Esporte Clube Bahia

Esporte Clube Bahia (Portuguese pronunciation: [isˈpɔʁtʃi ˈklubi baˈi.ɐ]), known familiarly as Bahia, is a Brazilian professional football club, based in Salvador, capital city of the Brazilian state of Bahia. The club competes in the Campeonato Baiano, Bahia's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, highest division of Brazilian football league system.

Bahia
Full nameEsporte Clube Bahia
Nickname(s)Tricolor
Bahiaço (mix of Bahia and aço, steel)
Baêa
Maior do Nordeste (Largest in the Northeast)
Esquadrão de aço (Steel squadron)
FoundedJanuary 1, 1931 (1931-01-01)
GroundArena Fonte Nova
Capacity50,025
SAF OwnerCity Football Group (90%)
PresidentGuilherme Bellintani[1]
Head coachRogério Ceni
LeagueCampeonato Brasileiro Série A
Campeonato Baiano
2022
2022
Série B, 3rd of 20 (promoted)
Baiano, 4th of 10
WebsiteClub website
Clubs owned by CFG
Listed in order of acquisition/foundation.
Bold indicates the club was founded by CFG.
* indicates the club was acquired by CFG.
§ indicates the club is co-owned.
2008Manchester City F.C.*
2009–2012
2013New York City FC§
2014Melbourne City FC*
Yokohama F. Marinos*§
2015–2016
2017Montevideo City Torque*
Girona FC*§
2018
2019Sichuan Jiuniu F.C.*§
Mumbai City FC*§
2020Lommel S.K.*
ES Troyes AC*
2021
2022Palermo F.C.*§
2023Bahia*§

Bahia has won the Brasileirão title twice: in the 1959 season, defeating the Santos' Santásticos which contained figures such as Gilmar, Mauro, Mengálvio, Coutinho, Pepe and Pelé, in the finals and in the 1988 season Bahia edged Internacional. Bahia has only appeared in the Copa Libertadores three times, reaching the quarterfinals in 1989, Bahia's best-ever performance. The club has also won their state title a record 49 times.

The 2000s have seen the club win only four state titles. Bahia was demoted to the Série B in 2003 and demoted, for the first time ever, to the Série C in 2005, spending two seasons at the bottom of the Brazilian league system. In 2007, they were promoted back to the second level, and in 2010 the club found itself back in the Série A, after eight seasons. Bahia had played its home games with 66,080 people capacity Estádio Fonte Nova since 1951 but after a section of the stadium collapsed in 2007, the Tricolor played at the Estádio de Pituaçu. With the reopening of the Fonte Nova stadium in 2013 as the Arena Fonte Nova, a modern arena built for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Bahia resumed playing its matches there. The club's home uniform consists of white shirts with blue shorts and red socks. It has a long-standing rivalry with the Vitória and matches between the two sides are known as Ba–Vi. Players

In December 2022, it was announced that City Football Group, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi United Group, had bought a majority stake of Bahia's SAF, after the takeover was approved in a voting session between club members.[2][3] The acquisition was completed in May 2023, as CFG officially acquired 90% of the club's shares.[4][5][6]

History

Early years and the first national title

Bahia's team, 1959. National Archives of Brazil.

The Esporte Clube Bahia was founded in 1931 when players from two clubs decided to merge. The Associação Atlética da Bahia and the Clube Bahiano de Tênis had decided to discontinue their football divisions. A few years later Bahia became the most popular team in the Northeast of Brazil.

In the club's first year, Bahia won the Torneio Inicio and Bahia State Championship. The first Bahia president was Waldemar Costa, a doctor. Bahia's crest is based on Corinthians'. Bahia's state flag, created by Raimundo Magalhães, was used in place of the São Paulo state flag.

The team was founded with the motto "Nasceu para Vencer" (Born to Win). Bahia won 44 State Championships, 18 more than the Vitória (their rival club), and was the first club to participate in Taça Libertadores da America in 1960.

Between 1959 and 1963, and in 1968, the club represented the state of Bahia in Taça Brasil (the precursor of the Brazilian Championship), winning the title in 1959 and finishing as runner-up in 1961 and 1963.

The 1980s and the second national title

The 1980s were the best in Bahia's history. Bahia won their second national title in 1988, finishing 5th in 1986 and 4th in 1990.

In 1989, Bahia won its second Brazilian Championship against the Internacional from Porto Alegre Bahia won the first leg in Salvador by 2–1. The second leg ended in an 0–0 tie-in Porto Alegre at the Beira Rio Stadium. After these results, Bahia won the Brasileirão, their second national title. The championship gave Bahia the right to play Copa Libertadores for the third time. It was a shock for the southern press because Salvador is in the Northeast and the victory was over the Internacional, a team from southern Brazil, the region that has the highest Human Development Index in the country.

Dark years

In 1997, Bahia was relegated to the Série B for the first time in its history after a 0–0 draw against the Juventude at the Fonte Nova stadium. In 1999 Bahia was close to being promoted to the Série A again. Bahia had a very good season but finished in 3rd place, which was not enough to see them promoted.

In 2000, due to bribery scandals involving clubs such as the São Paulo and the Internacional, the team returned to the Brazilian First Division, invited by the Clube dos 13, along with the Fluminense, which was made a scapegoat for the controversy and was nationally victimized by the media (see Copa João Havelange).

In 2002 the bank that had sponsored the team went bankrupt and the Bahia began a descent down the Brazilian football pyramid. After the title of the Northeast Cup in 2001 and 2002, Bahia performed poorly in 2003 and was relegated to the Série B for the second time in the club's history. In 2004, the team was close to getting promoted to the Série A again, finishing 4th. In order to be promoted, Bahia would have to win the final match against the Brasiliense, but the referee Paulo César de Oliveira was assigned to that match and many people say he was all but fair on that day. In 2005, the club again competed in the Série B, finishing in 18th place, and was relegated to the Série C for the first time in the club's history.

Fênix tricolor (tricolored phoenix)

Bahia finished 2007 among the first four teams of the Third Division and was promoted to the Second Division for the 2008 season. The Bahia began strongly, but in the last game of the 3rd stage of the Série C against the already-eliminated Fast Club, Bahia needed a win to advance to the final. The victory came in the last minute of the game with a goal scored by Charles. In the final, the team finished the third division in 2nd place, only losing the title in the final round. This moment is called the "Fênix Tricolor" amongst Bahia fans. The phoenix represents Bahia rising from the ashes.

Despite playing in the Third Division of Brazilian football in 2007, Bahia had the largest average attendance in Brazil: 40,400 people per match. No club in the Third, the Second, or even the First Division was able to match it. However, this is not unusual for Bahia, having also achieved the biggest average attendance in Brazil in 2004 (Second Division), 1988 (First Division), 1986 (First Division), and 1985 (First Division).

Recent years and CFG takeover

From 2010 to 2014 Bahia remained in the first division. In 2013, a fan takeover lead the club to pursue more left-wing and socially engaged politics, focusing on racism, LGBTQ rights, the demarcation of indigenous lands and the treatment of female fans in football stadiums. At the same time, they have managed to reduce ticket prices, increase revenues, pay off some of the debt that was crippling the club and improve their results on the pitch.[7]

In 2014 they were relegated to the second division again but came back in 2016. In 2017 they are playing in the first division. After 22 years out of international competition, Bahia returned in 2012 when they qualified for the Copa Sul-Americana. In addition, they won the 2012, 2014, and 2015 Bahia State Championship and the Northeast Cup in 2017.

In February 2018 the intense rivalry between Bahia and Esporte Clube Vitória drew international attention when nine players (four from Bahia and five from Vitória) were shown the red card in a State Championship match.[8]

In December 2022, it was announced that City Football Group, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi United Group, had bought majority stake of Bahia, following a voting session between club members that saw 98.6% of voters accept the takeover.[2][4] The acquisition was completed in May 2023, as CFG officially acquired 90% of the club's shares, with the original administration keeping the remaining 10% of shares, as well as full rights over club heritage items, including shirt colors and the emblem.[4][5][6] Bahia became the thirteenth football club to join City Football Group, and the third South American team to ever do so, following Montevideo City Torque and parent club Club Bolívar.[4][6]

Symbols

Bahia's colors are blue, red, and white. The blue color pays homage to the Associação Atlética da Bahia; white, to the Clube Baiano de Tênis; and red for the Bahia state flag. The club's mascot is called Super-Homem Tricolor (Tricolor Superman) and was inspired by the DC Comics character. The mascot was created by the famous cartoonist Ziraldo based on the expression "Esquadrão de Aço" (Steel Squad) and wears a costume very similar to the original Superman's costume, which shares the team's colors.

Stadium

Bahia played at the Fonte Nova stadium from its inauguration in 1951 until November 2007. During the game against the Vila Nova (during Bahia's promotion campaign) a part of the stadium collapsed. Seven people died and more than 30 were injured.

After that episode, the state government declared that the stadium would be demolished. A new stadium was built on the site for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Some notable games at the Fonte Nova:

In April, the Bahia was back to the Arena Fonte Nova

League record

National league

Season Tier Division Place Copa do Brasil
1968 1 A 16th
1969 1 A 11th
1970 1 A 11th
1971 1 A 11th
1972 1 A 13th
1973 1 A 17th
1974 1 A 20th
1975 1 A 25th
1976 1 A 8th
1977 1 A 11th
1978 1 A 7th
1979 1 A 50th
1980 1 A 26th
1981 1 A 16th
1982 1 A 14th
1983 1 A 21st
1984 1 A 27th
1985 1 A 12th
1986 1 A 5th
1987 1 A 11th
Season Tier Division Place Copa do Brasil
1988 1 A 1st
1989 1 A 18th Quarterfinals
1990 1 A 4th Quarterfinals
1991 1 A 13th
1992 1 A 18th Round of 16
1993 1 A 17th
1994 1 A 18th Round of 16
1995 1 A 17th Round of 16
1996 1 A 22nd First round
1997 1 A 23rd Second round
1998 2 B 18th Round of 16
1999 2 B 3rd Quarterfinals
2000 1 A 14th Round of 16
2001 1 A 8th Round of 16
2002 1 A 19th Quarterfinals
2003 1 A 24th Round of 16
2004 2 B 3rd
2005 2 B 18th First round
2006 3 C 6th First round
2007 3 C 2nd Round of 16
Season Tier Division Place Copa do Brasil
2008 2 B 10th First round
2009 2 B 12th Second round
2010 2 B 3rd Second round
2011 1 A 14th Round of 16
2012 1 A 15th Quarterfinals
2013 1 A 12th Second round
2014 1 A 18th Third round
2015 2 B 9th Third round
2016 2 B 4th Second round
2017 1 A 12th Second round
2018 1 A 11th Quarterfinals
2019 1 A 11th Quarterfinals
2020 1 A 14th First round
2021 1 A 18th Round of 16
2022 2 B 3rd Round of 16
2023 1 A TBD Quarterfinals

Regional leagues

Season Tier Division Place
1931 1 A 3rd
1932 1 A 2nd
1933 1 A 1st
1934 1 A 1st
1935 1 A 3rd
1936 1 A 1st
1937 1 A 4th
1938 1 A 1st
1939 1 A 4th
1940 1 A 1st
1941 1 A 2nd
1942 1 A 3rd
1943 1 A 4th
1944 1 A 5th
1945 1 A 1st
1946 1 A 5th
1947 1 A 1st
1948 1 A 1st
1949 1 A 1st
1950 1 A 1st
Season Tier Division Place Taça Brasil
1951 1 A 3rd
1952 1 A 1st
1953 1 A 2nd
1954 1 A 1st
1955 1 A 2nd
1956 1 A 1st
1957 1 A 2nd
1958 1 A 1st
1959 1 A 1st Champions
1960 1 A 1st Zone finals
1961 1 A 1st Runners-up
1962 1 A 1st Zone semififinals
1963 1 A 2nd Runners-up
1964 1 A 2nd
1965 1 A 5th
1966 1 A 6th
1967 1 A 1st
1968 1 A 4th Zone finals
1969 1 A 2nd
1970 1 A 1st
Season Tier Division Place
1971 1 A 1st
1972 1 A 2nd
1973 1 A 1st
1974 1 A 1st
1975 1 A 1st
1976 1 A 1st
1977 1 A 1st
1978 1 A 1st
1979 1 A 1st
1980 1 A 3rd
1981 1 A 1st
1982 1 A 1st
1983 1 A 1st
1984 1 A 1st
1985 1 A 2nd
1986 1 A 1st
1987 1 A 1st
1988 1 A 1st
1989 1 A 2nd
1990 1 A 3rd
Season Tier Division Place Copa do Nordeste
1991 1 A 1st
1992 1 A 2nd
1993 1 A 1st
1994 1 A 1st Semifinals
1995 1 A 3rd
1996 1 A 3rd
1997 1 A 2nd Runners-up
1998 1 A 1st Second round
1999 1 A 1st Runners-up
2000 1 A 2nd Group stage
2001 1 A 1st Champions
2002 1 A 3rd Champions
2003 1 A 9th
2004 1 A 2nd
2005 1 A 2nd
2006 1 A 3rd
2007 1 A 2nd
2008 1 A 2nd
2009 1 A 2nd
2010 1 A 2nd First round
Season Tier Division Place Copa do Nordeste
2011 1 A 3rd
2012 1 A 1st
2013 1 A 2nd Group stage
2014 1 A 1st Group stage
2015 1 A 1st Runners-up
2016 1 A 2nd Semifinals
2017 1 A 2nd Champions
2018 1 A 1st Runners-up
2019 1 A 1st Group stage
2020 1 A 1st Runners-up
2021 1 A 4th Champions
2022 1 A 6th Group stage
2023 1 A 1st Group stage

Honours

National Tournament (2)
Organized by CBF and CBD
Competition national Winners Runners-up
Serie A (2/2): 1959, 1988. 1961, 1963.
Regional Tournament (5)
Organized by CBF
Competition regional Winners Runners-up
Copa do Nordeste (4/5): 2001, 2002, 2017, 2021. 1997, 1999, 2015, 2018, 2020.
Torneio dos Campeões do Nordeste (1): 1948.
State Tournament (62)
Organized by FBF
Competition state Winners Runners-up
Campeonato Baiano (50/22) 1933, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023 1941, 1955, 1957, 1963, 1964, 1969, 1972, 1985, 1989, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2017.
Taça Estado da Bahia (3/2) 2000, 2002, 2007. 2004, 2006.
Torneio de Início (9/8) 1931, 1932, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1951, 1964, 1967, 1979. 1942, 1947, 1948, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1962.

Others

Winners (3): 1959, 1961, 1963
Runners-up (3): 1960, 1962, 1968
  • U-20
Winners (16): 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2014

Friendly tournaments

  • Copa International Renner
Winners (1): 1997
Winners (1): 1998
  • Torneio Octávio Mangabeira
  • Winners (1): 1951
  • Taça Bernardo Martins Catharino
Winners (3): 1953, 1954, 1955
  • Taça Bahia-Pernambuco
Winners (2): 1993, 1994

U-20

  • International Football Tournament in Marseille (France)
Winners (2): 2001, 2002
Winners (1): 2011

Current squad

First team

As of 26 September 2023[9]

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 Brazil BRA Danilo Fernandes
2 DF Brazil BRA Gilberto
3 DF Brazil BRA Gabriel Xavier
4 DF Brazil BRA Kanu (on loan from Botafogo)
5 MF Brazil BRA Rezende
7 FW Brazil BRA Ademir
8 MF Brazil BRA Cauly
9 FW Brazil BRA Everaldo
10 FW Brazil BRA Biel
11 FW Brazil BRA Rafael Ratão
12 GK Brazil BRA Tiago Gomes
13 DF Brazil BRA André
16 MF Brazil BRA Thaciano
17 MF Brazil BRA Diego Rosa
18 MF Brazil BRA Léo Cittadini
19 MF Argentina ARG Lucas Mugni
20 MF Brazil BRA Yago Felipe
21 FW Brazil BRA Vinícius Mingotti (on loan from Athletico Paranaense)
22 GK Brazil BRA Marcos Felipe (on loan from Fluminense)
No. Pos. Nation Player
23 MF Brazil BRA Patrick Verhon
26 MF Uruguay URU Nicolás Acevedo (on loan from New York City)
29 FW Brazil BRA Vítor Jacaré
31 DF Brazil BRA Vitor Hugo
33 DF Brazil BRA David Duarte (on loan from Fluminense)
34 DF Brazil BRA Raul Gustavo (on loan from Corinthians)
35 GK Brazil BRA Adriel (on loan from Grêmio)
37 FW Brazil BRA Kayky (on loan from Manchester City)
38 DF Uruguay URU Camilo Cándido
40 DF Bulgaria BUL Cicinho
44 DF Brazil BRA Marcos Victor
46 FW Brazil BRA Luciano Juba
66 DF Brazil BRA Ryan
77 GK Brazil BRA Mateus Claus
79 DF Brazil BRA Matheus Bahia

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
DF Brazil BRA Douglas Borel (at Chapecoense until 30 November 2023)
DF Brazil BRA Gustavo Henrique (at Sampaio Corrêa until 30 November 2023)
DF Ecuador ECU Jhoanner Chávez (at Independiente del Valle until 31 December 2023)
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF Brazil BRA Marco Antônio (at Atlético Goianiense until 30 November 2023)
MF Brazil BRA Miqueias (at Criciúma until 30 November 2023)
FW Brazil BRA Everton (at Londrina until 30 November 2023)

Current staff

As of 24 February 2023.[10][11]
Position Name
Coaching staff
Head coach Portugal Renato Paiva
Assistant head coach Portugal Nuno Presume
Assistant head coach Portugal Ricardo Dionísio
Fitness coach Spain António Bores
Fitness coach Brazil Roberto Nascimento
Fitness coach Brazil Vitor Gonçalves
Goalkeepers trainer Portugal Rui Tavares
Performance analyst Portugal David Pereira

Managers

References

  1. "Guilherme Bellintani". Esporte Clube Bahia. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  2. "Nota Oficial". 3 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  3. "Sócios do Bahia aprovam a venda de 90% da SAF ao Grupo City". ge (in Brazilian Portuguese). 3 December 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  4. Alencar, Mauricio (4 May 2023). "Man City's parent group buys Brazilian side EC Bahia for £158m". The Athletic. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  5. Machaddo, Rafael (4 May 2023). "Agora é oficial! - Notícias Esporte Clube Bahia". Esporte Clube Bahia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  6. Carneiro, Raphael; Melo, Ruan; Lemos, Tiago (4 May 2023). "Bahia conclui venda da SAF para o City, e CEO garante: "Vai ser o segundo maior clube do grupo"". ge (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  7. Law, Joshua (13 November 2019). "How Bahia became the most progressive football club in Brazil". the Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  8. "Súmula do Ba-Vi confirma triunfo por 3 a 0 do Bahia sobre o Vitória". Universo Online (in Portuguese). 19 February 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  9. "Futebol - Elenco profissional" (in Portuguese). E.C. Bahia.
  10. "Renato Paiva acompanhado por mais quatro portugueses". A Bola (in Portuguese). Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  11. "Comissão técnica" [Technical staff] (in Brazilian Portuguese). EC Bahia. Retrieved 24 February 2023.

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