Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2011-12: Brazil Division 1 Schedule, Match Times

The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A has been Brazil’s annual top flight professional football league since its inception in 1959. Twenty clubs compete in the league which operates a promotion and relegation system, with the Série B. League matches are played from May to December of the same year; each team plays 38 matches, for a total of 380 matches in all.

The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A season has begun; to find out what time it will be in the capital city of your country when the next match begins, take a look at this table.

Important: To find the information more quickly, enter the names of your country and your favourite teams, in the search bar.

The modern edition of the tournament began in 1971; upto the year 1987, the league used a system similar to that of the FIFA World Cup or UEFA Champions League. Under the system, many small groups were formed comprising the best clubs of each state championship. This was followed by play offs between the best team of each group.

As many as 17 clubs have won the league since its formation in 1959. while Palmeiras and Santos, with 8 titles each, have been the most successful teams, the reigning champions are Fluminense, winners in 2010.

Before the national league began, Brazil had state leagues that were considered more prestigious than the national competition in is initial years.

The Serie A has 20 teams competing for the title. Before 2003, the league had a play off format with the top 8 regular season teams meeting in a single elimination tournament), contrasting with the European model of accumulation of points over a season. A double-round robin league has been in place since 2003, similar to the English Premier League, with each team playing the others twice, in home and away games. Teams are awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero for a loss. The team with the most points at the end of the season are crowned champions. In case of a tie in points at the top, the champions are decided on the basis of goal difference. The four teams at the bottom of the table are relegated to the Série B.

The top four ranked teams of the Serie A qualify for the next season’s Copa Libertadores. The top 3 ranked teams enter the competition in the second stage of the tournament, while the 4th ranked team enters in the first Stage. The top eight ranked teams are allowed to play in the following season’s Copa Sudamericana, and all of them enter the tournament in the second stage. Were any qualified team to lift the Copa do Brasil during the same season, the next ranked teams are awarded their berths.

Tags: Brazil, UEFA

Category: Football, Match Time, UEFA