Foundation and early years

Sport Club do Recife was founded on 13 May 1905 by Guilherme de Aquino Fonseca, a member of a wealthy family in Pernambuco who found a love for football while studying engineering at the University of Cambridge in England. The club were the first recorded football club in the state of Pernambuco. Sport played their first match on 22 June 1905, drawing 2–2 against a team called English Eleven, a team formed by employees working for English companies in Recife.

The Campeonato Pernambucano was established in 1916, and Sport won the competition's first two titles. From 1923 to 1925, Sport won the competition three consecutive times, and became tricampeão (three time champion).

International tours and military government years

Sport Recife celebrated their 50th anniversary in 1955 by winning their 15th state title. In 1957, the club toured Europe. A total of 17 matches were played, with 6 wins, 3 draws, and 8 defeats. These matches include the 5–3 loss against Real Madrid, which was the first night game at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.^[1]

Sport Recife participated in the 1963 International Soccer League, finishing fourth in their group, with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 2 defeats.^[2]

As a result of a dispute with the Federação Pernambucana de Futebol (FPF), Sport did not participate in the 1978 Campeonato Pernambucano.

First National league title

The 1987 Campeonato Brasileiro/Copa União resulted in Sport's first national title, conquered in common justice. However, the club did not officially receive this title until 30 years later, in 2017.^[3] This was due to a dispute with Flamengo, who also claimed to have won the title, since the latter, champion of the 1987 championship, as well as Internacional, refused to compete in a quadrangular crossing with the finalist teams of Module B, in the case of Sport and Guarani.^[4] After topping group B in both the 1st and 2nd rounds Sport beat Bangu 5–4 on aggregate in the semi-final, and then Guarani 3–2 in the final. By winning the title, they qualified for the 1988 Copa Libertadores, but failed to qualify for the next stages of the competition, finishing third in their group, although with a notable 5–0 victory over Alianza Lima.

A terrible 1989 league campaign resulted in the club's relegation. However, they won the 1990 Série B, with a 1–1 draw on aggregate against Atlético Paranaense in the final, but were awarded the title due to their better record across the season. Led by Givanildo Oliveira, Sport won the 1st edition of the Copa do Nordeste in 1994, beating hosts CRB on penalties after a 0–0 draw in normal time.

21st century

In 2000, Sport won the Copa do Nordeste for the 2nd time, this time under the command of coach Celso Roth after a 2–2 draw against Vitória, again winning the title due to a superior record. In the next Copa do Nordeste edition, Sport finished as runner up, losing 3–1 to Bahia.

In 2006 Sport were promoted to the 2007 Serie A by finishing second in the league table, after five years in Série B.

Sport became the first club from Northeastern Brazil to win the Copa do Brasil, beating Corinthians on away goals in the 2008 final. By winning the cup, Sport contested its second Copa Libertadores in 2009, and had a great start, finishing first of a group containing LDU, Colo-Colo and Palmeiras. They were drawn against Palmeiras in the next round, but were defeated on penalties, after drawing 1–1 on aggregate. In the second half of 2009, Sport disputed the Brasileirão, but could not repeat the excellent first half of the year, and finished in last place with a 4–0 defeat to Sao Paulo on the last matchday, being relegated to Série B with four managers throughout the season.

O Leão da Ilha returned to Série A for the 2012 season, going through three managers - Helio dos Anjos, Mazola Júnior, and Paulo Gusmão, as they were relegated again with a seventeenth placed finish. Although they were in Serie B, Sport inherited a spot in the 2013 Copa Sudamericana by regulation of CBF towards the remnants of the Copa do Brasil. Leão were eliminated by Libertad of Paraguay with two losses in the 2nd phase, after eliminating Náutico.

2014 was a great year for Sport: they returned to Serie A, won their third Copa do Nordeste, 40th Campeonato Pernambucano, and finished 11th in the league, which ensured them a place in the Copa Sudamericana. Sport entered the 2015 Copa Sudamericana in the second stage, where they beat Bahia 4–2 on aggregate with an incredible comeback,^[5] as Bahia had won the first leg 1–0.^[6] In the next stage, they faced Argentine club Club Atlético Huracán. In the first leg played in Brazil, the match ended in a 1–1 draw. However the second leg in Buenos Aires ended in a 3–0 defeat, resulting in the club's elimination from the competition.

Vigor Gang

In 2021, Sport had an illustrious fan who became known nationally for participating in the TV show (Big Brother Brasil), Gil do Vigor. With his charisma and debauched way, he also showed the country his affection for the club of his heart: Sport. He was honored by the Club, and recognized as a symbol fan of the team and of Gay Pride. Today Sport Recife is also remembered as the "Turminha do Vigor", a team with a vision of the future, without prejudices that embraced its origin and history.

National

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1

1987

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 1

1990

• Copa do Brasil: 1

2008

Regional

• Copa do Nordeste: 3

1994, 2000, 2014

• Torneio Norte-Nordeste: 1

1968

State

• Campeonato Pernambucano: 44

1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1928, 1938, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1948, 1949, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024

• Copa Pernambuco: 3

1998, 2003, 2007

First team

As of 11 April 2024^[7]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

More information No., Pos. ...

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  BRA Denis 6 DF  BRA Felipinho 7 MF  BRA Fabinho (on loan from Botafogo) 8 MF  URU Fabricio Domínguez (on loan from Racing Club) 9 FW  BRA Gustavo Coutinho 10 MF  ARG Alan Ruiz 11 FW  BRA Romarinho 12 DF  BRA Alisson Cassiano 13 DF  BRA Renzo 15 DF  BRA Rafael Thyere 17 MF  BRA Pedro Vilhena (on loan from São Paulo) 19 MF  BRA Lucas Lima (on loan from Santos) 21 GK  BRA Thiago Couto 22 GK  BRA Caíque França 27 FW  BRA Pablo Dyego 28 DF  VEN Roberto Rosales 30 FW  BRA Chrystian Barletta

No. Pos. Nation Player 39 MF  BRA Ítalo 40 DF  BRA Luciano Castán 41 GK  BRA Adriano 45 DF  BRA Riquelme (on loan from Vasco da Gama) 47 MF  BRA Fábio Matheus 48 MF  BRA Pedro Martins 52 DF  BRA Victor Gabriel 53 FW  BRA Paulinho 54 DF  BRA Pedro Lima 55 MF  BRA Lucas André 57 FW  BRA Gean Carlos 58 DF  BRA Matheus Baraka 59 FW  ARG Christian Ortiz 76 GK  BRA Jordan (on loan from Brusque) 94 MF  BRA Felipe (on loan from Goiás) 99 FW  BRA Zé Roberto (on loan from Ceará) — DF  BRA Chico

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Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

More information No., Pos. ...

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  BRA Denival (on loan at Pouso Alegre until 30 April 2024) — GK  BRA Renan (on loan at Juventude until 31 December 2024) — DF  BRA Ewerthon (on loan at Juventude until 31 December 2024)

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  BRA Marcelo Ajul (on loan at Dubrava until 30 June 2024) — MF  BRA Juan Xavier (on loan at Botafogo-PB until 30 November 2024)

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Technical staff

Current technical staff

Santa Cruz

The "Derby of Crowds" (Clássico das Multidões) is the football encounter between the two largest fanbases from Pernambuco. Sport has a considerable advantage over their rivals in head to head results, with 236 wins against 169 from Santa Cruz.

Náutico

The Derby of Derbies (Clássico dos Clássicos) is the third oldest derby in the country, after the Clássico Vovô and the Grenal. It brings together the two oldest teams in Pernambuco, with Sport also having a large advantage overall, with 218 wins in the fixture, while Náutico won 187.^[10]

América-PE

The Champions Derby (Clássico dos Campeões) is one of the most ancient and classical derbies of Pernambuco, and is named that way because until the late 1930s, Sport and its archrival America were together the two teams with the highest number of titles, and were also the two main clubs of Recife. The derby lost popularity after the decline of América-PE, since they haven't won any trophies since the 1940s. América are currently at the second division of the Campeonato Pernambucano.

Esporte Clube Bahia

The rivalry between Sport and Bahia is one of the biggest regional rivalries of Brazil. Both are the most successful football clubs from the Northeast region, as they are the only two clubs in the region to have won major national titles, and the clubs with most supporters across the region. The 2010s marked the growth of their rivalry, as both clubs' supporters saw their state rivals declining in comparison to them. Another important aspect about the rivalry is that Pernambuco and Bahia have their own rivalry, ranging from which is the most important state in the northeast region to which state deploys the best carnival in the country. The rivalry between states are nurtured the most between inhabitants of the state capitals, Recife and Salvador, which also are the cities where Sport Recife and Bahia are based.

Stadium

• Avenida Malaquias

The stadium was Opened on 15 May 1918 with a match between America-PE and Flamengo. It belonged to Sport Recife from 1918 until 1937, and had a capacity for 8000 people (2000 being seated).

• Adelmar da Costa Carvalho Stadium (Ilha do Retiro Stadium)

Inaugurated on 4 July 1937, it is the club's current stadium, and it was named after club president Adelmar da Costa Carvalho, but is better known as Iilha do Retiro due to the neighborhood where it is located. The stadium has a maximum capacity for 30,000 and is located in the neighborhood of Ilha do Retiro in Recife.^[11] It was considered the best stadium in Northeast Brazil until the construction of the Arena Pernambuco in 2013, which is currently the best the Northeast because of its structure and FIFA standards.

Training Center

• CT Presidente José de Andrade Médicis (CT do Leão)

The CT Presidente José de Andrade Medici, also known as CT do Leão, is the club's training center for the professional team and all youth levels. located in the city of Paulista, about 30 km from Recife, the site has a total area of 8 hectares (8,000 m²). Currently, the CT faces structural and access problems, mainly on rainy days. The complex underwent major improvements in recent years, to prepare for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2014 FIFA World Cup.^[12]

The complex has 5 official fields, two hotels, a restaurant, a medical center, a gym, and dressing rooms. The training center was inaugurated on 9 September 2008.^[11]

Badge

The first coat of arms had nothing to do with the current one. In one of the first statutes of the club the coat of arms was well defined: "On an anchor, bearing the date May 13, 1905 on the arm, supported by a pair of oars crossing a mast containing a croquette, a lifeguard, and in the center a football between a cricket stick and a tennis racket, crossed and surrounded by the letters SCR, with the body containing the phrase 'Sport Club Recife'. Soon, the number 1 badge represented all sports practiced by the club at the time, from cricket to spearfishing.

However, the coat was seen as too complex, difficult to reproduce and did not contain the crimson-black colors. So in 1919 then President Arnaldo Loyo faced a challenge that was considered extremely difficult at the time: get Sport to Belém do Pará to play a series of five friendlies.

The club achieved significant results, since at the time football in Pará was more developed than the Pernambuco one. During the tour, Sport won three games and lost two.

In the game on 3 April 1919, a French bronze trophy called the Lion of the North , which had sculptures including a Greek archer accompanied by an imposing lion, was up for grabs. To the surprise of Pará, Sport won 2–1 and got the trophy. The disappointment from opposing fans was such that a fan invaded the ship where the Crimson-Black club kept the trophy, and damaged its tail with an iron pipe. This incident inspired the development of a new coat of arms for th club, and as a result the lion was adopted as the new symbol of the club because it represented boldness, courage and winning spirit. Designer Armando Vieira dos Santos was responsible for creating it, which was based on Scottish heraldry arms.

The stars present in the current badge are: 2 gold stars, for its two major titles (1987 Brasileirao Serie A and 2008 Copa do Brasil) and 1 silver star, for its minor titles (1990 Brasileirao Série B). The golden stars are larger than the silver one, and are located on the corners, while the silver star is smaller and is located in between the golden stars.

• 1905
• 1919 - Present

Anthem

The official anthem of the club was created in 1936. Sport Club do Recife does not live solely on Pelo Sport Tudo, the famous frevo-song composed in 1936 by the duo Nelson Ferreira and Sebastião Lopes, popularized as "Moreninha", and which is still successful today, inside or outside Carnival:

Little brunette that you are dominating Now defying Shrovetide The time has come to scream your head off Hip, Hip, hurray, for Sport everything I see it in the lipstick on your lips And in your wavy hair The colors that dominate towering, oh brunette My glorious State And after Carnival So that you don't lack good luck you will say In my life I will do it forever Everything, everything, for Sport So that you don't lack good luck Take it out of my life and keep you forever Everything, everything for Sport Cazá, cazá, cazá, cazá, cazá The group is really good... It's really cool! Sport! Sport! Sport! ^[13]

Mascots

In 1919 in Para, the club won the Lion of the North Trophy. This was a competition which at the time was considered very difficult for any team from Pernambuco, as football in Para was more developed. Sport then went to Belem and won the French bronze trophy, which would later be the reason for creating the mascot, the lion, as well as the creation of one of the club's nicknames: Leão do Norte (Lion of the North).

The mascot is called Leo. It was created over 25 years ago by cartoonist Humberto Araujo, and since then has been illustrating the achievements of the club. Leo is present at all home games, and entertains the crowd at matches. The name Leo means lion in Latin. After the bovine, now it was the turn of the "lion" himself to be the subject of controversy and the target of jokes by rival fans. Well, in the early hours of Tuesday (04/19/2011) an amateur video was published on the internet where Sport's mascot, Leo, played by actor Aderson Leonardo Silva, appears in front of a GLS nightclub in Recife, dancing. The fact gained gigantic proportions on the virtual network and the Sport board decided to remove the character for an indefinite period of time. According to Sport's vice-president of communications, José Alves, the decision did not happen because the mascot was in front of a GLS nightclub, but because permission was not given by the club. "It's not about prejudice. It could have been in nightclub A, B or C. The problem was the lack of warning on his part. There was no communication from us authorizing this. He goes to several parties with our approval, but this time did not do what was agreed. Therefore, the mascot is suspended for an indefinite period of time. And in Sunday's game, he will not be replaced by another actor", explained the vice-president of communications, in an exclusive interview with the program Superesportes na Rede, shown daily on Rádio Clube AM and on the portal's Web TV. ^[14]

Kit Manufacturers

• Penalty (1973–74)
• Malharia Terres (1977–80)
• FAIXA (1980)
• Adidas (1980–82)
• Le Coq Sportif (1983–87)
• Everest (1987)
• MR Artigos Esportivos (1988–89)
• Topper (1988–92)
• Finta (1992–94)
• Rhumell (1995–98)
• Topper (1998–08)
• Lotto (2008–2013)
• Adidas (2014–2017)
• Under Armour (2018)
• Umbro (2019–present)