Rio de Janeiro, Nov 20 (IANS) Corinthians secured the Brazilian Serie A title after second-placed Atletico Mineiro stumbled to a 2-4 loss to Sao Paulo.
Corinthians drew 1-1 at Vasco da Gama on Thursday, but Atletico’s defeat meant the result at Rio’s Sao Januario stadium didn’t matter, reports Xinhua.
With 77 points from 35 matches, Corinthians secured the championship with three matches to spare. It was their third Serie A crown in the past 10 years as they drew level with cross-city rivals Sao Paulo with six titles.
Only Santos and Palmeiras, with eight titles each, have been more successful.
Corinthians coach Tite paid tribute to his players’ attitude and work ethic, which he said had been more telling than talent throughout the season.
“It’s not about the competence of the players, it’s about the way we respect our opponent and the discipline we have shown,” a jubilant Tite said on Thursday.
“We don’t need to scream and shout, we don’t need to provoke, it’s enough to play football and be disciplined. That transcends football. This is a team that is better without harming others. This is a team with soul.”
In other matches on Thursday, Gremio defeated Fluminense 1-0, Chapecoense overcame Internacional 1-0 and Flamengo drew 0-0 at Santos.