Sao Paulo can breathe a huge sigh of relief as they finally ended their long drought in the Paulista Championship. After a wait of over 3000 days, Tricolor finally laid their hands on the state championship.
Sao Paulo won their first Paulista crown in eight years as they claimed a 2-0 win over Palmeiras on Sunday in Morumbi. Luan and Luciano were the players who got on the score-sheet.
It represents more than just a win for the club. It sees them finally win a title after recent heartbreaks on many fronts alongside the despair of watching their closest rivals win titles.
It is the first title for Sao Paulo since they won the Copa Sudamericana in 2012. It is also their first Paulista Championship crown since 2005, the same year they also won the Club World Cup and the Libertadores. Moving forward, it is an ideal start for Hernán Crespo who has now started on a title winning note.
With the win, Sao Paulo have now matched Santos as the third highest winners of the competition, boasting 22 titles. Corinthians are at top spot with 30 titles while Palmeiras are at second place with 23.
More disappointment for Palmeiras
For Palmeiras, the defeat in the Paulista Championship final sees them lose in a final for the third time in a row. Their latest defeat comes after they suffered consecutive losses in the Supercopa do Brasil or Recopa Sul-Americana.
For winning the Paulista Championship, São Paulo will earn a cash prize of R $ 3.5 million. Palmeiras will receive R $ 1.154 million for being the runners up. The initial cash prize for the winner was R $ 5 million but was eventually reduced due to financial effects caused from the covid-19 pandemic.
