São Paulo State Championship:
The São Paulo State Championship is down to the wire. Most groups are settled, except Group D, where São Paulo, Novorizontino and São Bernardo are fighting for two spots in the next stage.
The big surprise, and at the same time the big embarrassment, came in Group C. Corinthians, always one of the favorites to win the competition, failed to advance and, worse, spent the final rounds fighting to avoid relegation to the A-2 division (the state championship’s second tier).
Carioca Championship:
This year’s Cariocão is marked by Botafogo’s failure to reach the semifinals. The club finished the Taça Guanabara in 5th place.
The team will have to play in the Taça Rio, contested by the teams that finished 5th through 8th in the first stage. Under the CBF’s new rules, the winner earns a spot in the 2025 Copa do Brasil.
Champions League:
The Champions League is showcasing the top teams chasing the title of the world’s biggest club competition. The tournament is in the round of 16, and next week (Tuesday the 12th and Wednesday the 13th) the last clubs heading to the quarterfinals will be decided. Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester City are among the first teams to have clinched a spot in the next round.
Quarterfinals:
- First legs: April 9 and 10
- Second legs: April 16 and 17
Draws:
The Champions League quarterfinal draw is set for March 15, once all the qualified teams are known.
The Champions League final is set for June 1 at Wembley Stadium in London.
Brasileirão:
After rejecting the clubs’ requests to pause the tournament during the Copa América, the CBF released the full 38-round schedule, starting April 13, 14 and 15. That means clubs with players called up by their national teams will be missing key pieces in the domestic league. Absurd!
