Feared by some and desired by others, Serie B is one of the most talked-about topics in soccer. If Serie A teams want to stay away from relegation, Serie C teams dream of promotion. Regardless of which team is your team of heart, knowing all about the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B will help you better understand soccer in Brazil.
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All about the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: what is it?
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, popularly known as Série B, is the second division of men’s professional soccer in Brazil. Organized by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), the tournament brings together clubs from various regions of the country, competing for a chance to ascend to the elite of Brazilian soccer, the Série A.
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History of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
Following a guide to everything about the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, it’s worth delving a little into its origins and history;
The tournament was first established in 1971 as part of the reformulation of the national championships.
Initially, it had a different format and structure to what we know today (straight points).
Over the decades, the championship has undergone several changes, consolidating itself as a competition of great importance and visibility.
In the 1980s, Série B began to gain more prominence and organization, and in the 1990s, the CBF implemented a points system and a more professional format.
In 2006, the tournament adopted the current straight points format with a round-robin format, similar to that of Serie A.
Brazilian Championship Series B rules
The list of rules for the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B includes:
- Número de equipes: 20 times participam do campeonato.
- Pontos Corridos: cada time joga contra todos os outros duas vezes, uma em casa e outra fora, totalizando 38 jogos, ou seja, é o mesmo formato de turno e returno da Série A.
- Pontuação: assim como os campeonatos mais tradicionais do mundo, cada vitória vale 3 pontos para o time vencedor, já o empate vale 1 ponto e a derrota 0 pontos.
- Desempate: no final do campeonato, em caso de empate na pontuação geral, os critérios de desempate são: número de vitórias, saldo de gols, gols marcados, confronto direto, número de cartões vermelhos e, finalmente, sorteio.
Promotion and relegation
This is a very important aspect for those who want to understand everything about the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, since it works on a system of promotion and relegation, which also involves Série A and Série C.
In the case of promotion, the four best clubs in Serie C, at the end of each season, are promoted to Serie B and the four best teams in Serie B are promoted to Serie A.
The four worst teams in Serie A are relegated to Serie B, while the four worst clubs in Serie B are relegated to Serie C. In this way, the 20 teams remain each season;
In 2023, for example, the four Serie A teams relegated to Serie B were: Santos, América, Coritiba and Goiás.
The teams promoted from Série B to Série A were: Vitória, Juventude, Criciúma and Atlético-GO.
Without a doubt, one of the biggest fears of fans of teams playing in Serie A is being relegated to Serie B.
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How does the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B work?
The championship is held annually, usually from April to December. The teams compete on a points system, where each team faces every other team twice. The team with the most points at the end of the 38 rounds is declared champion.
As we said above, the top four teams are guaranteed a place in the following year’s Serie A, while the bottom four are relegated to Serie C.
With that in mind, we’ve put together this guide to everything about the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, to find out more about the tournament.
Curiosities about the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
Biggest Champions of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
Serie B has had several champions throughout its history. Among the tournament’s biggest winners, there are 8 teams tied for first place, with two titles each:
- América-MG
- Botafogo
- Bragantino
- Coritiba
- Goiás
- Palmeiras
- Paraná
- Paysandu
What is the highest score in a Serie B season?
The team that scored the most points in a single season in the Série B of the Brazilian Championship was Corinthians. In 2008, Corinthians scored 85 points, setting the record for the most points in a single season in the competition, achieving a 74.5% success rate.
Who is the top scorer in a Serie B season?
Bruno Rangel is the player with the most goals in a single edition of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, with 31 goals scored for Chapecoense. The star was born in Rio de Janeiro and died in the Chapecoense plane crash in 2016.
Other top scorers were Élton, who scored 25 goals for Vasco da Gama in 2009, and Túlio Maravilha, who scored 27 goals for Vila Nova-GO in 2008;
What are the prizes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B?
Serie B awards include trophies, medals and a cash prize for the clubs that reach the top positions. In 2023, Vitória, then champion of the competition, received R$2.5 million, the same amount paid to Cruzeiro in 2022.
In addition, the top four finishers are guaranteed a place in Serie A, which represents a significant increase in sponsorship, broadcasting rights and ticketing revenues.
If you follow soccer, and have now mastered everything about the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, you know that the tournament is known for its competitiveness, see the number of teams sharing the top spot as the tournament’s biggest winners;
This, added to the constant presence of Brazilian soccer giants, such as Santos in 2023, has made the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B a competition full of emotion, history and competitiveness.
Since its creation, the event has evolved and consolidated itself as one of the main divisions in Brazilian soccer. With clear rules, a well-defined format and the participation of traditional clubs, Série B continues to attract the attention of fans, even those who are scared to death of seeing their team relegated;
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