Riograndense Football Club

Riograndense is a club from Santa Maria, in Rio Grande do Sul, founded on May 7, 1912. Linked to the city's railway history, it was Gaucho runner-up in 1921 and won the state Série A2 in 1978.

History

Founded on May 7, 1912, Riograndense is known as Periquito, Esmeraldino, Team of the North Zone, and Railway Workers' Team. Its stadium is Eucaliptos, and its biggest rival is Internacional de Santa Maria. In 1917, the club played its first interstate match in Santa Maria and drew 2-2 with Guarany from Ponta Grossa. The first international home match ended with a 1-0 victory over Olimpia from Montevideo. Its best placing in the Gaucho Championship came in 1921, with the runner-up title behind Grêmio, the same year it also won the Interior Championship. The club also won the Santa Maria City Championship 38 times, the last one in 1976, and the 1978 Gaucho Série A2. In 2016, without resources to renovate the stadium, it left the state Second Division and was punished by the federation with a two-year ban from official competitions. The professional football department remained inactive until at least 2023.