Nickname(s):Pantera (The Panther),Tricolor(The Tricolour)
Founded:1918
Stadium:Estádio Santa Cruz (Arena Nicnet)
Capacity:28,292
1919
1920-1939
1940-1945
1956-1975
1976-2020
2021-Present
Botafogo FC (Botafogo-SP) Crest History
The crest history of Botafogo Futebol Clube of Ribeirão Preto shows a remarkably clear evolution from simple monograms to the familiar red, white and black striped shield that has represented the club for most of its history. Although the design has been modernised several times, the initials BFC have remained the central identifying element throughout.
The earliest crest shown, from 1919, consisted of a vertically elongated red oval surrounded by thin white and red outlines. Inside, the three letters BFC were intertwined in a highly stylised black monogram. This first emblem was very different from the shield that would later become associated with Botafogo, but it already established red and black as dominant colours.
In 1920, the club adopted a simpler circular emblem. Used until 1939, it featured a bright red centre surrounded by a thick black border, with the letters BFC arranged prominently across the centre in black. The intertwined lettering of the original design disappeared, giving the badge a cleaner and more immediately recognisable appearance.
A major transformation came in 1940, when Botafogo introduced the basic shield design that would define its visual identity. The 1940–1945 crest featured a white upper panel carrying the initials B.F.C., while the lower section was divided into vertical red, white and black stripes. The pointed shield created a much more conventional football-club emblem and established the fundamental structure still used today.
The 1956–1975 version retained this formula but altered the shape of the shield. The upper edge became more curved and decorative, while the lower section became broader and more rounded. The letters B.F.C. remained within the white header, and the alternating red, white and black vertical sections continued below.
Between 1976 and 2020, the crest was refined into a cleaner and more symmetrical form. The double outline became sharper, the upper panel more clearly defined and the lettering heavier and more prominent. The vertical stripes were also regularised, creating the version that became familiar to several generations of Botafogo supporters.
In 2021, Botafogo introduced another subtle modernisation rather than a complete redesign. The 2021–Present crest preserves the historic shield, the B.F.C. initials and the red, white and black vertical stripes, but simplifies the outlines and adjusts the proportions. The shield has a cleaner, flatter appearance suited to modern digital applications.
Botafogo FC (Botafogo-SP) Club History
Botafogo Futebol Clube, commonly known as Botafogo-SP to distinguish it from Botafogo of Rio de Janeiro, was founded on 12 October 1918 in Ribeirão Preto, in the state of São Paulo. The club emerged from the merger of three local teams and developed into one of the most traditional football institutions in the interior of São Paulo.
Botafogo gradually established itself in regional football during the first half of the twentieth century. Its red, white and black colours became an important part of its identity, while the club acquired the nickname Pantera — The Panther, which remains its best-known nickname today.
A major step in Botafogo's development came with its participation in the increasingly competitive football structure of São Paulo. The club became a regular participant in the Campeonato Paulista, where teams from the interior competed against powerful clubs from the state capital such as Corinthians, Palmeiras, São Paulo and Santos.
The opening of the Estádio Santa Cruz in 1968 provided Botafogo with a home capable of supporting its growing ambitions. The stadium became one of the most important football grounds in the interior of São Paulo and remains closely associated with the club. Following commercial naming-rights agreements, it is now also known as Arena Nicnet.
The late 1970s and early 1980s produced one of the most memorable periods in Botafogo's history. The club developed an outstanding generation of players, most famously Sócrates, who began his professional career with Botafogo before becoming a Brazilian football icon with Corinthians and the national team. Alongside players such as Zé Mário and Geraldão, he helped make Botafogo one of the strongest interior sides in São Paulo.
In 1977, Botafogo won the Taça Cidade de São Paulo, an important achievement during a period when the club was competing strongly against the state's traditional powers. The performances of this generation reinforced Botafogo's reputation as a club capable of developing players who could succeed at the highest level.
Another historic achievement arrived in 1990, when Botafogo won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C. The national title represented an important milestone and strengthened the club's position beyond the boundaries of São Paulo state football.
Botafogo enjoyed another remarkable campaign in 1992, reaching the final of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B. Although the club finished as runners-up to Paraná Clube, the campaign demonstrated its ability to compete successfully on the national stage.
The following decade brought one of Botafogo's most notable state-level achievements. In 2001, the club won the Campeonato Paulista do Interior, recognising it as the leading team from outside the metropolitan centres in that edition of the state championship.
Like many traditional clubs from Brazil's interior, Botafogo subsequently experienced periods of financial difficulty, relegations and rebuilding. Maintaining a position between the different levels of the Brazilian league pyramid became an important challenge, while performances in the Campeonato Paulista continued to play a major role in the club's sporting identity.
A significant revival began during the 2010s. Botafogo worked its way back through the national divisions and gained promotion from Série D to Série C in 2015. Continued progress eventually brought promotion to Série B in 2018, marking the club's return to Brazil's second national tier after a long absence.
Botafogo was relegated from Série B in 2020, but another rebuilding period followed. The club earned promotion from Série C in 2022, returning once again to Série B and demonstrating the resilience that has characterised much of its modern history.
Botafogo-SP’s most important rivalry is with Comercial Futebol Clube, also from Ribeirão Preto. Their derby is known as the Come-Fogo, combining the names Comercial and Botafogo, and is one of the most traditional rivalries in the interior of São Paulo state. The rivalry dates back to the early twentieth century and reflects a long-running battle for football supremacy in Ribeirão Preto, with matches regularly attracting intense local interest regardless of the clubs’ league positions. Botafogo also has regional rivalries with other traditional clubs from the interior of São Paulo, particularly Ferroviária, Guarani and Ponte Preta, but none carries the same local significance or emotional intensity as the Come-Fogo.
