Brazil - Campeonato Catarinense 1

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The Campeonato Catarinense 1 is the top-flight championship for the state Santa Catarina in Brazil. The competition, which is exclusive to clubs from the aforementioned region, was established way back in 1924, with Avai lifting the inaugural title after beating Trabalhista in the final.

This tournament, as is true with many of Brazil’s regional leagues, has undergone format changes over the years. Previously, all 10 contestants would compete in two stages which followed an identical format. The participants would be placed in one group for a single round-robin tournament, with the top four sides moving on to the semi-finals. The finals would be hosted by the higher-seeded team. In the second phase, everything would be repeated. The winners from the two stages would then clash in a home-and-away showdown to decide the champions.

However, things have changed. In 2018, for example, all 10 teams were placed in one group for the first round but this time it was a double round-robin affair. After each side faced the other nine clubs both home and away, the top four progressed to the semi-finals while the bottom two were relegated to the Campeonato Catarinense Série B. The four semi-finalists battled it out for a spot in the final, where they would be declared the champions without the need for a second phase. In the following year, the group stage reverted back to a single round-robin and the competition added a quarter-final round. The top eight teams progressed to the knockout stage, which was now a two-legged affair, while the bottom two entered a relegation playoff, facing off over two legs to decide who drops down.