Associação Atlética Ponte Preta

Ponte Preta was founded on August 11, 1900, by Colégio Culto à Ciência students Miguel do Carmo (nicknamed "Migué"), Luiz Garibaldi Burghi, (nicknamed "Gigette") and Antonio de Oliveira (nicknamed "Tonico Campeão"), nearby a black painted wood railroad bridge, so the name Ponte Preta (which means "black bridge", in English). Ponte Preta's first president was Pedro Vieira da Silva.

The team's history is directly intertwined with the railroad business that was flourishing in its city of Campinas. Most of the people involved with the foundation of the team were residents of the working-class neighbourhood by the railroad. One of the team's first nicknames was the "Train of August 11th". Ponte's stadium, the Estádio Moisés Lucarelli, is located right by the railroad in a way where it is possible to see it when inside the stadium, and according to the fans, when the train passes by during a game, it is a sign of good luck to come for the team.

Ponte Preta is recognized, by FIFA, as one of the first teams in the Americas to accept black players, since its foundation in 1900. The club claims to be the first football team ever to have a black player in their roster, that player being the before mentioned Miguel do Carmo, who was part of their first squad.[1] It is also the first countryside team to play a national competition, in 1970.

Pelé's last match in Brazil was against Ponte Preta. On September 2, 1974, at Vila Belmiro stadium, Santos defeated Ponte Preta 2–0.

Ponte Preta lost the Campeonato Paulista final to Corinthians in 1977 in a controversial game that ended in a 2–1 final score. Rui Rey, an important piece of the Ponte Preta team, was shown a red card early in the game. Ponte Preta were considered the favorites for the championship that year.

On November 27, 2013, at the Romildo Ferreira stadium, Ponte Preta reached the 2013 Sudamericana final by defeating São Paulo (4–2 on aggregate) in the semi-finals. It was a historical time for the club, which was playing its first international cup. The final was against Lanús, a Traditional Argentine team, with Ponte Preta finishing as runner-up.

Ponte Preta's stadium is Estádio Moisés Lucarelli, also known as "Majestoso", or "Estádio Majestoso" (Portuguese for Majestic Stadium), built in 1948, by its own fan's material and work.

Its maximum capacity is of 19,722 people, nowadays. The biggest public in it was in a State's Championship in 1970, against Santos, with an official public of 33,000, but it is said that there were about 40,000 people, as the gates were broken down.

Its nickname is "Majestoso", meaning the "Majestic One" because it was the third largest stadium in Brazil at the time of its inauguration (only smaller than Pacaembu, in São Paulo and São Januário, in Rio de Janeiro).

In Majestoso's entrance hall there is a bust of the stadium's founder, Moisés Lucarelli (after whom the venue is named) facing the outside. In 2000, after a long series of defeats some superstitious fans argued that the founder ought to see the team playing and the bust was rotated 180 degrees. As the team's performance did not improve noticeably, the statue was put back in its original position.

Ponte Preta supporters are known as "pontepretanos". A club from Maceió, Alagoas, adopted a similar name and colors as the Campinas club. There is a Norwegian futsal club named after Ponte Preta.[2]

Associação Atlética Ponte Preta's biggest rival is from the same city: Guarani. The games between Ponte Preta and Guarani, known as derby (dérbi in Portuguese), are usually preceded by a week of tension, provocations and also fights in the city of Campinas.

It is a centenary rivalry (the first being held on March 24, 1912), the greatest in Brazil's countryside and one of the most intense in the whole country.

The club's mascot is a female monkey (Macaca) wearing Ponte Preta's home kit. It was initially intended as a derogatory term, reflecting the racism against the club (one of the first Brazilian teams to accept blacks, having been even refused participation in championships due to this) and its fans. This co-option of a derogatory term as team mascot was copied by Palmeiras fans, who adopted the pig as their mascot instead of taking offense from it, and other teams.

• Torcida Jovem
• Serponte

• 1977 – Oscar and Polozzi (defenders)
• 1978 – Odirlei (left back)
• 1980 – Carlos (goalkeeper)
• 1981 – Zé Mario (defensive midfielder)
• 1982 – Carlos (goalkeeper) and Juninho Fonseca (defender)
• 2000 – Mineiro (defensive midfielder)

Ponte Preta had one of the most powerful teams in the history of Brazilian female Basketball during the early 1990s, winning the World Club Championship twice.[3]

As of 26 March 2023

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  BRA Pedro Rocha 2 DF  BRA Maílton (on loan from Metalist Kharkiv) 3 DF  BRA Edson 4 DF  BRA Mateus Silva 5 MF  BRA Léo Naldi 6 MF  BRA Felipinho 7 FW  BRA Dudu Hatamoto 8 MF  BRA Felipe Amaral 9 FW  BRA Eliel 10 MF  BRA Élvis 11 FW  BRA Pablo Dyego 12 GK  BRA Caíque França 13 DF  BRA Thiago Oliveira 14 MF  BRA Luiz Felipe (on loan from Tapajós) 15 DF  BRA Artur 16 DF  BRA Jean Carlos 17 FW  BRA André Henrique

No. Pos. Nation Player 18 MF  BRA Maurício 19 FW  BRA Jeh 20 MF  BRA Matheus Jesus (on loan from Corinthians) 21 MF  BRA Cássio Gabriel 22 DF  BRA Júnior Tavares 23 DF  BRA Weverton (on loan from Red Bull Bragantino) 27 DF  BRA Fábio Sanches 30 GK  BRA Luan 32 MF  BRA Wesley Fraga 40 MF  BRA Ramon Carvalho (on loan from Atlético Goianiense) 77 FW  BRA Igor Torres (on loan from Fortaleza) 90 FW  BRA André — GK  BRA Guilherme Viana — DF  BRA João Gabriel — DF  BRA Guilherme Souza — MF  BRA Diogo Mora — FW  BRA Everton (on loan from Grêmio)

• Ponte Preta Sumaré Futebol Clube

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Associação Atlética Ponte Preta.

• (in Portuguese) Official website