Sport Club Internacional was formed on April 4 1909 by three brothers. Henrique, Jose and Luis Poppe had not been able to find a club that would allow them to play, so they gathered a group of students and created their own. The name of ‘Internacional’ was chosen to demonstrate the inclusive nature of the club, allowing players of any race or heritage to play, unlike certain other Brazilian clubs during their early years.
The club holds the record for the most title wins in their state championship, with 40 wins, four ahead of nearest challenger Gremio. They enjoyed great dominance in the competition between 1969 and 1976, winning it eight times in succession, and are also the current holders.
They were very successful during the early years of the Brasileirão, having won it three times in the 1970s, but have not lifted the trophy since. The pinnacle of these triumphs was the 1979 league title win, during which Internacional remained unbeaten for the entire season, a feat that has been repeated by any other side in Brazil.
While there may have been no league titles since then, Inter have continued to pick up the prizes. In 1992 they won the Copa do Brasil against Fluminense, and in 2006 they beat Sao Paulo in the final of the Copa Libertadores. This saw them qualify for the Club World Cup of the same year, where they sensationally beat a Barcelona side containing the likes of Ronaldinho, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
Last season saw more glory, with Internacional beating Guadalajara of Mexico to claim their second Libertadores. However, they could not repeat the trick in the Club World Cup, losing to TP Mazembe of DR Congo. An important figure in the Libertadores success was Sandro, who now plays in England with Tottenham Hotspur.
Some of the club’s most famous players include Alexandre Pato, Nilmar, Branco, Andre Cruz, Falcao, Claudio Taffarel and Lucio. These days, some of the key players are Rafael Sobis, Leandro Damiao and Tinga, who have all appeared for the Seleção. They came a disappointing seventh last season, and have made a poor start this time out, with just one point from their first two games.
