The Lone Fan that Saved His Club

[@Jojo.R.Chipelago]

I'll admit it, this brought a tear to my eye. Man upstairs looked down at this fella on his own and said "football chairman irl"

[@stupiditiusmaximus]

*manager

[@Jojo.R.Chipelago]

​@@stupiditiusmaximus he wasn't manager, he was the club president which is called the chairman in the UK. Football chairman is a mobile game. It's a really basic version of an fm game where the only decisions you make are the financial decisions, which is what this guy did basically.

[@stupiditiusmaximus]

@@Jojo.R.Chipelago I know he wasn't a manager, I've just never heard of Football Chairman so I assumed that you meant Football Manager.

[@fwrds]

As a brazilian who knew the history, i’m so happy that this story did came out of Brazil

[@acidbronson9712]

God is indeed a Santa Cruz fan

[@DrZaius3141]

It's kind of ironic how he wasn't there because he was the one superfan that would drive for 2 hours to get to the away match, but that he just happened to live in the city they were playing.

[@hugoiwata]

A similar thing happened to me once. América-SP was playing at Atlético Sorocaba and I went there to support my hometown club. Sorocaba is much closer to São Paulo (~100 km), the city I was living in, than to São José do Rio Preto (~400 km), the city where América is from. When I arrived at the stadium, the police wasn't prepared for an away fan, and there was no away fans area designated. Then I watched the whole game in the middle of the local team fans, surrounded by some policemen.

[@rodrigorodriguesdelgado.9674]

​@@hugoiwata tenta fazer isso que esse maluco fez, não sei como seu clube está mas talvez seja uma boa.

[@Filippenzen413]

​@@hugoiwataLol dont celebrate to much

[@ginargent5077]

@@hugoiwata as an American, the concept of designated home and away fans like that is so different.

[@albo_ar]

Driving 2 hours feel so little to be a "superfan".

[@Jorge-cs8sn]

Dude was playing manager carreer mode in legendary with no funding on low divisions, my favorite type of save 👏🏼

[@Xphinity]

100

[@PUDRETE919]

Used to be my fav way to play Fifa, choose a English 4th League Club and work my way to the Champions League; I always wished Fifa had more opportunities like that, to be promoted or relagated, teams that conquered the second division clearly struggling in the first as the average team there is just stronger, have loads of great memories from when I finally was a proper contenter in the Premier League and the big clubs were no longer scary but just a challenge to overcome

[@Jorge-cs8sn]

​@@PUDRETE919 Exactly what you described is my go-to way of playing, regardless of it being an existing club like taking Morecambe or Grimsby to the Premier, or creating a new club, both are the most enjoyable to me. My most fond save was taking Grimsby to the Premier, took me like 7 seasons, but we managed ⚽

[@acorns9162]

@@Jorge-cs8sn i only played fifa for one year and i never found out how to do that, i feel like it would make me have fun playing it. How you do that.

[@ConCafePodcast]

​@@acorns9162career mode. Use Free Agent players and make your way to the top! 😊

[@Blockhead-lc6fr]

Zealand is the best loan fan

[@nateyoung189]

Beat me to it!

[@blinkusfishus2052]

You just know he was so happy inside at having to say a club won a cup trophy on the back of loans.

[@dlewis1701]

Came here to sing this

[@jonpaul3868]

Genius!

[@tyrant_hermit]

C+

[@PainKillerEX]

There is another interesting story in Brazil, a team called Primavera Atlético Clube. The team was founded by a Football Manager player in 2019 and already got in the 1st division of Mato-Grosso and beat Cuiabá (the biggest team of the state). Bruno Manfio - the president of the club - always posts in the brazilian Football Manager community on Facebook and we follow the club making history

[@PainKillerEX]

@andrericardo8430 "Football Manager - BRASILEIROS"

[@PainKillerEX]

@andrericardo8430 "Football Manager - BRASILEIROS"

[@PainKillerEX]

Football Manager - BRASILEIROS@andrericardo8430

[@PainKillerEX]

@andrericardo8430 O nome tá como "Football Manager - BRASILEIROS"

[@PainKillerEX]

@andrericardo8430 O nome do grupo é "Football Manager - BRASILEIROS"

[@5tuartGuy]

Being from the UK its easy to forget how big some countries are

[@JimTheFly]

As an American, the reverse is also true. I visited Ireland a few years ago and we drove across the country from Ballina to Dublin in an afternoon. That's a shorter drive than NYC to Boston. However, I also helped a friend move from NYC to Columbia, Missouri, which is halfway across the country... and about the same distance as driving from Madrid to Amsterdam.

[@Electricc__]

​@@JimTheFly facts

[@void_skyy]

ever seen how far the travel is in the MLS? "local derbies" are 3.5 hour drives

[@rohitrevankar7674]

No it's easy to not realise because for wtvr reason you ppl are bloody big headed. Your country is small AF.

[@andrelemi5417]

@@void_skyy that's why away fans in the mls are almost nonexistent

[@malevellysian]

dude, these documentary style videos are BY FAR your best works

[@sm42941]

literally just regurgitates the first athletic or bbc article he finds, i enjoy watching them too but please dont confuse that with producing a documentary ahaha

[@loduca16]

@@sm42941yeah this isn’t the Faroe Islands video. I like it too, but it’s pretty cookie cutter in terms of KZbin

[@thewags4720]

Did you read these works?

[@LEOODARTHVADER2]

I am from Santa Cruz do Sul, it's unbelievable how famous this story is by now. Santa Cruz is still a very small club, and right now, 2024 it's back to those bumpy roads, but we never lose hope, Santa Cruz will eventually win a world cup! We believe in it

[@thatguyluis]

Like Chicago Fire winning a world cup?

[@guruxara7994]

@@thatguyluis Exactly! lol

[@DigaDilson]

Fifa Club World Cup is highly regarded in South America, he probably means that.

[@Zucasss]

@@DigaDilson world cup of clubs

[@ep5952]

GO SANTA CRUZ⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️

[@segueoyuri]

something that's not mentioned in the video is that traditionally, club presidents in Brazil are not paid. So when he is talking about taking money from his pocket to put in the club... he is taking money from his pocket for real.

[@Gumbo27]

Damn that’s wild if it’s true

[@andrythebest99]

Missed opportunity at 4:20 to call yourself Brazealand

[@Comunidade-lv8tl]

And a "Óculos Oakley Juliet" to truly become a Brazeeland. That wold be so funnny

[@kinman3051]

This saddens me

[@rafaeltrivino4333]

As a Brazilian myself, I would be in favor of changing the country's name to Brazealand.

[@ranjanbiswas3233]

Ok, Dad.

[@TheMArcanjo]

First of all... as a Brazilian... your pronunciation of names was top notch... one of the best i've ever seen... secondly... this is a story that deserves to be told and you did it like a master... well done mate

[@semnome0]

As another Brazilian, I agree

[@matheuscabral9618]

as a brazilian I also agree

[@romuloreck]

this is my hometown club and i got to meet the guy, the media coverage worldwide didn't feel as insane as appearing on a Zealand video lol. Also good job with the pronunciations, close enough 😉

[@viniciuscastro4433]

Uma história e tanto pra cidade, é lindo como o futebol age

[@igorneumaierrubert]

I'm a Grêmio fan and watched that game in 2012 on TV. Thank you Zealand for telling the world this fantastic story!

[@kenedymatiassoportella808]

The thing I love the most about Brazilian football is that you've got to see small teams playing against some huge ones. Santa Cruz, for instance, having only 4 full time employees plays against Gremio and Internacional (both have won the world Championship and American Championship).

[@VichnzHCC]

This championship is called 'libertadores da america' and not the American championship

[@kenedymatiassoportella808]

@@VichnzHCC, I know it. I am just trying to use self explanatory terms for those who are not familiar.

[@socire72]

⁠@@kenedymatiassoportella808I think it’s usually known as Conmebal Libertadores outside of America. One thing to note, although I am European (Irish), a lot of people from the United States think America refers to them, and American means people from the United States. Most Europeans know this is not the case, but it’s worth pointing out.

[@dylanherron3963]

I'm not even a football fan, but always admired the unmatched passion of football fans/players, who's fandom is carried IN THEIR BLOOD. This brought me to tears, what an amazing story.

[@TornaitSuperBird]

You don't get that in the United States.

[@Aldiyawak]

Actual football manager.

[@C0lon0]

There is a dude in the State of Mato Grosso that founded his team in 2019 and is already in the first division of the state, possibly entering the national league next year.

[@socire72]

@@C0lon0Mato Grosso… is that the region of western brazil (south of amazonas) with very good agriculture?

[@carlkontermann5637]

This is a wonderful story! Greetings from Germany to my Brazilian Brothers❤

[@jessicahawks3223]

Me, a random woman in Tennessee, i enjoy hearing about this and im wanting to cheer on this team .i absolutely love the passion and underdog story. O hope they start doing great

[@unnwas]

The format isn't that complicated. Brazil is the size of the EU, each state had its own league before we had our national league. Some of them also have cups. The national competition is basically a Champions League of all state leagues but with 4 tiers. The top tier, Série A, having 20 teams, works in a double round-robin like normal and 4 clubs get relegated.

[@mateoleon524]

Brazil is NOT the size of the US or even close buddy. Nice way of puffing yourself up😂 Just a little sprinkle of 1,300,000 million square kilometers more than Brazil 😂😂 Also Brazil has 8.5 million, so 1.3 million more is already 15% of your country 🍷🗿

[@luccavalentinw.fiorini2302]

@@mateoleon524 he said the EU, Not USA. Remember that the European Union is not all europe.

[@unnwas]

@@mateoleon524 Not only did you misread the whole thing but Brazil is actually bigger than the US if you don't include Alaska lol Though, I applaud the passion for what I assume is your country.

[@caualopesferreira7486]

Remove Alaska (bought state) and the islands (taken) and Brazil is bigger than US. Not to mention, he said EU but I assume you would not know what that is...@@mateoleon524

[@vendedordemacanetas]

​@@mateoleon524 Brazil is bigger than the contiguous United States.

[@dumbdyd3066]

I essentially cried as a kid watching this. This is what football IS ALL about.

[@pedro_krauss]

I'm from the state of Santa Cruz, Rio Grande do Sul. Some people are against state leagues due to scheduling issues, but I think it's a cool and traditional characteristic of our football. In 2017, the team from my hometown (E.C. Novo Hamburgo) won the state league, and it was an incredible moment. Many regional clubs wouldn't exist, and thousands of professionals would be unemployed if the state leagues were to end.

[@fuzzyhair321]

it would probably do well to become a bit more organized though and this story also made me cry. its a moment that should always be remembered too

[@davegarner6506]

This touched my heart. I live in a town where everyone supports a team from a city that they have never been.

[@lunecker]

Honestly my first thought when I saw that title of this video was "oh my god what a dumb clickbait". But then I was like "waait, maybe he really saved the club? Lets check it out just to see what type of clickbait is that." Turned out it was not a clickbait at all. He literally saved the club. This is just crazy.

[@gardenofwords914]

This story would make a good common man movie😂 especially a scene about thiago running back and forth for hotdogs

[@MrParallaxFx]

I agree!

[@jestertheslacker]

Right? I was thinking the same! It’s a slam dunk AND it’s a true story!

[@19torch86]

What an atory arc. The story has it all. A common man. An unusul, livechanging situation. An inspiring story. An uphill battle. Failure. Dept and mental health problems. The mirroring of his state and the state of the club. A comeback. Succes and a great satisfying ending.

[@dedasalmeida9047]

Beautiful story man.. This man deserves his own movie!

[@soliniv1411]

Played by adam sandler 😂

[@kyks6771]

Impressive 👍

[@dedasalmeida9047]

@@soliniv1411 that would be hilarious!😂

[@largol33t12]

If someone made a documentary about his epic battle, I'd watch it for sure.

[@anisingh5437]

Dear Zealand , please do more videos like this. With the european clubs taking all the media space, we dont get to hear such unique stories. Thanks again for making this video.

[@bahadirtuncay192]

I agree with that statement. Learning what's happening in clubs outside of Europe is always fascinating for me.

[@MKS._____.]

Did you guys know there's an "extinct" club here Brazil that played North Korea and drew 1-1 😅 And it is a small team, like Santa Cruz

[@largol33t12]

I would love to hear about European clubs that are like this: very small and fighting just to survive and somehow, winning a match or two once in a while.

[@Muss67]

Stories like this will be why I will always love the beautiful game, no other sport can a story like this happen

[@Minamoto67]

At this moment with four matches played in the Gauchão 2024, Santa Cruz is... Dead last. They won their local derby against Avenida, drew once and their two losses were from a single goal down, so it may be a case of making the most out of their matches except Grêmio and Internacional and they will be safe. If it serves as a bit of hope, Internacional got beaten 2-1 by Guarany at Bagé, the team that came up with Santa Cruz last year.

[@AlanLopesEnter]

As a Brazilian, thank you! I had never heard about this team nor their history, I bet most Brazilians haven't heard of it. Awesome

[@foggyless]

Verdade, não sabia não kkk

[@fabianmarco]

I’m born in that same state and a Grêmio supporter but didn’t about this at all! Great video, Z! And you did good enough with the names. 😄

[@dougro87]

Everyone who follows football news in Rio Grande do Sul knows that

[@fabianmarco]

@@dougro87 I don’t live in Brazil anymore, so a bit harder to get to these kind of stories…

[@edinan9]

Pq vcs tão falando em inglês se os dois são br? Kkkkkkkkkkkkk

[@franklinmoura1669]

​@@edinan9pois é 😂

[@fabianmarco]

@@edinan9pro resto da comunidade também entender. Achei que era óbvio.

[@kingeazy1659]

For Years and Years I was a fan of a horrible american college 🏈 team. I ended up serving a tour in Afghanistan as a US soldier in 2009/10 and go figure this back up QB transferring from some other school shows up and takes my team all the way to a championship. I watched it alone half way across the world at 4AM and I have been chasing that ever since.The feeling of watching people you care about find success while you yourself are struggling deeply can be a profound experience. Great Video War Eagle!

[@brunosoares9839]

Hi! I'm Brazilian, and I would just like to congratulate you for the amazing job you did breaking down the league in my country. Also, great pronunciation all around! Haha Never seen your videos before, this was the first of many from now on! Thank you for spreading that amazing story! Wish you all the best for your channel!

[@saderzz1560]

Great story, class storytelling, editing and presenting again Z

[@Turai12]

You're a good storyteller. I don't even care about football yet this had me on the edge on my seat.

[@wagwanbennydj6003]

Still a legend to this day.

[@JoaoVictor-vx4fj]

Is nice to remember that here in Rio Grande do Sul we have an Supercup tournament called Recopa Gaucha, this tournament is played between the Campeonato Gaucho winner and the Copa FGF winner. In 2021 the Recopa Gaucha was played between Gremio vs Santa Cruz, making the history more interesting. Sorry for my english btw

[@brx8983]

also Suarez debuted for Grêmio on the Recopa Gaúcha match and scored a hat trick lol

[@ronatans5423]

as a Brazilian I just wanted to correct a few things: 1. The Copa FGF is a state cup which teams with "no calenday" play in (teams not in the 1st to 4th national divisions), so big clubs like Gremio and Internacional do not play. Another one is the Copa Paulista in Sao Paulo 2. I'm pretty sure that the winner of the FGF Cup gets to choose if they want top be in the 4th division or the Copa do Brasil, idk but ik thats how it is with the Copa Paulista. And why did he choose the Copa and not the 4th division? Money! It pays more money, Thus with the money from the Copa do Brasil they were able to invest in getting promoted!

[@Paulo_Sabino]

Além do dinheiro que paga, é muito mais caro jogar uma série D, que voce tem que rodar pelo BR inteiro. No fim é mais barato jogar a copa do brasil.

[@mikaelramos9073]

Só uma correção, Grêmio e Inter jogam a copa gaúcha sim, faz parte do calendário profissional do time, mas ambos colocam o time sub20 pra jogar

[@Carrenho997]

I love to see this type of content! Especially in Brazil! I would recommend also you to take a look at Paulista from Jundiaí-SP. Jundiaí is a great brazilian city (second best city to live in Brazil according to some research), and its team, Paulista, won the 2005 Copa do Brasil (national cup), won 2-1 against River Plate on 2006 Libertadores, but now sits on 5th tier of the state championship, something like 9th tier of Brazilian football

[@dalesum1]

I love this man. He epitomizes the depth of sacrifice a fan is willing to make for his club. I would miss a match to go get hot dogs, but only if my club would for sure win that match, guaranteed to win that match, otherwise no trade.

[@l3ftie578]

love that for him, seems like a nice, chill dude who just loves his team

[@romulo.silveira]

Hi, I'm a brazilian living in Porto Alegre and I must say: you nailed the pronnounciations! Thanks for the great video!

[@flavioferreira6220]

wow, I´m Brazilian and I didn´t know about this drama. I remember the lone fan shot, but that was it. How nice to know about this.

[@jkflotus5362]

Oh boy...you trigger some good memories of mine. This is my hometown soccer Club and I have to thank you for doing this videos with such a good quality. Thanks lad.

[@fr1tz_br]

I am brazilian. And a Gremio fan, and was watching that game. For you to know, being in the Copa do Brasil for this small clubs is a huge thing, because the clubs that qualify for the first stage of the Cup receive 950k to 1,5 milion reais, just for qualifying for the CUP. And as you can imagine, the small team that dont have a big revenue during the year, this money is a major deal.

[@oliman1978]

These are the vids i love the most on your platform. I watch almost all of your content on here but these real life stories are amazing. From the Faroe Islands to this one and more. Keep this style of content coming. It's fantastic. Well done Sir.

[@DuhPunnyQuan]

💁‍♂️ Huge soccer fan. Love Brazil team. Thank you for this. ♥️⚽👍🏆

[@MrGenetoreve]

This is the kind of story that we should hear. Its a story of faithfulness, dedication, and perseverance. He was not only devoted to the team but is devoted to Santa Cruz. Giving everything he has not once but twice! Not everyone is granted success but those who never give up will find theirs eventually.

[@FM-ne5pz]

Goosebumps. Great story! Thank you for posting

[@stevennl223]

I love this kind of content, great work!

[@simenstory3321]

You're an incredible storyteller man - keep these coming!

[@Oeduardoalbrecht]

As a Brazilian (and someone who lives in this state) watchig this I must say the explanation of the leagues and geography was spot on. Good job!

[@bygone.5763]

seeing these famous stories from my state told by someone from outside my country is an incredible feeling

[@TricksterBloom]

I absolutely love these football stories you tell, one of the best things not just on your channel, but on all of KZbin

[@thelastgreataudit8112]

Great story well told. Also really glad you linked the video Alfie from 7s did on this two years back. Classy touch.

[@daviveras3257]

I was watching it next to my mom, and I told her "I am controlling myself not to cry". As a brazilian, I obviously had seen that photo at the time, and saw the other one, but I didn't know the in-betweens, didn't know that the team was relegated, that he took loans from everyone... That is magical, truly magical, I love football for that, u cannot explain the feeling, that's unique! I love you, football ❤

[@luraia]

You have one of the best speaking voices I've ever heard. Just so you know. 10/10

[@purrfekt]

I'm rooting for that man, and that club. Bravo 👏👏👏

[@elifields275]

This would actually make an incredible Disney movie. Would love to see it. Rags to Riches, feel-good, amazing.

[@eduardomissi7804]

What a history! Even made me a bit emotional, believe me if you don't 😅 I am brazilian but never had a encounter with this storie. Thank you Zealand for this video, it's quite motivational in a way. Please keep making these kind of videos. They are too good. The one in the island is very enjoyable as well 😊

[@ericoyokoyama1]

Muito legal esta nossa história chegar ao exterior. 👏👏👏

[@notapplicable4567]

Beautiful i want to cry.

[@BrasilianFury]

Z, thank you for highlighting this story and just the overall magic of Brazilian football (plus how complicated the pyramid and state tournaments can be). Also, as it's been pointed out by quite a few folks...BraZealand was right there!

[@inglesdiretoaoponto2852]

As a Brazilian, I gotta admit your research is amazingly precise!

[@grif7001]

Amazing job on the video. Trully a joy to see storys like that.

[@kenedyssepuuya1971]

i even watched this with tears coming out of ma eyes. i felt touched

[@EnzoGM23]

MEU GRÊMIO APARECEU NO ZEALAND.

[@romuloreck]

and i think to myself... como isso afeta o grêmio

[@4rthorario459]

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk ​@@romuloreck

[@papo_parra]

I'm from Chile and love these kind of stories. I'm a FC Santa Cruz fan now.

[@edwardcanez]

I'm gaúcho, born in Rio Grande do Sul. And gremista, a Grêmio fan. Cool to see this story going internacional.

[@slohmann1572]

Everything important is Internacional…

[@joeLlukeJesusYeshua888]

Wow what a poetic story, makes me quite emotional my new team now along with Arsenal Plymouth argyle . Thank you for covering this story. I haven't been taken back by a story like this before thank you Zealand

[@tenther5019]

Beautiful story! TY!

[@zedasilva3058]

Shout out from SANTA CRUZ - RS !!!! This is a true and amazing story ! Tiago is a monster!! GO GRÊMIO!!! GO SANTA CRUZ!! AND GO AVENIDA TOO!!!!

[@cauekacperzak983]

Next save: Start with Santa Cruz, and win the Libertadores.

[@Drax458]

Someone should make a movie on this guy. He truly deserves it.

[@thetuerk]

14:27 And the fairy tale ends with the HARDEST LINE POSSIBLE

[@alanelassad]

I’m brazilian and got to know this story through your video! Thank you!

[@marimped]

0:12 it's Alan Carr...!!

[@JushSam]

Salute and respect to that man the dedication of being fan

[@futgamer811]

I'm brazillian and didnt knew this history. I'm happy you made a video about our country Zealand, this kind of history is incredible. Just a little correction: winning the copa FGF in the third division is a big achievement, but it's not ike Santa Cruz won it beating clubs like Gremio and Inter (the big powers of the state and two of the biggest in the country), because clubs from the first and even second national divisions often don't play this cup because they consider it to be a competition with no importance. The best ranked club Santa Cruz played against in the cup was São José, which was a third national division side at the time. Again, it's still impressive but not as fairy tale as seemed like in the video. It's obviously normal for an person like Zealand to make this confusion, because he dont know the football culture here, and this comment is just a way to give more information to everybody about Santa Cruz and their journey

[@pedro_krauss]

O grêmio e o inter jogam, mas mandam as bases

[@craigalexander211]

Amazing video Zealand! This is the type of stuff that is fan in the uk of lower league teams dream Of! Keep this great content coming!

[@Sandeee]

Onlyfan saves a team

[@heybro123-u3s]

haha see what you did there😂😂😂😂

[@opdamcha305]

That's sus

[@HippoHomies-]

A hell naw

[@SkylerLee3]

💀

[@SkylerLee3]

@IloveferriesI subbed

[@zaitsevvadym]

Omg, what a story. It certainly deserves a book or a film of its own. Would be a masterpiece

[@babbaflipper8704]

Love you Z❤

[@R.Marcatti]

As a Brazilian, from Rio de Janeiro, gotta praise your work. I didn't know his history, i just knew he brought a small team from the outskirts of Rio Grande do Sul back to the top state division. Nice work man. This is the 3rd well structured video i've seen in this channel, which means, i must sub. Cheers!

[@ollieduracell]

Yeah this guys story is legendary tbf

[@Legotron]

What a beautiful story... someone will make his story into a movie.

[@lukain9849]

Coming to Cinemas in 2026 "The Lone fan" A story of triumph over adversary. Staring John Bradley as Tiago Rech

[@cynnajackson4556]

What a great story and terrific storytelling!

[@Fcappellafc]

Shedding some light on our league system: as Z said our leagues are a nationwide 4-tier pyramid (Brasileirão Série A to D) run by our national football federation, CBF, going from April/May to December. CBF also organizes our national cup, Copa do Brasil. We also have state championships (Estaduais), run by each state's football federation, with each Estadual being able to have its own format, from a simple league to the most convoluted bullshit ever seen (Rio de Janeiro's Estadual). These are held in the beginning of the calendar year (January through April). Clubs in Séries A, B and C (i.e. the top clubs) have guaranteed spots in those, as are relegated clubs from Série C. The non-league clubs fight for berths in Série D via the Estaduais, based on performance in those. Basically, if you're a minnow, you start in your state's pyramid. Overperform and you go to the national pyramid, while still playing in Estadual in the beginning of the year. Getting promoted to Série C, guarantees your spot regardless of your performance in the Estadual. CBF has added a bullshit stipulation for qualification to the Copa do Brasil last year, where even if you're a top club, you might not qualify for the cup if you underperform. From this point onwards is just a history lesson and my opinion about the Estaduais. In the olden days, due to transport limitations in a continental-sized country, holding a national league was not viable (for comparison, the UK's land area is slightly smaller than the state of São Paulo). So, we had state championships (Estaduais) and regional tournaments, the latter usually involving the state champions. The evolution of means of transportation, mainly aircrafts, allowed the birth of Brasileirão in 1971. From 2003 onwards, we adopted the current league system, which has gradually been rendering the Estaduais pointless and turning them into a glorified pre-season tournament for the top clubs, being just an excuse to hold more state/city derbies per year and simplistic bragging rights for the supporters. Considering that the league lasts 8 months (2 less than the usual in Europe) clubs have to deal with a massively bloated calendar because of the Estaduais, with teams starting to use youth squads in those to reduce player fatigue during the rest of the year. I honestly think we must revamp our league pyramid and abolish the Estaduais, having regional tiers below Série D so smaller clubs can get playing time and some source of income year round instead of a simple revenue from the state championship for 3 months.

[@pedro_krauss]

Bah, eu entendo o problema da calendário, mas os estaduais são muito divertidos e importantes pra economai do futebol brasileiro.

[@greenstonegecko]

him sitting next to that trophy is powerful

[@magizmo]

How can you not be romantic about Football? I love it!

[@tristanlwkns]

This story is awesome. THIS is why we love football

[@stumbling]

You look like a cross between Rob McElhenney and a homeless guy who lives on my street... I am that homeless guy.

[@acidbronson9712]

Z you’re so friggin good when you go down this route. I love you, I love this sport, I love good humans

[@rayd-pw9049]

Zealand falando sobre um brasileiro kkkkkkkkkk

[@glissenin]

crazy to see a video by an american, that i imagine has a mainly british viewership, about a small club from my state. good job man! o armandinho é um terror né meu e vamo grêmio

[@exiege]

men are loyal

[@douglasdiogenesmeneses9544]

I knew this story, some things are destined to happen, simple as that, cheers from Brazil.

[@BodywiseMustard]

Great info, but please don't do that zooming in thing, it's awful

[@peoplecallmepeechez]

What a fun story. Almost brought a tear to my eye seeing tiagos dedication

[@scottytremaineplays9461]

Right, so the question is, can you play as FC Santa Cruz on FM

[@Minamoto67]

If you "unlock" the state championships via modding is possible as Santa Cruz isn't in a national division right now. It's really a Ligue 1 vs. PSG kind of fight as teams in national divisions play their A-squads in the state championships, with the Copa FGF being a more viable way to national competitions as Grêmio and Internacional go with their B-sides due to it being right when the Campeonato Brasileiro is ongoing.

[@scottytremaineplays9461]

@@Minamoto67 I’ll add to my list of future saves! Is there a pathway for teams like Santa Cruz to get into the National leagues?

[@Minamoto67]

@@scottytremaineplays9461 If it's correct with the real rules, the best placed team without a national division go to Série D, but I think this can be optional. Copa FGF, in our case here in Rio Grande do Sul, also offers either a spot in Série D or Copa do Brasil.