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Niteroiense FC
Football club from Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Niteroiense Futebol Clube (Brazilian Portuguese: [niteˈɾɔjˈẽsi futʃiˈbɔw ˈklubi]; lit. 'Niteroiense Football Club'), more commonly referred to as simply Niteroiense, is a brazilian football club based in the city of Niterói, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The club was originally founded on May 11, 1913, as Nictheroyense Football Club, and played an important role in the early development of football in the region.[1][2] After activities ceased in 1980, the club was reactivated in 2024 when the Clube Atlético Carioca transferred its affiliation to Niteroiense, allowing the club to return to professional competitions.[3]
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History
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Foundation, achievements and dissolution (1913-1980)
Nictheroyense Football Club was established in 1913 during a period of sporting growth in the city of Niterói, which saw the founding of numerous football clubs. The club's first home ground was located on Rua Santa Clara in the neighborhood of Ponta d'Areia, an area linked to the Santa Clara and São Joaquim textile factory (founded in 1893) and the local workers' athletic club. Nictheroyense was one of the founding members of the Liga Sportiva Fluminense in 1915, organizer of the first state league in Rio de Janeiro.[1]
The club won the Campeonato Fluminense organized by the LSF in 1918, finishing ahead of clubs such as Barreto, Cubango, Fluminense, Guarany, Odeon, Parnahyba, and Ypiranga.[2][4][5] In the final round, Nictheroyense defeated Fluminense 2–0 in a match played at Byron's field, in Barreto, with both goals scored by Billú. The result secured the state championship title for the club.[6] In the following years, the club finished as runners-up in the Campeonato Fluminense in 1922 and again in 1924, in addition to winning the Torneio Início in 1923.
Between the 1920s and the 1950s, the club was part of the so-called "Group of Six" of Niterói football, alongside Canto do Rio, Ypiranga, Fluminense, Byron, and Barreto. This grouping represented the elite of local football during that period.[7] The club was also a traditional rival of Guarany, another now-defunct team from Santa Rosa.[8][9]
At the end of the 1920s, the club moved to a new field on Rua Visconde de Sepetiba, in downtown Niterói, where it also established its social headquarters next to the pitch.[10][11] In 1937, it won the Campeonato Niteroiense, a title shared with Fonseca after both teams ended the round-robin stage tied, and all four playoff matches also finished without a winner.[5][12][13]
In 1943, the club’s name was updated to Niteroiense Futebol Clube, accompanied by changes to its crest, in accordance with the 1943 Portuguese Spelling Reform that altered the official spelling of the city’s name from "Nictheroy" to "Niterói".
In the following decades, Niteroiense maintained regular sporting activity, although with less competitive prominence. The professionalization of football and the merger of the states of Rio de Janeiro and Guanabara gradually reduced the space available for local clubs, also affecting the team. From the 1960s onward, financial difficulties and limited structural resources became recurrent, leading to the discontinuation of its activities and, ultimately, to the club’s dissolution in 1980.[2][14] The closure took place after the sale of the stadium and clubhouse grounds, which were demolished to make way for a residential building.[10][15]
Return to activity (2024–present)
In 2024, Niteroiense resumed its activities after more than four decades of inactivity. The return took place through the transfer of membership from Clube Atlético Carioca to the FERJ, which allowed the team to rejoin official competitions.[3][16][17] Atlético Carioca maintained only youth categories activities until early 2025.[3][18]
The team competed in the 2024 Campeonato Carioca Série C and won the Taça Waldir Amaral with a record of eight wins and one loss, scoring 24 goals and conceding only three.[19] In the semifinals, the club secured promotion to the 2024 Campeonato Carioca Série B2 by defeating Campos 2–0 away in Cardoso Moreira and drawing 1–1 in the home leg played in São Cristóvão.[20] In the finals of the Série C, against Uni Souza, Niteroiense hosted the second leg. The first match, held at Moça Bonita, ended 1–1, with Niteroiense equalizing early in the second half through Jhow Jhow, the competition’s top scorer.[21] In the return leg at the Estádio Ronaldo Nazário, Niteroiense took the lead with a penalty converted by Digregor, but Uni Souzaequalized through Mamed. With the aggregate score tied 2–2, the league was decided on penalties, where goalkeeper Marcílio saved one attempt and Niteroiense converted all their kicks to win the title.[22]
Later that year, Niteroiense competed in the 2024 Campeonato Carioca Série B2, finishing third in the Taça Maracanã and qualifying for the semifinals, which also earned them promotion to the 2025 Campeonato Carioca Série B1.[23] In the semifinals, the club defeated Bonsucesso 4-3 in the second leg, but was eliminated due to a 2–0 loss in the first match, closing the 2024 season with two promotions and two titles.[24]
In June 2025, the club took part in the 2025 Copa Rio, in which they finally played a match in Niterói again, debuting at the Arena Trops with a 0–0 draw against America.[25][26] In the second leg, held at the Estádio Giulite Coutinho, they were defeated 2–0 and eliminated in the opening stage of the tournament.[27] In the same year, Niteroiense competed in the 2025 Campeonato Carioca Série B1. The team finished the competition in sixth place with 16 points, recording the best attack with 16 goals scored, but also the second most conceded defense, with 14 goals against. Despite a 5–1 victory in the final round, the club failed to reach the top four that advanced to the semifinals by a margin of two points.[28]
Internal crisis
In July 2025, former executive Maicon Vilela, the club’s refounder who was suspended by FERJ in 2020 for match-fixing,[29] used an old official Instagram account[a] to stream videos in which he denounced alleged irregularities, claimed to have received a proposal to fix matches, and advocated for turning the club into a Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF).[30][31] He also announced his intention to “rename” the club as Clube Atlético Carioca starting in 2026.[32][33] The current board, led by president André Luiz Silva, contested these statements, stressing that Vilela had no legitimacy to assume the presidency and highlighting administrative measures such as debt settlement, maintenance of partnerships, and strengthening of the youth academy.[34] The public confrontation resulted in the exchange of official notes, with Vilela accusing the current management of attempting a “coup” and claiming ownership of the club’s brand.[35] In August 2025, negotiations were announced for the transfer of the Niteroiense brand to the current board. The agreement included reimbursement of the investment made by Vilela and his temporary role as coordinator of the youth academy until December, before his definitive departure.[36][37]
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Symbols
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Crests
Until 1932, Niteroiense used black and white as the colors of its crest. In that year, following a merger with a club from the neighborhood of Ponta d’Areia, the colors blue and pink were incorporated into the team’s crest.[2][14] Later, in 1943, alongside a change in the club’s name, the crest was completely redesigned, abandoning the white and pink and adopting red as the primary color.
In 2024, with the club's return to activity, Niteroiense adopted a new visual identity based on the colors blue and white. The crest and uniforms were aesthetically updated with a modern design, emphasizing the color blue as a tribute to the city of Niterói. According to Maicon Vilela, the club's refounder, the rebranding aimed to revitalize the club's image and attract a younger audience, aligned with 21st-century trends.[3]
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Kits
Until 1917, Niteroiense wore predominantly white kits with a blue diagonal sash.[1] Starting in 1918, the club adopted vertically striped black and white shirts, a design that remained in use until 1980, when activity ceased.[2][14]
In 2024, with the club’s return, the uniforms were updated once again, adopting blue and white in line with the new visual identity.[3]
Evolution of kits
      1913
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    2025
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Current kits
Players
- Home kit: blue shirt with white stripes, blue shorts and socks;
- Away kit: white shirt and shorts with blue stripes, and white socks;
- Third kit: black shirt and socks, and black shorts with gray stripes.
Home
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    Away
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    Third
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Goalkeepers
- Home kit: yellow shirt, shorts and socks;
- Away kit: gray shirt, shorts and socks;
    Home
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   Away
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Mascot
The club’s mascot is the indigenous chief Arariboia, a historical and legendary figure closely tied to the identity and memory of the city of Niterói.[3][38]
Arariboia was an important chief of the Temiminó people, part of the Tupi ethnic group that inhabited the coastline of present-day Brazil during the 16th century. He became known for his strategic alliance with the Portuguese, playing a decisive role in the conflict over the Guanabara Bay against the Tamoios and the French, culminating in the expulsion of the latter on January 20, 1567. In recognition of his role in the conflict, Arariboia was granted the title of Knight of the Order of Christ and a plot of land in what is now the neighborhood of São Cristóvão.[39] He was also granted possession of lands at the entrance of the bay by the Portuguese Crown. It was there that the village of São Lourenço was established, considered the founding nucleus of the city of Niterói, of which Arariboia is widely regarded as the founder.[40][41] His legacy remains one of the most significant historical markers of the region and continues to be honored through various cultural representations, including his use as the club’s official symbol.
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Facilities
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Rua Santa Clara Field
The Rua Santa Clara Field was located in the neighborhood of Ponta d'Areia, in Niterói, and belonged to Niteroiense. Considered one of the best in the city in the early 20th century, it was often described as a “spacious ground” and attracted large crowds to matches. It hosted games of the Liga Sportiva Fluminense, of which the club was a founding member and active participant in the 1910s.[1] The field was situated on a street with a rich urban history, linked to the former Santa Clara e São Joaquim Textile Factory, reinforcing the club’s connection with the industrial context and the local community.[1]
Rua Visconde de Sepetiba Ground
The club’s main ground was located on Rua Visconde de Sepetiba, in downtown Niterói, where the team moved in the late 1920s.[2] The venue, which featured a pitch for matches, simple bleachers, and the social headquarters installed beside the field, became the center of Niteroiense’s sporting and administrative activities.[11] In addition to Niteroiense’s own games, the ground also hosted matches of major Rio de Janeiro clubs such as Flamengo and Fluminense, including a Fla–Flu in which Flamengo won 5–3.[42] After the club’s dissolution in 1980, the land was sold and the facilities were demolished for the construction of a residential building.[10][15]
Concha Acústica Sports Complex
The Concha Acústica Sports Complex, located in the neighborhood of São Domingos, in Niterói, is where Niteroiense trains and plays the under-20 team’s home matches. The club attempted to use the stadium as the home ground for the professional team, but the FERJ denied authorization due to technical issues related to the venue’s infrastructure, including safety, accommodations, accessibility, and other requirements for sanctioned competitions.[43][44]
Arena Trops
The Arena Trops, located in the Trops Athlete Training Center, in the neighborhood of Várzea das Moças, in Niterói, was chosen as Niteroiense’s official home ground for the 2025 season due to the impossibility of using the Concha Acústica for the professional team. The choice was confirmed after the club obtained all the necessary permits in an inspection carried out that same year.[25] The venue’s debut took place on June 25, in the match against America, valid for the first round of the 2025 Copa Rio, which ended in a 0–0 draw.[26]
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Titles
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Statistics
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Participations
Participations, in 2026
Notable Campaigns
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Current squad
Squad correct as of September 1, 2025.[45]
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Management team
- As of August 31, 2025.[46]
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See also
Notes
- The account used by Vilela for live broadcasts was originally official and managed by him while he was linked to the club. After his permanent departure, he retained control of the account without authorization from Niteroiense.
- It is possible that Niteroiense has already been second place on other occasions.
- It is possible that Niteroiense has already been fourth place on other occasions.
- It is possible that Niteroiense has already been third place on other occasions.
References
External links
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