The club takes its from the English amateur side Corinthian FC, a team that was famous for the exemplary fair play. Corinthians was formed by a group of workers in 1910, who wanted a team that would include players from any background.
Throughout its history the club has enjoyed great domestic success, winning the Campeonato Paulista a record 26 times, most recently in 2009. The fans have also been able to celebrate winning the Brasileirão four times, and the Copa do Brasil on three occasions.
In 2000, Corinthians won the first ever FIFA Club World Cup, made up of the best club sides from each continental federation around the world. They won a group containing the mighty Real Madrid, and progressed to the final against fellow Brazilians Vasco da Gama, winning 4-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
The squad that won the competition contained many star names, such as Colombia legend Freddy Rincon and Seleção regular Vampeta, as well as players who would go on to forge successful careers in Europe’s big leagues, like Dida, Edu and Marcos Senna.
In 2005, the club encountered financial difficulties, and as a result Alberto Dualib, Corinthians’ president at the time, persuaded the rest of the board to sign a contoversial deal with Media Sports investment. The deal give MSI a substantial amount of control in the club over ten years, in return for large investments in players.
While MSI was able to bring in high profile players such as Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, the interference of the owners led to many arguments with managers of the club, and this resulted in poor performances on the field. The lowest point came in 2007, when the team was relegated to Serie B.
But two years later Corinthians were back, and they are now once again a club on the up. They have a strong squad, inlcuding the likes of Liedson and Adriano, and were the last club of the legendary Ronaldo. They have also reached the Campeonato Paulista final once more, and after drawing the first leg 0-0 against Santos, they have every chance of lifting the trophy on May 15.
