Esporte Clube Bahia () is a Brazilian professional football club based in Salvador, Bahia. Founded in 1931, the club competes in the Campeonato Baiano, the Bahia's premier state league, and in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the highest division of the Brazilian football league system. The club's home uniform consists of white shirts with blue shorts and red socks.
Bahia is considered for many as one of the biggest clubs in the Northeast region of Brazil and outside the Big Twelve. The club won a record of 52 state league titles, and a record of five Copa do Nordeste titles. In national level, Bahia has won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 1959 and 1988.
Bahia had played its home games with 66,080 people capacity Estádio Fonte Nova from 1951 to 2007, when a section of the stadium collapsed killing seven Bahia supporters. The club played at the Joia da Princesa stadium in the city of Feira de Santana in 2008, and from 2009 to 2013 at the Estádio de Pituaçu in Salvador. With the reopening of the Fonte Nova stadium in 2013 as the Arena Fonte Nova, a modern arena built for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Bahia resumed playing its matches there.
In December 2022, it was announced that City Football Group, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi United Group, had bought a majority stake of Bahia's SAF, after the takeover was approved in a voting session between club members. The acquisition was completed in May 2023, as CFG officially acquired 90% of the club's shares.
History Early years and the first national title
The Esporte Clube Bahia was founded on the New Year's Day of 1931 when players from two clubs decided to merge. The Associação Atlética da Bahia and the Clube Bahiano de Tênis had decided to discontinue their football divisions. A few years later Bahia became the most popular team in the Northeast of Brazil.
In the club's first year, Bahia won the Torneio Inicio and Bahia State Championship. The first Bahia president was Waldemar Costa, a doctor. Bahia's crest is based on Corinthians'. Bahia's state flag, created by Raimundo Magalhães, was used in place of the São Paulo state flag.
The team was founded with the motto "Nasceu para Vencer" (Born to Win). Bahia won 50 State Championships, 21 more than the Vitória (their rival club), and was the first club to participate in Taça Libertadores da America in 1960.
Between 1959 and 1963, and in 1968, the club represented the state of Bahia in Taça Brasil (the precursor of the Brazilian Championship), winning the title in 1959 and finishing as runner-up in 1961 and 1963.
The 1980s and the second national title The 1980s were the best in Bahia's history. Bahia won their second national title in 1988, finishing 5th in 1986 and 4th in 1990.
In 1988, Bahia won its second Brazilian Championship against the Internacional from Porto Alegre Bahia won the first leg in Salvador by 2–1. The second leg ended in an 0–0 tie-in Porto Alegre at the Beira Rio Stadium. After these results, Bahia won the Brasileirão, their second national title. The championship gave Bahia the right to play Copa Libertadores for the third time. It was a shock for the southern press because Salvador is in the Northeast and the victory was over the Internacional, a team from southern Brazil, the region that has the highest Human Development Index in the country.
Dark years In 1997, Bahia was relegated to the Série B for the first time in its history after a 0–0 draw against the Juventude at the Fonte Nova stadium. In 1999 Bahia was close to being promoted to the Série A again. Bahia had a very good season but finished in 3rd place, which was not enough to see them promoted.
In 2000, due to bribery scandals involving clubs such as the São Paulo and the Internacional, the team returned to the Brazilian First Division, invited by the Clube dos 13, along with the Fluminense, which was made a scapegoat for the controversy and was nationally victimized by the media (see Copa João Havelange).
In 2002 the bank that had sponsored the team went bankrupt and the Bahia began a descent down the Brazilian football pyramid. After the title of the Northeast Cup in 2001 and 2002, Bahia performed poorly in 2003 and was relegated to the Série B for the second time in the club's history. In 2004, the team was close to getting promoted to the Série A again, finishing 4th. In order to be promoted, Bahia would have to win the final match against the Brasiliense, but the referee Paulo César de Oliveira was assigned to that match and many people say he was all but fair on that day. In 2005, the club again competed in the Série B, finishing in 18th place, and was relegated to the Série C for the first time in the club's history.
Fênix tricolor (tricolored phoenix) Bahia finished 2007 among the first four teams of the Third Division and was promoted to the Second Division for the 2008 season. The Bahia began strongly, but in the last game of the 3rd stage of the Série C against the already-eliminated Fast Club, Bahia needed a win to advance to the final. The victory came in the last minute of the game with a goal scored by Charles. In the final, the team finished the third division in 2nd place, only losing the title in the final round. This moment is called the "Fênix Tricolor" amongst Bahia fans. The phoenix represents Bahia rising from the ashes.
Despite playing in the Third Division of Brazilian football in 2007, Bahia had the largest average attendance in Brazil: 40,400 people per match. No club in the Third, the Second, or even the First Division was able to match it. However, this is not unusual for Bahia, having also achieved the biggest average attendance in Brazil in 2004 (Second Division), 1988 (First Division), 1986 (First Division), and 1985 (First Division).
Recent years and CFG takeover From 2010 to 2014 Bahia remained in the first division. In 2013, a fan takeover lead the club to pursue more left-wing and socially engaged politics, focusing on racism, LGBTQ rights, the demarcation of indigenous lands and the treatment of female fans in football stadiums. At the same time, they have managed to reduce ticket prices, increase revenues, pay off some of the debt that was crippling the club and improve their results on the pitch.
In 2014 they were relegated to the second division again but came back in 2016. After 22 years out of international competition, Bahia returned in 2012 when they qualified for the Copa Sul-Americana, and seven more times, the last in 2021. In addition, they won the 2012, 2014, 2015 state championship and in 2023 he won his 50th title.
In February 2018 the intense rivalry between Bahia and Esporte Clube Vitória drew international attention when nine players (four from Bahia and five from Vitória) were shown the red card in a State Championship match.
In December 2022, it was announced that City Football Group, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi United Group, had bought majority stake of Bahia, following a voting session between club members that saw 98.6% of voters accept the takeover. The acquisition was completed in May 2023, as CFG officially acquired 90% of the club's shares, with the original administration keeping the remaining 10% of shares, as well as full rights over club heritage items, including shirt colors and the emblem. Bahia became the thirteenth football club to join City Football Group, and the third South American team to ever do so, following Montevideo City Torque and parent club Club Bolívar.
In 2024, CFD Broker Axi had a sponsorship contract; however, the financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Symbols Logos
Bahia's colors are blue, red, and white. The blue color pays homage to the Associação Atlética da Bahia; white, to the Clube Baiano de Tênis; and red for the Bahia state flag.
The club's mascot is called Super-Homem Tricolor (Tricolor Superman), created by Ziraldo in 1979 based on the club's nickname "Esquadrão de Aço" (Steel Squad) and wears a costume very similar to the original Superman's costume.
Stadium Bahia played at the old Fonte Nova stadium from its opening in 1951 until 25 November 2007, when during a game against Vila Nova (which sealed Bahia's promotion from the Série C to the Série B), a section of the upper tier of the stadium collapsed. Seven people died and more than 30 were injured.
After that episode, the state government closed the stadium and declared that it would be demolished. The old stadium was imploded on 29 August 2010.https://www.gazetadopovo.com.br/vida-e-cidadania/estadio-da-fonte-nova-e-implodido-em-salvador-2o2xmsien7xk7zwhwom6pqp8u/ The Arena Fonte Nova was built on the site for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and it opened on 5 April 2013.https://g1.globo.com/bahia/noticia/2013/04/arena-fonte-nova-e-inaugurada-com-presenca-da-presidente-dilma-rouseff.html Bahia has played its home games at the arena ever since.
Some notable games at the old Fonte Nova include:
Bahia : Internacional 2–1 (Série A – Final – 1988) Bahia : Fluminense 2–1 (Série A – Semi-finals – 1988) Bahia : Flamengo 4–1 (Série A – 2000) Bahia : Sport Recife 3–1 (Northeast Cup – Final – 2001) Bahia : Fast Club 1–0 (Série C – 3rd Stage – 2007)
League record National league SeasonTierDivisionPlaceCopa do Brasil19681A16th19691A11th19701A11th19711A11th19721A13th19731A17th19741A20th19751A25th19761A8th19771A11th19781A7th19791A50th19801A26th19811A16th19821A14th19831A21st19841A27th19851A12th19861A5th19871A11thSeasonTierDivisionPlaceCopa do Brasil19881A1st19891A18thQuarterfinals19901A4thQuarterfinals19911A13th19921A18thRound of 1619931A17th19941A7thRound of 1619951A17thRound of 1619961A22ndFirst round19971A23rdSecond round19982B18thRound of 1619992B3rdQuarterfinals20001A14thRound of 1620011A8thRound of 1620021A19thQuarterfinals20031A24thRound of 1620042B3rd20052B18thFirst round20063C6thFirst round20073C2ndRound of 16 SeasonTierDivisionPlaceCopa do Brasil20082B10thFirst round20092B12thSecond round20102B3rdSecond round20111A14thRound of 1620121A15thQuarterfinals20131A12thSecond round20141A18thThird round20152B9thThird round20162B4thSecond round20171A12thSecond round20181A11thQuarterfinals20191A11thQuarterfinals20201A14thFirst round20211A18thRound of 1620222B3rdRound of 1620231A16thQuarterfinals20241A8thQuarterfinals20251A7thQuarterfinals 46 seasons in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 10 seasons in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B 2 seasons in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C
Regional leagues SeasonTierDivisionPlace19311A3rd19321A2nd19331A1st19341A1st19351A3rd19361A1st19371A4th19381A1st19391A4th19401A1st19411A2nd19421A3rd19431A4th19441A5th19451A1st19461A5th19471A1st19481A1st19491A1st19501A1stSeasonTierDivisionPlaceTaça Brasil19511A3rd19521A1st19531A2nd19541A1st19551A2nd19561A1st19571A2nd19581A1st19591A1stChampions19601A1stZone finals19611A1stRunners-up19621A1stZone semififinals19631A2ndRunners-up19641A2nd19651A5th19661A6th19671A1st19681A4thZone finals19691A2nd19701A1st SeasonTierDivisionPlace19711A1st19721A2nd19731A1st19741A1st19751A1st19761A1st19771A1st19781A1st19791A1st19801A3rd19811A1st19821A1st19831A1st19841A1st19851A2nd19861A1st19871A1st19881A1st19891A2nd19901A3rdSeasonTierDivisionPlaceCopa do Nordeste19911A1st19921A2nd19931A1st19941A1stSemifinals19951A3rd19961A3rd19971A2ndRunners-up19981A1stSecond round19991A1stRunners-up20001A2ndGroup stage20011A1stChampions20021A3rdChampions20031A9th20041A2nd20051A2nd20061A3rd20071A2nd20081A2nd20091A2nd20101A2ndFirst round SeasonTierDivisionPlaceCopa do Nordeste20111A3rd20121A1st20131A2ndGroup stage20141A1stGroup stage20151A1stRunners-up20161A2ndSemifinals20171A2ndChampions20181A1stRunners-up20191A1stGroup stage20201A1stRunners-up20211A4thChampions20221A6thGroup stage20231A1stGroup stage20241A2ndSemifinals20251A1stChampions20261A1st
Honours
Official tournaments