SC Corinthians Paranaense (Brazil)

Now pay attention because this is going to get complicated. Corinthians Paranaense were founded in 1994 in the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba. If you've already scrolled down to their team picture you'll be shouting "That's not black and white stripes, that's white!" Well look closely and you'll notice the fine black pin stripe running through the middle, made famous by, erm, hang about, Corinthians Paulista. Now look at their club crest - it's exactly the flippin' same as one of the most successful clubsides in Brazilian history! It's as if someone in Winchester suddenly decided to for a club called Winchester Arsenal, nicked the kit and painted big canons all over their stuff. Just how have they got away with it?

You could easily be mistaken for thinking it was the same club, but the more recently formed Paranese side have absolutely nothing to do with the titans from São Paulo. Indeed, they've only had the Corinthians link since 2009. They were formed as Clube Malutrom - a portmaneu name of the two families who started the club - Malucelli and Trombi. This lasted until 2005, when the families must have fallen out, and the name was changed to J. Malucelli Futebol. Quite why they decided to mimic their much more succesful namesakes is anyone's guess.

At present they play in the fourth level of Brazilian football. They have seen some success in the lower levels of regional football. They were runners-up in the second division of the Paraná State championship in 1998, won the Paraná State Cup in 2007, and won the tricky to fathom Copa João Havelange Group Green and White Module playoff final in 2000. True to form, they couldn't even have a normal ground, electing to play at the frankly weird Eco-Estádio Janguito Malucelli, built mainly from waste wood and whose 6000 seats mainly consists of a massive grassy bank that runs along one side of the pitch.

So they they've nicked their whole livery from another far more famous club. They play in black and white stripes - but only just. And they play at one of the weirdest stadiums in South America. There's something definitely not right about this lot, but I still kind of like them!



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