Attendance at stadiums in the Paulista Championship rises 48% – 03/16/2023 – PVC

The 48% increase in attendance at the Campeonato Paulista indicates the error of having said, for 20 years, that the state championship is worthless. The hierarchy of tournaments is obvious: Brasileirão, Libertadores, Copa do Brasil, in that order… Then, state. It is also clear the need to organize the calendar and remove the big ones from the marathons at the beginning of the year.

On the other hand, when shirt teams like Corinthians, Palmeiras, São Paulo, Santos, Atlético, Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco are on the pitch, it always means a lot.

This explains, in part, the 57% growth of São Paulo residents at Morumbi, the 47% growth of Corinthians fans at Neo Química Arena and the 37% growth of Palmeiras residents at Allianz Parque, during Paulista.

Part of this success is a reflection of supporter-member plans, especially those that give points to those who come regularly. Corinthians and Palmeirenses know that they will not be able to buy tickets for the most important matches of the Brasileiro and Libertadores if they do not have 80% attendance during the year.

But in 2022 it was already like that, and attendance was 48% lower.

Perhaps the increase in spectators is due to the homesickness of the clubs, provoked by the World Cup. Since November, the favorite team has not been seen playing.

This year’s Paulista will be the first since 1985 with only one major among the semifinalists. There are two ways to look at this year’s finals.

On the one hand, there will be less public in Água Santa v Bragantino, less audience on television, less engagement on social networks, due to the absence of Corinthians, São Paulo and Santos.

On the other hand, the demonstration of having more forces in a championship, disputed by five Serie A teams –the only one in the country– and with Ituano, which almost rose last year.

Until 1988, before the Brasileirão had access and descent, there was a chance to revitalize the state championships and follow the model of classification by ranking of the federations, similar to the current Champions League.

Rio and São Paulo would indicate four representatives, Minas and Rio Grande do Sul, two, as today England, Italy, Spain and Germany have four representatives in the Champions League.

The other hypothesis would be to do Série A and B, access and relegation, and build a great championship in the national elite.

In 35 years, Brazil has done neither one nor the other.

The Brasileirão had the 2019 and 2022 editions with the second and third highest average audience of all time and, even so, far below the spectators in stadiums in England, Spain, Italy, Germany and, amazingly!, France.

On the other hand, the president of the CBF gave a gift to the presidents of federations by ending the ranking as a classification system for the Copa do Brasil. That is, more vacancies for the state. The result is that Corinthians, Santos, São Paulo and Botafogo do not have the guarantee of playing in the next edition of the tournament, which injures the holders of national knockout rights to death.

They run the risk of broadcasting fewer games from São Paulo and more from Ituano and Água Santa.

Ednaldo Rodrigues is getting closer and closer to Gianni Infantino, the man who inflated the World Cup.

Football is not made with politics.

It is done with a close eye on technical issues.

This week the two leagues may come together, which still allow us to dream of building a real Brasileirão.

Having more people in the stadiums, and in the bankrupt states, shows that Brazil is too close to returning to being a football country, to remain so far from it.

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