Brazilian Club, Santos Suffers First-Ever Relegation In 111 Years
For the first time in their history, Iconic Brazilian club Santos, cradle of late football legend Pele, was relegated to the second division.
Santos suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Fortaleza in their final league match of the season on Wednesday, sealing their fate as the last of the four teams condemned to the “B Series” league next year.
The home of icon Pele and Al Hilal forward, Neymar finished their lacklustre season in 17th place, on 43 points — one shy of Bahia, who dodged relegation with a 4-1 win over Atletico Mineiro, and 27 short of Sao Paulo giants Palmeiras, who claimed their second straight league title.
Luis Suarez-led Gremio finished in a surprisingly strong second place on 68 points, thanks to a brace from the Uruguayan striker in their 3-2 win against Fluminense.
Santos’s relegation comes less than a year after three-time World Cup winner Pele’s death on December 29, 2022, at age 82.
Santos’s relegation leaves only Flamengo and Sao Paulo as the only clubs in Brazil never to have been relegated.
Kazeem Badmus is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience. A professional in journalism and media writing, Kazeem prioritses accuracy and factual reportage of issues. He is also a dexterous finder of the truth with conscious delivery of unbiased and development oriented stories.
