Flamengo

With over 40 million official supporters and an annual revenue of approximately $200 million, there’s little doubt that Clube de Regatas do Flamengo is the most popular club in Brazil. Unsurprisingly, it’s also one of the most successful. During their colorful history, they’ve claimed 34 state championships, 5 Brasileirão titles, 3 Copa do Brasil trophies, and 1 Copa Libertadores. The club is also known for playing its home games at the legendary Maracanã.

History

From rowing to football

Though it was founded in 1895, Flamengo wasn’t originally a football club. For the first sixteen years, they were a relatively successful rowing club. Back then, rowing was probably the most popular sport in Rio de Janeiro. In 1911, however, a group of Fluminense players -- led by Alberto Borgerth, who also rowed for Flamengo -- decided to leave that club and join Flamengo. Soon enough, the new members were approved and Flamengo formed a football section.

Flamengo played its first official match in 1912, trouncing Mangueira 16-2. To this day, this is still the biggest margin of victory in the club’s history. Two years later, they claimed their first state championship (Campeonato Carioca), a feat they would later repeat in 1915, 1920, 1921, and 1925. By then, the club had accumulated enough supporters to be voted “most beloved club in Brazil” by Jornal do Brasil.

Following the election of José Bastos Padilha as president, Flamengo entered professional waters in 1934. During the next four decades, the club continued to improve its social status and image, gaining even more supporters in the process. They remained a strong contender in regional competitions, having won 11 state championships during this period.

The golden generation

Throughout the 70s, the club cemented its status of a household name in Brazilian football by promoting an incredibly talented generation from the youth ranks to the professional team. Led by stars such as Zico, Júnior, Tita, and Leandro, Flamengo won three consecutive Campeonato Carioca titles. In 1980, they went one step further and won their first-ever Brasilerão trophy.

Emboldened by this recent string of successes, the club made a dominant showing at the 1981 Copa Libertadores. After winning all 4 games in their semifinal group, Flamengo went on to defeat Cobreloa in three hotly-contested games. The tie-breaking match was decided by Zico, who scored both goals in a 2-0 victory for Flamengo. This was the club’s first Copa Libertadores title, and only the fourth time a Brazilian club had won the competition.

The club capped off a great season with a victory over Liverpool at the Intercontinental Cup. With Zico providing another spectacular performance and Nunes scoring two quick goals in the first half, Flamengo cruised to an assertive 3-0 victory. The club followed this up by winning two more Brasileirão titles in 1982 and 1983. At the end of the latter season, Zico left the club for Italy, which also signaled the end of the club’s golden era.

Later years

The year of 1987 is still somewhat of a sore spot for the club’s fans. That season, the CBF was unable to fund the Brazilian Championship, which led to the 13 biggest clubs in the country organizing its own competition called the Union Cup. Though Flamengo managed to win the Union Cup, that title is not officially acknowledged by the CBF.

Despite this setback, Flamengo continued to put in good performances on the pitch. Led by Júnior, they claimed another national trophy in 1990 by beating Goiás in the Brazilian Cup final. Two years later, they won their fourth Brasileirão title with a victory over Botafogo. However, this was the last national title Flamengo would win for a while; due to a longstanding financial crisis, they were simply unable to form teams that could challenge for a title.

After narrowly escaping relegation and winning their second Copa de Brasil in 2006, it seemed that the club had managed to turn the tide around. They confirmed to ride this streak by claiming another Brasileirão title in 2009, with Adriano scoring 19 goals in the competition. Their final national trophy to date arrived in 2013 (Copa do Brasil), following a hard-fought victory over Atlético Paranaense.

 

By Martin Wahl

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clube_de_Regatas_do_Flamengo
http://www.footballtop.com/clubs/flamengo