The club was founded in 1912 by the initiative of three sports enthusiasts from Santos by Raimundo Marques, Mrio Ferraz de Campos, and Argemiro de Souza Jnior as a response to the lack of representation the city had in football.

Santos (Portuguese pronunciation: [sPtus], Saints) is a municipality in the Brazilian state of So Paulo, founded in 1546 by the Portuguese nobleman Brs Cubas. It is located mostly on the island of So Vicente, which harbors both the city of Santos and the city of So Vicente, and partially on the mainland.