América Futebol Clube (also known as América Mineiro or simply América) is a Brazilian multisports club from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Although the club competes (or has competed) in a number of different sports, it is well known for its professional association football team. As of 2015, it plays in the Campeonato Mineiro, Minas Gerais's premier league, as well as in the Brazilian Second Division, and in the Brazilian Cup. América will be playing in the Brazilian First Division in 2016.
The biggest rival of the club is Atletico Mineiro.
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.
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 Second Division. 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[]
Professional competitions[]
- Série B
- Winner (1): 1997
- Série C
- Winner (1): 2009
- Copa Sul-Minas
- Winner (1): 2000
- Campeonato Mineiro
- Winners (16): 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1948, 1957, 1971, 1993, 2001, 2016
- Runners-up (15): 1915, 1930, 1931, 1942, 1949, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2012
- Taça Minas Gerais
- Winner (1): 2005
- Runners-up (3): 1977, 1980, 1984