Torcida
Encyclopedia
Torcidas organizadas are formal (or informal) associations of football fans in Brazil
in the same vein as Argentine
hinchadas
and European
ultras. The name is based on the verb torcer, which means "to root for" but also "to wring" and "to turn". The supposition is that the behaviour of the fans present at the stadium could help the team gather strength to beat the opponent.
In the beginning, and until the sixties, torcidas organizadas were informal associations of fans who gathered to buy fireworks, cloth for large flags, and other stuff to be used during celebrations. Later, such associations became permanent and were formalised legally as non-profit recreational associations, still with the primary goal of providing a better spectacle at the stadium and surroundings. Some of the noteworthy torcidas organizadas from this time were Torcida Jovem do Botafogo (Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
), Torcida Jovem do Santos (Santos Futebol Clube
), Mancha Verde (Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
), Gaviões da Fiel (Corinthians
), Galoucura (Clube Atlético Mineiro
), Máfia Azul (Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
), Torcida Independente and Dragões da Real, (São Paulo Futebol Clube
), Torcida Jovem Fla and Raça Rubro-Negra, (Clube de Regatas do Flamengo
), Força Jovem Vasco (Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama
), Young Flu and Força Flu (Fluminense Football Club
), Fúria Independente (Paraná Clube
), Imperio Alviverde (Coritiba Foot Ball Club
), Os Fanáticos (Clube Atlético Paranaense
), Torcida Jovem do Sport (Sport Club do Recife
), Fanáutico (Clube Náutico Capibaribe
) and Inferno Coral (Santa Cruz Futebol Clube
). In the beginning the torcida organizada movement was fragmentary, but would later consolidate in larger bodies or leagues. Some torcidas would open branches throughout the country to support their teams playing away, given the national range of their supporters.
Torcidas organizadas later became infamous for their association with stadium violence, which would cause Justice to disband some of them (notably Gaviões da Fiel. Mancha Verde and Independente, both the top and most hard-core firms and active on one of the largest capitals in the world: São Paulo). Some clubs (notably Flamengo) would also be plagued by rival torcidas which would battle each other as well as the opponents.
Rivalry is embebed on Brazilian football culture, but when it comes to their organized (or uniformed) supporters, things can take a turn for the different. Some groups can can relate only with their equals, a common place for "torcidas organizadas", barras bravas" and "firms" all over the world. However, other teams, active on a wider range on national and internation field, have come to experience historical clashes that created firce rivals, as well as close and loyas allies. The perfect example for this is the union between three of the main organized firms then and today: Força Jovem Vasco (Vasco), Galoucura (Atlético Mineiro) who have a friendship that dates back to the early 80's, while rivals Torcida Jovem Fla (supporters of Flamengo) and Torcida Independente (supporters of São Paulo) are also linked to each other. This old unions, dated, some say, since the beginning of the 80s and 90's (in the Jovem Fla-Independente case), has been theme for songs and ovations whenever these two teams meet or whenever they meet each others rivals. They proudly sing that each one of them is unified with another hard-core group of supporters. With this, it was created two opposite mobs of national unified groups. Within these unions it is normal that the supporters exchange shirts, caps, and other articles; therefore for example it is normal to see gear of allied teams Palmeiras, Atlético Mineiro, Grêmio and Bahia in Vasco da Gama games.
Indenpendentes and Jovem do Flamengo's alliance was known for their own "symbol". To symbolize their own group and alliance, they raise their fists and cross them, calling themselves "punhos cruzados" (crossed fists). In reference and prejudice to this, Mancha Verdes and Jovem do Vasco put heir middle fingers up and called theselves "dedos pro alto" (lifted fingers); the alliance between Young Flu (Fluminense) Furia Independente Guarani and Furia Independente Parana also have their touching fists symbol. Players for both teams, especially from Flamengos and São Paulo, ar known to represent these 'expressions' after scoring a goal in the pitch, driving the hard-core fans crazy with proud.
Depending on the club the Torcidas Organizadas can have a certain level of influence in the confines and politically within the clubs; notably Gaviões da Fiel have a considerable amount of power in Corinthians as do their rivals Mancha Verde in Palmeiras; who were single handly responsible for the demise of players like Vagner Love and Diego Souza to move on to other clubs. Yet Independente have little to no influence over São Paulo FC.
The Brazilian influence stretched into Europe through Torcida Split
, a formal association of Hajduk Split FC fans in the Croatia
n Dalmatia
region. Thanks to Torcida Split
, many other Torcida organized supporters' groups were created, among them rapidly growing and acting Górnik Zabrze
fans, called Torcida Górnik.
The reason why torcidas sing all the time is because they believe it's important to support the team, no matter what's going on on the field. That's why it is so common to see the crowd singing, even if the opposing team has just scored a goal. However, during the half-time, the torcidas tend to organize small protests that are directed to the team manager or the team president, in order to express their dissatisfaction with recent decisions or even long-standing promises that are not being honored.
As for what concerns the players, the torcidas usually try not to point out a player who's not putting all of his best efforts to work. As matter of fact, many supporters who belong to torcidas cannot stand anyone around them criticizing the players, what usually results in brawls in the middle of the crowd. However, is quite common to torcidas to ask for a substitution, generally just by chanting the name of the player they wish to see playing. Although some believe such practice seems to diminish the other players' efforts, this situation is quite common in stadiums.
Torcida is also a surname most common in Spain, but with Irish origin.
Football in Brazil
Football is the most popular sport in Brazil. The Brazilian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup tournament a record 5 times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002, and is the only team to succeed in qualifying for every World Cup competition ever held. It is among the favourites to win...
in the same vein as Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
hinchadas
Barra Brava
Barra brava is a name for organized supporter groups of football teams in Latin America. This style of supporting is very similar to European ultras. It includes standing throughout the match, singing and other enthusiastic behavior. Some barras bravas have developed reputations for hooliganism...
and European
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
ultras. The name is based on the verb torcer, which means "to root for" but also "to wring" and "to turn". The supposition is that the behaviour of the fans present at the stadium could help the team gather strength to beat the opponent.
In the beginning, and until the sixties, torcidas organizadas were informal associations of fans who gathered to buy fireworks, cloth for large flags, and other stuff to be used during celebrations. Later, such associations became permanent and were formalised legally as non-profit recreational associations, still with the primary goal of providing a better spectacle at the stadium and surroundings. Some of the noteworthy torcidas organizadas from this time were Torcida Jovem do Botafogo (Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
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...
), Torcida Jovem do Santos (Santos Futebol Clube
Santos Futebol Clube
Santos Futebol Clube is a Brazilian professional football club based in Santos, São Paulo They play in the Campeonato Paulista and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the highest professional leagues in São Paulo state and Brazil, respectively....
), Mancha Verde (Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras is a Brazilian football club from São Paulo. The club was founded on August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942...
), Gaviões da Fiel (Corinthians
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league...
), Galoucura (Clube Atlético Mineiro
Clube Atlético Mineiro
Clube Atlético Mineiro , are a Brazilian football club based in Belo Horizonte, the oldest in the city. Founded in 1908, they play in the Campeonato Mineiro and Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão. Atlético Mineiro have been Brazilian champions once, state winners a record 40 times and...
), Máfia Azul (Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...
), Torcida Independente and Dragões da Real, (São Paulo Futebol Clube
São Paulo Futebol Clube
São Paulo Futebol Clube , commonly known as São Paulo, is a professional football club based in São Paulo, Brazil. They play in the Campeonato Paulista, São Paulo's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão, Brazil's national league, and are one of the only five clubs to...
), Torcida Jovem Fla and Raça Rubro-Negra, (Clube de Regatas do Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo , also known as Flamengo and familiarly as Mengão, is a Brazilian sports club based in the Flamengo bairro, Zona Sul, Rio de Janeiro, best known for its professional football team...
), Força Jovem Vasco (Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama
Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama
Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama |Rowing Club]]), usually known as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, is a famous and traditional Brazilian multisports club from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, founded on August 21, 1898...
), Young Flu and Força Flu (Fluminense Football Club
Fluminense Football Club
Fluminense Football Club is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in the beginning of the 20th century as a single-sport institution, Fluminense is today an umbrella organization for several teams in more than 16 different sport activities. The most popular endeavor of Fluminense,...
), Fúria Independente (Paraná Clube
Paraná Clube
Paraná Clube is a Brazilian football team. It was established on December 19, 1989, in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Its uniform is composed of a blue/red shirt, white shorts and white socks....
), Imperio Alviverde (Coritiba Foot Ball Club
Coritiba Foot Ball Club
Coritiba Foot Ball Club, commonly known as Coritiba, is a Brazilian football team from Curitiba, Paraná. It's the state's oldest football team and the best classified in the CBF and FIFA classifications. Coritiba has been champion in Paraná State for 35 times, more times than the sum of all the...
), Os Fanáticos (Clube Atlético Paranaense
Clube Atlético Paranaense
Clube Atlético Paranaense is a Brazilian football team from Curitiba in Paraná, founded on March 26, 1924. The club won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 2001.-History:...
), Torcida Jovem do Sport (Sport Club do Recife
Sport Club do Recife
Sport Club do Recife, more popularly known as Sport in Recife or Sport Recife in Northeastern Brazil, is a football team from Recife, Pernambuco.-1905 - Foundation:...
), Fanáutico (Clube Náutico Capibaribe
Clube Náutico Capibaribe
Clube Náutico Capibaribe, also known as Náutico, is a Brazilian sports club, including a professional football team, in Recife, Pernambuco....
) and Inferno Coral (Santa Cruz Futebol Clube
Santa Cruz Futebol Clube
Santa Cruz Futebol Clube, or simply Santa Cruz is a Brazilian football club in Recife, Pernambuco.-Early history:On February 3, 1914, eleven young men aging from 14 to 16 years founded a football society...
). In the beginning the torcida organizada movement was fragmentary, but would later consolidate in larger bodies or leagues. Some torcidas would open branches throughout the country to support their teams playing away, given the national range of their supporters.
Torcidas organizadas later became infamous for their association with stadium violence, which would cause Justice to disband some of them (notably Gaviões da Fiel. Mancha Verde and Independente, both the top and most hard-core firms and active on one of the largest capitals in the world: São Paulo). Some clubs (notably Flamengo) would also be plagued by rival torcidas which would battle each other as well as the opponents.
Rivalry is embebed on Brazilian football culture, but when it comes to their organized (or uniformed) supporters, things can take a turn for the different. Some groups can can relate only with their equals, a common place for "torcidas organizadas", barras bravas" and "firms" all over the world. However, other teams, active on a wider range on national and internation field, have come to experience historical clashes that created firce rivals, as well as close and loyas allies. The perfect example for this is the union between three of the main organized firms then and today: Força Jovem Vasco (Vasco), Galoucura (Atlético Mineiro) who have a friendship that dates back to the early 80's, while rivals Torcida Jovem Fla (supporters of Flamengo) and Torcida Independente (supporters of São Paulo) are also linked to each other. This old unions, dated, some say, since the beginning of the 80s and 90's (in the Jovem Fla-Independente case), has been theme for songs and ovations whenever these two teams meet or whenever they meet each others rivals. They proudly sing that each one of them is unified with another hard-core group of supporters. With this, it was created two opposite mobs of national unified groups. Within these unions it is normal that the supporters exchange shirts, caps, and other articles; therefore for example it is normal to see gear of allied teams Palmeiras, Atlético Mineiro, Grêmio and Bahia in Vasco da Gama games.
Indenpendentes and Jovem do Flamengo's alliance was known for their own "symbol". To symbolize their own group and alliance, they raise their fists and cross them, calling themselves "punhos cruzados" (crossed fists). In reference and prejudice to this, Mancha Verdes and Jovem do Vasco put heir middle fingers up and called theselves "dedos pro alto" (lifted fingers); the alliance between Young Flu (Fluminense) Furia Independente Guarani and Furia Independente Parana also have their touching fists symbol. Players for both teams, especially from Flamengos and São Paulo, ar known to represent these 'expressions' after scoring a goal in the pitch, driving the hard-core fans crazy with proud.
Depending on the club the Torcidas Organizadas can have a certain level of influence in the confines and politically within the clubs; notably Gaviões da Fiel have a considerable amount of power in Corinthians as do their rivals Mancha Verde in Palmeiras; who were single handly responsible for the demise of players like Vagner Love and Diego Souza to move on to other clubs. Yet Independente have little to no influence over São Paulo FC.
The Brazilian influence stretched into Europe through Torcida Split
Torcida Split
Torcida is a Hajduk Split supporters group, from Croatia, founded on 28 October 1950. The name "Torcida" is the Brazilian Portuguese word for "supporters". Club fans operate from Zrinsko Frankopanska-17, Split...
, a formal association of Hajduk Split FC fans in the Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
region. Thanks to Torcida Split
Torcida Split
Torcida is a Hajduk Split supporters group, from Croatia, founded on 28 October 1950. The name "Torcida" is the Brazilian Portuguese word for "supporters". Club fans operate from Zrinsko Frankopanska-17, Split...
, many other Torcida organized supporters' groups were created, among them rapidly growing and acting Górnik Zabrze
Górnik Zabrze
Górnik Zabrze is a Polish football club from Zabrze. The club has won numerous championships, and was a dominant force in the 1960s and 1980s. For now Górnik has the most titles in Poland. The club plays in white or dark blue - red kit, and is based at the Ernest Pohl Stadium...
fans, called Torcida Górnik.
Setting torcidas apart from barras bravas and ultras
Generally speaking, the torcidas organizadas have a different supporting style: they sing all the time, usually the anthem of the club or songs that are known even to those that are not part of a torcida. These songs are usually played along with drum beats and other musical instruments, although most are not allowed inside the stadiums. Other significant difference are the enormous flags that are made and expected by everyone in the stadiums. The torcidas usually display a team logo, or even a gigantic team shirt, but a constant in these flags is a reference to the torcida that made them.The reason why torcidas sing all the time is because they believe it's important to support the team, no matter what's going on on the field. That's why it is so common to see the crowd singing, even if the opposing team has just scored a goal. However, during the half-time, the torcidas tend to organize small protests that are directed to the team manager or the team president, in order to express their dissatisfaction with recent decisions or even long-standing promises that are not being honored.
As for what concerns the players, the torcidas usually try not to point out a player who's not putting all of his best efforts to work. As matter of fact, many supporters who belong to torcidas cannot stand anyone around them criticizing the players, what usually results in brawls in the middle of the crowd. However, is quite common to torcidas to ask for a substitution, generally just by chanting the name of the player they wish to see playing. Although some believe such practice seems to diminish the other players' efforts, this situation is quite common in stadiums.
Torcida is also a surname most common in Spain, but with Irish origin.