CORINTHIANS WORLD CHAMPION

THE FIRST EDITION OF THE FIFA CLUB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOOK PLACE IN BRAZIL IN 2000. EIGHT CLUB SIDES REPRESENTING EVERY CORNER OF PLANET FOOTBALL CONVERGED ON RIO DE JANEIRO AND SÃO PAULO TO BASK UNDER THE WARM SOUTH AMERICAN SUN IN THE NATION CONSIDERED BY MOST TO BE THE TRUE HEART AND SOUL OF THE BEAUTIFUL GAME. IT WAS THE TWO BRAZILIAN PARTICIPANTS, RIO'S VASCO DA GAMA AND CORINTHIANS OF SÃO PAULO THAT MET UNDER THE SCORCHING SOUTH AMERICAN SUN IN A STAR-STUDDED LOCAL FINAL. THE SÃO PAULO SIDE JUST MANAGED TO PIP THEIR RIVALS 4-3 IN A PENALTY SHOOTOUT AFTER 120 MINUTES OF TACTICAL, GOALLESS FOOTBALL. AFTER DRAWING WITH REAL MADRID AND DISPOSING OF SAUDI ARABIA'S AL NASSR AND MOROCCO'S RAJA CASABLANCA IN THE FIRST ROUND, CORINTHIANS AND THEIR STABLE OF THOROUGHBREDS - VAMPETA, FREDDY, RINCON, EDU, DIDA AND THE INCOMPARABLE EDILSON - RAN OUT WORTHY CHAMPIONS IN FRONT OF A CROWD OF 73,000 IN RIO'S FABLED MARACANA STADIUM. CORINTHIANS PLAYED THE FINAL MATCH WITH DIDA, ÍNDIO, FÁBIO LUCIANO, ADÍLSON & KLÉBER; VAMPETA (GILMAR), RINCÓN, MARCELINHO CARIOCA & RICARDINHO (EDU); EDÍLSON (FERNANDO BAIANO) & LUIZÃO. COACH: OSWALDO DE OLIVEIRA

CORINTHIANS DEMOCRACY

THE CORINTHIANS DEMOCRACY WAS A UNIQUE IDEOLOGICAL MOVEMENT IN THE WORLD, KNOWN IN BRAZIL AS ONE OF THE IMPORTANT MOVEMENTS THAT STRUGGLED AGAINST THE MILITARY DICTATORSHIP THAT DOMINATED THE COUNTRY.

LED BY SOCRATES AND WLADIMIR, THE PLAYERS TOOK SOME CONTROL OF THE TEAM'S MANAGEMENT, DECIDING THE THING THAT WOULD AFFECT THEM, AND ONE OF THE DECISIONS THEY TOOK IS KNOWN AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ACTIONS AGAINST THE DICTATORSHIP.

IN 1982, THE PLAYERS VOTED TO PRINT ON THE BACK OF THEIR SHIRTS AN ANNOUNCE, "VOTE ON 15TH" TO MOTIVATE PEOPLE TO VOTE ON NOVEMBER 15TH, IN THE ELECTIONS THAT WOULD HELP BRAZIL TO END THE DICTATORSHIP.

CORINTHIANS INVASION

THE SO-CALLED "CORINTHIANS INVASION" HAPPENED IN 1976, WHEN THE CORINTHIANS FANS INVADED THE MÁRIO FILHO STADIUM (MARACANÃ) IN RIO DE JANEIRO DURING THE SEMI FINAL OF THE BRASILEIRÃO CHAMPIONSHIP OF 1976. IN THE GAME BETWEEN FLUMINENSE AND CORINTHIANS, AROUND 70 THOUSAND FANS SUPPORTING CORINTHIANS HAD LEFT THE STATE OF SÃO PAULO TO SEE THE TEAM. THOSE IN ATTENDANCE PARTICIPATED IN THE BIGGEST HUMAN DISPLACEMENT IN PEACE TIME, ACCORDING TO THE GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS. THE GAME WENT INTO EXTRA TIME, FOLLOWED BY A PENALTY SHOOTOUT WHICH WAS WON BY CORINTHIANS. IN NOVEMBER 2006, A SPECIAL TEAM JERSEY WAS RELEASED CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INVASION.

THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS

CORINTHIANS IS KNOWN IN BRAZIL AS THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS. THAT'S BECAUSE IN 1915 THE TEAM BROKE UP WITH THE PAULISTA LEAGUE AND DIDN'T PARTICIPATE ON THAT YEAR'S TOURNEY, WON BY GERMANIA. AT THE END OF THE SEASON, CORINTHIANS DEFIED THE CHAMPIONS AND WON BY 4-1. CHALLENGED TO FACE PALMEIRAS, THE CHAMPION OF THE APEA LEAGUE (ANOTHER LEAGUE OF THOSE TIMES), CORINTHIANS DIDN'T BACK OFF, AND BEAT THE RIVALS BY 3-0. AS A SIDENOTE, THE VICTORIOUS TEAM ON THOSE CHALLENGES WAS ALSO THE 1914 AND 1916 UNDEFEATED SÃO PAULO STATE CHAMPIONSHIP CHAMPION.
THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER STORY THAT COULD EXPLAIN THAT NICKNAME. IN 1930, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS YET NO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN BRAZIL, THERE WAS A CHALLENGE MATCH BETWEEN THE CHAMPIONS OF THE SÃO PAULO AND THE RIO DE JANEIRO STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. ON FEBRUARY 16, ON A MATCH AGAINST VASCO DA GAMA, IN RIO DE JANEIRO, CORINTHIANS WON BY 4-2, WITH GOALS SCORED BY FILÓ (2), DE MARIA AND GAMBINHA, BRINGING HOME THE "CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS" TROPHY.
NOWADAYS THAT NICKNAME IS USED ON THE SECOND VERSE OF THE CLUB'S OFFICIAL ANTHEM.