Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas, also known as Botafogo and familiarly as Estrela Solitária, is a Brazilian sports club based in Botafogo, neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, best known for its football team. They play in the Campeonato Carioca, Rio de Janeiro's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the Brazilian national soccer league. Botafogo was a founding member of the Clube dos 13 (English: Club of 13), a group of Brazil's leading football clubs. Botafogo's first moment of glory was just after its foundation. The team won Rio de Janeiro State Championship in 1907, 1910 and 1912. The team often won games by large margins, like 24-0 over Sport Club Mangueira, which remains the highest score in organised Brazilian football. For that reason, Botafogo was nicknamed "O Glorioso" (The Glorious One). Nevertheless, the black and white side endured an 18-year losing streak until, in 1930, Botafogo won its fourth state championship. It soon won an unheard-of and unmatched four consecutive times: 1932, 1933, 1934 and 1935. In that team were Carvalho Leite, Pamplona, Nilo Murtinho Braga, Patesko, and Leônidas da Silva. Those years, Botafogo gave to Brazil national football team four players for the 1930 FIFA World Cup, nine for the 1934 FIFA World Cup and five for the 1938 FIFA World Cup. To date, Botafogo has given the most players to Brazil's squad: 97, 46 of whom have gone to the World Cup. Botafogo's first moment of glory was just after its foundation. The team won Rio de Janeiro State Championship in 1907, 1910 and 1912. The team often won games by large margins, like 24-0 over Sport Club Mangueira, which remains the highest score in organised Brazilian football. For that reason, Botafogo was nicknamed "O Glorioso" (The Glorious One). Nevertheless, the black and white side endured an 18-year losing streak until, in 1930, Botafogo won its fourth state championship. It soon won an unheard-of and unmatched four consecutive times: 1932, 1933, 1934 and 1935. In that team were Carvalho Leite, Pamplona, Nilo Murtinho Braga, Patesko, and Leônidas da Silva. Those years, Botafogo gave to Brazil national football team four players for the 1930 FIFA World Cup, nine for the 1934 FIFA World Cup and five for the 1938 FIFA World Cup. To date, Botafogo has given the most players to Brazil's squad: 97, 46 of whom have gone to the World Cup. Carvalho Leite, one of the greatest players in 1930s. In the 1940s, after the creation of "Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas", the best player of the team was Heleno de Freitas. However, Heleno did not win a championship for Botafogo. He scored 204 goals in 233 matches but went to Boca Juniors in 1948, the year Botafogo won its 9th state championship. In the 1950 and 1960, Botafogo had its best moments. With a generation of legendary and unforgettable superstars: Garrincha, Nilton Santos, Didi, Amarildo, Mario Zagallo, Manga and Quarentinha, the club won the Campeonato Carioca in 1957, 1961 and 1962. Botafogo could garner further honors winning the Torneio Rio-São Paulo for the first time in 1962. In 1964 and 1966 the club appeared again in the winners' list of the tournament, albeit in 1964 jointly with Santos FC and in 1966 it hat to share the title with three more clubs. When these players retired, new ones where ready to continue Botafogo's victories. Jairzinho, Paulo César Lima, Gérson, Rogério, Roberto Miranda, Sebastião Leônidas and Carlos Roberto were some of the players who won the Campeonato Carioca in 1967 and 1968, Guanabara Cup in 1967 and 1968. In 1968 Botafogo won the Taça Brasil, precursor today's Brazilian Championship and officially recognised as national championship since 2010. There Botafogo, coached by Mário Zagallo, defeated Fortaleza EC in the finals, which were held in Septemnber and October 1969, 4-0 after 2-2 in the first leg. Fernando Ferretti was the tournaments top scorer. The Botafogo of this era was highlighted by players like goalkeeper Manga, defender Sebastian Leonidas, the midfield with Carlos Roberto and the extraordinary Gérson plus Jairzinho and Paulo Cézar up front. 1989 ended a period of 21 years without title when the club won the state championship over Flamengo. One year later, the team defended the title, this time defetating Vasco da Gama. In the 1990s, Botafogo won Copa Conmebol in 1993, Brazilian Championship in 1995, Teresa Herrera Trophy and Municipal Tournament in 1996, Rio de Janeiro State Championship in 1997 and Rio-São Paulo Tournament in 1998. The team also lost the final of Brazil Cup in 1999 for Juventude. In 2006, the club won for the 18th time the Rio de Janeiro State Championship. Nowadays, Botafogo is the only club to win titles in three different centuries, including the state championship of rowing in 1899.

• published: 16 Nov 2012
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