The year 2006 was the most successful year in Inter's history as they won the 2006 Copa Libertadores when they defeated the defending champions São Paulo. Internacional also won the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup.
History
The foundation
The brothers Henrique, José and Luis Poppe were responsible for founding the Sport Club International.
The greatest difficulty encountered by the Poppes, when transferred from São Paulo to Porto Alegre in 1901, was to not find a club to the democratic practice of football. At the time there were only two clubs in the city (the Fussball and the Grêmio Porto Alegrense), private for those who had German ancestry. In 1909 the Poppe convened a group of students and ordinary employees from Porto Alegre and trading to a meeting, scheduled for the day April 4, 1909, at number 141 in Redenção Avenue (now Avenue João Pessoa, 1025), with the clear objective of founding a new football club. Thus began the history of Sport Club Internacional.
More than 40 people also voted to select the name of the club, established in honor of Sport Club Internacional (from São Paulo). Since then the clubs were usually identified with colonies of immigrants from certain ethnic or nationality (such as São Paulo Palestra Italy, for Italians, the Vasco da Gama, for Portuguese immigrants etc.), The name "International" was scope to identify a club where "all" could play, regardless of origin, race or social status. Emerged as a club genuinely democratic and without any kind of discrimination.
The emblem
The first emblem of Sport Club Internacional was designed with the initials SCI in red over a white background, without the red contour that appeared shortly afterwards. In the Fifties, the colours were inverted, as the initials were written in white over a red background. After winning the 2006 Libertadores Cup, the emblem won another star. It's 50% bigger and is placed above the other four, which represent the three Brazilian championships (1975, 1976 and 1979) and the Brazilian Cup title (1992). However, still in 2006, Inter won the FIFA Club World Cup. The star symbolizing the Freedom Fighters Cup title was moved down between the four stars representing the club’s national honours. A new and majestic diamond star was placed above it to commemorate the world crown.
[edit]The Rolo Compressor (The Steamroller)
The Forties were remarkable for the Colorados. One of the greatest squads in the club's history was formed in that decade: The Rolo Compressor (Steamroller). They were an extremely offensive team that played from 1224 to 1948 and won eight Rio Grande do Sul championships. The reason for such superiority dated back to 1926, the year Inter started accepting Black players in their squad – something that was not adopted by rivals Grêmio until 1952. That decision ended up strengthening the team, which placed no restrictions and always had the best players, and also gave birth to the affectionate nickname of "The People's Club."
That team included some of the greatest football players in the club's history. Alfeu, Tesourinha, Abigail, Carlitos, Adãozinho, among others. The term "Rolo Compressor " was coined to represent Inter's power of "crushing the opposition" in their quest for victories. It showed the superiority of the team at that time.
The club's growth
The end of the Forties marked the beginning of an era of growth for Internacional. The club restored the Eucaliptos, their old stadium, to host two matches of the FIFA World Cup in 1950 – Mexico vs Yugoslavia and Mexico vs Switzerland. On the pitch, Inter kept developing great players and provided most of the squad for the national team that won the 1956 Pan-American Games in Mexico.
Rio Grande do Sul sports were now the focus of attention. The green-and-white Inter played their first match on March 1, 1956, when they beat Chile 2-1. In the game against Costa Rica, up to then the greatest surprise of the competition, Inter demolished the opposition by 7-1, with goals scored by Larry (3), Chinesinho (3) and Bodinho.
The final was played against Argentina. A 2-2 draw meant the title of the Pan-American Games Mexico 1956 for Teté's men on an unbeaten run. Back in Brazil, the players were visited in Rio de Janeiro by the Vice President of the Republic, João Goulart (a former juvenile player for the team), and went to the Catete Palace to receive the trophy from the hands of the President of the Republic, Juscelino Kubitschek. Besides gold medals, the team also won other awards, but the most important was that Brazil saw it could rely on Inter for any challenge.
In the Sixties, the Eucaliptos was becoming small for the large fan base. It was necessary to build a new stadium. Supporters mobilised and help build Beira-Rio by donating bricks, iron bars, and cement. Ten years of work elapsed until the new Colorado home was inaugurated on April 6, 1969. The ground's magnitude was reflected in its name: Gigante da Beira-Rio (literally the "Giant on the River Banks" in Portuguese).
An era of titles
Perhaps no other time is remembered with more affection and longing by the Internacional supporters than the victorious Seventies. In that decade, Inter showed which the biggest club in Rio Grande do Sul and in Brazil were. The new Beira-Rio stadium met the expectations of the fanatic crowd and was the stage for some of the best years in Internacional's history. In 1975, after a thrilling victory against Cruzeiro, at Beira-Rio, the Colorados secured the Brazilian championship title. The only goal of the match was scored by Chilean star defender Elías Figueroa. The first golden star was now on the chest of every Colorado.
In 1976, Internacional kept the victorious squad from the previous year and arrived at the top of Brazil's football for the second time. They won the title over Corinthians by winning the final match 2-0. Valdomiro was the man of the match and scored the decisive goal. The campaign in 1976 was remarkable, as in 23 matches for the Brazilian Championship, Rubens Minelli's men won 19, drew one and lost just three.
The end of the decade was crowned with yet another great victory. Inter won their third Brazilian title in 1979 after beating Vasco da Gama 2-1. With 16 wins, the team did not suffer a single defeat during the championship, a deed yet unmatched by any other club in Brazil. The third star was in place, bright and proud, over the club's emblem.
Inter appears to the world
In the Eighties, the world discovered Internacional. More than a national or regional tournament, Inter won the famous Joan Gamper tournament on 25 August 1982, in Barcelona, something no other Brazilian or Latin American club has ever achieved. The Colorados disqualified powerful Barcelona, then with Maradona, after a penalty shoot-out, and beat England's Manchester City in the final by 2-1. It was one of the greatest achievements in the club's history. In 1984, Inter won the Kirin Cup in Japan. The club started to consolidate their name in the world scenario.
After 1956 – year in which eight footballers out of the 22-player squad called up for the national team played for Internacional – the definitive glory came in 1984. To represent Brazil in that year's Olympics, in Los Angeles, Internacional had their whole squad called up. The eleven players, from the goalkeeper to the number 11, did a great job and won the silver medal. The team became known as Sele/Inter. After beating traditional sides such as Italy and Germany, Internacional players brought to Brazil the unprecedented football silver medal, a deed repeated in 1988, when Inter players such as goalkeeper Taffarel, full-back Luis Carlos Wink and centre-back Aloisio defended the Brazilian colours.
At the end of the decade, in 1989, Inter faced a real battle against archrivals Grêmio. The semi-final of the Brazilian Championship meant not only a pass for the final match, but also a place in the Libertadores Cup. The encounter became known as the "Gre-Nal of the Century." With just ten players on the pitch, Inter finished the first half losing by 1-0. In the second half, pushed by a large crowd at Beira-Rio, the Colorados came from behind to crush Grêmio with two goals scored by striker Nilson and won by 2-1. Party in Porto Alegre, in Rio Grande do Sul, and all over the world.
The fourth star
In 1992, Internacional won its fourth national title, the Brazilian Cup. The decision was against Fluminense. In the first leg, in Rio de Janeiro, a 2-1 defeat. The return leg saw a completely packed Beira-Rio, and the team coached by Antônio Lopes made a fantastic comeback to win by 1-0. The club secured the title in the away goals rule.
Copa Libertadores and afterwards
Inter entered the new millennium seeking the essence of their football in the youth teams. The hegemony in Rio Grande do Sul came naturally with four state titles in a row, from 2002 to 2005. The club modernised all its departments and prepared for a new football era. The South American Cup meant a return to the world stage and prepared the team for contesting the Libertadores Cup title. The campaign included eight wins, six draws, and just one defeat, to Ecuador's Liga Deportiva Universitaria in the quarter-finals. To win the title, Internacional had to move past two clubs that had won the tournament three times - Uruguay's Club Nacional de Fútbol and São Paulo, who were the defending champions.
Against São Paulo, Internacional arguably won the title away in the first leg. Stunning the 80,000 são-paulinos attending the match at the Morumbi stadium, Rafael Sóbis scored twice in the second half before defender Edcarlos scored for São Paulo. Internacional needed just a draw in the second leg at home, and they enjoyed the home advantage to the fullest and left the pitch as South American champions for the first time and, arguably, being the best team in the world. Striker Fernandão, who, along with Tinga, scored in the final match at the Beira-Rio stadium, was one of the 14 players finishing as top scorer of the Libertadores, with five goals. He was voted Man of the Match against São Paulo and won a Toyota Corolla as the prize. Fernandão put the car up for auction and gave the money to charity organizations.
Internacional competed in the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup and won it. But the next biggest highlight of the club, after the Libertadores victory, was the 2007 Recopa Sudamericana. Amidst all the victories in 2006, International had a bad start to the 2007 season. But to close this winning cycle with a golden triumph, Inter won the Recopa Sudamericana as they defeated Mexican club Pachuca with a final score of 5-2. In the first game in Mexico, the team had a good performance and was defeated 2-1. Alexandre Pato opened the scoring. In the second match, supported by over 51,000 fans crammed into Beira-Rio, Inter beat the opponent by a score of 4-0 - the biggest win of the competition's history.
Mid 2007-present
In 2008, Internacional won the Dubai Cup 2008. In the same year, however, Internacional won the Copa Sudamericana 2008, beating Argentinian Estudiantes de La Plata, becoming the first Brazilian winners of the trophy. By winning the Copa Sudamericana, Internacional entered an elite group of South American clubs that have won the all three CONMEBOL tournaments (Copa Libertadores, Recopa Sudamericana, and Supercopa Sudamericana or Copa Sudamericana).
On April 2, 2009, Inter launched its third uniform celebrating the centenary, with golden shirt, red shorts and red socks. The golden shirt mean the glories won in their history.
On August 5, 2009, Inter won their sixth international championship in a period of time corresponding to four years. Inter won the Suruga Bank 2009, which they played as reigning champions of the Copa Sudamericana 2008 against J. League Cup 2008 champions Oita Trinita in Japan. Furthermore, was champions of the Campeonato Gaúcho 2009, runner-up the Copa do Brasil 2009 and Recopa Sudamericana 2009.
On August 28, 2009, English club Tottenham announced that a partnership was completed between the two clubs. Tottenham's chairman Daniel Levy said "As we look to take the Club forward it will be increasingly important that we are able to track and develop emerging talented players. This co-operation between our two clubs, which will see an exchange of coaching methodologies as well as exchange visits, means that we shall be able to effect the placement and development of players from Brazil and South America with both ourselves or other European Leagues. It is an exciting partnership and opportunity for us and we look forward to working with Inter." Internacional's chairman, Vittorio Piffero, said: "This strategic partnership between two globally renowned clubs is an innovation in Brazilian football and will result not only in the exchange of youth players, but also in a comprehensive development of the Porto Alegre-based club by sharing expertise in areas such as marketing, promotions, trade opportunities, media and public relations.
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