titles alongside
São Paulo,
Santos,
Palmeiras, and
Flamengo.
As of 2017, Grêmio was ranked number one in the
CBF club rankings and is listed by ''
Forbes'' as the third most valuable football club in the Americas with an estimated value of $295.5 million. Grêmio has won 41
Campeonato Gaúcho, 2
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (; English: "Brazilian Championship A Series"), commonly referred to as the Brasileirão (; English: "Big Brazilian"), and also known as Brasileirão Assaí due to sponsorship with Assaí Atacadista, is a Br ...
, 1
Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série B is commonly referred to as the Brasileirão Série B (Série B), and until 2022 was officially called Brasileirão Sportingbet by sponsorship reasons. It is the second tier of the Brazilian football league system ...
, 1
Supercopa do Brasil, 1
Copa Sul and 5
Copa do Brasil. Internationally, Grêmio has won 1
Intercontinental Cup, 3
Copa Libertadores de América
The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club association football, football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level ...
, 2
Recopa Sudamericana
The CONMEBOL Recopa Sudamericana ( pt, CONMEBOL Recopa Sul-Americana), known also as the Recopa Sudamericana or CONMEBOL Recopa, and simply as the Recopa (, ; "Winners' Cup"), is an annual international club association football, football compe ...
and 1
Sanwa Bank Cup. Grêmio usually plays in a
tricolor (blue, black and white) striped shirt, black shorts and white socks, which originated the team's nickname.
Grêmio has a fierce rivalry with
Internacional, which is widely considered the most heated in Brazil and one of the most heated in the world. Matches between the two teams are known as
Grenal.
History
The beginning and professionalism at the club
On 7 September 1903, Brazil's first football team,
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
The length of the Rio G ...
, played an exhibition match in
Porto Alegre. An entrepreneur from
Sorocaba
Sorocaba () is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Sorocaba is the eighth-largest city in the state of São Paulo. Outside the Greater São Paulo region, it ranks behind only Campinas, São José dos Campos and Ribeirão Preto. It ...
, São Paulo, named Cândido Dias was besotted with the sport and went to watch the match. During the match, the ball deflated. As the only owner of a football in Porto Alegre, he lent his ball to the players and the match resumed. After the match, he talked to the local players about how to start a football club. On 15 September 1903, 32 people, including Cândido Dias, met at Salão Grau, a local restaurant and founded "Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense". Most of the founding members were part of the city's
German community. Carlos Luiz Bohrer was elected as first president.
The club's first match took place on 6 March 1904, against Fuss Ball Porto Alegre, the first of two matches played that day. Grêmio won the first match 1–0. Unfortunately, the name of the player who scored the club's first goal is lost to history. The trophy Grêmio won that day, the Wanderpreis, is still displayed at the club's museum. Within 5 months the club had inaugurated the Baixada, its first home.
On 18 July 1909, Grêmio beat
Internacional 10–0 on the latter's debut game. Grêmio's goalkeeper Kallfelz reportedly left the field to chat with fans during the match. Even now this victory is remembered with pride by Gremistas (Grêmio supporters). The match was the starting point for a rivalry that rages on to this day. Grêmio was one of the founding members of the Porto Alegre football league in 1910, and in 1911 won the league for the first time. On 25 August 1912, in a city league match, Grêmio beat Sport Clube Nacional of Porto Alegre 23–0. Sisson scored 14 goals in the match to record Grêmio's biggest ever win. In 1918, Grêmio became a founding member of the ''Fundação Rio-Grandense de Desportes'' (later known as
Federação Gaúcha de Futebol), a federation that organized the first state championships in
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...
. The first championship was scheduled for 1918, but the Spanish flu epidemic forced the event to be postponed until 1919. In 1921, a year after the arrival of legendary goalkeeper ''Eurico Lara'', Grêmio won its first state championship.
On 7 July 1911, Grêmio beat
Uruguay's national team 2–1. In 1931, Grêmio became one of the first teams in Brazil to play matches at night after installing floodlights at Estádio Baixada. On 19 May 1935, Grêmio became the first team from Rio Grande do Sul to beat a team from the state of São Paulo (considered the strongest Brazilian league at the time) by defeating
Santos 3–2. Grêmio was also the first club outside
Rio de Janeiro state to play at the
Maracanã Stadium, defeating
Flamengo 3–1 in 1950.
During this period, Grêmio started to earn a reputation abroad. In 1932 it played its first international match in
Rivera (Uruguay). In 1949, the match against Uruguay's
Nacional
Nacional, the Portuguese and Spanish word for "national", may refer to:
Airlines
* Nacional Transportes Aéreos, a Brazilian airline defunct in 2002
* Transportes Aéreos Nacional, a Brazilian airline defunct in 1961
Bank
* Banco Nacional, a ...
ended in a 3–1 win for Grêmio and the players received a hero's welcome on their return to Porto Alegre. In that same year, Grêmio played for the first time in Central America. Between 1953 and 1954, Grêmio travelled to Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia, a tour dubbed "the conquest of the Americas". On 25 February 1959, Grêmio defeated
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine sports club headquartered in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is mostly known for its professional football team which, since its promotion in 1913, has always played in the A ...
4–1 in Buenos Aires, becoming the first foreign team to beat Boca at
La Bombonera.
In 1961, Grêmio went on its first European tour playing 24 games in 11 countries: France, Romania, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Denmark, Estonia and Russia. The ''Gremistas'' (Grêmio fans) were growing in number. 1946 saw the first appearance of the club's motto ''"com o Grêmio onde o Grêmio estiver"'' ("with Grêmio wherever Grêmio may be"), which was later written into Grêmio's official anthem. An anthem penned by
Lupicinio Rodrigues, a
samba-cancao composer who became one of the most famous and revered Grêmio fans. The anthem celebrates the Gremistas reputation for attending all Grêmio matches, regardless of the difficulties and obstacles they might have to overcome to see their club. In the late 1950s, Grêmio joined the
Taça Brasil
The Taça Brasil ( en, Brazil Cup) was the Brazilian national football championship contested from 1959 to 1968.
Bahia, Cruzeiro and Botafogo were the only champions to have played all phases of the tournament, because until the 1968 edition tea ...
, as the Brazilian league was known at the time. The team reached the Taça Brasil semi-finals in 1959, 1963 and 1967. In 1968, the team won its first international title in a friendly cup with teams from Brazil and
Uruguay. In 1954, Grêmio inaugurated what was at the time the biggest private stadium in Brazil, the
Olímpico Stadium. In 1971, the
Taça Brasil
The Taça Brasil ( en, Brazil Cup) was the Brazilian national football championship contested from 1959 to 1968.
Bahia, Cruzeiro and Botafogo were the only champions to have played all phases of the tournament, because until the 1968 edition tea ...
championship was replaced by the
Campeonato Brasileiro with the first goal ever scored in the Campeonato Brasileiro coming from Grêmio's
Néstor Scotta, an
Argentine
Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...
, in a match against
São Paulo at
Estádio do Morumbi. Grêmio maintained a series of respectable results in Campeonato Brasileiro, usually achieving a top half finish.
Valdir Espinosa and the Intercontinental Cup 1983
Grêmio's first dominant period in South American football began in the early 1980s. Propelled by the completion of their new stadium, the
Olímpico Monumental.
Grêmio won its first Campeonato Brasileiro on 3 May 1981, after defeating
São Paulo at the
Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo. The scores in the two-leg final were 2–1 at Olímpico and 1–0 for Grêmio at Morumbi. The winning goal was scored by striker Baltazar. Earlier, on 26 April 1981 Olímpico had its biggest attendance ever, when 98,421 fans watched Grêmio lose to
Ponte Preta 0–1 in the Campeonato Brasileiro semi-final.
1983 was the most successful year in Grêmio's history. First, Grêmio won the South-American
Copa Libertadores
The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in S ...
, after a consistent yet eventful campaign. One of the matches of the semi-final, the 3–3 draw against
Estudiantes at
Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium, became legendary for its belligerence on and off the pitch and is dubbed the "Batalha de La Plata" ("Battle of La Plata"). In the finals, Grêmio beat the 1982 South America and World champions
Peñarol from Uruguay, with a 1–1 draw in
Montevideo
Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
and a 2–1 win in Porto Alegre. The winning goal was scored by César just before the end of the match. A year later, Grêmio was runner-up in the Copa Libertadores final, being defeated by Argentina's
Independiente.
Also in 1983, Grêmio won the
Intercontinental Cup after defeating
Hamburger SV of Germany 2–1.
Renato Portaluppi scored both goals. With Uruguayan defender
De León and goalkeeper Mazaropi also earning club legend status on the back of their performances in the Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup. Porto Alegre, was deafened by the gremista's chant of: ''"The Earth is Blue"''. Soon after winning the Intercontinental Cup, Grêmio beat
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
of Mexico in Los Angeles, and won the
Los Angeles Cup.
In 1989, Grêmio won the first
Copa do Brasil, a Brazilian knockout cup featuring football teams from all around the country. After humiliating Flamengo with a 6–1 win in the second leg of the semi-finals, Grêmio defeated
Sport Recife in the final, with a 0–0 draw in Recife and a 2–1 win in Porto Alegre.
In 1991, after a poor season, Grêmio was relegated for the first time to the
Brazilian Second Division but gained immediate promotion back to the Campeonato Brasileiro's elite the following season (1993). After this return to form, 1994 saw Grêmio win its second Copa do Brasil, defeating
Ceará
Ceará (, pronounced locally as or ) is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic coast. It is the eighth-largest Brazilian State by population and the 17th by area. It is also one of the ...
in the two-leg final (0–0 and 1–0), the solitary goal scored by striker Nildo. This win kickstarted the club's
Tokyo Project. On December 11, 1994, Grêmio had to play three matches in a single day during the
1994 Campeonato Gaúcho
The 74th season of the Campeonato Gaúcho kicked off on March 5, 1994 and ended on December 17, 1994. Twenty-four teams participated. Sport Club Internacional, Internacional won their 32nd title. Esporte Clube Novo Hamburgo, Novo Hamburgo and Spor ...
, with kick-off times of 2PM, 4PM, and 6PM, due to their extensive schedule. They won two and drew the third match, using a total of 34 different players.
Luiz Felipe Scolari and the Libertadores 1995
In May 1995, under head coach
Luiz Felipe Scolari, Grêmio were runners-up in the
Copa do Brasil, losing the final match to
Corinthians 0–1 at Olímpico Monumental. In August, a few days after beating arch-rivals Internacional for the state title with a reserve squad, the club won the Copa Libertadores for the second time. Defeating
Atlético Nacional of Colombia 3–1 in Porto Alegre and drawing 1–1 in
Medellín
Medellín ( or ), officially the Municipality of Medellín ( es, Municipio de Medellín), is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central re ...
. The tournament was marked by fierce matches against
Palmeiras in the quarter-finals. Palmeiras had perhaps the best squad on the competition, with players such as
Rivaldo,
Cafu,
Edmundo Edmundo is a common name that is used by many individuals including:
* Edmundo Alves de Souza Neto, former Brazilian football player
* Edmundo Farolan, Filipino writer
* Edmundo Ros, Trinidadian musician
* Edmundo Rivero, Argentine singer
* Edmundo ...
,
César Sampaio,
Antônio Carlos,
Roberto Carlos and
Mancuso. They were soundly beaten by Grêmio in the 1st leg in an epic 5–0 match with a hat-trick from
Mário Jardel. Palmeiras beat Grêmio 5–1 in the return leg, with Jardel's lone strike proving enough to see Grêmio through to the Semi-finals.
This qualified the club to the World Club tournament where Grêmio pushed a talented
Ajax (Featuring
Patrick Kluivert,
Overmars Overmars is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Mark Overmars (born 1958), Dutch computer scientist and the creator of ''Game Maker''
*Marc Overmars (born 1973), Dutch football player
See also
*Övermark
Övermark is a surname. N ...
,
Van Der Sar and
Kanu) into extra time and penalties despite being a player down. Early 1996 saw Grêmio win the
Recopa Sudamericana
The CONMEBOL Recopa Sudamericana ( pt, CONMEBOL Recopa Sul-Americana), known also as the Recopa Sudamericana or CONMEBOL Recopa, and simply as the Recopa (, ; "Winners' Cup"), is an annual international club association football, football compe ...
, beating Argentina's
Independiente 4–1.
On 15 December 1996, Grêmio won its second
Campeonato Brasileiro, defeating
Portuguesa in the final. Portuguesa won the first match at home 2–0, and therefore Grêmio was forced to win the final match at Porto Alegre by the same score or more. Grêmio got to 2–0, with midfielder Ailton scoring the second goal a few minutes before the final whistle. Grêmio won the title due to their higher finish in the league.
In 1997, Grêmio won their third
Copa do Brasil title. In the finals against
Romário
Romário de Souza Faria Figueiredo (born 29 January 1966), known simply as Romário (), is a Brazilian politician and a former professional footballer. A prolific striker renowned for his clinical finishing, he scored over 750 goals and was ...
's
Flamengo, Grêmio won on away goals after a 0–0 draw in Porto Alegre and a 2–2 draw in Rio de Janeiro. Four years later, in 2001, Grêmio won their fourth Copa do Brasil, defeating
Corinthians. The first leg of the final, in Porto Alegre, finished with the score of 2–2. The second game in São Paulo ended with a 3–1 Grêmio victory, in a match which is regarded as one of the finest in Grêmio's history.
Batalha dos Aflitos and the Libertadores 2007
In 2004, after performing poorly for two consecutive seasons in the Série A, Grêmio finished bottom of the league and were relegated to
Campeonato Brasileiro's Second Division.
Grêmio's promotion battle was difficult, with only two clubs able to qualify for promotion to the First Division. On 26 November 2005, at
Estádio dos Aflitos,
Recife, Grêmio had four players sent off and two penalty given kicks against them in a tumultuous match that has become known as "
The Battle of the Aflitos" ("A Batalha dos Aflitos", "Aflitos" being the name of Náutico's home field).
Bruno Carvalho bounced the first penalty bounced off the post in the first half when Grêmio still had 11 players on the field; the second was saved by goalkeeper Galatto when had been reduced to 7 men. Within 72seconds of Galatto saving the penalty 17-year-old
Anderson had made a run down the left flank to slot the ball into the back of the net to score Grêmio's winning goal. A goal that sealed the Série B championship and promotion to the Série A.
On 9 April 2006, at
Estádio Beira-Rio, Grêmio won the state championship against
Internacional, preventing them from winning a fifth title in a row. Playing away, Grêmio managed to obtain a 1–1 draw in the second leg of the final, enough to secure the title on away goals. Grêmio players said after the match that there were more than 50,000 Internacional fans in Beira Rio's Stadium and they could still hear the noise made by 6,000 Gremistas. In 2007, at
Estádio Olímpico Monumental, Grêmio won the
Campeonato Gaúcho once again this time against
Juventude.
Also in 2007, Grêmio reached the final of the
2007 Copa Libertadores
The 2007 Copa Libertadores de América (officially the 2007 Copa Toyota Libertadores de América for sponsorship reasons) was the 48th edition of the Copa Libertadores. It started on January 24, 2007 and finished on June 20, 2007. It was won by B ...
. Throughout the campaign the team overcame away losses by putting in heroic home performances and earning the moniker of Imortal Tricolor. This also pumped up the fans who even after a heavy 3–0 away defeat to
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine sports club headquartered in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is mostly known for its professional football team which, since its promotion in 1913, has always played in the A ...
formed huge lines to buy tickets for the final game in Porto Alegre. with some of the fans queuing for four days or more. Unfortunately fan fervor wasn't enough with
Riquelme's magnificent performance handing
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine sports club headquartered in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is mostly known for its professional football team which, since its promotion in 1913, has always played in the A ...
a 2–0 win and the
Copa Libertadores
The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in S ...
title.
Recent history and the Libertadores 2017
In 2008, after the sudden firing of their head coach Vagner Mancini, the club hired
Celso Roth. Within a month they had prematurely dropped out of both the domestic cup (
Copa do Brasil) and their state championship (
Campeonato Gaúcho). This led to the team going through a state of crisis and, soon after, major renovation. They were expected to finish in the bottom half of the Campeonato Brasileiro but managed to finish in second place. For many supporters, even that was considered a failure as in the first half of the championship, the team was in fine form and even considered the best in the country. At the halfway point of the season the team had a 10-point lead over second place that they would eventually surrender in the final games of the season.
2012 marked the last year of the club's former stadium,
Olímpico Monumental. Fan expectations were high but were not matched by the team's performance. Grêmio did, however, qualify for the Libertadores the following year.
In 2014, the club once again qualified for the
Copa Libertadores de América
The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club association football, football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level ...
and signed
Enderson Moreira as the new manager. However, after a successful campaign in the group stage, Grêmio failed in the competition and were eliminated by
San Lorenzo
San Lorenzo is the Italian and Spanish name for Lawrence of Rome, Saint Lawrence, the 3rd-century Christian martyr, and may refer to:
Places Argentina
* San Lorenzo, Santa Fe
* San Lorenzo Department, Chaco
* Monte San Lorenzo, a mountain on t ...
in the
Round of 16. A few days before, the club was defeated 6–2 on aggregate by their biggest rival, the
Internacional, in the finals of the
Campeonato Gaúcho. With nothing more than a regular campaign at the beginning of the
Série A, club president Fábio Koff signed
Luiz Felipe Scolari as the new coach of the team. The club also invested in
Giuliano, the biggest hiring of the year.
In 2015, former Grêmio player Roger Machado was hired as the new manager. A short lived but initially successful run, Machado's time with Grêmio saw them qualify for the 2016 Copa Libertadores with a finish in the Campeonato Brasileiro in 3rd place. Machado oversaw a famous victory over beat bitter rivals Internacional with a 5–0 drubbing in "
Grenal" No. 407. Nonetheless, towards the end of the year, the team began to show a lack of organization, especially in its defensive system. As fan support dwindled, Roger announced his resignation after a 3–0 loss against Ponte Preta in September 2016. Renato Portaluppi replaced him and under his guidance a resurgent Grêmio became champions of the Copa do Brasil against Atlético Mineiro in a 4–2 aggregate score, making them the Brazilian club with the most titles in this tournament (5). After this historic feat, fans affectionately nicknamed Grêmio the "Rei de Copas" (King of Cups).
In 2017, Grêmio won their third Libertadores, after defeating
Club Atlético Lanús 1–0 at
Arena do Grêmio
Arena do Grêmio is a multi-use stadium in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. It was inaugurated on December 8, 2012.
It is used mostly for association football, football matches and as the home stadium of Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, replac ...
, followed by a 2–1 victory in
Estadio Ciudad de Lanús. Luan was named the player of the tournament, while goalkeeper
Marcelo Grohe
Marcelo Grohe (born 13 January 1987) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Al-Ittihad Club of the Saudi Professional League.
Club career
Grêmio
Born in Campo Bom, Rio Grande do Sul, Grohe began his career at ...
performed spectacularly with a heroic, almost impossible save in the semi-final match against
Barcelona Sporting Club. They became the third Brazilian club to win a third Copa Libertadores, after
São Paulo and
Santos.
The club went on to represent
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL, , or CSF; es, Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol; pt, Confederação Sul-Americana de Futebol) is the continental governing body of football in South America (apart from Guyana, Suri ...
at the
2017 FIFA Club World Cup
The 2017 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017 presented by Alibaba Cloud for sponsorship reasons) was the 14th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, a FIFA-organised international club football tournament betwee ...
, held in the United Arab Emirates. Grêmio beat
Pachuca 1–0 in a tight semi-final, the goal coming from Everton in extra-time. They were beaten 0–1 by
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
in the
final.
2018 Season and Libertadores
Grêmio once again finished 4th in the 2018
Campeonato Brasileiro securing a place in the
Copa Libertadores de América
The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club association football, football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level ...
having been knocked out in the semi-final of the tournament on goal-difference in 2018 by a late
River Plate goal to end the match 2–2. The goal was scored from a penalty, given on review of a handball by the
VAR from Matheus Bressan in the 95th minute. Bressan was subsequently transferred. In the hours following the match it was revealed that
River Plate manager
Marcelo Gallardo
Marcelo Daniel Gallardo (; born 18 January 1976) is an Argentine football coach and former professional player who last managed River Plate. Gallardo began his career in the club's youth divisions, and made his debut in the Argentine Primera D ...
had broken the rules of his touchline ban at half-time by entering the River dressing room. Grêmio appealed the result within 24 hours of the final whistle based on this information. It took
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL, , or CSF; es, Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol; pt, Confederação Sul-Americana de Futebol) is the continental governing body of football in South America (apart from Guyana, Suri ...
2 days to deliberate, deciding that the result should stand, with
Gallardo Gallardo is a Spanish derivation of the French name "Gaillard" and may refer to:
People
Notable people with the surname include:
Juan gallardo grimaldo 1738
*Almudena Gallardo (born 1979), Spanish archer, Olympic competitor
*Ángel Gallardo (ci ...
receiving a $50,000 fine and a 4-match suspension (1 from the
Bombonera Stadium for the first leg of the Libertadores final against
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine sports club headquartered in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is mostly known for its professional football team which, since its promotion in 1913, has always played in the A ...
and 3 subsequent touchline bans). River Plate would go on to win the
Copa Libertadores de América
The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club association football, football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level ...
after further controversy.
Symbols
Stars
According to the club, the gold star represents the victory in the World Club Championship; the silver represents the three South American competition victories; and the bronze one represents the National competitions. There is also a gold star in Grêmio's flag that represents a player, Everaldo, the sole Grêmio player in the 1970 Brazilian World Cup winning team.
Flag
The first club flag was unveiled by the club during the opening ceremony for the Baixada stadium. At that time, it had a horizontal stripe of blue, black and white, with a medallion on the left top corner.
The Brazilian Flag was the inspiration for the Tricolor's standard from 1918 to 1944.
Anthem
Grêmio's anthem is one of the most critically acclaimed in all of Brazilian football, other than the anthems of the clubs from Rio de Janeiro (all composed by Lamartine Babo), it is the only football anthem composed by a renowned composer,
Lupicínio Rodrigues. Featuring a vivid melody in the style of a march, the anthem features the famous verses: ''Até a pé nós iremos / para o que der e vier / mas o certo é que nós estaremos / com o Grêmio onde o Grêmio estiver'' (Even on foot we will go / against all obstacles / but we sure will be / with Grêmio wherever Grêmio may be). Grêmio supporters boast that Grêmio, as the anthem hints, has never played without supporters anywhere in the world.
Eurico Lara, a goalkeeper who played for the club in the 1920s and in the 1930s, is mentioned in the anthem, where he is called the ''immortal idol'' (or ''craque imortal'', in Portuguese).
Team kit
Grêmio tricolour scheme is made up of blue, black and white, an unusual colour combination for football shirts. The first Grêmio kit was inspired by English club
Exeter City. At the time, the original kit included a black
cap, striped shirt in blue and havana (a variation of brown), white
tie
Tie has two principal meanings:
* Tie (draw), a finish to a competition with identical results, particularly sports
* Necktie, a long piece of cloth worn around the neck or shoulders
Tie or TIE may also refer to:
Engineering and technology
* Ti ...
, white shorts and black socks. Subsequently, the uniform was changed to blue and black due to the lack of havana fabric. Soon after, vertical white stripes were included in the kit creating a pattern that is used to the present day. The Grêmio colors are set in the club statute as so;
* Home colors – Vertical stripes of light blue and black, with white piping;
* Away colors – White with blue and black detail;
* Alternative colors – Dark Blue or blue with white details.
Kit evolution
Grêmio kits throughout its history:
Sponsorship
It was in the early 1980s that Grêmio received its first official
sponsor, with the Brazilian
Olympikus
Olympikus is a Brazilian sports brand, which makes sports equipment for running and fitness. The brand is owned by Vulcabras Azaleia.
Current products by Olympikus include athletic shoes and apparel. In the past, the company also sponsored sev ...
providing
sports equipment. The partnership lasted until early 1983, when, on account of the
brilliant moment that had been living in your history, the Grêmio has signed a contract with a German
Adidas
Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
to supply. However, the partnership was short-lived, as in 1985, with the end of the contract with Adidas,a new supplier emerged, returning to the national level with
Penalty. In 1987, for the first time in its history the Grêmio signed a sponsorship agreement for stamping the shirt, with
Coca-Cola. This turn in their campaigns unprecedentedly exchanged their traditional red logo for black, because this color belongs to
International, its
biggest rival, and be vetoed at Grêmio.
Sponsorship of Penalty and Coca-Cola persisted with Grêmio for nearly a decade until, in 1995, the soft drink brand left the main sponsor of the shirts, which was assumed by Tintas Renner, until 1997. In 1998,
General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
assumed this position, exposing numerous names of
vehicles throughout the partnership. At the beginning of the 21st century, Penalty left the club, with the Italian
Kappa
Kappa (uppercase Κ, lowercase κ or cursive ; el, κάππα, ''káppa'') is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiceless velar plosive sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals, has a value o ...
providing sports equipment.
In 2001, for the payment of debts, Grêmio closed an agreement with the state government of
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...
, exposing
Banrisul
Banrisul is a Brazilian bank. It is the largest bank of Southern Brazil and operates primarily in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), with a network that serves more than 365 cities. The services, however, are extended to other localities of Bra ...
banking mark on his shirt. However, after payment, it was Banrisul who assumed the payments and became the master sponsor of the club. In 2005 the contract with Kappa came to an end, after this, kits were the responsibility of another German in club history,
Puma
Puma or PUMA may refer to:
Animals
* ''Puma'' (genus), a genus in the family Felidae
** Puma (species) or cougar, a large cat
Businesses and organisations
* Puma (brand), a multinational shoe and sportswear company
* Puma Energy, a mid- and d ...
. Also from this era, Grêmio opened more spaces for smaller sponsors, with the first being Tramontina,
Unimed,
TIM and the return of
Coca-Cola. In 2011, once again changing the supplier of sports equipment occurs, this time taking the Brazilian
Topper, under the value of €4.8 million per season, which operates in the South American market, with a contract until the end of 2014. Beginning in 2015 season, the British company
Umbro supplied sports equipment of Grêmio, paying the value of €6 million per year.
Stadium
Grêmio's original stadium was the
Estádio Olímpico Monumental, as it is called today. It was inaugurated on 19 September 1954 as Estádio Olímpico. At the time it was the largest private stadium in
Brazil. Estádio Olímpico's first game was between Grêmio and
Nacional
Nacional, the Portuguese and Spanish word for "national", may refer to:
Airlines
* Nacional Transportes Aéreos, a Brazilian airline defunct in 2002
* Transportes Aéreos Nacional, a Brazilian airline defunct in 1961
Bank
* Banco Nacional, a ...
from
Uruguay; Grêmio won by a score of 2–0, with both goals scored by Vítor.
In 1980 a second tier was added to the Olímpico, and the stadium was renamed the Olímpico Monumental. The first game at the renamed Olímpico Monumental was played on 21 June 1980, when Grêmio beat
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (; ; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea.
His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link E ...
by a score of 1–0.
Estádio Olímpico Monumental has an attendance record of 98,421 people for the game against
Ponte Preta on 26 April 1981.
Estádio Olímpico Monumental has 40 luxury booths which hold 10 people, and 5 booths which hold 20 people. It also has 140 places in a Tribune of Honor. It has 28 seats reserved for handicapped fans, 22 of which have space for people accompanying them.
The Estádio Olímpico Monumental's Parking lot has space for 700 vehicles.
In 2012, Grêmio moved into their new stadium,
Arena do Grêmio
Arena do Grêmio is a multi-use stadium in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. It was inaugurated on December 8, 2012.
It is used mostly for association football, football matches and as the home stadium of Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, replac ...
, a big multi-use stadium in
Porto Alegre. Its capacity is 55,225 and is one of the most modern venues in South America.
Training centre
The first location for training used by Grêmio was the additional field built next door of
Estádio Olímpico Monumental. However, it can not be exactly characterized as a training centre. In 2000 the construction of the first training centre of the club, the
CT Hélio Dourado, in
Eldorado do Sul
Eldorado do Sul is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is located in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, the state's capital and largest city, opposite the capital on the right bank of Guaíba River. Population: 41,902 ...
, in the metropolitan region of
Porto Alegre was completed, but, because of it being located quite far away, it ended up being used for
club's Academy.
In 2014,the construction of the new training center of Grêmio, the
CT Luiz Carvalho, located next to the
Arena do Grêmio
Arena do Grêmio is a multi-use stadium in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. It was inaugurated on December 8, 2012.
It is used mostly for association football, football matches and as the home stadium of Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, replac ...
, in Porto Alegre was finished. It is adjacent to the
Guaíba River, and has one of the most beautiful views of the city with the stadium and a cable-stayed bridge in the background.
Supporters
Grêmio has around 8 million fans in the country, meaning that, in terms of ranking, the club is the 6th most supporters in the
Brazil. Grêmio associates 92,000 people.
Geral do Grêmio
The largest group of Grêmio supporters is Geral do Grêmio, the first and largest Brazilian ''
barra brava'',
movement similar to European
ultras, but with unique characteristics of Latin America. The group was created during the year 2001 with Grêmio fans watching games from the seats behind the southern goal at
Estádio Olímpico Monumental (an area of the stands called "Geral", as in "general", where tickets had lower costs). Over the following years, more people joined the movement, and they decided to collectively call themselves by the name of the area from where they watched the games. A unique and traditional feature of the crowd is running down the stand (a movement called the "avalanche"), pressing against the fence when a goal is scored as a way to also embrace the players in celebration.
Being a ''barra brava'', the Geral do Grêmio has differences with the ultras. On games they bring a band consisting of percussion and blowing instruments, dictating the rhythm of the
chants throughout the game, never stopping or sitting. Banners and flags are exhibited in the length of the sector in which they are located inside the stadium, bringing a unique identity to their supporters. Also, wherever possible, they use
flare,
smoke bombs,
fire extinguishers, among other materials to encourage the team on the field. In the
Arena do Grêmio
Arena do Grêmio is a multi-use stadium in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. It was inaugurated on December 8, 2012.
It is used mostly for association football, football matches and as the home stadium of Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, replac ...
, which opened in December 2012, the lower northern stand was built with no chairs, with the Geral crowd and its "avalanche" celebration in mind. Later the avalanche celebration was made impossible by the addition of security metal bars.
Rivalries
As the years went on, Grêmio and another important Brazilian football club,
Internacional, started to form a rivalry. Soon the games between these two clubs got their own name, Grenal, and resulted in record attendance. Now the games fill the streets of Porto Alegre with football-crazed fans.
In 1935, Eurico Lara, who was Grêmio's goalie, conceded a penalty kick. When the Internacional player was about to kick it, Lara's brother stopped the game and reminded him of his doctor's recommendation that he didn't overexert himself. He didn't listen. Soon the Internacional player took the shot. Lara caught it, but as soon as he did he fell sideways and didn't move. He was substituted after the wondrous save, and Grêmio won the game. But unfortunately he died two months later as a result of the fatigue from that game. Lara has been immortalized in the club anthem.
Players
First team squad
''For recent transfers, see
2023 Grêmio F.B.P.A. Transfers.''
Other players under contract
Reserves squad
Out on loan
Club officials
;Board members
* President: Alberto Guerra
* Vice-president of football: Paulo Caleffi
* Vice-president: Eduardo Magrisso
* Vice-president: Fábio Floriani
* Vice-president: Geraldo Correa
* Vice-president: Gustavo Bolognesi
* Vice-president: José Carlos Corrêa Duarte
* Vice-president: Luciano Feldens
*
Director of football: Antonio Brum
*
Chief executive officer (CEO): Márcio Pinto Ramos
* Advisor of presidency: Gustavo Zanchi
* General secretary: Kevin Krieger
;Coaching staff
*
Manager:
Renato Portaluppi
*
Assistant coach: Alexandre Mendes
*
Assistant coach: Marcelo Salles
*
Fitness coach
A personal trainer is an individual who creates and delivers safe and effective exercise programs for apparently healthy individuals and groups, or those with medical clearance to exercise. They motivate clients by collaborating to set goals, p ...
: Reverson Pimentel
*
Assistant fitness coach: Gabriel Gindri Alves
*
Assistant fitness coach: Márcio Pereira
* Goalkeeper coach: Mauri Lima
* Assistant goalkeeper coach: Enio Oliveira
* Football administrative manager: Marcelo Rudolph
* Technical observer: Gustavo Fragoso
* Performance analyst: Antônio Cruz
* Performance analyst: Gustavo Somavilla
* Performance analyst: Paulo Timm
* Performance analyst: Rafael Tavares
* Market analyst: Lucas Sacchet
;Medical staff
* Medical director: Ciro Simoni
* Doctor: Gabriel Severo
* Doctor: Márcio Dornelles
* Doctor: Paulo Rabaldo
* Massagist: Anderson Meurer
* Massagist: José Flores
* Massagist: Lucas Cruz
* Massagist: Marco Aurélio
* Nutritionist: Guilherme Oliveira
* Nutritionist: Tiago Fontoura
* Physiologist: Marco Aurélio Melo
*
Physiotherapist: Felipe Coimbra
*
Physiotherapist: Gustavo Pacheco Cardoso
*
Physiotherapist: Luiz Peres
*
Physiotherapist: Marcos Ganga
*
Physiotherapist: Thiago Albuquerque
* Nurse: Adriano Welter
;Other staff
* Press officer: Márcio Neves
* Press officer: Vitor Rodriguez
* Logistics supervisor: Pedro Aguiar
* Equipment manager: Danilo Bueno
* Equipment manager: Diego Simões
* Assistant equipment manager: Antônio Marcos
* Cameraman: Juares Dagort
* Butler: Paulo Oliveira
* Chief security: Luiz Fernando Cardoso
* Security: André Trisch
* Security: Cristiano Nunes
* Security: José Nolan Pedroso
* Security: Pedro Carvalho
* Security: Sandro Gonçalves
* Caretaker: João Moacir da Luz
* Motorist: Antonio Machado
* Knave: João Brito
* Maintenance technician: Higino Duarte Luciano
Managerial history
Honours
Football
Professional
*
* shared record
Note (1): Although the Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition was first contested in 200 ...
are officially different tournaments, in Brazil they are often treated as the same tournament.
Friendly
=''International''
=
*Troféu Fronteira da Paz (URU) (1): 2010
*Taça Hang Ching (CHN) (1): 1998
*Pepsi Cola Cup (CHN) (1): 1998
*
Troféu Colombino (SPA) (1): 1997
*Troféu Agrupación Peñas Valencianas (SPA) (1): 1996
*Copa Renner (1): 1996
*Philips Cup (SWI) (1): 1987
*Philips Cup (NED) (1): 1986
*Rotterdam AD-Tournament (NED) (1): 1985
*Troféu Ciudad de Palma de Mallorca (SPA) (1): 1985
*Troféu 'CEL' (SLV) (1): 1983
*Los Angeles Cup (USA) (1): 1983
*Troféu Ciudad de Valladolid (SPA) (1): 1981
*Troféu Torre del Vigia (URU) (1): 1981
*Copa El Salvador del Mundo (SLV) (1): 1981
*Troféu Ciudad de Rosário (ARG) (1): 1979
*Taça Cidade de Salvador (BRA) (1): 1972
*Taça do Atlântico (1): 1971
*Copa Internacional de Porto Alegre (BRA) (1): 1971
*Taça Río de La Plata (1): 1968
*Troféu Internacional de Salônica (GRE) (1): 1962
*Troféu Internacional de Atenas (GRE) (1): 1961
*Copa José González Artigas (ECU) (1): 1954
*Troféu Sadrep (URU) (1): 1949
*Copa El President de la Republica de Costa Rica (CRC) (1): 1949
=''National''
=
*
Troféu João Saldanha (1): 2010
*
Troféu Osmar Santos (1): 2008
*Taça Ironcryl (1): 1997
*Taça Presidente Médici (1): 1971
*Troféu Domingos Garcia Filho (1): 1970
*Taça Petrobrás (1): 1970
*Copa Tancredo Neves (1): 1960
*Copa Revista do Esporte (1): 1960
*Taça Correio do Povo (1): 1949
*Taça Columbia Pictures (1): 1940
*Taça General Flores da Cunha (1): 1935
=''Regional''
=
*Troféu Rádio Gaúcha 90 Anos (RS) (1): 2017
*Troféu Rádio Bandeirantes 80 Anos (RS) (1): 2014
*Taça Rádio Pelotense 85 Anos (RS) (1): 2010
*Copa Solidariedade (RS) (1): 1995
*Taça RBS TV 25 Anos (RS) (1): 1988
*Troféu Sesquicentenário da Revolução Farroupilha (RS) (1): 1985
*Torneio 'Festa da Uva' (RS) (1): 1965
*Torneio Início Estadual (RS) (3): 1963, 1965, 1967
*Troféu Wallig (RS) (1): 1962
*Taça Jubileu de Prata da Refinaria Ipiranga (RS) (1): 1962
*Copa Farroupilha 120 Anos (1): 1955
*Taça Bento Gonçalves (1): 1952
*Taça Rádio Gaúcha (1): 1952
*Taça Manuel Amorim Albuquerque (1): 1950
*Campeonato Extra de Porto Alegre (2): 1948, 1949
*Taça Cidade de Porto Alegre (2): 1948, 1996
*Taça General Corrêa Lima (1): 1946
*Taça Casa Sport (1): 1946
*Taça 'Dia do Futebol' (1): 1945
*Taça Ernesto Dorneles (1): 1943
*Taça Cambial (2): 1942, 1943
*Campeonato Gaúcho de Amadores (1): 1942
*Campeonato Metropolitano de Amadores (1): 1942
*Taça de Portugal (1): 1940
*Taça José Loureiro da Silva (1): 1938
*Taça 'Dia do Filiado' (1): 1938
*Taça Café Nacional (1): 1938
*Taça Martel (2): 1936, 1937
*Torneio 'Benefício da FRGD'(1): 1935
*Taça Flores da Cunha 1): 1934
*Taça 'Dia do Cronista' (7): 1933, 1944, 1956, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1968
*Taça 'Dia do Desporto' (1): 1932
*Torneio de Encerramento de Porto Alegre (3): 1931, 1933, 1938
*Torneio de Preparação de Porto Alegre (1): 1929
*Taça Reivindicação (1): 1929
*Taça Fernando Caldas (1): 1928
*Torneio Washington Luis (1): 1926
*Torneio FC Porto Alegre (1): 1926
*Taça São Pedro (1): 1924
*Taça Associação dos Varejistas (2): 1923, 1924
*Torneio Início de Porto Alegre (14): 1922, 1926, 1927, 1931, 1937, 1939, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1958, 1963, 1965, 1967
*Taça Rio Branco (3): 1914, 1915, 1916
*Taça Sportiva (1): 1909
*
Troféu Wanderpreis (8): 1904, 1905*, 1905*, 1906, 1907, 1910, 1911, 1912
Woman
*Copa Sul (1): 2002
*Campeonato Gaúcho de Futebol Feminino (4): 2000, 2001, 2018, 2022
*Copa de Inverno de Gramado (RS) (1): 1998
*Copa 90 Anos do EC Pelotas (1): 1998
Futsal
*Copa Atlântico Sul (1): 1987
*Taça Governador do Estado (RS) (1): 1976
*Campeonato Metropolitano (2): 1973, 1974
Football 7
*Liga das Américas (1): 2020
*Campeonato Gaúcho (1): 2020
*Taça Governador (1): 2020
Basketball
*Campeonato Gaúcho (3): 1934, 1954, 1955
Volleyball
*Campeonato Gaúcho (2): 1929, 1934
*Campeonato Citadino (6): 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935
Tennis
*Campeonato Gaúcho (1): 1926
Table Tennis
*Campeonato Citadino (1): 1949
Boxing
*Campeonato Gaúcho (3): 1949, 1950, 1951
Sport of Athletics
*Troféu Brasil de Atletismo (2): 1958, 1959
*Campeonato Gaúcho de Atletismo Masculino (16): 1934, 1935, 1936, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968
*Campeonato Gaúcho de Atletismo Feminino (8): 1951, 1953, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1972
Campeonato Brasileiro record
References
Websites
Books
* ''Enciclopédia do Futebol Brasileiro'', Volume 1 – Lance, Rio de Janeiro: Aretê Editorial S/A, 2001.
* ''Especial Placar – 500 Times do Brasil'', São Paulo: Editora Abril: 2003.
External links
*
Geral do Grêmio official website Geral do Grêmio.
Unofficial media website Ducker.com.br.
Coleção Grêmio Gianfranco. The best online collection of Grêmio memorabilia; organized by Gianfranco Spolaore.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gremio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense
Football clubs in Brazil
Football clubs in Rio Grande do Sul
Football clubs in Porto Alegre
Association football clubs established in 1903
Copa Libertadores winning clubs
Recopa Sudamericana winning clubs
Intercontinental Cup winning clubs
Copa do Brasil winning clubs
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A winning clubs