2016 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A


The 2016 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A was the 60th season of the Série A, the top level of professional football in Brazil, and the 13th edition in a double round-robin since its establishment in 2003. The season began on 15 May 2016 and ended on 11 December 2016. Fixtures for the 2016 season were announced on 25 April 2016. Palmeiras won the title, their ninth overall.
Corinthians came in as the defending champions having won the title in the last season. Botafogo, Vitória, Santa Cruz and América Mineiro had entered as the four promoted teams from the 2015 Série B.

Format and results

For the fourteenth consecutive season, the tournament was played in a double round-robin system. The team with most points at the end of the season was declared champion. The bottom four teams were relegated and will play in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B in the 2017 season.
Atlético Mineiro and Chapecoense did not play their last match due to the accident involving 71 deaths on 28 November 2016. Due to a lack of squad depth, both teams decided to forfeit the game resulting in Chapecoense finishing 11th and Atlético Mineiro finishing 4th. Match officials declared a double W.O., as CBF refused to cancel the match.

International qualification

The Série A served as a qualifier to CONMEBOL's 2017 Copa Libertadores. The top-three teams in the standings qualified to the Second Stage of the competition, while from the fourth to sixth place in the standings qualified to the First Stage.
And this change also impacts on the Copa Sudamericana, whose vacancies are again to be distributed in the stockmarket enot more by Copa do Brasil.

Tiebreakers

In case of a tie on points between two or more clubs, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of wins;
  2. Goal difference;
  3. Goals for;
  4. Head to Head;
  5. Fewer red cards;
  6. Fewest yellow cards;
  7. Draw.
With respect to the fourth criterion, it is considered the result of the combined game, or the result of 180 minutes. Staying tie, the tie will be made by the greatest number of goals scored in the opponent's field. The fourth criterion is not considered in the case of a tie between more than two clubs.

Teams

Twenty teams competed in the league – the top sixteen teams from the previous season, as well as four teams promoted from the Série B.
Botafogo became the first club to be promoted after a 1–0 win against Luverdense on 10 November 2015 meant they were guaranteed an automatic place. They returned to the League after only a season's absence. Vitória became the second club to be promoted, after a 3-0 win with Luverdense. They returned to the League after only a season's absence. Santa Cruz became the third club to be promoted, after 3-0 win with Mogi Mirim. They played the Brasileirão for the first time since the 2006 season. América Mineiro became the fourth and final club to be promoted, following a 1–1 draw over Ceará meant they finished above them on points difference and secured the automatic spot.
The four promoted clubs replaced Avaí, Vasco da Gama, Goiás and Joinville. At the end of the season, for the third consecutive year, Rio de Janeiro did not have its four representatives in the first division, largely due to the inconsistent performance of Vasco da Gama and Botafogo, who alternated in relegation in recent seasons.
Pos.Relegated from 2015 Série A
17thAvaí
18thVasco da Gama
19thGoiás
20thJoinville

Pos.Promoted from 2015 Série B
1stBotafogo
2ndSanta Cruz
3rdVitória
4thAmérica Mineiro

Stadia and locations

The three clubs based in Rio de Janeiro, Botafogo, Flamengo and Fluminense weren't able to play their home matches in Maracanã or Engenhão Stadiums due to the preparation of these venues for the Olympic Games that were held in the city in August. The clubs used other stadiums for their home matches. Other stadiums used include Arena das Dunas, Arena Fonte Nova, Arena Pernambuco, Kléber Andrade, Mané Garrincha, Mário Helênio, Pacaembu, and Raulino de Oliveira.
TeamLocationStateStadiumCapacity
América MineiroBelo HorizonteIndependência
Mineirão '
Estádio do Café '		23,018
61,846
30,000
Atlético MineiroBelo HorizonteIndependência
Mineirão '		23,018
61,846
Atlético ParanaenseCuritibaArena da Baixada
Vila Capanema '		42,372
17,140
BotafogoRio de JaneiroLuso-Brasileiro
Mário Helênio '
Raulino de Oliveira '
Mané Garrincha '		17,250
31,863
18,230
72,788
ChapecoenseChapecóArena Condá20,089
CorinthiansSão PauloArena Corinthians
Pacaembu '		47,605
37,730
CoritibaCuritibaCouto Pereira
Vila Capanema '		40,502
17,140
CruzeiroBelo HorizonteMineirão
Independência '		61,846
23,018
FigueirenseFlorianópolisOrlando Scarpelli19,584
FlamengoRio de JaneiroKléber Andrade '
Maracanã '
Mané Garrincha '
Raulino de Oliveira '
Pacaembu '
Arena das Dunas '		21,252
78,838
72,788
18,230
37,730
31,375
FluminenseRio de JaneiroGiulite Coutinho '
Raulino de Oliveira '
Maracanã '
Mané Garrincha '
Kléber Andrade '		13,544
18,230
78,838
72,788
21,252
GrêmioPorto AlegreArena do Grêmio55,662
InternacionalPorto AlegreBeira-Rio50,128
PalmeirasSão PauloAllianz Parque
Pacaembu '
Fonte Luminosa '		43,713
37,730
21,441
Ponte PretaCampinasMoisés Lucarelli19,728
Santa CruzRecifeArruda
Arena Pernambuco '
Arena Pantanal '		60,044
44,300
44,097
SantosSantosVila Belmiro
Pacaembu '
Arena Pantanal		16,068
37,730
44,097
São PauloSão PauloMorumbi
Pacaembu '		67,052
37,730
Sport RecifeRecifeIlha do Retiro
Arena Pernambuco '		32,983
44,300
VitóriaSalvadorBarradão
Arena Fonte Nova '
Joia da Princesa '		34,535
47,907
16,274

Number of teams by state

Personnel and kits

Managerial changes

Foreign players

The clubs can have a maximum of five foreign players in their Campeonato Brasileiro squads.
ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4Player 5Double Nationality Players
América Mineiro Eisner Loboa
Atlético Mineiro Jesús Dátolo Lucas Pratto Frickson Erazo Juan Cazares Rómulo Otero
Bruno Pereirinha Oscar Cabezas Luciano Cabral Lucho González
Botafogo Joel Carli Damián Lizio Gervasio Núñez
Chapecoense Alejandro Martinuccio
Corinthians Ángel Romero Fabián Balbuena
Coritiba César Benítez Jorge Ortega César González Colin Kazim-Richards Nery Bareiro Fábio Braga1
Cruzeiro Giorgian De Arrascaeta Ariel Cabral Lucas Romero Ramón Ábila
Figueirense Michael Ortega
Flamengo Paolo Guerrero Gustavo Cuéllar Alejandro Donatti Lucas Mugni Emerson1
Fluminense Alexis Rojas Claudio Aquino
Grêmio Miller Bolaños Walter Kannemann
Internacional Nico López Luis Seijas Ariel Nahuelpán Yonatthan Rak
Palmeiras Lucas Barrios Agustín Allione Yerry Mina
Ponte Preta
Santa Cruz Matías Pisano
Santos Edwin Valencia Diederrick Joel Emiliano Vecchio Fabián Noguera
São Paulo Diego Lugano Eugenio Mena Christian Cueva Andrés Chávez Julio Buffarini
Sport Oswaldo Henríquez Reinaldo Lenis Rodney Wallace Luis Carlos Ruiz
Vitória Rodrigo Ramallo Sherman Cárdenas

League table

Positions by round

Result table

Season statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Diego SouzaSport14
1 FredAtlético Mineiro14
1 William PottkerPonte Preta14
2 GrafiteSanta Cruz13
5 RobinhoAtlético Mineiro12
5 Gabriel JesusPalmeiras12
5 SassáBotafogo12
5 MarinhoVitória12
9 Ricardo OliveiraSantos11
10 Vitor BuenoSantos10
10 Bruno RangelChapecoense10
10 Jonathan CopeteSantos10
10 KenoSanta Cruz10

Assists

Hat-tricks

Clean sheets

Awards

Team of the Year

Coach of the Year: Cuca

Bola de Ouro : Gabriel Jesus

Serie A Best Newcomer: Vitor Bueno

Craque do Campeonato : Gabriel Jesus

Craque da Galera: Danilo

Gol Mais Bonito : Zé Roberto
Source:

Attendance

Average home attendances

Team
1Palmeiras19620,99840,98618,78932,684
2Corinthians19547,09642,09917,13528,795
3Internacional19500,49440,68610,31426,342
4Flamengo19466,29154,6652,25224,542
5São Paulo19428,73954,9967,83622,565
6Grêmio19401,90250,18410,76521,153
7Cruzeiro19398,97349,2087,73520,999
8Atlético Mineiro19371,48048,1574,88919,552
9Sport19305,32126,7195,21816,070
10Atlético Paranaense19301,88835,3966,68415,889
11Vitória19261,02934,9874,81413,738
12Santos19215,33624,5864,46811,333
13Coritiba19187,98416,1772,8529,894
14Santa Cruz19183,19716,9511,6659,642
15Fluminense19176,22439,8779179,275
16Chapecoense18137,01513,1542,0577,612
17Botafogo19140,26015,2888837,382
18Figueirense19134,87416,4671,9107,099
19Ponte Preta19107,98510,9123,0865,683
20América Mineiro1976,86027,8957964,045
–Total3795,963,94654,99679615,736

Updated to games played on 11 December 2016.
Source: