Santos FC

For many people, Santos Futebol Clube is synonymous with its most famous player: Pelé. Of course, this is hardly a surprise -- during Pelé’s memorable 18 years with the club, he became nothing less than the best player in the world. However, the history of Santos goes beyond any single person. With 8 Brasileirão titles, 3 Copa Libertadores, and 22 state championships, Santos is rightly considered one of the greatest clubs in Brazil.

History

Birth of the giant

Though football was introduced to Santos at the turn of the 20th century, two of its strongest representatives (Atlético International and SC Americano) had either moved or dissolved by 1912. Realizing this opportunity, three Santos-born football enthusiasts decided to form their own club. The official name was Santos Foot-Ball Club, and it was founded on April 14, 1912, mere hours before the sinking of RMS Titanic.

Despite the fact that Santos was one of the most important cities in the country, the Peixe weren’t good enough to challenge for the title. Their first trophy during these early years came in 1935, when they won the state championship with a 2-0 victory over Corinthians on the last day of the competition. This proved to be their last title for a while, since São Paulo, Palmeiras, and Corinthians were too strong to compete against.

Os Santásticos

By 1955, however, Santos had transformed into a fearsome club. That season, they started off their Paulistão campaign by going undefeated in the first 11 matches, which led to their second state championship title. Most of this success was owed to the club’s Jogo Bonito philosophy, which proved to be a perfect match for the team’s offensively-minded players. In honor of this triumph, the club unearthed its most famous anthem: Leão do Mar.

Of course, what happened after winning the state title had even bigger consequences for the club. While looking for talented youngsters who could help Santos defend the title, the team’s coach Lula ran into a 15-year old Pelé. Realizing the boy’s talent, Lula signed him to a contract in 1956. By next year, Pelé had already made his first team debut. The year after that, he was an irreplaceable part of the Brazil national team.

Unsurprisingly, this led to Santos becoming the most dominant club in Brazil during the 60’s. From 1961 to 1968, the club won no less than 6 Brasileirão titles and 2 Copa Libertadores, dispatching most of their opponents with utmost ease and efficiency. According to numerous experts, the 1962/63 Santos team was the best team of all time. As a result, their popularity skyrocketed, and they became the first globetrotting club in history.

Soon enough, the Brazilian Football Confederation started preventing the club’s star players from participating in inter-state competitions. The reason was simple: the national team was in large part made up of Santos players, and they were considered to be somewhat of a national treasure. In fact, the national team adopted Santos’ tactics, which played a big part in winning the 1970 World Cup.

Overcoming the odds

When Pelé left in 1974, the club’s officials were forced to realize that their recent financial troubles -- mostly induced by the purchase of the luxurious Spa Park -- were serious. Things looked dire, especially once the team was reduced to just 11 players. Fortunately, the fans continued to fill in the seats, allowing the club to make money on tickets. Though the Spa Park was lost, Santos continued to operate.

At the start of the new century, the club started focusing on its youth squads. Led by their new star Robinho, the Peixe claimed its 7th Brasileirão trophy in 2002, defeating Corinthians in both legs of the final. They repeated this feat in 2004, despite some controversial refereeing and off-pitch troubles throughout the season.

By 2010, the club once again found itself revolving around its biggest star. This time, that was Neymar, who quickly became one of the most marketable players in Brazilian football. After winning its first Brazilian Cup, the team went on to claim its third Copa Libertadores title. In the final match, Santos outlasted Penarol with a 2-1 aggregate win on goals from Neymar and Danilo.

By Martin Wahl

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santos_FC
https://www.santosfc.com.br/en/clube/