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América Mineiro
Escudo América de Minas.png
Full name América Futebol Clube
Nickname(s) Coelho (Rabbit)
Founded April 30, 1912; 112 years ago (1912-04-30)
Stadium Arena Independência
Ground Capacity 23,018
SAF Owner América Futebol Clube (MG) (100%)
President Alencar da Silveira
League Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
Campeonato Mineiro
2022
2022
Série A, 10th of 20
Mineiro, 2nd of 12
Third colors

América Futebol Clube, commonly referred to as simply América Mineiro, is a Brazilian football team from the city of Belo Horizonte, capital city of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Founded in 1912, the club preserves its name and crest since its inception. The original home kit colours are white and green only; the black color was incorporated in the 1970s. The team also played with a red home kit between 1933 and 1942, as a protest to the introduction of professionalism. It hosts its matches at Independência stadium. The club has the third largest fan base among the teams from Minas Gerais.

América is one of the most traditional and successful teams from Minas Gerais. It has won the state championship 16 times, and finished as runners-up in another 16 occasions. The first 10 victories were in a row, between 1916 and 1925, being the national record of successive accomplishments (together with ABC); the most recent was in 2016. Other major accomplishments were the Brazilian Second Division in 1997 and 2017, South-Minas Cup in 2000, and Brazilian Third Division in 2009.

The club has a long reputation in forming young talents in football. Among others, it has revealed the world-class players Tostão, Éder Aleixo, Yuji Nakazawa, Gilberto Silva, Fred, Danilo and Richarlison. América has won the three most important junior tournaments in Brazil: São Paulo Juniors Cup (1996), Brazilian Championship U-20 (2011) and Belo Horizonte Juniors Cup (2000 and 2014).

History

On 30 April 1912, a group of young men who played football purely for the love of the game decided to turn their team into a football club. In the first meeting, the founders decided that the name of the club would be América Foot-Ball Club, and the colors would be green and white. The first matches were played on the mayor's field. In 1913, América and Minas Gerais Futebol Clube fused, and the club changed its colors to green, white and black. Between 1916 and 1925, the team won ten state championships in a row.

Time do América Mineiro, 1971
América's team, 1971. National Archives of Brazil.

In 1933, as a protest to the professionalization of Brazilian football, the club changed its colors to red and white. In 1943, the club professionalized its football division, and returned to its previous colors. In 1948, América won its first state championship as a professional club.

In 1997, América won the Série B for the first time, and in 2000, the club won the Copa Sul-Minas first edition, beating Cruzeiro in the final. In 2004, after a poor performance in the Série B, América was relegated to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, and in 2007, the club finished in Campeonato Mineiro's last position, and was relegated to the following year's Campeonato Mineiro Módulo II. América won the Série C in 2009, beating ASA in the final. The following year, the team was fourth at Série B and returned to the top level of the Brazilian championship after ten years. On 14 June 2013, América signed a cooperation contract with the Tahitian Football Federation to develop under-20 national players.

Symbols

The club's official anthem was composed by Vicente Motta. There are also two other anthems: The unofficial anthem, which was composed by Fernando Brant and Tavinho Moura, and the supporters' anthem, whose lyrics were composed by Márcio Vianna Dias and sung by Fernando Ângelo. América's mascot was created by the cartoonist Fernando Pierucetti, and is a red-eyed white cartoon rabbit with clearly protruding teeth.

Derbies

América's greatest rivals are Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro. The derby between América and Atlético Mineiro is known as O Clássico das Multidões (The Derby of the Masses), and was first played on November 15, 1913, in a friendly game that ended in a 1–1 draw.

Honours

National

Regional

  • Copa Sul-Minas
    • Winners (1): 2000

State

  • Campeonato Mineiro
    • Winners (16): 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1948, 1957, 1971, 1993, 2001, 2016
    • Runners-up (17): 1915, 1930, 1931, 1942, 1949, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2012, 2021, 2023
  • Taça Minas Gerais
    • Winners (1): 2005
  • Campeonato Mineiro Módulo II
    • Winners (1): 2008
  • Torneio Início do Campeonato Mineiro
    • Winners (13): 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1933, 1936, 1945, 1955, 1957

City

  • Campeonato Extra da Cidade de BH
    • Winners (1): 1939

Youth competitions

  • Copa RS Sub-20
    • Winners (1): 2011
  • Copa São Paulo de Juniores
    • Winners (1): 1996
  • Taça Belo Horizonte de Juniores
    • Winners (2): 2000, 2014

Women's Football

  • Campeonato Mineiro de Futebol Feminino
    • Winners (3): 2016, 2017, 2018

Current squad

No. Position Player
1 Brazil GK Elias (on loan from Itabirito)
3 Brazil DF Lucão
4 Brazil DF Pedro Barcelos
5 Argentina MF Fernando Elizari
6 Brazil DF Marlon
7 Brazil FW Vinícius
8 Brazil MF Juninho (captain)
9 Brazil FW Brenner
10 Argentina MF Martín Benítez
11 Brazil FW Felipe Azevedo
12 Brazil GK Jori
15 Brazil MF Moisés
16 Brazil MF Alê
18 Brazil DF Júlio
19 Brazil MF Felipe Amaral
20 Brazil DF Daniel Borges (on loan from Botafogo)
27 Brazil GK Cássio
28 Brazil FW Fabinho
29 Brazil FW Vítor Jacaré
No. Position Player
30 Brazil DF Nicolas Vichiatto
31 Brazil GK Dalberson
33 Brazil DF Éder
36 Brazil DF Mateus Henrique
37 Brazil FW Thauan Willians
39 Brazil MF Flávio
44 Brazil FW Adyson
45 Brazil DF Ricardo Silva
68 Brazil MF Yago Santos
71 Brazil DF Jhow
73 Brazil GK Natan
75 Brazil MF Rodriguinho
77 Brazil MF Wallisson (on loan from Athletic-MG)
78 Brazil FW Renato Marques
80 Brazil MF Daniel Júnior (on loan from Vitória)
88 Brazil FW Matheus Davó (on loan from Cruzeiro)
97 Brazil MF Gustavinho
99 Brazil FW Jonathas

Youth team

No. Position Player
70 Brazil DF Rafa Barcelos
72 Brazil DF Paulinho

Out on loan

No. Position Player
Brazil FW Ighor Gabryel (at Santo André until 30 September 2024)
Brazil FW Rodrigo Varanda (at Santa Clara until 30 June 2025)

First-team staff

Position Name Nationality
Head coach Cauan de Almeida  Brazil
Assistant manager Diogo Giacomini  Brazil
Assistant manager Régis Angeli  Brazil
Fitness coach Jonas Neves  Brazil
Fitness coach Lucas Itaberaba  Brazil
Fitness coach William Matos  Brazil
Goalkeeping coach Marcos Gontijo  Brazil
Goalkeeping coach Silvio Jardim  Brazil

Notable players

Notable managers

  • Brazil Carlos Alberto Silva
  • Brazil Flávio Lopes
  • Brazil Givanildo Oliveira
  • Brazil Paulo Comelli
  • Brazil Yustrich
  • Brazil Lisca Doido

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: América Futebol Clube (Belo Horizonte) para niños

  • América Futebol Clube (MG) (women), women's team
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