For 17 years they were subject to teasing and insults. An entire country pointed them hard and hostility for making a shocking decision after a tragedy. Since then, no one cut with them. They considered them absolute “pigs“, without palliative. Today, they enjoy that label with all possible honor, and they are demonstrating it in style in the Club World Cup. They are proud to be some”pigs“.
Talk about the Palmeiras Sports Society They are major words. Founded by Italian immigrants on August 26, 1914 in the city of São Paulounder the name of Italian gymchanged to the current name for political reasons on September 14, 1942, the Paulista team is recognized worldwide as one of the most awarded in South America. Chosen the best team in the world in 2021 in the ranking of the International Federation of History and Statistics of Football (IFFHS), they are the first Brazilian team to achieve this distinction. However, why do they say they are “pigs”?
1969: the tragedy of the Corinthians
It all started in April 1969. Corinthiansin a tragic traffic accident, he lost two of his players, Lidu and Eduardo, and asked Brazilian football for the possibility of incorporating two players to deal with those hard losses. The vast majority of teams, moved by the event, accepted without problem, except the leaders of the Palm treeshis archEPENEMI.
Party between Palmeiras y Corinthians en 2017 / Archive
He Timon He ended up losing that tournament, which before the accident had a lot of shot, and Brazil entirely positioned himself in favor of the Paulista team. Wedihi Claimpresident of Corinthiansit was very forceful: “Everyone knows that Palmeiras has a spirit of pig“He said without knowing that those words would mark the story of his neighbor.
For years, Palm trees He was labeled a team pork (Pork in Portuguese), and sometimes they received him with heads of this animal in the field of play. At that time, fans of Summon They hated that nickname, denigrating and, in their eyes, unfair. It all began to change radically in the 80s thanks to a revolutionary decision.
1980: Gobbato, a key man
In 1980, João Roberto GobbatoMarketing Director of the Palm treeshe proposed to proudly accept the nickname and start taking it as a compliment, and not as a disrespect or an attack on the club.
A Palmeiras footballer celebrates a goal with a pork mask / Archive
At first, the followers of the Pork They rejected that 'crazy' decision. Until six years later, the team's stars decided to step forward.
1896: The cover that changed everything
In 1986, the Palm trees He jumped to the grass in a match with a pig and the maximum figure of the club, Jorginhoposed with the animal on the cover of the magazine Scorer. The title left no doubt: “Palmeiras breaks un tabú: ¡Dale Pork!”.
The cover of the Brazilian magazine in which Jorginho del Palmeiras appears with a pig / Archive
From that moment, the followers of the Summon They began to identify with the nickname and the official pet became a pig called GbbetMarketing director's last name (they also have a parrot).
2025: Total pride in the World Cup
Happy to be “pigs”, the Pork He began to be in the big hits of the club. Today, there is no doubt that they are proud to be “pigs.” They showed it in the debut of the Club World Cup, where They gave a lot of war to Porto of Martín Anselmi.
A Palmeiras fan shows a banner dedicated to Vitor Roque while wears a pork nose during the Palmeiras debut in the Club World Cup / AP
They signed a 0-0 that was held in the stands of the Meadowlands Stadium of New Jersey With multiple pigs. Can you exhibit them in the next round? At the moment, they can do so before the Al-Ahly e Inter Miami.
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