Red and black vertical stripes. Athletico Paranaense’s shirt looks like it might belong to a Rio club — and that resemblance has a story behind it. But the Furacão (Hurricane) of Curitiba has built an identity all its own, through Brazilian titles, continental campaigns and one of the strangest origin stories in South American football.
Born from a rift inside a rival
Athletico Paranaense was founded on 26 March 1924, from the merger of Internacional and América — two Curitiba clubs. What makes the story remarkable is that Internacional itself was founded in 1912 by families who had been rejected for membership by Coritiba, Paraná’s most established club at the time. The Furacaõo’s DNA is literally built on exclusion and defiance. The red-and-black stripes emerged from the combination of Internacional’s red-and-white colours with América’s black-and-white.
The unbeaten double in 1930
In 1930, wearing the newly merged red-and-black kit, Athletico Paranaense went through the entire Paraná State Championship unbeaten — and then repeated it the following year. The back-to-back unbeaten state titles remain the only such achievement in Paraná football history. In 1930, the squad won six matches, drew two, and took one win by walkover, with two further matches annulled. Eighteen games without a loss.
The 2001 Brazilian Championship — putting Curitiba on the map
Athletico Paranaense’s defining national moment came in 2001 when they won the Campeonato Brasileiro — the only team from Paraná ever to do so. The squad included a young Kléberson, later sold to Manchester United for €10m, and Alex Mineiro. The red-and-black jersey from 2001 is the most collectible item in Paraná football history, and authentic match-worn versions from that season are extraordinarily rare.
The Baixada Arena and the Copa Sul-Americana dynasty
In 1999, Athletico inaugurated the Arena da Baixada — one of Brazil’s most modern stadiums, which hosted four matches at the 2014 World Cup. On the continental stage, the Furacaõo won the Copa Sul-Americana in both 2018 and 2021, making them the only Brazilian club to have won the competition twice. The red-and-black shirt from both campaigns is in high demand among South American kit collectors.
Kléberson and the shirt that went to Old Trafford
When Manchester United paid €10 million for Kléberson in 2003, it was the largest sale in Athletico Paranaense history. The number 8 red-and-black shirt he wore during Athletico’s Brazilian Championship triumph crossed the Atlantic with him. Today it symbolises the moment a club from the interior of southern Brazil reached the highest level of European football.
Original Athletico Paranaense jerseys at Garrincha Shirts
We carry original Athletico Paranaense kits from multiple seasons, including rare Copa Sul-Americana editions and the 2001 Brazilian Championship year. Every piece at Garrincha Shirts is verified authentic — the Hurricane doesn’t need a replica.