Coordinates: 19°55′19.87″S, 43°56′59.52″W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

This article is about the football (soccer) team. For the currency, see Brazilian cruzeiro.

Cruzeiro
Full name	Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Nickname(s)	A Raposa (The Fox) Os Celestes (The Celestials)
Founded	1921 as Palestra Itália
Ground	Mineirão Pampulha Belo Horizonte (Capacity 75,783)
Chairman	Alvimar de Oliveira Costa
Manager	Adílson Batista
League	Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
2007	Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, 5th
Home colours Away colours

Cruzeiro Esporte Clube (abbreviated Cruzeiro E.C., usually known simply as Cruzeiro) is a Brazilian football team, from the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on January 2, 1921. It is the only Brazilian team to have won the triple crown of Brazilian football for winning the Brazilian League, the Brazilian Cup, and the State Championship in the same year, accomplishing this feat in 2003. // First Cruzeiro, 1942-1967 The cruzeiro (Cr$) was the monetary unit of Brazil from 1942 to 1986. ... Football club names are a part of the sports culture, reflecting century-old traditions. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Mineirão stadium, established in 1965, officially named for Governor Magalhães Pinto, is the largest soccer staduim in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. ... A man-made lagoon located in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. ... Nickname: Location in Brazil Coordinates: , Country Brazil Region State Minas Gerais Founded 1901 Incorporated (as city) December 12, 1897 Government  - Mayor Fernando da Mata Pimentel (PT) Area  - City 330. ... Rungnado May Day Stadium is the worlds largest football stadium. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... Alvimar de O. Costa Alvimar de Oliveira Costa, (born on 1961, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais) is currently the president of Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais and he has been reelected for an additional three-year term, which started in 2006 and will end in 2008. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ... The 37th season of the Campeonato Brasileiro began on May 12th 2007, and is scheduled to end on December 2nd 2007. ... Image File history File links left arm of kit template File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links soccer jersey with thin white sides File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... rightarm of kit template File links The following pages link to this file: Arsenal F.C. Ajax Amsterdam AZ Alkmaar A.S. Roma Torino Calcio A.C. Milan ACF Fiorentina Bristol City F.C. Charlton Athletic F.C. Chievo Verona Chelsea F.C. England national football team Wikipedia:WikiProject Football... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... socks of kit template File links The following pages link to this file: Arsenal F.C. Ajax Amsterdam AZ Alkmaar A.S. Roma Torino Calcio A.C. Milan ACF Fiorentina Bristol City F.C. Charlton Athletic F.C. Chievo Verona Chelsea F.C. England national football team Wikipedia:WikiProject Football... Image File history File links left arm of kit template File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... white soccer jersey with thin sides File links The following pages link to this file: Cambridge United F.C. Template talk:Football kit Drogheda United Sligo Rovers F.C. Template:Football kit/pattern list User:Johan Elisson/football kits Categories: GFDL images | Football kit templates ... rightarm of kit template File links The following pages link to this file: Arsenal F.C. Ajax Amsterdam AZ Alkmaar A.S. Roma Torino Calcio A.C. Milan ACF Fiorentina Bristol City F.C. Charlton Athletic F.C. Chievo Verona Chelsea F.C. England national football team Wikipedia:WikiProject Football... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... socks of kit template File links The following pages link to this file: Arsenal F.C. Ajax Amsterdam AZ Alkmaar A.S. Roma Torino Calcio A.C. Milan ACF Fiorentina Bristol City F.C. Charlton Athletic F.C. Chievo Verona Chelsea F.C. England national football team Wikipedia:WikiProject Football... The Brazilian Football League is highly regionalised because of the vast size of the country. ... Nickname: Location in Brazil Coordinates: , Country Brazil Region State Minas Gerais Founded 1901 Incorporated (as city) December 12, 1897 Government  - Mayor Fernando da Mata Pimentel (PT) Area  - City 330. ... Capital (and largest city) Belo Horizonte Demonym Mineiro Government  -  Governor Aécio Neves  -  Vice Governor Antônio Augusto Junho Anastasia Area  -  Total 588,528. ... is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Triple Crown of Brazilian Football is an unofficial title given to the club that won the three more important competitions of the Brazilian football in the same year: the State Championships, Copa do Brasil and Campeonato Brasileiro). ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ... The Copa do Brasil (or Brazil Cup) is a knockout competition played by 64 football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. ... FMF official logo) Campeonato Mineiro is the league played in the Brazilian southeastern State of Minas Gerais and is held by the Minas Gerais Soccer Federation FMF (Federação Mineira de Futebol). ...

Cruzeiro is one of the oldest and most traditional clubs in Brazil. They have never been relegated or removed from the Brazilian Série A (along with Internacional, Flamengo, and Vasco da Gama). They are the 2nd Brazilian club in Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol rankings and have the 5th highest home attendance in Brazilian football. They have won a total of seven international honors. A tradition is a story or a custom that is memorized and passed down from generation to generation, originally without the need for a writing system. ... In the sports leagues — especially soccer leagues — of many countries, relegation (or demotion) means the mandated transfer of the worst team(s) (often the bottom three) of a higher league into a lower league at the end of the season. ... The Série A is the main division of Brazilian football. ... Template:Minidesambiguação {{DadosClubeFutebol image = [[Image:SC internacional. ... Clube de Regatas do Flamengo is a Brazilian multisport club from Rio de Janeiro. ... Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama, usually known as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, (after the famous Portuguese explorer of the same name) is a Brazilian sports club from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, founded on August 21, 1898 (although the football department started on November 5, 1915[1... CONMEBOL or CSF (CONfederación sudaMEricana de FútBOL, South American Football Confederation) is the governing body of football in South America. ...

Even though the club's main focus is football, Cruzeiro also supports semi-professional teams as well, these include track and field, bocha, and bowling.^[1] Soccer redirects here. ... A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid money to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the... Athletics, also known as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sport events. ... Bocha is a game in which the objective is to hit one ball into another. ... the sport of cricket|Bowling (cricket)}} For other uses, see Bowling (disambiguation). ...

[edit] History

[edit] Palestra years

[edit] Early Palestra years

Cruzeiro was born off a political administrative crisis at Yale, one of the first sporting clubs of Belo Horizonte, a city where already some Italian immigrants militated. The Italians in Belo Horizonte, wanted to follow the example of the Italians in São Paulo, who had established a football club, the Palestra Itália, now Palmeiras. The people of Belo Horizonte wanted the Italian colony in Minas Gerais to have its own club as well. Yale Atlético Clube, usually called Yale, was one of the first sports club in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. ... Nickname: Location in Brazil Coordinates: , Country Brazil Region State Minas Gerais Founded 1901 Incorporated (as city) December 12, 1897 Government  - Mayor Fernando da Mata Pimentel (PT) Area  - City 330. ... Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... This article is about the city. ... Palestra Itália was the old name of two traditional Brazilian football clubs: Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, a club from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state. ... For other uses of Palmeiras, see Palmeiras (disambiguation). ... Capital (and largest city) Belo Horizonte Demonym Mineiro Government  -  Governor Aécio Neves  -  Vice Governor Antônio Augusto Junho Anastasia Area  -  Total 588,528. ...

Yale, formed in 1910, competed in the Campeonato de Belo Horizonte (Belo Horizonte Championship) up to 1925, when it gave up football. The majority of the players of Yale were of Italian origin and when the Palestra Itália was created, had a total bond to the new club. With the disagreement in Yale, in a rainy night on December 1920, Yale separated and the Palestra Itália (of Belo Horizonte) was born, also known as Palestra Mineiro. Palestra Itália was the old name of two traditional Brazilian football clubs: Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, a club from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state. ...

[edit] Later Palestra years

The initiative was taken by Null Savini, Spagnuolo Sundays, Sílvio Pirani, Júlio Lazarotti, Hamleto Magnavacca, Henriqueto Pirani, Marguerite Funatino and João Ranieri. Other Italians had promised to help in what was necessary, especially financially. Some years later, Yale ended, but in the same time its still lives, through Cruzeiro. On December 20, 1920, the Italian Consul of Belo Horizonte decided on a meeting, which had the presence of 195 people, of which 92 had signed an act. Some proposals had been made and approved, marking a new meeting to be held on January 2, 1921, at the same time and place. On this day, January 2, 1921, about 250 Italians had appeared for the great event, the foundation of the Sociedade Esportiva Palestra Itália, or Societá Sportiva Palestra Itália. The adopted colors, as it could not be otherwise, were the same ones of the Italian flag: green, red, and white (in 2005 the colors reappeared in the training uniforms). The first uniform of the club was a green jersey, white shorts and red stockings. On the shield, in the form of a rhombus, were the initials SSPI. The club only allowed participation of men from the Italian colony, until 1925, when it opened its doors for sportsmen of any nationality is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... For other uses, see Rhombus (disambiguation). ...

The debut of the Palestra in the lawns of Belo Horizonte was in the Stadium of the Prado Mineiro. It was in a friendly, on April 3, 1921, against a combination from Nova Lima, uniting players of Villa Nova, which was the club of the English, and Palmeiras, another team form that city. The Palestra won 2 v 0. The goals were from Nani (Lazarotti João), in the 16 minute of the first half and in the 7 minute of the second half. The Palestra team was formed by: Nullo, Polenta and Ciccio; Checchino, Américo and Bassi; Lino, Spartaco, Nani, Henriqueto and Armandinho. Nova Lima: Ferreira, Marcondes, Ruanico, Christovão, Bahiano, Oscar, Raymundo, Gentil, Badu, Damaso e Juá. is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Location of Nova Lima Nova Lima is a city in the Minas Gerais state of Brazil, located close to the states capital, Belo Horizonte. ... Villa Nova is a Brazilian football team team from Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, founded on June 28, 1908. ...

The first official presentation of the Palestra to the sporting public of Belo Horizonte was in a game against Clube Atlético Mineiro, where the Palestra won 2 to 0. The team of the Palestra contained: Nullo, Henriqueto and Polenta; Grande, Gallo and Checchino; Pederzoli, Parizi, Nani, Attílio and Armandinho. Clube Atlético Mineiro, usually known as Atlético is a Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on March 25, 1908. ...

[edit] Finally Cruzeiro EC

In January 1942, Brazil entered the Second World War and a decree of the Federal Government forbade the use of terms from enemy nations in entities, institutions, establishments, etc. With this, the Italian name was removed and the directors of the club took 10 months to create a new name and symbol for the club that was entirely Brazilian. The name was changed to Ypiranga, but this name did'nt got the affection of the congress of the Advice, so this name was removed. In October a consensus of the directors approved the name Cruzeiro Esporte Clube. Cruzeiro is the constellation of the Southern Cross, and can only be seen from the southern hemisphere, therefore, not related to Italy. The uniform also switched to a blue shirt and stockings, and white shorts, (vice-versa when away). Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Southern Cross is the English name of Crux Australis, a constellation visible in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

Only, however, in November 1942, did Cruzeiro Esporte Clube make its first presentation to the world, using the blue-starred shirt, erasing themselves, of the existence of the glorious Palestra Itália. The first presentation as Cruzeiro Esporte Clube happened in November 11, 1942, in the fields of América, a game refereed by João Narciso. Cruzeiro Esporte Clube won 1 to 0 over America, with a goal by Ismael, in the 38 minutes of the first half. Cruzeiro‘s team that day was: Geraldo II, Gerson and Azevedo; Rizão, Juca and Caieirinha; Nogueirinha, Orlando Fantoni, Niginho, Ismael and Zezé Papatela. Manager: Bengala. America: Aldo, Lulu, Pescoço, Cabral, Célio Bizzoto, Du, Coquinho, Alfredinho, Gabardinho, Gerson and Cara Larga. Manager: Jacyr de Assis. is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... América Futebol Clube, or América (or América Mineiro), as they are usually called, is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais, founded on April 30, 1912. ...

With the inauguration of the Mineirão, the Giant of Pampulha, in 1965, Cruzeiro transformed itself, permanently. It became a national football power, and became well known. The “celestial team” introduced Brazil and the world to stars such as Tostão, Piazza, Natal, Dirceu Lopes, and many others. Cruzeiro became the first great football force in Brazil, aside from the Rio-São Paulo teams. Mineirão stadium, established in 1965, officially named for Governor Magalhães Pinto, is the largest soccer staduim in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. ... Eduardo Gonçalves de Andrade (born 25 January 1947 in Belo Horizonte), better known as Tostão, is a former Brazilian footballer. ... A piazza is an open square in a city, often used as a marketplace, found in Italy. ... Dirceu Lopes, full name Dirceu Lopes Mendes, (born September 3, 1946, in Pedro Leopoldo) was a Brazilian football player. ... This article is about the Brazilian city. ... This article is about the city. ...

[edit] Golden era

Cruzeiro started to have national prominence in the 60s, when a team with players such as Tostão, Wilson Piazza and Fontana took the club to win five Campeonato Mineiro titles in a row, and the conquest of Taça Brasil on top of Santos of Pelé (winning 6x2 in the Mineirão and 3x2 in São Paulo). Eduardo Gonçalves de Andrade (born 25 January 1947 in Belo Horizonte), better known as Tostão, is a former Brazilian footballer. ... Wilson da Silva Piazza (born February 25, 1943 in Ribeirão das Neves) is a former Brazilian football (soccer) defender. ... Fontana is either: Fontana, California Fontana, Kansas Fontana, Gozo Island, Republic of Malta This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... FMF official logo) Campeonato Mineiro is the league played in the Brazilian southeastern State of Minas Gerais and is held by the Minas Gerais Soccer Federation FMF (Federação Mineira de Futebol). ... The Taça Brasil (or Brazilian Trophy) was a Brazilian national football competition disputed before the creation of Campeonato Brasileiro. ... Santos Futebol Clube, usually known simply as Santos, is a Brazilian football team from Santos, São Paulo state, Brazil. ... Pele redirects here. ... Mineirão stadium, established in 1965, officially named for Governor Magalhães Pinto, is the largest soccer staduim in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. ... This article is about the city. ...

In 1976, Cruzeiro conquered its first Copa Libertadores de América, over River Plate of Argentina, being vice champions of the same competition in 1977, defeated by Boca Juniors of Argentina. In the Campeonato Brasileiro, in 1974 Cruzeiro were vice champions for the first time, after losing a very confusing, decisive match against Vasco. Later in 1975 once again they were vice champions this time it was a loss to International. In the 1970s Cruzeiro was successful in other championships, like in 1976, one of their finest moments, they were in the Intercontinental Cup, now renamed as the FIFA Club World Championship, for the first time and faced a strong Bayern Munich side who defeated them 2-0 on aggregate (it stayed 0-0 at the Mineirão). Copa Libertadores Logo The Copa Libertadores de América (also known as Copa Toyota Libertadores) (Portuguese: Taça Libertadores da América, English: Liberators of America Cup) is an international football cup competition played annually by the top clubs of South America. ... For the club from Uruguay see Club Atlético River Plate (Uruguay), for the one from Paraguay see Club Atlético River Plate (Asunción) Club Atlético River Plate, known also as River Plate or simply River, is an Argentine sports club best known for its football team, established... Club Atlético Boca Juniors is one of the most popular Argentine sports clubs, best known for its football team. ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ... Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama, usually known as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, (after the famous Portuguese explorer of the same name) is a Brazilian sports club from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, founded on August 21, 1898 (although the football department started on November 5, 1915[1... Template:Minidesambiguação {{DadosClubeFutebol image = [[Image:SC internacional. ... 1980-2004 Logo The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Champions League and the South American Copa Libertadores in a match played each year, from 1980... The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition contested between the leading clubs from all 6 continental confederations. ... FC Bayern Munich (German: FC Bayern München) is a German football club based in Munich, the capital of the state of Bavaria. ... Mineirão stadium, established in 1965, officially named for Governor Magalhães Pinto, is the largest soccer staduim in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. ...

The 80s were not very positive for the club, since the club did not have much success nor won many titles, although the drought did not last long.

Among the top Brazilian football clubs, Cruzeiro has an impressive list of titles that can only be compared to a few others in Brazil. It is undoubtedly the most successful club in present-day Minas Gerais. In 1990 the clubs drought vanished and it initiated a sequence of 15 years earning at least one title per year. That included, two Supercopa Sudamericana (1991, 1992), a South American Recopa (1998), four Copa do Brasil (1993, 1996, 2000, 2003), a Copa Oro (1995), a Supercopa Masters (1995), two Copa Sul-Minas (2001, 2002), nine Campeonato Mineiro (1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997,1998, 2003, 2004), a Copa Centro-Oeste (1999), Supercampeonato Mineiro (2002), a second Copa Libertadores de América (1997) and the Campeonato Brasileiro (2003) and many other titles not listed. Capital (and largest city) Belo Horizonte Demonym Mineiro Government  -  Governor Aécio Neves  -  Vice Governor Antônio Augusto Junho Anastasia Area  -  Total 588,528. ... Supercopa Sudamericana (English: South American Supercup, Portuguese: Supercopa Sulamericana), also known as Supercopa João Havelange was a competition played from 1988 to 1997 by the past winners of Copa Libertadores. ... The Copa do Brasil (or Brazil Cup) is a knockout competition played by 64 football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. ... Copa Sul-Minas (Minas-South Cup in English) was a Brazilian football competition contested between South region and Minas Gerais state teams. ... FMF official logo) Campeonato Mineiro is the league played in the Brazilian southeastern State of Minas Gerais and is held by the Minas Gerais Soccer Federation FMF (Federação Mineira de Futebol). ... Copa Copa Centro-Oeste (Center-West Cup in English) was a Brazilian football competition contested between Center-West region teams. ... Copa Libertadores Logo The Copa Libertadores de América (also known as Copa Toyota Libertadores) (Portuguese: Taça Libertadores da América, English: Liberators of America Cup) is an international football cup competition played annually by the top clubs of South America. ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ...

In this period the Cruzeirense earned some idols as well, between them Charles, Boiadeiro, Douglas, Ademir, Renato Gaúcho, Ronaldo, Nonato, Dida, Ricardinho, Marcelo Ramos, Alex Alves, Sorín, Fred, and Alex. Cruzeirense, or Cruzeiro Fans, is a term used to identify a fan of the football (soccer) team Cruzeiro, who plays in the Brazilian Série A. It can also refer to someone who plays or has played for the team. ... Renato Gaúcho, real name Renato Portaluppi (born September 9, 1962 in Guaporé, Rio Grande do Sul) is a former Brazilian football (soccer) forward and a football manager. ... Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima (b. ... Juan Pablo Sorín (born May 5, 1976 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine footballer currently playing for Hamburger SV in Germany. ... Frederico Chaves Guedes, nicknamed Fred (born October 3, 1983 in Teofilo Otoni), is a football player from Brazil. ...

[edit] Rivalry with Atlético

Like every state or region there are two main football force and through out time they become great rivals. Atlético and Cruzeiro are no exception. It’s the biggest derby in Minas, and besides Rio and São Paulo derbies, it’s one of the biggest in Brazil. Clube Atlético Mineiro, usually known as Atlético is a Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on March 25, 1908. ...

There is always a big feud between the two fans, some claiming one is stronger and the other claiming the other is stronger. Overall, Atlético has managed to win 169 derby matches, Cruzeiro has won 139 and there have been 113 draws, out of 420 derbies. Cruzeiro has won over 106 titles (official and nonofficial). Cruzeiro also has the biggest fan base in Brazil, besided the Rio and São Paulo teams. Cruzeiro has also biggest fan base in Minas.

But when the two play it seems like history or statistics mean nothing to the players, because every time the two play a show is truly put on for their fans.

On the last game, Cruzeiro beat Atletico by 5x0 in April 27th, 2008 (the biggest score in favor of Cruzeiro in the history of the derbies).

[edit] Modern age: 2003-Present

A game in 2007.

The biggest exploit of the last decade happened in 2003, when Cruzeiro under the command of the respected coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo and captained by Alex conquered the triple crown. For years Cruzeiro struggled to win the Brazilian League, without success. After a few second places, in 2003 they were finally able to win the only title it did not have until then. With 100 points won during the season, and just over 100 goals scored, it will be a long time until another club achieves the same success as Cruzeiro did in 2003. In 2003, besides winning the Brazilian League, Cruzeiro also won the Brazilian Cup and the State Championship to become the first Brazilian team to win the triple crown. Vanderlei Luxemburgo da Silva (born May 10, 1952, in Nova Iguaçu) is a Brazilian football (soccer) coach, he is currently head coach at Santos after being unemployed for nine days, when being sacked by Real Madrid on December 4, 2005, at just over 11 months in charge. ... Personal information Full name Alexsandro de Souza Date of birth September 14, 1977 ) Place of birth Curitiba, Brazil Height 1. ... The Triple Crown of Brazilian Football is an unofficial title given to the club that won the three more important competitions of the Brazilian football in the same year: the State Championships, Copa do Brasil and Campeonato Brasileiro). ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ... The Copa do Brasil (or Brazil Cup) is a knockout competition played by 64 football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. ... FMF official logo) Campeonato Mineiro is the league played in the Brazilian southeastern State of Minas Gerais and is held by the Minas Gerais Soccer Federation FMF (Federação Mineira de Futebol). ...

In 2004 Cruzeiro continued to do well, they won the Belo Horizonte Youth Cup, and, with stars such as Argentine Juan Pablo Sorín, won the Campeonato Mineiro. After much glory, in 2005 Cruzeiro did not win a major title, something they’ve been doing since 1990. Not only did they not win a title they fell to 8th in the league in 2005, a bad performance for them. In 2006 with a combination of young and experienced talent, they got of to a good start winning the Campeonato Mineiro, their 34th, now only 4 titles away from archrivals Atlético. They have also got off to a good start in the league table, making some believe they might have a good placement in the table, this year. The Taça Belo Horizonte de Juniores (or Belo Horizonte Youth Cup, in English), also known as Taça Belo Horizonte de Futebol Júnior is a cup competition usually played by 32 Brazilian under-20 football teams, most of them from Minas Gerais state. ... Juan Pablo Sorín (born May 5, 1976 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine footballer currently playing for Hamburger SV in Germany. ... FMF official logo) Campeonato Mineiro is the league played in the Brazilian southeastern State of Minas Gerais and is held by the Minas Gerais Soccer Federation FMF (Federação Mineira de Futebol). ... FMF official logo) Campeonato Mineiro is the league played in the Brazilian southeastern State of Minas Gerais and is held by the Minas Gerais Soccer Federation FMF (Federação Mineira de Futebol). ...

[edit] Symbols

[edit] Mascot

Fernando Pieruccetti, more popularly known as Mangabeira, created the club's mascot. The mascot is a fox (raposa, in Portuguese). The club is widely known in the country for their mascot, it appears on TV and on websites that have to do with Cruzeiro. Millie, once mascot of the City of Brampton, is now the Brampton Arts Councils representative. ... This article is about the animal. ...

Mangabeira was inspired by the clubs' ex-president, Mario Grossa, celebrity known for being very smart and cunning, and he thought the fox was perfect. "He was a guy who never let anyone trick him. He was so sly, crafty, intelligent and clever just like a fox", observed the cartoonist. Cartoonist Jack Elrod at work. ...

[edit] Crest

Cruzeiro Esporte Clube's old crest

The evolution of Cruzeiro’s crest has followed the transformation of their uniforms. The club was born as Societá Sportiva Palestra Itália and so the crest was a rhombus with the initials SSPI. In 1943 however in a game against São Cristóvão, the club started to use a new crest which was a blue circle with five white stars in it, symbolizing the Southern Cross. Cruzeiro used this crest on their jerseys, alternatively switching to loose stars on the shirt many times. As in 2004 the crest has been on the shirts rather than just loose stars. They also changed their crest from just a circle with five stars to having CRUZEIRO ESPORTE CLUBE being written around it. Lately they have been adding features to the crest, like in 2003 when the it had two trophies on its sides, representing two Libertadores conquers. In 2005 they added a crown to the crest along with the two trophies, representing the triple crown title of 2003. In 2006 they dropped the two trophies and just kept the crown on top. Image File history File links Cruzeiro_logo_2. ... Image File history File links Cruzeiro_logo_2. ... Palestra Itália was the old name of two traditional Brazilian football clubs: Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, a club from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state. ... São Cristóvão de Futebol e Regatas, or São Cristóvão as they are usually called, is a traditional Brazilian football team from Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro, founded on February 2, 1943. ... Southern Cross is the English name of Crux Australis, a constellation visible in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Copa Libertadores Logo The Copa Libertadores de América (also known as Copa Toyota Libertadores) (Portuguese: Taça Libertadores da América, English: Liberators of America Cup) is an international football cup competition played annually by the top clubs of South America. ...

[edit] Uniforms

See the complete article Historic Evolution of Cruzeiro EC Uniforms Together with the evolution of the soccer, in what it says respect to the style of game or the tactics, also the evolution of the uniforms used by the players. ...

[edit] Presidents

Alvimar Perrella de Oliveira Costa, (born on 1961, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais) is currently the president of Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais and he has been reelected for an additional three-year term, which started in 2006 and will end in 2008. ...

[edit] Cruzeiro anthem

See also: Jadir Ambrósio
Jadir Ambrósio, (born December 8, 1922), was a Brazilian musician. ...

The club's anthem, Hino ao Campeão, was written by Jadir Ambrósio in 1966, in homage to the team of his heart. He never meant for it to become the official anthem, but once fans started hearing it they liked it enough to adapt it as the new anthem. Cruzeiro have also had another anthem that was originally written by Arrigo Buzzacchi and Tolentino Miraglia when the club was still Italian, (-1925), and when it was still called the Palestra Itália. The anthem was published in newspapers in Brazil on May 5, 1922 it was called Hino ao Palestra. Jadir Ambrósio, (born December 8, 1922), was a Brazilian musician. ... Palestra Itália was the old name of two traditional Brazilian football clubs: Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, a club from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

[edit] Current squad

As of May 5th, 2008. Sources from official website. May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

No. Position Player - GK Fábio - GK Andrey - GK Rafael - DF Marquinhos Paraná - DF Jonathan - DF Apodi - DF Léo Fortunato - DF Thiago Martinelli - DF Thiago Gosling - DF Espinoza - DF Wellington - DF Thiago Heleno - DF Fernandinho - DF Jadílson - MF Léo Silva - MF Ramires - MF Luís Alberto - MF Charles - MF Elicarlos

No. Position Player - MF Fabrício - MF Henrique - MF Zé Eduardo - MF Wagner - MF Maicosuel - MF Leandro Domingues - MF Kerlon - MF Marcinho - MF Sandro - MF Luiz Fernando - MF Bruno - MF Camilo - FW Guilherme - FW Marcelo Moreno - FW Joabe - FW Jonathas - FW Jajá - FW Reinaldo

For recent transfers, see List of Brazilian football transfers 2008.

Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... A football goalkeeper leaves the ground to parry a shot on goal In many team sports, a goalkeeper (termed goaltender, netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports) is a designated player that is charged with directly preventing the opposite team from scoring by defending the goal. ... Fábio Deivison Lopes Maciel or just Fábio (born 30 September 1980 in Nobres, Mato Grosso) is a Brazilian football goalkeeper, as of 2005 plays for Cruzeiro. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... A football goalkeeper leaves the ground to parry a shot on goal In many team sports, a goalkeeper (termed goaltender, netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports) is a designated player that is charged with directly preventing the opposite team from scoring by defending the goal. ... Andrey Nazário Afonso is a Brazilian Football Goalkeeper who currently plays for Steaua Bucureşti in the Liga 1 the top flight of Romania Football. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... A football goalkeeper leaves the ground to parry a shot on goal In many team sports, a goalkeeper (termed goaltender, netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports) is a designated player that is charged with directly preventing the opposite team from scoring by defending the goal. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... The Bolton players in white are defending - the nearest player is trying to prevent the Fulham forward in cyan from crossing the ball. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... The Bolton players in white are defending - the nearest player is trying to prevent the Fulham forward in cyan from crossing the ball. ... Jonathan or Jonathan Cícero Moreira (born February 27, 1986 in Conselheiro Lafaiete, Minas Gerais) is a Brazilian football player. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... The Bolton players in white are defending - the nearest player is trying to prevent the Fulham forward in cyan from crossing the ball. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... The Bolton players in white are defending - the nearest player is trying to prevent the Fulham forward in cyan from crossing the ball. ... Leonardo Fortunato dos Santos or Léo Fortunato, (born in Rio de Janeiro, on March 14, 1983) is a Brazilian football player, currently playing for Cruzeiro. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... The Bolton players in white are defending - the nearest player is trying to prevent the Fulham forward in cyan from crossing the ball. ... Thiago Martinelli da Silva or Thiago, (born in Vitória, on January 14, 1980) is a Brazilian football player, currently playing for Cruzeiro. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... The Bolton players in white are defending - the nearest player is trying to prevent the Fulham forward in cyan from crossing the ball. ... Thiago Pimentel Gosling, or simply Thiago (born April 25, 1979 in Belo Horizonte), is a Brazilian, Centre-back. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ecuador. ... The Bolton players in white are defending - the nearest player is trying to prevent the Fulham forward in cyan from crossing the ball. ... Giovanny Patricio Espinoza Pabón (born April 12, 1977 in Charguacayo) is a footballer from Ecuador. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... The Bolton players in white are defending - the nearest player is trying to prevent the Fulham forward in cyan from crossing the ball. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... The Bolton players in white are defending - the nearest player is trying to prevent the Fulham forward in cyan from crossing the ball. ... Thiago Heleno Henrique Ferreira (born 17/9/1988 in Sete Lagoas (MG)) is a Brazilian football player. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... The Bolton players in white are defending - the nearest player is trying to prevent the Fulham forward in cyan from crossing the ball. ... Fernando Alves Santa Clara or Fernandinho, (born in Ilhéus, on April 16, 1981) is a Brazilian football player, currently playing for Cruzeiro. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... The Bolton players in white are defending - the nearest player is trying to prevent the Fulham forward in cyan from crossing the ball. ... José Jadílson dos Santos Silva or simply Jadílson (born December 4, 1977 in Maceió) is a left-wingback player from Brazil. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For the Australian Rules position, see Midfielder (Australian Rules). ... Hugo Leonardo Silva Serejo, best known as Léo Silva (born in São Luiz, December 24, 1985) is a Brazilian football player, currently playing for Cruzeiro EC. [edit] Career Cruzeiro (2003); Ipatinga (2004 to 2006); Cruzeiro (2006) [edit] Titles Campeonato Mineiro (2005) Categories: | | | | ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For the Australian Rules position, see Midfielder (Australian Rules). ... Ramires Santos do Nascimento or simply Ramires (born March 24, 1987 in Rio de Janeiro), is a Brazilian defensive midfielder. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For the Australian Rules position, see Midfielder (Australian Rules). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For the Australian Rules position, see Midfielder (Australian Rules). ... Charles Fernando Basílio da Silva or simply Charles (born February 14, 1985 in Rio de Janeiro), is a Brazilian defensive midfielder. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For the Australian Rules position, see Midfielder (Australian Rules). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For the Australian Rules position, see Midfielder (Australian Rules). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For the Australian Rules position, see Midfielder (Australian Rules). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For the Australian Rules position, see Midfielder (Australian Rules). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For the Australian Rules position, see Midfielder (Australian Rules). ... Wagner or Wagner Ferreira dos Santos (born 29 January 1985 in Sete Lagoas) is a Brazilian football player. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For the Australian Rules position, see Midfielder (Australian Rules). ... Maicosuel Reginaldo de Matos or simply Maicosuel (born in Cosmópolis, São Paulo on June 16, 1986) is a footballer (midfielder) currently playing for Cruzeiro of Belo Horizonte as of 2007. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For the Australian Rules position, see Midfielder (Australian Rules). ... Leandro Domingues or Leandro Domingues Barbosa is a Brazilian football player currently playing for Cruzeiro E.C. MercadoFutebol Categories: | | | ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For the Australian Rules position, see Midfielder (Australian Rules). ... Kerlon Moura Souza (born January 27, 1988 in Ipatinga, Brazil) is a Brazilian football player, who currently plays for Cruzeiro Esporte Clube. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For the Australian Rules position, see Midfielder (Australian Rules). ... Márcio Miranda Freitas Rocha da Silva, or Marcinho, (Campinas-SP, March 20, 1981) Paulista de Jundiaí (1996-2002) Sport Club Corinthians Paulista (2002) Associação Desportiva S