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Green has been a banned colour since the 1970s due to a long-standing feud between Corinthians and Palmeiras.
SAO PAULO (AP) — Corinthians, the Brazilian soccer club that gave up its stadium for the first NFL games to be played in South America, hated the color green so much that executives tried to paint the field black about a decade ago.
If players are found wearing those colours, they could be fined, forcing sponsors who want to be associated with the club, which has more than 35 million fans, to adapt.
It’s all an effort by Corinthians fans to avoid any reference to local rivals Palmeiras, with whom they have been feuding for more than a century.
But on Friday, the NeoQuimica Arena will be dyed green as the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles face off in the second game of the NFL season in Sao Paulo.
The Eagles are the designated host team and will wear Corinthians colors of black helmets, white jerseys and black pants in an effort to appeal to the Brazilian fans.
A Corinthians official told The Associated Press on Sunday that the move was at the request of the club’s president, who insisted that green be allowed only for visiting teams. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The Packers will play in their traditional white, yellow and green jerseys, which resemble the colors of the Brazilian flag.
Earlier on Thursday, the Packers made a blunder by giving Corinthians goaltender Hugo Sousa a green Packers jersey with the Brazilian club’s name on the back, infuriating many fans on social media.
Among the 42,000 fans expected to attend the game will be Palmeiras supporters who have said on their social media channels that they will wear green jerseys no matter what, many of whom are rooting for the Packers after the Eagles decided to eschew their usual color uniforms.
“Corinthians and Palmeiras are like branches of the same tree. Their rivalry dates back to before Palmeiras first played each other in 1917, when the club was still called the Palestra Italia,” says Celso Unzerte, author or co-author of 24 books on soccer. “Corinthians was founded in 1910, and the Palestra Italia was founded four years later by bringing together Italian players from several other clubs in São Paulo, including the great Corinthians player Bianco Gambini, who also became a great player at the Palestra Italia, causing a rift in the relationship.”
Since Gambini joined Palmeiras, the two giants of São Paulo football have frequently faced off for trophies and the rivalry has only intensified. In 1969, the animosity between the two teams reached new heights after two Corinthians players, 22-year-old defender Ridu and 24-year-old striker Eduardo, were killed in a car accident.
With the São Paulo State Championship underway, Corinthians wanted to sign two new players to replace the players they had lost, and all the other clubs agreed, except for one.
“I never say the name of that club, and I never wear the green jersey again,” says Renato Messina, 75, a journalist and former Corinthians player. “It must have been hard for my father, because he supported another club. I never went near him when he wore that club’s jersey. I’ll never forget how they refused to behave like sportsmen at that time. I have no interest in football, but I go to the games just to support the team that wears the green jersey.”
Since the 1970s, green has been a banned colour wherever Corinthians plays, when any careless fan would turn up in the stands wearing green and chants of “take it off” would be heard. The tradition is so ingrained in the club’s culture that only the attending players and fans are seen wearing green during matches at the Neoquímica Arena.
Corinthians’ rejection of green has become more pronounced in recent years as the club has struggled financially and watched Palmeiras win major trophies. A decade ago, the two teams played opposing roles but the no-green policy remained.
In December 2012, just days after Palmeiras was relegated to the second division, then South American champions Corinthians were scheduled to face English club Chelsea in the Club World Cup final in Japan. The Brazilian team did not receive the green warm-up vests provided by the tournament organizers. Instead, Corinthians used the red vests that had originally been provided to Chelsea. The Brazilian team won 1–0.
Claudia Ruane is one of those supporters who visited Tokyo 12 years ago. She has been a regular at Corinthians games for the past 20 years. She accompanies the team when she can, almost always avoids wearing the green uniform, and cheers against Palmeiras “in all sports.” But she won’t be cheering against the Packers, the only locally owned team in the NFL.
“It’s nice to have regular people running a football team. The Packers are the regular people’s team. We are too. That’s more important than what colors they wear,” said Ruane, 43, dressed all in black, before Corinthians’ 2-1 win over Flamengo in the Brazilian league on Sunday. “We’re fighting relegation this year, while our rivals are fighting for the championship again. But look at this crowd. The stadium is full again. I’m sure the Packers will have the same vibe.”
Even if you’re wearing green.
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