Brazil. The complicated formula remained intact: 76 teams participated in the two levels, but they were not leagues and some teams moved from one tournament to the other, according to the weird rules. 40 teams started in Taca de Ouro, the highest level, and 36 in Taca de Prata, the second level. Participants were included according the lots given to every state, which depended largely on historic strength and clout. Sao Paulo had 6 spots, Rio de Janiero – 5, and the rest of the country – 2 or 1. State championships decided representatives. Except for two clubs – the winner of the previous year Taca de Prata was promoted in a sense, and one team got place because of ‘historical ranking’: those were Campo Grande (Rio de Janeiro) and famous Santos. “Historical ranking” was a bit of nonsense… ways had to be discovered, imagined, created, so no big club to be left out. So, Santos was in… everybody was in. But for how long and what that meant? After the first phase, played in 8 groups, the last in each moved to the third phase of the lower Taca de Prata. Second to last teams went to qualification play-offs between themselves and the losers also moved to the the third phase of Taca de Prata. In the same time the winners of 4 groups in the second phase of Taca de Prata moved up to continue in Taca de Ouro. 16 clubs moved from one level to another during the outgoing championship – and this rule practically rendered meaningless not only the ‘promotion’ of the winner of the lower level, but also inclusions due to ‘historical ranking’. Taca de Prata followed similar formula, so one way or another the famous clubs were included and their movement up, at least to some point, was more or less guaranteed.
Of course, Brazilian football is almost endless, so 76 clubs hardly cover everything – many clubs remained outside the national championship.
Uniao Skina Esporte Clube naturally had no chance of playing in the national championship – mere provincial amateurs.
Tuna Luso failed to qualify.
Uberlandia also missed the boat. Standing from left: Jorginho (comissão técnica), Moacir, Zé Mário, Zecão, Joel, Luiz Cosme, Carlos Alberto, Wilmar (comissão técnica)
Crouching: Marco Túlio (comissão técnica), Gil, Chiquinho, Maurinho, Wisner, Vivinho
Confianca was also out.
ABC was also out.
From entirely unknown clubs to barely familiar ones… Much depended on geography – states with few spots may have relatively bigger club out and in the same time another lowly state would have practically unknown team playing in Taca de Ouro. At least in the beginning.