NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Football

Defending Brazilian champion Fluminense relegated

AP
8 Dec, 2013 11:49 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

SAO PAULO (AP) Fluminense became the first defending Brazilian league champion to be relegated to the second division on Sunday, and traditional Rio de Janeiro rival Vasco da Gama also was demoted.

Fluminense, which also won the league in 2010, scored late to beat Bahia 2-1 in Salvador, but the result wasn't enough to keep the team in the top flight. Vasco da Gama, a four-time Brazilian champion like Fluminense, lost 5-1 to Atletico Paranaense in a match marked by fan violence.

Four fans were hospitalized after fighting in the stands in the southern city of Joinville, including one with a serious head injury, but doctors said their lives were not at risk. The match was stopped for more than an hour and a police helicopter landed on the field to airlift one of the injured.

Fluminense finished with the same 46 points as Criciuma outside relegation zone, but with one less victory. Vasco da Gama ended with 44 points. Nautico and Ponte Preta had already been demoted heading into the final round.

The Brazilian league has been extremely competitive in the last decade and eighth of the country's most traditional clubs were relegated in the last 10 years, including Palmeiras last year. Vasco da Gama played in the second division in 2009, and a year earlier it was popular club Corinthians which was away from the main league.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Fluminense had to beat Bahia and hope that other results went its way. But the relegation was confirmed when Coritiba defeated Sao Paulo 1-0 in the city of Itu, ending Fluminense's hopes. Coritiba was among the six clubs in danger of relegation on Sunday.

Bahia opened the scoring at the Arena Fonte Nova through William in the 42nd minute, and Fluminense rallied with goals by Wagner in the 56th and Samuel in the 83rd.

"We are all extremely sad right now," Fluminense goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri said. "We know that it won't be easy to play in the second division next year but we will have to work hard to make sure we return."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Fluminense had almost been relegated in 2009, but it won six of its last seven matches to just remain in the first division. It was relegated to the second division for the first time in the late 1990s and it actually dropped to the third division in 1999, but the club went straight to the first division the following year because the competition changed formats.

Just five rounds ago Fluminense was being coached by former Brazil and Real Madrid coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo, who was fired after a series of setbacks that included nine straight matches without a win.

The team's top star this year was Brazil striker Fred, who was out of the team since September because of a muscle injury. Former Chelsea and Portugal playmaker Deco was with the club before retiring earlier this year.

Vasco da Gama, the 1998 Copa Libertadores champion, needed a victory at Atletico Paranaense after Criciuma lost 3-0 to Botafogo in Rio de Janeiro, but it was already losing 1-0 when the match was stopped in the 17th because of the fan violence in the stands. It equalized in the 40th minute but conceded another goal less than five minutes later and never recovered.

"The other results went our way but it was an unfortunate afternoon for us today," Vasco da Gama defender Renato Silva said.

Atop the standings, Cruzeiro had already clinched the title, but second-place Gremio and third-place Atletico Paranaense secured a spot in next year's Copa Libertadores.

Botafogo, which had Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf scoring one of the goals in the win against Criciuma, finished fourth and will also play in the Latin American tournament for the first time since 1996 if Ponte Preta doesn't win the Copa Sudamericana on Wednesday. Ponte Preta will earn the fourth Brazilian spot if it wins the title against Lanus of Argentina. The teams drew 1-1 in Sao Paulo last week.

Ronaldinho returned to action after several weeks out with a muscle injury, scoring both goals in Atletico Mineiro's 2-2 draw against Vitoria in Belo Horizonte. It was the team's last match before traveling to Morocco to play in FIFA's Club World Cup.

___

Follow Tales Azzoni at http://twitter.com/tazzoni

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Football

Premium
Football

10 factors behind Auckland City FC's record defeat

17 Jun 10:00 PM
Football

How Kiwis might still watch the Women's Euros despite broadcast hurdles

17 Jun 08:00 PM
New Zealand

On The Up: No Lack of goals as Super Sam hunts pro football dream

17 Jun 05:00 PM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Football

Premium
10 factors behind Auckland City FC's record defeat

10 factors behind Auckland City FC's record defeat

17 Jun 10:00 PM

The amateurs were always rank underdogs, but several factors made their task tougher.

How Kiwis might still watch the Women's Euros despite broadcast hurdles

How Kiwis might still watch the Women's Euros despite broadcast hurdles

17 Jun 08:00 PM
On The Up: No Lack of goals as Super Sam hunts pro football dream

On The Up: No Lack of goals as Super Sam hunts pro football dream

17 Jun 05:00 PM
Global giants Real Madrid set to run a football camp in Auckland

Global giants Real Madrid set to run a football camp in Auckland

17 Jun 03:30 AM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP