Wikipedia - Campeonato Carioca

The Campeonato Carioca (Carioca Championship), officially known as Campeonato Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro State Championship), also commonly known as the Cariocão, is the state football league of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is under the authority of the FERJ or FFERJ (Football Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro). It is an annual tournament, started in 1906.

The first season of the Campeonato Carioca was played in 1906. It was predated by: the Campeonato Paulista of São Paulo and the Campeonato Baiano of Bahia.

Rivalries amongst four of the most prestigious Brazilian teams (Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama) have marked the history of the competition.

The oldest clubs from Rio de Janeiro (America, Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, São Cristóvão, Vasco da Gama) had inspired the creation of many clubs from other states.

Flamengo leads the title count with 37 championships, followed by Fluminense (33), Vasco da Gama (24), Botafogo (21), America (7), Bangu (2), São Cristóvão, and Paysandu (1 each).

History

The early years

The 20th century saw in Rio de Janeiro and Niterói a significant popularity in football with the establishment of clubs such as Rio Cricket and Athletic Association in Niterói, Fluminense Football Club in 1902, and Bangu Atlético Club, América Football Club, and Botafogo Football Club in 1904 being founded. Organizing leagues for competition amongst clubs followed by Rio Cricket and Athletic Association, Fluminense Football Club, Football and Athletic Club, America Football Club, Bangu Atlético Club, Sport Club Petrópolis and Payssandu Cricket Club. On June 8, 1905, the Liga Metropolitana de Football (abbreviated LMF, Metropolitan Football League in English) was founded. LMF's first president was Bangu's José Villas Boas, who was replaced by Francis Walter in December of the same year.

In 1906, the first Campeonato Carioca was contested by six clubs: Fluminense, Botafogo, Bangu, Football and Athletic, Payssandu and Rio Cricket. America, despite being one of the league founders, did not contest the league's first edition. Fluminense became the first Rio de Janeiro state champion.

In 1907, the championship ended with a tie between Botafogo and Fluminense. The league rules did not address ties. Botafogo claimed an extra-match advantage; Fluminense claimed that the league should adopt the goal-average criteria. It went unresolved until 1996 when both clubs were declared champions.

On February 29, 1908, Fluminense, Botafogo, America, Paysandu, Rio Cricket, and Riachuelo founded Liga Metropolitana de Sports Athleticos (LMSA, meaning Metropolitan Athletic Sports League), the organizer of the 1908 Campeonato Carioca. Fluminense won.

The splits of the league

AFRJ: the first split

The first league split was in 1911 when Botafogo left LMSA and founded Associação de Football do Rio de Janeiro (AFRJ - Rio de Janeiro Football Association). The league was nicknamed Liga Barbante (String League), because Botafogo was the only significant club to question the full realisation of the sport under LMSA. AFRJ was incorporated by LMSA in 1913.[]

LMDT: 1917-1932

In 1917, several accusations of bribery caused LMSA to rebrand as Liga Metropolitana de Desportos Terrestres (Terrestrial Sports Metropolitan League) (LMDT). Fluminense won the competition of that year.

AMEA: the second split

On March 1, 1924, a second league split occurred, and Associação Metropolitana de Esportes Athleticos (Athletic Sports Metropolitan Association) was founded. AMEA, founded by the "aristocratic" clubs Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo and America, with restrictions on its blacks and lower class citizens to their members. The Confederação Brasileira de Desportos (CBD - Brazilian Sports Confederation) remained with AMEA recognizing it as the official league of Rio de Janeiro from 1924 on, and disassociating with LMDT. AMEA's competition was won by Fluminense. LMDT's (The league was nicknamed Liga Barbante) (String League) competition was won by Vasco da Gama, the only significant club that remained on the old league. In 1925, AMEA rescinded its racial conditions and Vasco left LMDT, while LMDT continued with its minor clubs. Years later, the LMDT championship of 1924 was considered official - but not the following LMDT championships.[]

Professionalization and the union of the league

On January 23, 1933, Bangu, Fluminense, Vasco and America founded the first professional league of Rio de Janeiro, Liga Carioca de Futebol (LCF) (Carioca Football League). The Confederação Brasileira de Desportos was an amateur-only league supported AMEA. For this reason, LCF was nicknamed "pirate league". In 1934 CBD finally accepted professionalism, but LCF and AMEA did not merge for political reasons. On December 11, 1934, Botafogo, Vasco, Bangu, São Cristóvão, Andaraí, Olaria, Carioca and Madureira founded the professional Federação Metropolitana de Desportos (FMD) (Sports Metropolitan Federation), replacing AMEA as the official Rio de Janeiro league affiliated to CBD.

In 1937, the Brazilian football clubs were professionalized. On July 29, 1937, FMD and LCF merged, creating Liga de Football do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro Football League), also called LFRJ. In 1941, LFRJ rebranded as Federação Metropolitana de Futebol (FMF) (Metropolitan Football Federation). The occasion was celebrated by a friendly match between Vasco da Gama and America that would come to be nicknamed Clássico da Paz (Peace Derby) for any game played between the two teams.

Federação Carioca de Futebol (FCF)

On April 21, 1960, the Brazilian capital city became Brasília, so, Federação Metropolitana de Futebol rebranded as Federação Carioca de Futebol (FCF) (Carioca Football Federation). América won the state championship of that year.

After 1975

On March 15, 1975, Rio de Janeiro and Guanabara states merged under the name of Rio de Janeiro.

On September 29, 1978, Federação de Futebol do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation) (FERJ), was founded, after Guanabara state's FCF and Rio de Janeiro state's FFD (Federação Fluminense de Desportos, or Fluminense Sports Federation) fused.

In 1979, there was an extra Campeonato Carioca which also included the countryside state teams, which, until that year, contested the Campeonato Fluminense. This extra competition, known as Primeiro Campeonato Estadual de Profissionais (First Professionals State Championship) was won by Flamengo, which was also the champion of the regular competition, but did not count in the overall titles.

In 1996, Taça Cidade Maravilhosa was contested only by clubs from Rio de Janeiro city. This competition was contested by eight teams (America, Bangu, Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, Madureira, Olaria and Vasco da Gama), which played against each other once. Botafogo was the champion, Flamengo being the runner up. In the same year, a state championship was played, won by Flamengo.

The Brazil Campeonato Carioca is one of the most prestigious and exciting soccer tournaments in Brazil. It takes place annually in the state of Rio de Janeiro and features some of the country's most historic and successful soccer clubs.

The tournament has a rich history, dating back to 1906, making it one of the oldest soccer competitions in Brazil. It is organized by the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation and attracts a large following of passionate fans from all over the country.

The Campeonato Carioca showcases the fierce rivalry between the top clubs in Rio de Janeiro, including Flamengo, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama, and Botafogo. These clubs have a long-standing tradition of success and have produced some of Brazil's greatest soccer players.

The tournament follows a round-robin format, where the teams compete against each other in a series of matches. The top teams then advance to the knockout stages, culminating in an intense final match to determine the champion.

The Brazil Campeonato Carioca is known for its high level of competition and thrilling matches. The stadiums are filled with passionate fans, creating an electric atmosphere that adds to the excitement of the games. The tournament also serves as a platform for young talents to showcase their skills and potentially earn a spot in the national team.

Winning the Campeonato Carioca is a prestigious achievement for any club, as it not only brings glory and bragging rights but also qualifies them for other national and international competitions.

Overall, the Brazil Campeonato Carioca is a must-watch tournament for soccer enthusiasts, offering a blend of history, intense rivalries, and top-quality football. It embodies the passion and love for the sport that Brazil is famous for, making it a true spectacle for fans and players alike.