Internacional

Foundation and early years (1910s)

The Club's foundation can be attributed directly to three brothers: Henrique Poppe Leão, José Eduardo Poppe, and Luiz Madeira Poppe. They arrived in Porto Alegre from São Paulo around 1908, a period marked by the rising popularity of football across Brazil.

The younger siblings, José and Luiz, had the desire to play football, a sport they learned to practice in São Paulo. Henrique, the older and influential brother, then orchestrated the creation of a new club.

The genesis of Sport Club Internacional is linked to the combination of diverse nationalities. In contrast to the other teams in Porto Alegre at the time, which primarily catered to descendants of Germans, Inter emerged as inclusive to various ethnic backgrounds. The speeches heard at the meetings always revolved around a very important principle for the Poppe family and those present there. Internacional was being created for Brazilians and foreigners, a clear reference to the discriminatory policies of the other two major existing clubs in Porto Alegre, Grêmio and Fuss-Ball.

The club's colors were inspired by the street carnaval of Porto Alegre. At the time there were two big carnaval organizations in the city, the green Esmeraldinos and the red Venezianos, after a vote the color red was chosen.

The area of Ilhota, once a humble neighborhood rich in cultural influence, served as the team's first ground. The football field on Rua Arlindo, now known as Sport Club Internacional Square, hosted the early training sessions of the team. Subsequently, this location became the venue for the Canela Preta League matches and also saw the emergence of Tesourinha, a prominent Brazilian football talent. Because of frequent flooding in the neighborhood, the Club was compelled to relocate. Thus, in 1910, it moved to Campo da Várzea, now called Parque da Redenção.

The time at Bom Fim neighborhood wouldn't last long, though, and by 1912, Inter had leased Chácara dos Eucaliptos. Situated on an alley with an entrance on Rua da Azenha, this became Inter's inaugural exclusive playing venue. It was here that the club initiated its first series of victories, clinching the City Championship in 1913 and 1917.

Consolidation and first stadium (1920s–1930s)

In the 1920s, the second decade of the Colorado's history marked a turning point in the club's history. After the growth of the early years, Inter began to face significant challenges. On the field, few titles were won. Off the field, the situation was not favorable. In addition to financial difficulties, the Colorado almost lost its home, and there was a possibility of the Club closing down. Decisions needed to be made that would alter the course of the club's trajectory.

Inter bounced back and strengthened itself, winning its first state title in 1927, initiating the construction of its first home stadium Estádio dos Eucaliptos and becoming even more popular, fully opening their doors to athletes from other leagues, including black people from Canela Preta league (literally "Black Shins" league).

Inaugurated in 1931, in the Menino Deus neighborhood, the Eucaliptos Stadium would become the stage for many glories and the rise of Inter as the biggest club in southern Brazil. Growing increasingly as the "Clube do Povo" (People's Club), Inter began to identify even more with the humble classes of Gaúcho society, not only in the stands but also on the field. During this era, talented players like Sylvio Pirillo, hailing from Ilhota, and Tupan, who emerged from the Canela Preta league, were prominent. Inter was beginning to assemble the renowned "Rolo Compressor" team and signaled the impending dominance of Gaúcho football.

The Rolo Compressor era (1940s)

The 1940s marked the a golden decade for Internacional. It was characterized by the emergence of enduring idols, along with consistent dominance in the Gre-Nal derby. The Eucaliptos stadium consistently hosted large crowds. In that time, Vicente Rao, who founded the team's first ultra, and Charuto, an often drunk supporter who Luis Fernando Verissimo defined as "a Colorado in pure state", became symbolic fans who are still remembered today. The team of the time is often referred to as the "Rolo Compressor", Portuguese for "Steamroller", an expression coined by Rao for a team that had sustained success in Gaúcho football. The extremely offensive side played from 1939 to 1948 and won eight Rio Grande do Sul championships, and also achieved the first instance of a team winning the state championship six times in a row in Rio Grande do Sul.

The reason for such superiority dated back to 1928, the year Inter started to have black players in their squad – something that was not allowed by rivals Grêmio until 1952. That decision ended up strengthening the team, which placed no restrictions. Before football became professional, however, most black players preferred to play in the Canela Preta league, which provided bonuses for participating athletes. When clubs began to professionalize and pay salaries, albeit low ones, more black athletes start accepting invitations to play for Internacional.