State Rio Grande do Sul Founded 1919 Level on pyramid 1 | Confederation CONMEBOL
CBF
FGF Number of teams 12 Relegation to Série A2 | |
The Campeonato Gaúcho Série A1, commonly known as Campeonato Gaúcho, is the top flight professional football league in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The league is contested between 14 clubs and typically lasts from January to April. Rivalries amongst two of the most well-known Brazilian teams (Grêmio and Internacional) has marked the history of the competition. The "Gauchão", as the tournament is popularly known, had its first edition held in 1919.
Contents
The current champions are Internacional, who won their sixth consecutive title in the 2016 season, a record 45th victory.
Competition
There are 16 clubs in the Campeonato Gaúcho, divided into two groups. During the course of a season (from January to April), each club plays against teams from the other group and then against each other inside their groups. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then wins, goal difference and goals scored. The top four teams from each group qualified to the play-offs. Are held quarter-finals, where the first of a group faces the last of another group, and so on in single game at the home of best ranked, then semi-finals, also in single game, and finals with two games. The three lowest placed teams are relegated into the Campeonato Gaúcho Série A2.
Qualification for competitions
The best placed of league also qualify for the Campeonato Brasileiro Série D, excluding the teams that are already qualified for the Série A, Série B or Série C. The best three teams in the Campeonato Gaúcho (champions, runner-up and the third most points in overall table) not qualified to Copa Libertadores de América will qualify for Copa do Brasil of the following year.
Clubs
Throughout its nearly 100-year history, dozens of clubs have played Campeonato Gaúcho, including teams that became extinct. The following 12 clubs will compete in the Campeonato Gaúcho Série A1 during the 2017 season.
List of champions
Sixteen clubs are officially recognized to have been the Campeonato Gaúcho champions, with great hegemony of the two biggest clubs in the Rio Grande do Sul: Internacional and Grêmio, which together have won 80 times in 95 seasons.
Recopa Gaúcha
The Recopa Gaúcha is a football tournament, which opens the football calendar year in Rio Grande do Sul and is dispute between the Campeonato Gaúcho champion and champion of Supercopa Gaúcha of previous year in a unique game. In its second edition was disputed in parallel to the first round of the Championship Gaucho, and the third edition in parallel the second round.