How Football in Brazil Works

Ronaldinho celebrating the Carioca State Title with Flamengo

We take a look at the local Brazilian scene; one which has created and exported some of the most world's most popular and accomplished footballers.  We also have a look at the domestic structure and culture, all of which help create the unique Brazilian football flavour of Jogo Bonito.

Santos

Brazil has had a relatively short history of nation-wide football competitions. The modern Campeonato Brasileiro only started in 1971 and has been contested annually ever since.  It has four divisions with the Serie A being the top flight all the way down to Serie D.

Ronaldinho's new club Flamengo

In a large country like Brazil, communities and cultures sprung up all over the country often completely independently of each other.  With large distances separating various cities, travel between them, at the start of the 20th century, was impractical.  As a result, multiple, concurrent state championships sprung up that pitted local teams against each other, most of whom were from the same city and all located in the same state.  Although originally a marriage of convenience, the competitiveness and standard of these championships grew in time and created the crucible in which later Brazilian talent was forged and perfected.

Porto Allegre Giant Internacional

The state championships remain extremely popular to this day.  In fact, some state titles are accorded more importance and carry more prestige than the national championship itself.  Teams blood many youngsters as they use the competitions a valuable warm up for the domestic league season.

Sao Paolo Giant Corinthians

Interestingly, the state championships are contested in the same calendar year by the same clubs that then go on to contest the league championship.  In a game in which European clubs and managers often complain about exhaustion and fatigue, it is worth noting the dedication of Brazilian teams, who often play over 70 matches a year on a regular basis.

Historically, Brazil's Top Ranked Club, Vasco Da Gama

At the moment the structure is as follows:

The 26 State Championships are played simultaneously from January to May.

The National League with four divisions (Serie A - D) runs from May to December.

The Domestic Cup competition - The Copa do Brasil - commences from February to June.

Sao Paolo - The 6-3-3 Squadron

On the continent, the Copa Libertadores runs from January to June while the Copa Sudamericana is played from August to December.  These are South America’s equivalents of the Champions’ League and Europa League respectively.

The Copa Sudamericana has previously been known as the Copa Mercosur and CONMEBOL Cup.

Pele's hometown and only club, Santos

A unique feature of the Copa Do Brasil is that since the top teams from the previous league season are competing for the current year's Copa Libertadores during the same period, there is a scheduling overlap between the two competitions, as well as the State Championships.  As a result the Brazilian teams in the each year's Copa Libertadores campaign do not enter the Copa Do Brasil.  Instead they concentrate on their state titles.  Consequently, it is impossible for a team to repeat as Copa Do Brasil champions, since the winner of each year's Copa is entered into the following year's Copa Libertadores.

Defending Champions Fluminense

 
As I write this the various state championships are winding down with the final few rounds of matches.  Each state championship has its own unique format but generally they follow a round robin league stage followed by a semi-finals and a final.  Additionally, placing in each state championship counts towards participation in the following year’s Copa Do Brasil as well as qualification for the league pyramid in Serie D.

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Amongst the state contests, there are five big state championships which comprises some of the most popular and successful clubs in the country.  15 of the current 20 team Serie A are involved in said five state tourneys:

Rio de Janeiro's Great Fire - Botafogo

The Rio De Janeiro State Championship - Campeonato Carioca - Botafogo, Vasco Da Gama, Fluminense and Flamengo

-   Flamengo won the Carioca this year on May 1 and won the 2009 Serie A. It has six Serie A titles along with one Copa Libertadores and Copa Mercosur apiece.
-   Fluminense is the defending Brazilian League Champion and has won the league three times overall.
-   Vasco Da Gama is the top ranked Brazilian club overall based on cumulative results since 1971 and has won the national title four times.
-   Botafogo has been National Champions twice and won the 1993 COMNEBOL Cup.
-   All four teams are from the capital Rio.

Palmeiras, dominant in the mid-90s

The Sao Paolo State Championship – Campeonato Paulista – Sao Paolo, Corinthians, Palmeiras and Santos

-   The first three teams are from the city of Sao Paolo while Santos hails from the coastal city of the same name, to the South.
-   Sao Paolo won the league three times in a row between 2006-08 and has finished in the top three positions six times in the past 8 years. In addition it has won the Copa Libertadores three times.
-  Santos has won the league 8 times and has captured two Copa Libertadores titles.
- Palmeiras has also won 8 league crowns to go with its 1999 Copa Libertadores championship.
-   Corinthians with the second largest fanbase in the country has won the Serie A four times and the Copa Do Brasil thrice.

Belo Horizonte's Cruzeiro

The Minas Gerais State Championship - Campeonato Mineiro – Atletico Miniero, America Miniero and Cruzeiro

-   All three teams are from the city of Belo Horizonte.
-  Cruzeiro has won the Brazilian league twice along with two Copa Libertadores. They finished second in the Serie A last year.
-   Athletico Miniero has won the league once to go with its two CONMEBOL Cups.
-   America Miniero was one of the four clubs promoted to Serie A from Serie B last year. It has won the State title 15 times.

World Cup Penalty Expert Claudio Taffarel's Athletico Miniero

The Rio Grande Do Sul State Championship – Campeonato Gaucho – Gremio and Internacional

-   Both clubs are from the city of Porto Alegre and have won the domestic cup five times between them.

-   Internacional has won the league three times and captured two Copa Libertadores and one Copa Sudamericana titles. All three continental crowns have come in the past five years.
-  Gremio has two Serie A league titles to its name along with two Copa Libertadores Championships.
-   The 2011 State title was won by Gremio on May 1 edging out, who else, Internacional in the final.

1995 Intercontinental Cup Runners Up Gremio

The Parana State Championship - Campeonato Paranaense - Coritiba and Atletico Paranaense

Coritiba

-   Both clubs are from the city of Curitiba and play in stadia that seat more than 37,000 fans.
-   Coritiba won the National league in 1985 and has won the state title 35 times.
-   Atletico took home the 2001 Serie A title and has won the state title 22 times. Coming off a strong fifth place Serie A finish in 2010, it also lost the 2005 Copa Libertadores final to Sao Paolo.

Atletico Paranaense, from Curitiba

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Finally, rounding out the other clubs in the top flight, based on their state tournaments:

Tennis Star Gustavo Kuerten's Club, Avai

The Santa Catarina State Championship – Campeonato Catarinense – Avai and Figueirense

-   Both clubs have won the State championship 15 times each and hail from the city of Florianopolis.
-   This is Avai’s sixth season in the top flight with the 1998 Serie C being its only national league title.
-   Figueirense will tee off in Serie A for the seventh time this year and was runners-up in 1997 Copa Do Brasil. 

Figueirense

The Goias State Championship – Campeonato Goiano – Atletico Goianiense

-   A lesser light from the city of Goiania, the club will make its return to the top flight after more than 20 years.
-   Its national legacy remains the two Serie C titles it won in 1990 and 2008.

Atletico Goianense

The Bahia State Championship – Campeonato Baiano – Bahia

-   A slumbering giant, Bahia is one of the most popular, hosting over 40,000 fans for a match in 2007 Serie C.
-    A glorious period in both the 1980s and 1950s brought it two national titles in 1959 and 1988.
-   Local domination has seen the club from the city of Salvador win the state title 43 times.
-    It returns to Serie A this year for the first time since its first ever relegation in 1996.

Erstwhile Giants Bahia

The Ceara State Championship – Campeonato Cearense – Ceara

-   The club from the Fortaleza, is one of the regional powers in the northeast of Brazil and is the northernmost and remotest club in the 2011 Serie A. The distance from Ceara to Bahia is as much as the distance from Bahia to the rest of the clubs in the southern states.
-   Despite 39 state titles, its best finish nationally has been its runners-up placing in the 1994 Copa Do Brasil.
-   Bahia and Ceara, due to relative regional proximity, are amongst the bigger guns in the Campeonato Nordeste (Northeast Championship), when it is held. Ceara has finished third once while Bahia has won it twice. 

Brazil's Northernmost club in Serie A, Cerea

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The league starts on May 28.  A full preview will appear just before the start.

America MG, one of the 4 clubs promoted from Serie B