Brazil II Division

 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B 1971, the second level of Brazilian National League, was played from September 12 to December 22, 1971. The competition had 23 clubs. The tournament consisted in a fusion of the already existing Torneio Centro-Sul and the Copa Norte-Nordeste, with the champions of each tournament facing off in the finals.

Villa Nova beat Remo on the finals, and was declared 1971 Brazilian Série B champions. The relegation and promotion system hadn't been implemented yet, so no clubs were promoted.

First phase

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification

1  Ferroviário-CE 6 4 1 1 12 7 +5 9 Qualified to the Second phase

2  Campinense 5 3 0 2 5 5 0 6

3  ABC 5 1 1 3 8 10 −2 3

4  Ferroviário-PE[a] 4 0 2 2 5 8 −3 2

Notes:

1.  Ferroviário-PE didn't play its last two matches, against Campinense and ABC.

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification

1  Itabaiana 4 2 1 1 7 5 2 5 Qualified to the Second phase

2  CRB 4 2 0 2 9 7 2 4

3  Náutico 4 1 1 2 5 9 −4 3

Group C

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification

1  Flamengo-PI 8 5 2 1 12 7 +5 12 Qualified to the Second phase

2  Sampaio Corrêa 8 5 1 2 16 8 +8 11

3  River 8 5 0 3 12 8 +4 10

4  Guarany de Sobral 8 2 2 4 8 12 −4 6

5  Maranhão 8 0 1 7 3 16 −13 1

Group D

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification

1  Remo 6 3 2 1 7 1 +6 8 Qualified to the Second phase

2  Tuna Luso 6 2 4 0 5 1 +4 8

3  Paysandu 6 1 3 2 3 5 −2 5

4  Sport Belém 6 1 1 4 2 10 −8 3

Group E

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification

1  Ponte Preta 4 2 2 0 6 1 +5 6 Qualified to the Second phase

2  América-SC 4 1 2 1 3 3 0 4

3  Londrina 4 0 2 2 3 8 −5 2

Second phase

Group 1

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification

1  Ponte Preta 2 2 0 0 5 0 +5 4 Qualified to the semifinals

2  Mixto[a] 2 0 0 2 0 5 −5 0

Notes:

1.  Mixto had previously received a bye to the Second phase

Group 2

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification

1  Villa Nova[a] 2 1 1 0 3 2 +1 3 Qualified to the semifinals

2  Central-RJ[b] 2 0 1 1 2 3 −1 1

Notes:

1.  Villa Nova had previously received a bye to the Second phase

2.  Central-RJ had previously received a bye to the Second phase

Group 3

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification

1  Remo 2 2 0 0 5 2 +3 4 Qualified to the semifinals

2  Rodoviária-AM[a] 2 0 0 2 2 5 −3 0

Notes:

1.  Rodoviária-AM had previously received a bye to the Second phase

Group 4

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification

1  Itabaiana 4 2 1 1 7 4 +3 5 Qualified to the semifinals

Back row from left: Esteves, Marcelino, Ivan Limeira, Hamilton Ayres, Eldo, Zé Maria Paiva;

Front: Zezinho Fumaça, Odacir, Simplício, Amilton Melo, Alísio

2  Ferroviário-CE 4 1 2 1 3 3 0 4

Standing from left: Edésio Leitão (técnico), Edson, Décio Costa, Dias, Matintim, Louro, Zé do Braga, Rodrigues Filho (presidente), Carlos Augusto (supervisor)

Crouching; Escurinho (massagista), Carlinhos, Gringo, Odacy, Nadinho, Iratan

3  Flamengo-PI 4 1 1 2 4 7 −3 3

Semifinals

Teams Scores Tie-breaker

Team 1 Points Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg 3rd leg

Itabaiana  1:3  Remo 0:0 0:2 —

Villa Nova[1]  2:2  Ponte Preta 1:0 0:1 1:1

Finals

15 December 1971

Remo	1 – 0	Villa Nova
Ernani

19 December 1971

Villa Nova	3 – 0	Remo
Dias  5' Jésum  22' Paulinho  46'

---

22 December 1971

Villa Nova	2 – 1	Remo
Mário Lourenço  49' (pen.)  78' (pen.)		Cabecinha  9'

After 3 games Remo (Belem) lost the championship.

Villa Nova (Nova Lima) triumphed at the end. Unfortunately, going up to the first level of Brazilian football was not in the books... and not their fault: such were the 'rules'.  

Brazil I Division

 

Brazil. first national championship.The 1971 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (officially the Primeiro Campeonato Nacional de Clubes, "First National Championship of Clubs") was the 16th edition of the Brazilian Championship. However, from 1976 until 2010 (when CBF unified the Brazilian titles prior to 1971, considering the 1959 Taça Brasil as the first edition of the championship) this tournament was considered by the highest entity of national football as the first edition of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.The competition was won by Atlético Mineiro, thus winning its second Brazilian title.

While the tournament represented the top tier of Brazilian football, its name was "Division Extra", with "First Division" instead used by the second-tier tournament (since known as Campeonato Brasileiro Série B). During the 1960s, two tournaments were used to pick Brazil's representative at the Copa Libertadores: Taça Brasil (1959-1968), a single-elimination tournament between the state champions; and Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa (1967-1970), divided in two separate group phases with teams mostly from the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Both tournaments had a format that barely covered the entire country and had regional phases that diminished fan support, leading to dissatisfaction from both the team owners and the Brazilian Confederation of Sports (CBD), who organized the championship. In 1970, the Brazil national football team won the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, becoming the first three-time world champion. Seeing the valorization of Brazilian football, president Emílio Médici and the Brazilian media pushed CBD towards a true national tournament. With a format inspired by the European tournaments, the tournament would feature 20 teams.[3] The format of the national tournament was still close to the 1970 Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa, with the state of Ceará being the only addition to the seven featured in the Robertão's final edition. Some of the shunned federation states, led by Goiás, even created their own parallel national tournament, the Torneio Integração da CBD.

The season was divided into three phases:

• The First Phase saw the twenty teams divided into two groups of ten. Despite being divided into groups, the phase was contested in a single round-robin format, with each team playing the others once. The top six teams in each group advanced to the Second Phase.

• The Second Phase saw the twelve qualified teams divided into three groups of four. The teams within each group played each other in a double round-robin format. The top team from each group advanced to the Final Phase.

• The Final Phase saw the three team play each other team once. The team with the most points at the end of the round was declared the champion.

  There was no relegation to and no promotion from the second tier (Serie B), which rendered it entirely meaningless and opened the door for constant compaints, political machinations, and bowing to demands of the big clubs.

Participants
América FC (Belo Horizonte-MG)         Fluminense FC (Rio de Janeiro-GB)
América FC (Rio de Janeiro-GB)         Grêmio FBPA (Porto Alegre-RS)
C Atlético Mineiro (Belo Horizonte-MG) SC Internacional (Porto Alegre-RS)
EC Bahia (Salvador-BA)                 SE Palmeiras (São Paulo-SP)
Botafogo FR (Rio de Janeiro-GB)        A Portuguesa de Desportos (São Paulo-SP)
Ceará SC (Fortaleza-CE)                Santa Cruz FC (Recife-PE)
SC Corinthians Paulista (São Paulo-SP) Santos FC (SP)
Coritiba FC (Curitba-PR)               São Paulo FC (SP)
Cruzeiro EC (Belo Horizonte-MG)        Sport Clube do Recife (PE)
CR Flamengo (Rio de Janeiro-GB)        CR Vasco da Gama (Rio de Janeiro-GB)
First Phase

Tables

Group A
 1.Corinthians     19 10  6  3  29-16  26  Qualified
 2.Cruzeiro        19  7  9  3  26-12  23  Qualified
 3.Internacional   19  7  9  3  21-16  23  Qualified
 4.Coritiba        19 10  2  7  21-18  22  Qualified
 5.Palmeiras       19  8  6  5  20-14  22  Qualified
 6.Vasco da Gama   19  6  7  6  11-12  19  Qualified
-----------------------------------------
 7.Santa Cruz      19  3 11  5  17-23  17
 8.Fluminense      19  5  6  8  12-13  16
Standing from left: Luís Américo, Fogueira, Ulisses, Marinho Peres, Orlando, Arengui. Crouching: Xaxá, Lorico, Cabinho, Tatá, Piau.
 9.Portuguesa      19  6  3 10  16-24  15
10.Ceará           19  2  5 12   5-25   9

Group B
 1.Grêmio          19  8  7  4  18-11  23
 2.Atlético-MG     19  7  9  3  27-16  23
 3.América-GB      19  7  7  5  23-17  21
 4.Santos          19  7  7  5  17-11  21
 5.Botafogo        19  5 10  4  15-16  20
 6.São Paulo       19  6  7  6  16-19  19
-----------------------------------------
 7.Bahia           19  5  8  6  14-16  18
Second row from left: Ubirajara – Aloisío – Fred – Reyes – Liminha – Paulo Henrique
Front: Rogério – Samarone – Zé Eduardo – Zico – Rodrigues Neto
 8.Flamengo        19  4 10  5  13-17  18

 9.América-MG      19  2  9  8  11-19  13
10.Sport           19  4  4 11  10-27  12

Second Phase

Group A

Table
 1.São Paulo        6  3  3  0   6- 2   9  Qualified
-----------------------------------------
 2.Corinthians      6  2  1  3   4- 5   5
 3.América-GB       6  1  3  2   4- 4   5
 4.Cruzeiro         6  1  3  2   2- 5   5

Group B

Table
 1.Atlético-MG      6  3  1  2  10- 6   7  Qualified
Standing from left: Gainete. Denes. Henrique. Jorge Andrade. Carbono, Edson Madureira.
Front: Valdomiro. Sergio. Claudiomiro. Paulo Cesar Carpegiani, Beni.
 2.Internacional    6  3  1  2   7- 7   7
 3.Santos           6  2  2  2   7- 5   6
 4.Vasco da Gama    6  1  2  3   4-10   4

Group C

Table
 1.Botafogo         6  3  2  1  11- 6   8  Qualified
-----------------------------------------
 2.Grêmio           6  2  2  2   6- 7   6
 3.Palmeiras        6  1  4  1   7- 6   4
Back row from left: Pescuma. Hermes. Hidalgo. Célio. Cláudio Marques, Nilo.
Front: Leocidio. Negreiros. Paquito. Tião Abaeté, Rinaldo. 
 4.Coritiba         6  1  2  3   2- 7   4

Final Playoff

[Dec 12]
Atlético-MG    1-0  São Paulo
  [Oldair]
[Dec 15]
São Paulo      4-1  Botafogo
  [Terto (2), Forlan, Toninho; Nei Oliveira]
[Dec 19]
Botafogo       0-1  Atlético-MG
  [Dario]

Table
 1.Atlético-MG      2  2  0  0   2- 0   4  Champions
 2.São Paulo        2  1  0  1   4- 2   2
 3.Botafogo         2  0  0  2   1- 5   0

Final Table – it had no practical meaning whatsoever. 
 1.Atlético-MG     27 12 10  5  39-22  34
 2.São Paulo       27 10 10  7  26-23  30
 3.Botafogo        27  8 12  7  27-27  28
 4.Corinthians     25 12  7  6  33-21  31
 5.Internacional   25 10 10  5  28-23  30
 6.Grêmio          25 10  9  6  24-18  29
 7.Palmeiras       25  9 10  6  27-20  28
 8.Cruzeiro        25  8 12  5  28-17  28
 9.Santos          25  9  9  7  24-16  27
10.Coritiba        25 11  4 10  23-25  26
11.América-GB      25  8 10  7  27-21  26
12.Vasco da Gama   25  7  9  9  15-22  23
13.Bahia           19  5  8  6  14-16  18
14.Flamengo        19  4 10  5  13-17  18
15.Santa Cruz      19  3 11  5  17-23  17
16.Fluminense      19  5  6  8  12-13  16
17.Portuguesa      19  6  3 10  16-24  15
18.América-MG      19  2  9  8  11-19  13
19.Sport           19  4  4 11  10-27  12
20.Ceará           19  2  5 12   5-25   9

Atletico Mineiro (Belo Horizonte) won the first official championship of Brazil – historic success, although diminished with time. Yet, it was a big surprise at the time, especially in Europe – Atletico Mineiro was relatively unknown club, almost without stars – compared to any other world-famous club. Their 30-year old coach was also unknown rookie in its second year as a coach – a former second-rank player named Tele Santana.

Copa Libertadores

 

Copa Libertadores
First Round

Estudiantes (La Plata) bye to the second round as holders.

Group 1 [Argentina, Peru]
Feb 13: Sporting Cristal - Universitario        0-0
Feb 19: Boca Juniors - Rosario Central          2-1
  [Suné, Palacios; Mesiano]
Feb 23: Sporting Cristal - Rosario Central      1-2
  [Mifflin; Landucci, Gramajo]
Feb 26: Universitario - Rosario Central         3-2
  [Percy Rojas, Urrunaga, Ramírez; Villagra, Bóveda]
Mar  1: Sporting Cristal - Boca Juniors         2-0
  [Orbegoso, Rogel o/g]
Mar  4: Universitario - Boca Juniors            0-0
Mar 16: Rosario Central - Universitario         2-2
  [Poy, Carrascosa; Rojas, Chumpitaz]
Mar 17: Boca Juniors - Sporting Cristal         2-2x
  [Coch, A.C.Rojas; Orbegoso, González]
Mar 25: Rosario Central - Sporting Cristal      4-0
  [Landucci, Mesiano, Zavagno, Bustos]
Mar 25: Boca Juniors - Universitario            n/p  [awarded to Universitario]
Mar 31: Universitario - Sporting Cristal        3-0
  [Percy Rojas, Bailetti, Calatayud]
Mar 31: Rosario Central - Boca Juniors          n/p  [awarded to Rosario Central]
x Four minutes from time the referee sent all but two Boca players and all but 
  one Cristal player off after a huge brawl. The game was called off.  After 
  this incident CSF determined that Boca lost their remaining matches,  which
  were not played and awarded to Boca opponents (with 0-0 goals).

 1.Universitario (Lima)            6  3  3  0  8- 4  9
 2.Rosario Central                 6  3  1  2 11- 8  7
 3.Boca Juniors (Buenos Aires)     6  1  2  3  4- 5  4
 4.Sporting Cristal (Lima)         6  1  2  3  5-11  4

Group 2 [Bolivia, Uruguay]
Feb 14: Chaco Petrolero - The Strongest         1-2
  [Meza; Díaz, Vargas]
Mar  2: Nacional - Peñarol                      2-1
  [Artime, Mujica; Castronovo]
Mar  6: Chaco Petrolero - Nacional              0-1 
  [Mameli]
Mar  7: The Strongest - Peñarol                 1-2  
  [Vargas; Castronovo(2)]     
Mar 13: Chaco Petrolero - Peñarol               1-1
  [Flores; Castronovo]
Mar 14: The Strongest - Nacional                1-1
  [Bastida; Bareño]
Mar 19: Peñarol - Chaco Petrolero               1-0
  [Castronovo]
Mar 20: Nacional - The Strongest                5-0
  [Cubilla, Artime(3), Mujica]
Mar 22: Peñarol - The Strongest                 9-0
  [Castronovo(5), Corbo(2), E.Onega, Acuña]
Mar 23: Nacional - Chaco Petrolero              3-0
  [Artime, Bareño, Masnik]
Mar 28: The Strongest - Chaco Petrolero         1-3
  [Pintos; Mezza, Matozza, A.Flores]
Mar 30: Peñarol - Nacional                      0-2
  [Blanco, Maneiro]

 1.Nacional (Montevideo)           6  5  1  0 14- 2 11
 2.Peñarol (Montevideo)            6  3  1  2 14- 6  7
 3.Chaco Petrolero (La Paz)        6  1  1  4  5- 9  3
 4.The Strongest (La Paz)          6  1  1  4  5-21  3

Group 3 [Brazil, Venezuela]
Jan 29: Palmeiras - Fluminense                  0-2
  [Flavio(2)]
Jan 31: Deportivo Galicia - Deportivo Italia    3-3
  [Iriarte, Pinto, Oviedo; Beto, Ministelo(2)]
Feb  7: Deportivo Galicia - Palmeiras           2-3
  [Oviedo, Pinto; César(2), Da Guía]
Feb 10: Deportivo Italia - Palmeiras            0-3
  [Edú, César(2)]
Feb 14: Deportivo Galicia - Fluminense          1-3
  [Pinto; Cafuringa, Lula, Socorro o/g]
Feb 17: Deportivo Italia - Fluminense           0-6
  [Samarone, Mickey(2), Lula(2), Cafuringa]
Feb 25: Palmeiras - Deportivo Italia            1-0
  [Pío]
Feb 28: Fluminense - Deportivo Galicia          4-1
  [Flavio(2), Samarone(2); Oliveira o/g]
Mar  3: Palmeiras - Deportivo Galicia           3-0
  [César, Fedato, Silva]
Mar  3: Fluminense - Deportivo Italia           0-1
  [Tenorio]  
Mar 10: Fluminense - Palmeiras                  1-3
  [Samarone; César, Silva, Pío]
Mar 14: Deportivo Italia - Deportivo Galicia    3-2  
  [Alcyr, Negri, Useche; Pinto, Oviedo]

 1.Palmeiras (São Paulo)           6  5  0  1 13- 5 10
 2.Fluminense (Rio de Janeiro)     6  4  0  2 16- 6  8
 3.Deportivo Italia (Caracas)      6  2  1  3  7-15  5
 4.Deportivo Galicia (Caracas)     6  0  1  5  9-19  1

Group 4 [Chile, Paraguay]
Feb  7: Cerro Porteño - Guaraní                 1-1
  [Arrúa; G.García]
Feb 15: Cerro Porteño - Unión Española          2-1
  [Escobar, Irala; Novo]
Feb 18: Guaraní - Unión Española                1-1
  [G.García; Novo]
Feb 21: Cerro Porteño - Colo Colo               0-0
Feb 24: Guaraní - Colo Colo                     2-0
  [Valdez, G.García]
Mar  5: Guaraní - Cerro Porteño                 2-2
  [Tabarelli, Yugovich; Escobar, Jara]
Mar  6: Colo Colo - Unión Española              1-2
  [García; Farías, Novo]
Mar 13: Unión Española - Guaraní                2-1
  [Arévalo, Yavar; Espinosa]
Mar 17: Colo Colo - Guaraní                     3-2
  [Castañeda, García(2); Espinosa, Yugovich]
Mar 20: Unión Española - Cerro Porteño          0-0 
Mar 24: Colo Colo - Cerro Porteño               1-0
  [Beiruth]
Mar 31: Unión Española - Colo Colo              1-1
  [Véliz; Messen]

 1.Unión Española (Santiago)       6  2  3  1  7- 6  7
 2.Cerro Porteño (Asunción)        6  1  4  1  5- 5  6
 3.Colo Colo (Santiago)            6  2  2  2  6- 7  6
 4.Guaraní (Asunción)              6  1  3  2  9- 9  5

Group 5 [Colombia, Ecuador]
Feb 28: Atlético Junior - Deportivo Cali        2-1

  [Peñaranda(2); Gallego]
Feb 28: Barcelona - Emelec                      0-1 
  [Caballeiro] 
Mar  3: Barcelona - Deportivo Cali              1-0
  [Spencer]
Mar  7: Emelec - Deportivo Cali                 3-1
  [Caballeiro(2), Liciardi; Gallego]
Mar  7: Barcelona - Atlético Junior             3-1
  [Madruñero, Alvarez, Spencer; Miranda]
Mar 10: Emelec - Atlético Junior                1-1
  [Lasso; Peñaranda]
Mar 18: Atlético Junior - Barcelona             0-2
  [Spencer(2)]
Mar 18: Deportivo Cali - Emelec                 1-0
  [Bernao]
Mar 21: Atlético Junior - Emelec                0-0
Mar 21: Deportivo Cali - Barcelona              3-1
  [Moreno, Gallego, G.González; Madruñero]
Mar 28: Deportivo Cali - Atlético Junior        2-0
  [González, Da Graca]
Mar 28: Emelec - Barcelona                      1-1
  [Caballeiro; Liciardi o/g]

 1.Barcelona (Guayaquil)           6  3  1  2  8- 6  7
   Emelec (Guayaquil)              6  2  3  1  6- 4  7
 3.Deportivo Cali                  6  3  0  3  8- 7  6
 4.Atlético Junior (Barranquilla)  6  1  2  3  4- 9  4

First Place Playoff (in Guayaquil)
Mar 31: Barcelona - Emelec                      3-0
  [P.Alvarez, Bazurko, Muñoz]

Semi-Finals

Group 1
Apr 14: Universitario - Palmeiras               1-2   
  [Bailetti; Pío, Silva]
Apr 22: Universitario - Nacional                0-0
May  2: Palmeiras - Nacional                    0-3
  [Artime(2), Bareño]
May  6: Palmeiras - Universitario               3-0  
  [César, González o/g, Dudú]  
May 11: Nacional - Universitario                3-0  
  [Artime, J.C.Morales(2)]  
May 18: Nacional - Palmeiras                    3-1
  [Artime, J.C.Morales, Prieto; César]

 1.Nacional (Montevideo)           4  3  1  0  9- 1  7
 2.Palmeiras (São Paulo)           4  2  0  2  6- 7  4
 3.Universitario (Lima)            4  0  1  3  1- 8  1

Group 2
Apr 18: Barcelona - Estudiantes                 0-1  
  [Echecopar]   
Apr 25: Barcelona - Unión Española              1-0
  [Spencer]
Apr 29: Estudiantes - Barcelona                 0-1  
  [Bazurko]
May  5: Unión Española - Barcelona              3-1 
  [Farías, O.González(2); Paez] 
May 12: Unión Española - Estudiantes            0-1
  [Berly o/g]
May 19: Estudiantes - Unión Española            2-1
  [Rudzki, Verón; Farías]

 1.Estudiantes (La Plata)          4  3  0  1  4- 2  6
 2.Barcelona (Guayaquil)           4  2  0  2  3- 4  4
 3.Unión Española (Santiago)       4  1  0  3  4- 5  2

Final (May 26 & Jun  2)
Estudiantes              Arg  Nacional                 Uru   1-0  0-1

Playoff (Jun 9) (in Lima)
Nacional                 Uru  Estudiantes              Arg   2-0

1st leg. Estadio La Plata, La Plata, 26- 5-1971

Estudiantes - Nacional 1-0
60' Romeo         1-0

Estudiantes: Leone, Aguirre Suárez, Togneri, Malbernat, Pachamé, Medina,
             Romeo, Echecopar, Rudzki (Bedogni), Verde, Verón.
Nacional: Manga, Blanco, Ancheta, Masnik, Mujica, Montero Castillo, Espárrago
          (Mamelli), Maneiro, Prieto (Bareno), Artime, Morales.

Referee: Canessa (Chile)
Attendance: 30,000

2nd leg. Centenario, Montevideo,  2- 6-1971

Nacional - Estudiantes 1-0
28' Masnik        1-0

Nacional: Manga, Ubiña, Ancheta, Masnik, Blanco, Montero Castillo, Espárrago,
          Maneiro, Cubilla (Prieto), Artime, Morales.
Estudiantes: Leone, Malbernat, Aguirre Suárez, Togneri, Medina, Pachamé,
             Echecopar, Romeo, Verde, Rudzki (Bedogni), Verón.

Referee: Favilli Neto (Brazil)
Attendance: 70,000

Play-off. Estadio Nacional, Lima,  9- 6-1971

Nacional - Estudiantes 2-0








22' Espárrago     1-0
65' Artime        2-0

Nacional: Manga, Ubiña, Ancheta, Masnik, Blanco, Montero Castillo, Espárrago,
          Maneiro (Mujica), Cubilla, Artime, Morales (Mamelli).
Estudiantes: Pezzano, Malbernat, Aguirre Suárez, Togneri, Medina, Pachamé,
             Romeo, Echecopar, Rudzki, Verde, Verón (Bedogni).

Referee: Hormazabal (Chile)
Attendance: 41,000

Luis Ubina received Libertadores Cup.

Estudiantes was unable to win 4^th consecutive Libertadores Cup. They were still had the record – shared with Penarol – with 3 Cups, but their glorious days were over and had to wait until 2009 for not only another continental trophy, but just to reach a final.

Historic success for Nacional – so far they reached the final once, in 1969, and lost it to the same opponent. Taking revenge on Estudiantes was great, but their was more to their difficult victory in the third match on neutral field: finally they came out from Penarol's shadow and achieved international success.

This squad deserved it – it was full of well known names not just in Uruguay, national team regulars, participants in 1966 and 1970 World Cup finals.

Glory!