Atlético Mineiro’s excellent 2021 put it among the top ten in the Folha Ranking of national football. Winner of the Campeonato Mineiro, the Campeonato Brasileiro and the Copa do Brasil, the alvinegro team started to appear in the top 10 of the list, published annually since 1996.
There were 47 points obtained in the season in which the club reached the triple crown for the first time. The climb started in the State, which was worth 7 points, and followed in the triumph in the National of consecutive points, with 25 more. Another 15 reached the knockout stage of the Copa do Brasil.
Atlético thus reached 687 points. It took tenth place and left Fluminense behind, which in 2021 counted only 7 points, referring to second place in the Carioca Championship. The Laranjeiras team, which has not celebrated a national title since 2012, now has 670 points.
The white-and-white team from Belo Horizonte returned to celebrate a triumph in the Brazilian Championship after 50 years. It was five decades of fasting in the competition after the 1971 conquest, which he hopes amplified the taste of victory.
“This was my dream,” said coach Cuca, pointing to a club flag with the star referring to the first national conquest. “It was to take this little star here, put a little to the side, and put another one.”
The board ended up deciding to keep the shirt with only one star. Which was not a problem for Cuca: his dream was not literally the “little star”, but to see Atletico Brazilian champions again after so long.
Responsible for guiding the team to last year’s three trophies – and also marked by having been the commander in glory in the 2013 Copa Libertadores -, the coach said goodbye at the turn of 2022, pointing out family problems. He was replaced by Argentine Antonio Mohamed, known as El Turco, who has already lifted his first cup in black and white.
Last month, Atlético won the Supercopa do Brasil in a single-game duel with Flamengo. After a 2-2 draw in the 90 minutes, they got the best in the penalty shootout, 7-6, and had a party at Arena Pantanal, in Cuiabá.
The result already guarantees five more points to the team in the 2022 edition of Ranking Folha, to be published at the end of this year. The numbers for 2021 were left for 2022 because last year’s calendar extended until February, with the holding of the World Cup and Chelsea’s victory over Palmeiras.
But it will take an even more extraordinary year for the Minas Gerais club to rise again in the rankings. It’s a big difference to Vasco, ninth place, who are 70 points ahead – although they live an extended difficult phase and are in the second division.
The Folha Ranking of national football, published 25 years ago, is a historical ranking of the performance of Brazilian teams. It distributes points for titles and runners-up in state, regional, national and international first division competitions. Since the first edition, in 1996, the list has undergone modifications, corrections and revisions. The last major revision took place in 2010.
Questions and answers about Ranking Folha
Since when is the Folha de Futebol Ranking created?
The first edition of the national ranking dates from 1996. Since then, the list has undergone modifications, corrections and revisions. The last major revision took place in 2010. The world ranking began to be published in 2002 and follows the same guidelines as the national list.
Who enters the Folha Ranking?
In the national ranking, only teams that scored points (were champions or runners-up) in national or international competitions appear. In the world ranking, only those who scored in international tournaments.
Which tournaments are considered?
To enter the ranking, a tournament must have great representation, official character and sequence. Thus, championships played only once and with no prospect of new editions, such as the super championships held in some states in 2002, are disregarded. Tournaments such as Copa Rio, Copa Suruga and Florida Cup, among others, also do not earn ranking points.
andPer that the states of Rio and São Paulo are worth more?
Rio and São Paulo have the two most traditional and strong state championships in the country, which is why they earn more points in the ranking. Following are the states of Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul, which also have teams of great prominence on the national scene. There is still a third level, where the state ones are with teams that are often in the elite of Brazilian football and, finally, state championships with less tradition in the national football scene.
Why is the Brazilian of 1987 counted for both Flamengo and Sport?
The ranking tries to take into account both the official aspect and the technical aspect of the considered championships. From the official point of view, as already decided by the STF, the champion is Sport. However, from the technical point of view, Flamengo’s merit as champion of the Green Module, which brought together the main teams in the country, is undeniable. Therefore, both are considered.
Why do tournaments played by only two clubs, such as the Recopa Sudamericana, not give points to the runner-up?
Every team that participates in a tournament like this has already been rewarded, as it gathers winners from previous competitions. It wouldn’t be logical to have a team scoring where it just failed.
Why is the São Paulo title of São Paulo da Floresta not counted for São Paulo?
Achievements from the last foundation of the clubs are considered. In case of mergers, such as that of Paraná, the achievements of the teams that gave rise to the new team are not valid.
Are second division championships worth points?
Do not. The ranking aims to reward excellence, and lower division championships have the main function of distributing places for the elite division.
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