Esporte Clube Pinheiros

Esporte Clube Pinheiros São Paulo
Full nameEsporte Clube Pinheiros São Paulo (E.C.P.S.P.)
Founded7 September 1899; 125 years ago (1899-09-07)
LocationSão Paulo
Chairman
Roberto Cappellano
ColorsBlue, black and white
Websitewww.ecp.org.br

The Esporte Clube Pinheiros, founded on 7 September 1899, by German immigrants, under the name Sport Club Germânia (Sport Club Germany), is a multi-sports and social club located in the Brazilian metropolis São Paulo. The full name of the club is Esporte Clube Pinheiros São Paulo (E.C.P.S.P.). The club's name is commonly abbreviated as E.C. Pinheiros, or E.C.P. It has around 35,000 members, and its terrain comprises 170,000 m2 in the well regarded quarter of Jardim Europa. The club's assets are valued to be in excess of R$ 350 million.

Historically, Germânia is the fourth oldest football club of Brazil and was part of the first inter club match of the country. Until 1915 the club had won twice the State Championship of São Paulo. Already early tennis grew popular among the club members and the club should become one of the co-founders of the Tennis association of São Paulo. Football was basically abandoned with the advent of the professionalization of the sport in the 1930s. During the course of World War II the club abandoned references to its German origin and in 1941 was renamed to Pinheiros.

In later years water polo was very popular. In the 1970s João Carlos de Oliveira from Pinheiros held the world record in the triple jump. In more recent times the club has joined the national elite in basketball and volleyball, in the former even winning international titles. César Cielo won Olympic gold in swimming.