Exeter City announce historic commemorative match against Fluminense for 2014
It is with pleasure and pride that Exeter City Football Club can announce that we will be returning to Brazil in 2014 to play a commemorative fixture against Fluminense FC at the historic Estádio das Laranjeiras.
The trip to Rio de Janeiro will mark the centenary of the club’s South American tour and the formation of the Brazilian national team, and the fixture against our friends at Fluminense will take place at the same venue where the Brazilian national team played their first ever match against the touring Exeter City side a century before in 1914.
The fixture will take place at Estádio das Laranjeiras, the home of Fluminense, on Sunday 20th July 2014, just one week after the 2014 FIFA World Cup final is held five miles away at the Maracanã. As well as being hosted at the original venue, the two sides will also kick-off using the original ball from a century ago and will be wearing replica kits of the colours worn in the original fixture.
Fluminense – commonly known as ‘Flu’ or the ‘Tricolor’ – are current title-holders of the Campeonato Brasileiro and have grown to find themselves amongst the most iconic names in world club football. Exeter City’s 1914 tour of South America, which sowed the seeds that resulted in Brazil becoming the world’s most esteemed footballing nation, is a great source of pride for the Grecians.
Exeter City’s vice-chairman and chief executive, Julian Tagg, said: “There are still a number of the many practical details and financial aspects of such an undertaking to be worked through, but these will be undertaken in an atmosphere of great mutual regard and friendship and the intention and agreement to play the game is now confirmed.
“In this way, we shall be both formally celebrating, in the year that the World Cup went to Brazil, the birth of the Brazilian national team plus re-affirming our links to Fluminense.
“We are sure that where possible, Fluminense will seek to include various guest players from other clubs in Brazil, and in such a way we are replicating the original fixtures played during that amazing 1914 trip that Exeter City made to Rio de Janeiro.
“Our club would like to formally pay tribute to the President and his board of Fluminense for the respect and friendship they have shown to our club.”