Cups Will Be Given Priority

League often takes second place

The calendar of Brazilian football is a constant battle to fit three litres into a bottle that can only hold two. Something has to give. With the games coming thick and fast, priorities need to be established – and the league pays the price.

Top of the wish-list is the Libertadores Cup, with the Sudamericana Cup less of a distraction until the closing stages. The domestic cup is also a very big attraction. There is plenty of prize money on offer and it is seen as a short cut to winning some major silverware, as opposed to the 38-game slog of the league.

As a consequence of all this, key players are often rested for league games – which clearly favours those clubs with the resources to maintain a squad with plenty of options.

Defending champions Palmeiras are a case in point. With wealthy sponsors and a successful new stadium, they went on a spending spree last year and appeared to have more players than they could use. But things suddenly made sense after Luiz Felipe Scolari was appointed coach. He essentially divided the squad in two: one for cup games and one for the league. They fell short in the cups, their main priority, but put in a second half spurt to win the championship.

This has clearly been adopted as a model by their closest challengers last season, Flamengo. With their finances in good order, they have spent plenty in the transfer market and brought in Abel Braga – an experienced, charismatic coach. Like Scolari, he is a physically imposing figure who will be expected to handle the egos in the dressing room. With more pace at the back and up front, Flamengo look much better equipped than they were in 2018. And for both them and Palmeiras, 2019 will be a flop if they fail to land a major title. The Libertadores is the dream – both have won it once before – but the league would be a satisfactory consolation.