Associação Atlética Ponte Preta

Associação Atlética Ponte Preta (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [asosjaˈsɐ̃w aˈtlɛtʃikɐ ˈpõtʃi ˈpɾetɐ]), commonly referred to as Ponte Preta or just Ponte, is a Brazilian association football club based in Campinas, São Paulo state. Ponte currently plays in the Série C, the third tier of Brazilian football, as well as in the Campeonato Paulista Série A1, the top tier of the São Paulo state football league.

Founded on August 11, 1900, Ponte Preta is the second-oldest football club established in Brazil still in activity, with the oldest being Sport Club Rio Grande in Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul. They are also one of the first to use black players, leading to their nickname Macaca (lit. [female] monkey).

Ponte's biggest rival is Guarani. Matches involving the two clubs, falling under the name Derby Campineiro and first played on March 24, 1912, are usually preceded by days of provocations and sometimes fights in Campinas.

Ponte Preta was founded on August 11, 1900, by Colégio Culto à Ciência students Miguel do Carmo (nicknamed "Migué"), Luiz Garibaldi Burghi, (nicknamed "Gigette") and Antonio de Oliveira (nicknamed "Tonico Campeão"), nearby a black painted wood railroad bridge, hence the name Ponte Preta (lit. "black bridge"). The team's first president was Pedro Vieira da Silva.

Ponte Preta's history is directly intertwined with the railroad business that was flourishing in its city of Campinas. Most of the people involved with the foundation of the team were residents of the working-class neighbourhood by the railroad. One of the team's first nicknames was the "Train of August 11th". Ponte's stadium, the Estádio Moisés Lucarelli, is located right by the railroad in a way where it is possible to see it when inside the stadium, and according to the fans, when the train passes by during a game, it is a sign of good luck to come for the team.

Ponte Preta is recognized, by FIFA, as one of the first teams in the Americas to accept black players, since its foundation in 1900. The club claims to be the first football team ever to have a black player in their roster, that player being the before mentioned Miguel do Carmo, who was part of their first squad.^[1] It is also the first countryside team to play a national competition, in 1970.

Pelé's last match in Brazil was against Ponte Preta. On September 2, 1974, at Vila Belmiro stadium, Santos defeated Ponte Preta 2–0.

Ponte Preta lost the Campeonato Paulista final to Corinthians in 1977 in a controversial game that ended in a 2–1 final score. Rui Rey, an important piece of the Ponte Preta team, was shown a red card early in the game. Ponte Preta were considered the favorites for the championship that year.

On November 27, 2013, at the Romildo Ferreira stadium, Ponte Preta reached the 2013 Sudamericana final by defeating São Paulo (4–2 on aggregate) in the semi-finals. It was a historical time for the club, which was playing its first international cup. The final was against Lanús, a Traditional Argentine team, with Ponte Preta finishing as runner-up.

• Campeonato Paulista do Interior (4): 2009, 2013, 2015, 2018

• Campeonato Campineiro (10): 1912, 1931, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1940, 1944, 1947, 1948, 1951
• Torneio Taça Cidade de Campinas (2): 1949, 1951

• Copa Sudamericana (1): 2013
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série B (2): 1997, 2014
• Torneio da Integração Nacional (1): 1971
• Campeonato Paulista (7): 1929, 1970, 1977, 1979, 1981, 2008, 2017
• Campeonato Paulista Série A2 (6): 1932, 1945, 1961, 1964, 1989, 1999

• Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior (2): 1981, 1982

Ponte Preta's stadium is Estádio Moisés Lucarelli, also known as "Majestoso", or "Estádio Majestoso" (Portuguese for Majestic Stadium), built in 1948, by its own fan's material and work.

Its maximum capacity is of 19,722 people, nowadays. The biggest public in it was in a State's Championship in 1970, against Santos, with an official public of 33,000, but it is said that there were about 40,000 people, as the gates were broken down.

Its nickname is "Majestoso", meaning the "Majestic One" because it was the third largest stadium in Brazil at the time of its inauguration (only smaller than Pacaembu, in São Paulo and São Januário, in Rio de Janeiro).

In Majestoso's entrance hall there is a bust of the stadium's founder, Moisés Lucarelli (after whom the venue is named) facing the outside. In 2000, after a long series of defeats some superstitious fans argued that the founder ought to see the team playing and the bust was rotated 180 degrees. As the team's performance did not improve noticeably, the statue was put back in its original position.

Ponte Preta supporters are known as "pontepretanos". A club from Maceió, Alagoas, adopted a similar name and colors as them. There is also a Norwegian futsal team named "Ponte Preta".^[2]

Ponte Preta's mascot is a female monkey (macaca) wearing the club's home kit. It was initially intended as a derogatory term, reflecting the fact that Ponte was one of the first Brazilian football clubs to use black players, who had been refused participation in prior championships. This practice of using slurs as a distinction was also used by Palmeiras, who adopted the pig (porco) as their mascot.

• Torcida Jovem
• Serponte

• 1977 – Oscar and Polozzi (defenders)
• 1978 – Odirlei (defender)
• 1980 – Carlos (goalkeeper)
• 1981 – Zé Mario (defensive midfielder)
• 1982 – Carlos (goalkeeper) and Juninho Fonseca (defender)
• 2000 – Mineiro (defensive midfielder)

Ponte Preta had one of the most powerful teams in the history of Brazilian female Basketball during the early 1990s, winning the World Club Championship twice.^[3]

As of 19 February 2025

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

• Ponte Preta Sumaré Futebol Clube

1. O Início de uma Paixão: a fundação e os primeiros anos da Associação Atlética Ponte Preta, José Moraes dos Santos Neto, Editora Komedi, 2000
2. História da Associação Atlética Ponte Preta, em sete volumes: 1900–2000, Sérgio Rossi, R. Vieira Gráfica, 2001

• (in Portuguese) Official website