New Brazilian soccer champions Atletico Mineiro are to treat fans with free tattoos to celebrate their first title win in half a century, a radio station in the club’s home city said on Thursday.
Atletico Mineiro beat Bahia 3-2 to win their first Brasileirao Serie A title in 50 years and send large sections of Belo Horizonte into wild celebrations.
Their sponsor, construction company MRV, told fans that it would pay for free tattoos next week, Radio Itatiaia said.
Photo: EPA-EFE
MRV was to reveal more details.
It had not yet said what size or designs it would pay for, nor whether the company logo, which is also to adorn a new stadium it is building for the club, would appear.
“This action, which starts at nine in the morning at the home of Galo, will be on a first-come, first-served basis,” Radio Itatiaia said on its Web site.
Away from home, Atletico were 2-0 down after 66 minutes, but scored three times in the final 17 minutes, the last two from winger Keno, to give them an unassailable 11-point advantage at the top of Brasileirao Serie A, with their closest rivals having three matches to play.
The previous time Atletico won the title was in 1971, the year Brazil inaugurated its first national league after decades of prioritizing state championships.
“It’s been 50 years since we won the title, that’s a long time,” Keno said. “Now we have to celebrate.”
Keno was the key man on the night, but it was Hulk, the scorer of Atletico’s first goal, who was at the heart of their title run.
The former Brazil striker signed for the club in February and the 35-year-old has enjoyed an unforgettable season, scoring 18 goals to top the Serie A scoring charts.
Coach Cuca described it as “a magical year” for a player who he said “fit like a glove” at Atletico.
Hulk has been assisted in attack by Argentines Matias Zaracho and Nacho Fernandez, and Chilean Eduardo Vargas.
Diego Costa, the combative former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid center forward, bolstered the strike force further when he joined the club in August.
Atletico have the second-best attack and the best defense in the league. In a calendar year of 82 matches, Atletico have lost only 10 games.
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