Esporte Clube Cruzeiro

Founded in Porto Alegre by dissident fans of Internacional, Cruzeiro was for decades considered the "third force" of Rio Grande do Sul football. Today based in Cachoeirinha, it is one of the oldest and most traditional clubs in Rio Grande do Sul.

History

Esporte Clube Cruzeiro was born on July 14, 1913, when a group of dissatisfied Internacional fans decided to found their own association in Porto Alegre. Throughout the first decades of the 20th century, the club established itself as one of the main forces in Rio Grande do Sul football, winning the Campeonato Gaúcho in 1929. In 1953, Cruzeiro became the first Rio Grande do Sul club to tour Europe, playing a historic friendly match against Real Madrid. In 1960, the team experienced its international peak by winning the Easter Tournament in Berlin, then in East Germany, considered the first intercontinental title in Rio Grande do Sul football history. From the 1960s onwards, the club entered a long process of sporting and financial decline, alternating participations in lower divisions of Rio Grande do Sul football. In 2019, it inaugurated Arena Cruzeiro, in the neighboring city of Cachoeirinha, transferring its headquarters to the municipality. Currently, the club is licensed, without competing in professional competitions.