Clube Náutico Capibaribe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Náutico

Full name	Clube Náutico Capibaribe
Nickname(s)	Timbu (White-eared opossum) Timbu Coroado (King Timbu) Alvirrubro (The Red & White) Hexacampeão (6-Time Champion) A Mais Fiel do Nordeste (The Northeast's Most Loyal)
Founded	April 7, 1901; 124 years ago (1901-04-07)
Stadium	Aflitos
Ground Capacity	18,000
President	Bruno Becker
Head coach	Hélio dos Anjos
League	Campeonato Brasileiro Série C Campeonato Pernambucano
2022 2022	Série B, 20th of 20 (relegated) Pernambucano, 1st of 10 (champions)
Home colors Away colors

Estádio dos Aflitos, Náutico's home stadium.

Náutico's logo from 1995 to 2008.

Clube Náutico Capibaribe, often called Náutico, is a famous sports club from Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. It is best known for its football (soccer) team. The team plays in the Série C, which is the third level of Brazilian football. They also play in the Campeonato Pernambucano, the top league in their home state.

Náutico started as a rowing club in 1898. Its official founding date is April 7, 1901. The club's first football team was formed in 1905. It had players from England and Germany.

Náutico is the only football club in Pernambuco to win the state championship six times in a row. This amazing winning streak happened from 1963 to 1968. The club has big rivalries with other local teams, Sport Recife and Santa Cruz. Náutico was the first club from Pernambuco to become well-known across Brazil. It is still seen as one of the "giants" of football in the Northeast of Brazil.

Besides football, Náutico is active in many other sports. These include swimming, hockey, basketball, volleyball, handball, women's football, futsal, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Boxing, Taekwondo, kendo, Muay Thai, MMA, and rowing. Rowing was the club's original sport. The official mascot of Náutico is the opossum, which is called "timbu" in Brazil.

Náutico has a large fan base. It is the 6th biggest in the Northeast region of Brazil. Overall, it ranks 21st in Brazil. In 2010, about 1.5 million people were Náutico fans.

Club History

How Náutico Started

Náutico was officially founded on April 7, 1901. However, its story began even earlier, in 1897. Two groups of rowers in Recife decided to join forces. A man named João Victor da Cruz Alfarra led one of these groups. They loved rowing and would take boat trips on the Capibaribe River.

A view of the Capibaribe River, where Náutico's rowing origins began.

After a historical event called the Canudos Revolt ended, Recife planned a big welcome for the returning soldiers. João Alfarra and his rowing friends were asked to organize a boat race for the celebration. This race happened on November 21, 1897. It made people in Recife very excited about rowing.

In 1898, another group of rowers formed a club called Clube dos Pimpões. This led to many races between the two groups. By the end of 1898, they decided to create one big club called Club Náutico do Recife. In 1899, they changed the name to Recreio Fluvial, but people did not like it much. So, in early 1901, they chose the name we know today: Clube Náutico Capibaribe.

On April 7, 1901, João Alfarra invited everyone involved in rowing to a special meeting. This meeting was where the club's first official records were written. This date became the club's official founding day.

The club's first flag had ten sections. The top and bottom were red, and the middle was white with the letters "C N C" (the club's initials) in blue. This flag design also appeared on their boats. Náutico's first uniform was blue and white because of its rowing roots. But soon, red replaced blue, joining white, as red was already on the club's flag.

Home Stadium

Estádio dos Aflitos

Náutico fans cheering at Aflitos Stadium in 2009.

The stadium used by Clube Náutico Capibaribe is officially called the Estádio Eládio de Barros Carvalho. Most people know it as the Estádio dos Aflitos because it is in the Aflitos neighborhood. The stadium first opened on June 25, 1939. It is named after Eládio de Barros Carvalho, who was the club's president for many years.

Náutico stopped using Aflitos from June 2013 to December 2018. During this time, they played their games at Arena Pernambuco. However, the move to Arena Pernambuco did not work out well. The company managing the arena did not keep its promises to Náutico. This caused problems for the club, including poor performance on the field. Also, the new stadium was far from the city center, making it hard for fans to get there.

Because of these issues, Náutico decided to end their agreement with Arena Pernambuco. In 2017, with strong support from their fans, Náutico began big renovations at Estádio dos Aflitos. They put in a new field, replaced old fences with glass, and updated the seats. They also improved emergency exits, player areas, and lighting. The stadium's capacity was reduced after these changes.

In December 2018, the stadium reopened with a friendly match against Newell's Old Boys from Argentina. Náutico won 1-0. Before that game, another friendly match honored former player Kuki. Many past Náutico stars played in this tribute game.

Here are some interesting facts about Estádio dos Aflitos:

• First game (June 25, 1939): Náutico 5–2 Sport
• First goal (June 25, 1939): Wilson (Náutico)
• Highest attendance (August 16, 1970): Náutico 1–0 Santa Cruz (31,061 people)
• Largest victory (July 1, 1945): Náutico 21–3 Flamengo do Recife
• Capacity: 22,856

Club Culture

Náutico Supporters

Náutico has over 1 million fans. Many passionate supporters live across Brazil and even in other countries. They are especially strong in nearby states like Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, and Ceará.

A survey in 2010 found about 1 million Náutico fans in Brazil. About 885,432 were in the Northeast Region. In Pernambuco, there were 765,234 fans. Many of these fans have higher education.

Náutico fans at Aflitos stadium during a match in 2009.

Another survey in 2013 showed 1.2 million Náutico fans in Brazil. This made them the 18th largest fan base in the country. They were also the fifth largest in the Northeast.

Náutico supporters during a match in 2006.

The fans play a big role in the team's success. In the 2006 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, Náutico won 85% of its home matches. This was the best record among all 20 teams. They won 16 games, drew two, and lost only one at home. About 10,000 fans attended each match that season. This number grew to about 13,000 in the first division in 2007. By 2009, Náutico had sold over 3 million tickets for home games in top-tier championships.

One of Brazil's first organized fan groups, called "Alma Alvirrubra" (White-and-red soul), started among Náutico fans. It began after a tough loss in 2005. This showed that the group was formed out of strong loyalty, not just easy wins.

In 2011, playing at Aflitos, Náutico set another record. They were the only club in Brazil, across all divisions, not to lose a single home game in the Brazilian Championship. They had 13 wins and 6 draws. This proved how much the fans' support helped the team.

The main organized fan group, Torcida Jovem Fanáutico, is the oldest in Pernambuco. It was founded in 1984. In 2020, a survey showed that Náutico fans are "The Most Loyal in the Northeast." About 73% of their fans are loyal only to Náutico. This is much higher than other fan bases in the region.

Club Rivalries

Clássico dos Clássicos (The Derby of the Derbies)

Náutico playing against Sport in 2024.

Náutico's biggest rivalry is with Sport Recife. Their matches are known as the Clássico dos Clássicos. This is the oldest and most traditional derby in the North-Northeast region of Brazil. It is also the third oldest in Brazil. It is known for its strong rivalry and balanced games in Pernambuco.

This classic was once called the "Fla-Flu of the Northeast" by the national media. This was because of its importance in the mid-20th century. The first game between Náutico and Sport happened on July 25, 1909. This was the same year Náutico's football team started playing. Náutico won that first match.

Clássico das Emoções (The Derby of the Emotions)

Náutico also has a local rivalry with Santa Cruz. This rivalry is called the Clássico das Emoções. The first match between these two clubs took place on June 29, 1917. Santa Cruz won 3-0 in a charity tournament game. This game was played at the "Campo dos Aflitos," which later became Náutico's stadium.

In 1974, Santa Cruz tried to win their sixth state title in a row. But Náutico stopped them, winning the Pernambucano championship. Náutico kept its record as the only team to win six consecutive titles. They beat Santa Cruz in both final matches that year.

Even though this derby is very old and has a rich history, it is not as intense as the rivalry between Santa Cruz and Sport Recife. Both Náutico and Santa Cruz fans often say they prefer playing against Sport.

Timbu Coroado (Crowned Timbu)

Timbu Coroado is a traditional Carnival block from Recife. It was started in 1944. This makes it the first carnival block created by a football club in Pernambuco. It shows the strong culture of Pernambuco, mixing rhythms like frevo and maracatu. It has become one of the most traditional blocks in Recife's carnival. Today, it parades on Carnival Sunday through the streets of the Aflitos neighborhood. This is where Náutico’s main building is located.

The block is known for its fun and celebration of local traditions. Its song was written by Nelson Ferreira, a famous musician from Pernambuco. The name "Timbu Coroado" refers to the white-eared opossum, known as Timbu. This animal is Náutico’s mascot and a symbol of the club. Náutico was the first football club in Pernambuco to create its own carnival block. This shows how much it influences local culture.

Timbu Coroado is more than just a carnival block. It is a part of Náutico’s history. It brings together fans and party-goers in a lively celebration of Pernambuco’s roots.

National Ranking

Náutico is currently ranked 38th in Brazil. They have 3,635 points. The CBF publishes this ranking every December. It only includes national tournaments from 1959 to 2023. Since 2012, it only counts the last 5 seasons.

Sponsors

• Brahma (Beer maker)
• EMS (Pharmaceutical Company in Brazil)
• BetNacional (Brazilian Bet)

Club Achievements

Official Tournaments

Other Tournaments

Regional and Inter-state

• Torneio dos Campeões do Norte-Nordeste (1): 1952
• Copa dos Campeões do Norte (1): 1966
• Zona Norte-Nordeste da Taça Brasil (3): 1965, 1966, 1967

State

• Torneio Início de Pernambuco (14): 1942, 1944, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980

Runners-up

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (1) 1967
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série B (2): 1988, 2011
• Campeonato Pernambucano (32): 1926, 1931, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1970, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2019, 2024
• Copa Pernambuco (3): 2003, 2007, 2019

Women's Football

• Campeonato Pernambucano de Futebol Feminino (4): 2005, 2006, 2020, 2021

Top Goalscorers

Top goalscorers in the Campeonato Pernambucano

Top Náutico goalscorers in the Náutico-Santa Cruz derby (O Clássico das Emoções)

Top Náutico goalscorers in the Náutico-Sport derby (O Clássico dos Clássicos)

Top Appearances - All Competitions

Images for kids

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  A view of the Capibaribe River, where Náutico's rowing origins began.

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  Náutico's victory in a regatta in 1913.

See also

In Spanish: Clube Náutico Capibaribe para niños