Grêmio Barueri Futebol Ltda., generally known as Grêmio Barueri, or just as Barueri, is a Brazilian football club from Barueri, São Paulo state. The club was formerly known as Grêmio Recreativo Barueri and Grêmio Prudente Futebol Ltda.
The club was founded in 1989, in the city of Barueri, on the north-western outskirts of metropolitan São Paulo. The club and the city of Barueri failed to reach an agreement about training facilities and the concession of the Arena, causing the club to move to Presidente Prudente in the countryside, about 600 km from the state capital. The move was formalized by the end of February 2010, and it was announced that a change of insignia and kit would follow within the next weeks.[1] The club moved back to Barueri in 2011.
The club's home stadium is the Arena Barueri, which has a maximum capacity of about 31,452 spectators.
History
The club was founded on 26 March 1989 as Grêmio Recreativo Barueri[2] to represent Barueri in several different sports.[3]
The club won the Campeonato Paulista Série A2 in 2006, beating Sertãozinho in the final, and winning promotion to the following year's Campeonato Paulista first division.[5] In the same year, Barueri played in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C for the first time, finishing in fourth place, thus being promoted to the following year's Série B.[6] A fourth-place finish in 2008 allowed the team to be promoted to Série A, the top level championship, in the following year.[7]
The club was renamed to Grêmio Prudente Futebol Ltda. on 26 February 2010, after the name change was approved on 12 February by the board of directors and Presidente Prudente's city hall.[1][8] The logo was changed to reflect the new name.[9]
Prudente was relegated to the 2011 Série B on 14 November 2010, after being defeated 2–1 by Atlético Paranaense at the Arena da Baixada, in Curitiba city. The club was also relegated to the Campeonato Paulista Série A2 after a weak performance in the 2011Campeonato Paulista. Soon after that, a group of Barueri business men bought the club, moving it back to the city, and renamed the club Grêmio Barueri Futebol Ltda.[10]
Since its inauguration on 26 June 2007, Barueri's home stadium has been the Arena Barueri, with an initial capacity of 17,000 and a final stadium capacity of 40,000.[11] Currently the stadium holds 35,000 spectators.[12]
During the temporary relocation to President Prudente the club's home stadium was Estádio Eduardo José Farah, which has a maximum capacity of 44,414. The club moved to the Arena Barueri after returning to Barueri in 2011.[citation needed]