# Esporte Clube Juventude

Esporte Clube Juventude (Portuguese pronunciation:), or simply Juventude, is a Brazilian football club in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul. The club currently competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the first tier of Brazilian football, as well as in Campeonato Gaúcho, the Rio Grande do Sul state football league. Major titles won by the club include the 1999 Copa do Brasil, the 1994 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B and the 1998 Campeonato Gaúcho. Their greatest rival is Caxias, with whom it contests the Caxias do Sul derby, also known as Ca–Ju.

## History

Juventude was founded on June 29, 1913, by 35 youngsters from Caxias do Sul, descendants of Italian immigrants, being one of the first football clubs in that community. Antônio Chiaradia Neto was chosen as the club's first president.
On July 20, 1913, Juventude played its first game, against Serrano, from the city of Carlos Barbosa, Rio Grande do Sul. The game ended 4–0 in favor of Juventude.
On March 8, 1915, Juventude lost its first game ever. Fußball, from the nearby town of Montenegro, beat Juventude 4–1, ending a 23-game invincibility streak.
On October 10, 1919, Juventude joined the Rio Grande do Sul state football association
In 1920, the club became professional after signing some Uruguayan players.
On December 11, 1975, the first match against Caxias was played, which ended 1–0 to Juventude. The goal was scored by Da Silva. This match is known as the Ca-Ju derby.
On May 25, 1993, Juventude signed a partnership with Parmalat, bringing more investment to the club.
On December 4, 1994, Juventude won the second division of Campeonato Brasileiro, which was the first national title won by the club, gaining promotion to the first division.
On June 7, 1998, Juventude won the Campeonato Gaúcho without losing a single match.
On June 27, 1999, Juventude won its most important national title, the Copa do Brasil, gaining the right to contest the Copa Libertadores in the following year.
In 2000, Juventude played the Copa Libertadores for the first time, but the club was eliminated in the first stage.
Finally in 2013 Juventude finished Série D as 2nd and promoted to Série C for 2014 season. They ascended again to the Série B in 2017.
Juventude returned to the top division of Brazilian Football Série A after a 13-year absence by finishing 3rd in the 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B. In 2021, they finished in 16th in the tournament, ensuring they remain in Série A for the 2022 championship.

## Stadium

Juventude's stadium is Estádio Alfredo Jaconi, inaugurated in 1975, with a maximum capacity of 23,519 people.

## Honours
### Official tournaments

National :
| Competitions | Titles | Seasons |
| Copa do Brasil | 1 | 1999 |
| Campeonato Brasileiro Série B | 1 | 1994 |
| State |||
| Competitions | Titles | Seasons |
| Campeonato Gaúcho | 1 | 1998 |
| Copa FGF | 2$^s$ | 2011, 2012 |
| Copa Governador do Estado | 2 | 1975, 1976 |
* record
* $^s$ shared record

### Others tournaments
#### State

* Campeonato do Interior Gaúcho (17): 1964, 1965, 1966, 1986, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2021, 2025
* Copa Serrana (1): 2014 (reserve team)

#### City

* Campeonato Citadino de Caxias do Sul (23): 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926,1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1949, 1950, 1952
* Torneio Extra (1): 1952
* Torneio Início (8): 1936, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1948, 1949, 1950
* Torneio Encerramento (2): 1940, 1948
* Torneio Dia Futebol (1): 1941

### Runners-up

* Campeonato Brasileiro Série B (1): 2023
* Campeonato Brasileiro Série D (1): 2013
* Campeonato Gaúcho (8): 1965, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2024

## Anthem

The club's official anthem lyrics were composed by Ernani Falcão, and the music by Rodolfo Storchi.
There is another anthem, which is an unofficial one, and was composed (both the lyrics and the music) by Paulo Gazola, and is called Hino da Volta do Ju, meaning Anthem of Ju's Return.

## Current squad

    As of 18 February 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | BRA | Gustavo |
| 2 | DF | BRA | Ewerthon (on loan from Sport Recife) |
| 3 | DF | BRA | Adriano Martins (on loan from Atlético Goianiense) |
| 4 | DF | VEN | Wilker Ángel |
| 5 | DF | BRA | Cipriano (on loan from APOEL) |
| 6 | DF | BRA | Felipinho (on loan from Sport Recife) |
| 7 | FW | BRA | Erick Farias |
| 8 | MF | COL | Daniel Giraldo |
| 9 | FW | BRA | Gilberto |
| 10 | MF | BRA | Nenê |
| 11 | FW | BRA | Giovanny |
| 12 | GK | BRA | Marcão |
| 15 | MF | BRA | Kelvi |
| 16 | MF | BRA | Jadson (captain) |
| 19 | FW | BRA | Gabriel Taliari |
| 20 | MF | BRA | Jean Carlos |
| 23 | DF | BRA | Abner |
| 27 | FW | COL | Emerson Batalla (on loan from Talleres) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 28 | DF | BRA | Alan Ruschel |
| 30 | MF | BRA | Dudu Vieira |
| 31 | GK | BRA | Zé Henrique |
| 34 | DF | BRA | Rodrigo Sam |
| 37 | FW | BRA | Petterson (on loan from Flamengo) |
| 38 | DF | BRA | Kawan (on loan from Botafogo) |
| 43 | DF | BRA | Clébio |
| 44 | MF | BRA | Luis Mandaca |
| 47 | DF | BRA | Marcos Paulo (on loan from Nova Iguaçu) |
| 72 | MF | BRA | Daniel Peixoto (on loan from Rio Claro) |
| 77 | MF | BRA | Luiz Henrique |
| 88 | MF | BRA | Davi Goes |
| 93 | DF | BRA | Reginaldo |
| 95 | MF | BRA | Caíque Gonçalves |
| 97 | FW | BRA | Ênio (on loan from Amazonas) |
| 98 | FW | BRA | Vitor Pernambuco |
| 99 | FW | BRA | Caíque |

### Youth players

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | AUS | Rafinha |

### Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | BRA | Pedro Bez (at Portimonense until 30 June 2025) |
| — | FW | BRA | Weliton (at Botafogo until 31 July 2025) |

## Technical staff

* Head Coach : Fábio Matias
* Assistant coach :
* Fitness coach : Rodrigo Squinalli
* Goalkeeping coach : Alex Lessa
* Physiologist : Marcos Galgaro
* Nutritionist : Juliana Veber
* Assistant Fitness Coach : Antônio Dal Pizzol
* Development analyst : Antônio Macedo, Josué Romero, Luan Garcia
* Club doctor : Michel Vigo, Rodrigo Zampieri, Alexandre Fay, Cristiano Raymondi
* Physiotherapist : Ricardo Finger, Jean Michelon
* Masseurs : Cleber Fernandes, Leonardo Zapello