Relegated to Series B of the Brazilian Championship for the third time in its history, Grêmio lived with its fall in 2021 the lowest point of an unprecedented trajectory among the great clubs in the country.
Unprecedented because, in the recent history of the main national football shirts, there is no institution that has been relegated, returned to the elite to reach a glorious period and then returned to the second division’s ordeal.
It happened with Grêmio, which returned from Serie B in 2005 and lined up cups under the command of Renato Gaúcho, including the Copa do Brasil, in 2016, the Copa Libertadores, in 2017, and a three-time state championship (2018, 2019 and 2020). In 2021, however, the club was unable to react to the bad campaign at the Brazilian Nationals and fell again.
Rio de Janeiro natives Botafogo and Vasco, for example, were never able to repeat the glories of the past after being relegated for the first time.
The Lone Star club fell in 2002, 2014 and 2020. In the interval between one fall and another, it only won the Campeonato Carioca, in four opportunities (2006, 2010, 2013 and 2018).
Vasco, on the other hand, after Coritiba and Sport, is the national champion with the most relegations in its history: four. The first descent took place in 2008. Since then, it was also relegated to Serie B in 2013, 2015 and 2020, with only one important title in the period, the Copa do Brasil in 2011.
In the current season, the Cruzmaltinos disputed the second division of the Brazilian Nationals and did not get access back to the elite – they finished the dispute in tenth place.
As well as Vasco, who also failed to return to the first division was Cruzeiro, which will suffer in 2022 its third consecutive season in Serie B.
The club, which had never experienced a relegation, went down in 2019 and has not returned since. In Serie B 2021, the miners finished only in 14th position.
REBORN
On the other hand, there are in the recent history of Brazilian football clubs that returned from the second division, went through significant reconstructions and experienced new periods of success.
Corinthians, relegated in 2007 after drawing with Grêmio in Porto Alegre, added some of the most relevant titles in their history after relegation. In 2009, he was champion of the Copa do Brasil; in 2011, he won the Brazilian Nationals and, the following year, he took an unprecedented Libertadores and a Mundial.
As a result, the Parque São Jorge club was crowned Brazilian champion twice more, in 2015 and 2017, in addition to a three-time São Paulo championship in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Rival of Corinthians, Palmeiras was another institution that managed to remain in the elite and achieve significant achievements in the return to the first step.
Alviverdes were relegated in the Brazilian Nationals on two occasions: 2002 and 2012. Since they returned to Serie A for the last time, they almost fell in 2014, but after Crefisa’s arrival at the club, the following year, they lined up titles.
In 2015, Palmeiras won the Copa do Brasil, the first cup in its new stadium, Allianz Parque. In 2016, he was Brazilian champion, an achievement he repeated in 2018.
The most special titles, however, came under the command of Portuguese Abel Ferreira, who arrived at Palestra Itália last season and led the Palmeirenses to a consecutive bi-championship of the Libertadores (2020 and 2021), as well as a Copa do Brasil (2020).
THE SIZE OF THE FALL
Grêmio’s fall to Serie B this year had dramatic airs. The team spent a good part of the Brasileirão in the relegation zone, but, with a slight recovery in recent games, reached the last round with chances to save.
Grêmio president Romildo Bolzan Júnior had said that the match against Atlético-MG was the club’s most important game in recent years. Hyperbole is not at all unreal. The fall is not only a sporting tragedy but also a financial downgrade.
Estimates show that competing in Serie B can reduce a club’s budget by up to 60%. These are million-dollar losses, mainly from the sale of broadcasting rights.
In the 2020 season, according to a report by Itaú/BBA, Grêmio pocketed R$ 146 million with this item alone, including all competitions (not just the Brazilian).
In Série B, the board of directors of Rio Grande do Sul will have to choose between receiving the fixed amount of R$ 8 million, paid by Globo, or amounts corresponding to the sale of games on the pay-per-view system. The second option has been the most common among mass teams. Through pay-per-view, Globo transfers 38% of the net value obtained from the sale of subscriptions to the teams.
The amount of each one is defined by means of a survey with the fans (when contracting the service, the subscriber says what his or her favorite team is). In Series A, only on open and closed TV, the network distributes approximately R$ 1.1 billion per year as follows: 40% of the money divided equally between the 20 of the Series A of the Brazilian Championship, 30% in agreement with the classification in the tournament and another 30% by the number of games broadcast on open and closed TV (SporTV).
REQUEST FOR EXCUSES AND REFORMULATION
No wonder, the mood was like a wake after the end of the National. Bolzan Júnior called the team’s third relegation “humiliating” and apologized to Grêmio fans.
“We have to make an apology, a sad moment for all of us. A moment that imposes enormous responsibility on us. Not with scorched earth, put Grêmio back in its place. Make a rise again to the elite,” said the president, whose term extends to the end of 2022.
The cast goes on vacation from this Friday (10), but part of them will no longer wear the tricolor shirt. The club’s main signing this season, midfielder Douglas Costa is not guaranteed to stay.
On the eve of the decision against Atlético-MG, the club’s idol asked for a waiver to hold his wedding party. The board denied it, and Douglas Costa removed from his social networks photos related to the club that revealed him. Against the Minas Gerais team, he scored a goal and gestured with ‘bye’ to the crowd. The athlete is loaned to Grêmio by Juventus (ITA), at least until May of next year.
“He’s a talent. Now, we have to see if he wants to stay, and Grêmio, to continue with him”, said Dénis Abrahão, soccer vice-president.
Names like Rafinha, Diego Souza and Cortez are only linked until the end of this year. The board says it will bring news about the recasting of the cast in the coming days.
“If we fail in a championship like this, it has to change. The first restructuring is in a general context, of all policies”, says Bolzan Júnior.
Vagner Mancini, Grêmio’s fourth coach this season, said he intends to continue. Before arriving in Porto Alegre, Mancini did a good job at América, which secured a spot at Libertadores. The agreement with the Rio Grande do Sul board runs until the end of 2022.
“Of course I’m staying. I want to stay. I want to be part of it. I’m not one to give up on things. I’m part of a generation at Grêmio that won the Libertadores as an athlete. That’s why I accepted the challenge,” stated the coach. “I knew it was difficult. We came very close and it wasn’t enough. We’re not going here, of course, to list all the mistakes.”
Relegations of Brazilian champion clubs
Athletico (1989, 1993 and 2011)
Atlético-MG (2005)
Bahia (1997, 2003, 2014 and 2021)
Botafogo (2002, 2014 and 2020)
Corinthians (2007)
Coritiba (1989, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017 and 2020)
Cruise (2019)
Fluminense (1996 and 1997)
Guild (1991, 2004 and 2021)
Guarani (1989, 2004 and 2010)
International (2016)
Palm trees (2002 and 2012)
Sport (1989, 2001, 2009, 2012, 2018 and 2021)
Vasco (2008, 2013, 2015 and 2020)
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