Golden Oldies, Notable Nomads and Brazil’s Management Godfather: How Atlético Mineiro Ended 50 Years of Hurt

There were jubilant celebrations on the streets of Belo Horizonte last week, as Atlético Mineiro ended their 50-year wait for a league title with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Bahia, clinching the title with two games to spare. While Mineiro seemed destined to win the league for many weeks, after half a century of near misses, their fans were taking nothing for granted until they had mathematically secured the title.

Not since the days of Pelé had Atlético been crowned as Brasileiro Champions - the inaugural competition in 1971 was the last time they lifted the title and have had to sit back and watch 14 other sides achieve what generations of Galos could only ever dream of. 

Having said that, they have still had plenty to celebrate in the ensuing half a century. In 2013, they were crowned Copa Libertadores Champions with a team containing the likes of Ronaldinho, Jô, Bernard, Diego Tardelli and Gilberto Silva, before winning their first Copa do Brasil the year after.

In 1982, the likes of Luizinho, Toninho Cerezo and current assistant boss Éder were part of ‘the best team ever’ at Espańa ‘82 - an era which saw the club generally compete at the top end of the division - while they have suffered relegation only once. But 2021 will forever be remembered as the year the club’s ‘jinx’ came to an end - the year they became immortal.