Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (2011)

Lore & Background

For the ninth consecutive season, the tournament was played in a double round-robin system. The team with most points was declared the champion. The bottom-four teams were relegated for the following season. The Série A served as a qualifier to CONMEBOL's 2012 international tournaments: the top-two teams qualified to the Second Stage of the 2012 Copa Libertadores, the next third and fourth place qualified to the First Stage, and the next eight best teams earned berths to the Second Stage of the 2012 Copa Sudamericana.

In Their Own Story

The air in Porto Alegre was thick with tension on a humid evening in December. The Beira-Rio stadium roared as Internacional fought to keep their own title hopes alive, but for the Corinthians players, the pitch felt like home turf. Every pass from Gilberto seemed calculated, every tackle by Gil, who had just returned from injury, felt like a declaration of war. When Roberto Souza found space in the box, time seemed to slow; his finish was not just a goal, it was a statement. As the final whistle approached and the draw held firm, the realization washed over the traveling fans: they were champions again.

Reader's Guide

The four relegated teams from the 2010 season were Vitória, Guarani, Goiás and Grêmio Prudente. They were replaced by four 2010 Série B sides: champions Coritiba, runners-up Figueirense, third placed Bahia, and fourth placed América Mineiro.

Did You Know?

• Goiás were relegated to the Série B after eleven seasons of continuous membership in the top football league of Brazil.
• Vitória ended a three-year tenure in Série A, while Grêmio Prudente ended a two-year appearance.
• Guarani made their immediate return to the second level.
• Coritiba made their immediate return to Série A, Figueirense returned after two years, Bahia returned after seven seasons, and América Mineiro returned for the first time in eight years.