Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, the record-breaking club for Brazilian titles, 11 in all, completed this Saturday, August 26, 109 years of a rich history full of glories in national and international football. Under the name of Palestra Itália, the club was born with the aim of representing all Italian immigrants living in Brazil.
Even before taking the field for the first time, the team from São Paulo ran the risk of ending its activities due to the lack of players who were forced to serve the Italian army during the First World War.
After the difficulties, the debut took place on January 24, 1915, in Sorocaba, and ended with a victory: 2-0 over Savoia, another team from the Italian colony.
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The name change occurred in 1942 because of a decree by then President Getúlio Vargas that prohibited any entity from using names related to the Axis countries (Germany, Italy and Japan) involved in World War II.
Palmeiras’ first participation in an official tournament was in 1916, when the team played in the Campeonato Paulista. In 1920, came the first state title. Since then, there have been a total of 25 Paulistão cups, two from Série B of the Brazilian Championship, four from Copa do Brasil and 11 from Série A – a number that projects him as the biggest winner of the competition.
Somos milhões de vozes que honram aquelas dezenas que fundaram o Palestra Italia há 109 anos. Milhões que sonham, jogam e conquistam, juntas, pela mesma camisa 💚#AvantiPalestra pic.twitter.com/2udIkir3kr
— SE Palmeiras (@Palmeiras) August 26, 2023
Palmeiras also has a collection of international titles, highlighting the three Libertadores won in 1999, 2020 and 2021. Under the administration of Leila Pereira, the first female president of the association, the team stands out again in 2023 and continues in search of another cup in the South American tournament.
The club also stands out in women’s football, a modality that Palmeiras started to host in 1997. Since then, it has won two São Paulo championships, in 2001 and 2022. It reached two semifinals of the elite of the Brasileirão, in 2020 and 2022, and was vice- champion in 2021. On the international stage, Palestrinas are the current Libertadores champions, a title consolidated with a 4-1 victory over Boca Juniors.
