Campeonato Paulista

Charles Miller was responsible for the creation of the first São Paulo state tournament. Miller introduced the football association rules to Brazil upon his return from England, where he attended college and discovered the sport. On December 14, 1901, the Liga Paulista de Foot-Ball (Paulista Football League), or LPF was founded, comprising five initial teams: São Paulo Athletic Club, Internacional, Mackenzie, Germânia, and Paulistano. Between April and October 1902, those teams competed in the first edition of the tournament, with São Paulo AC winning the title and Miller himself as the leading goalscorer. Unlike in Argentina and Uruguay, football was restricted to elitist clubs in its early days in Brazil.

Football popularity grew in following years. Paulistano, a club composed of the children of the richest families of São Paulo, became the strongest team. However, the popularity base of the sport started to change after a brilliant exhibition tour by the Corinthians, a London amateur team, in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. They easily defeated the best Brazilian teams of the time and made a very favorable impression amongst the younger fans. Shortly thereafter, a group of workers were inspired to found the city's first popular team, Sport Club Corinthians Paulista.

Growth of football popularity amongst lower classes generated a rift in the LPF. Their directors had defended that football should remain an elitist sport. This difference in opinion led to creation of another competing league, the Associação Paulista de Esportes Atléticos (Paulista Association of Athletic Sports), APEA, which promoted the sport among all social classes. Corinthians and Palestra Itália (a new club founded by Italian immigrants), and Paulistano helped to comprise the new league.

The LPF ceased operation in 1917. Until 1926, the APEA remained the only league in São Paulo. Stronger teams, larger crowds and players such Neco (Corinthians) and Arthur Friedenreich (Paulistano) contributed to the footballmania that converted football from "foreigner's fun" to Brazil's most popular sport. Debates surrounded the issue of whether football should professionalize or remain a purely amateur endeavor. Paulistano, the most trophied team at the time, refused to become professional and departed in 1925 to create the Liga de Amadores de Futebol (League of Football Amateurs) [LAF]. Competition between the two leagues fueled expansion of the teams, as clubs from upstate began to join.

By 1930, the LAF and Paulistano had folded, and a new era for São Paulo football began. Players became professionals in 1933 when Bandeirante Football League was created. Corinthians and Palestra Itália assumed their positions as the most powerful and popular teams. A new club emerges to compete for the hearts of supporters. Some dissidents from Paulistano, favorable to professionalization, along with the directors of AA Palmeiras united to form São Paulo Futebol Clube, the third force of the city.

The APEA had ceased operations in 1938, and after several name changes, the original Bandeirante Football League officially became the Federação Paulista de Futebol (Paulista Football Federation), [FPF] on April 22, 1941. São Paulo signed Leonidas da Silva in the following year and won five of the next eight championships. Palestra Itália change its name to Palmeiras in 1943 due to a World War II period law that banned Axis Powers's references in sport. Football grows within the state and a second division is created in 1948, allowing upstate teams to take part in major league competition. XV de Novembro from Piracicaba was the first team promoted to the top flight.

São Paulo, Palmeiras and Corinthians dominated titles in early 1950s. Santos, although having competed consistently, would need to wait a few more years to gain top status. 1957 saw the debut of one of football's greatest players, Pelé. His goals helped Santos to win nine of the next twelve championships. Pelé was the league top scorer in every year between 1957 and 1965 including a record 58 goals in a single season. Santos won numerous competitions at the state, national, regional and international level. Palmeiras's "Academia" teams were the only ones able to break such dominance in the sixties.

Since the 1960s, Brazil began to develop more mature national competitions which competed with the state and regional tournaments for supporter's attention. In 1977, Corinthians' were able to win a title after a 24-year drought, and the early eighties saw the battle between Corinthians (led by Sócrates) and São Paulo's (Serginho Chulapa). The "Corinthians Democracy" won in 1982 and 1983 while introducing a new philosophy in club management, where players participate in all decisions with management. São Paulo became the most successful team of the decade, winning the championship in 1980, 1981, 1985, 1987 and 1989. The last years saw the emergence of players such as Müller and Silas (known as the "Menudos do Morumbi") on that team. Internacional from Limeira accomplished a great upset in 1986 by defeating Palmeiras to win the final.

Bragantino vs. Novorizontino was the final in the 1990 championship in the Paulistão's biggest ever upset. Palmeiras' fans saw their club win the 1993, 1994 and 1996 championships with the greatest Brazilian squad of the decade. Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Edmundo, César Sampaio are among the members of the "Green Machine" which scored 100 goals in the 1996 tournament. Corinthians conquered the trophy five times in the 1995–2003 period, thus becoming the most successful team in the first 100 years of the Campeonato Paulista, with 25 titles.

Since 2000, Campeonato Paulista has lost popularity with each year. The main São Paulo state teams treat the tournament as tune-ups for the more lucrative Copa Libertadores and Brazilian National Championship. However, the Paulistão, as well as the other state tournaments in Brazil, still hold significance by providing developing talent and sustaining grass-roots soccer within the state.

Due to the COVID-19 death toll, the government decided to suspend the championship from 15 March 2021 till 30 March 2021, aiming to stop the spread of the coronavirus.[1]

On September 23, 2021, the São Paulo Football Federation recognizes the São Paulo titles of 1933 and 1934, to Albion and Juventus respectively.[2]

• Due to the World War II (and the fact of Brazil integrating the allied forces), during the year of 1942 Palestra Itália changed the name to the currently SE Palmeiras.
• For the same motive as Palestra Itália, SC Germânia also was changed to the currently EC Pinheiros, but never has competed in a Campeonato Paulista edition with that name.
• After changed their affiliation from APEA to FPF in 1994, CA Juventus changed its name to CA Fiorentino. Previously the club was also named CA Cotonificio Rodolfo Crespi, name of the textile company that gave rise to the club. Upon returning to APEA, it was used the name CA Juventus again.
• Hespanha/Espanha is the currently Jabaquara AC.
• São Paulo Railway (SPR) is the currently Nacional AC.
• After partnering with the energy drinks company Red Bull in 2020, CA Bragantino as changed the name to "Red Bull Bragantino" (or RB Bragantino) how did it happen with RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg.

In 2002, the FPF organized the Super Championship with the top 3 teams in the 2002 Rio-São Paulo Tournament (Corinthians, São Paulo and Palmeiras) and the 2002 Paulista Champions (Ituano). São Paulo won the Championship.[3]

Semi-finals

Held on May 19 and 22

Final matches

26 May 2002
16h00

Ituano	2 – 2	São Paulo
Fernando Gaúcho 39' Basílio 77'	Report[4]	68' Reinaldo 89' Júlio Baptista

Estádio Novelli Júnior, Itu

Referee: Edílson Pereira de Carvalho

30 May 2002
16h00

São Paulo	4 – 1	Ituano
Adriano 18', 43' Reinaldo 66' Sandro Hiroshi 68'	Report[5]	76' Basílio

Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo

Referee: Paulo Cesar de Oliveira

Topscorer

Basílio (Ituano) – 4 goals

As of 2023 season

Below is the list of clubs that have more than 40 appearances in the competition.

Notes

• Includes 2002 Supercampeonato Paulista.
• Portuguesa includes Mackenzie/Portuguesa participations (1920, 1921, 1922).
• In 1927, Corinthians has disputed both LAF and APEA championships.

Following is the list with the top 10 topscorers of all-time in the Campeonato Paulista:[6]

Professional era

Season	Manager
1937	Neco
1938	Armando Del Debbio
1939	Armando Del Debbio
1940	Gaetano De Domenico
1941	Armando Del Debbio
1942	Armando Del Debbio
1943	Joreca
1944	Bianco Gambini
1945	Joreca
1946	Joreca
1947	Osvaldo Brandão
1948	Vicente Feola
1949	Vicente Feola
1950	Ventura Cambón
1951	Rato Castelli
1952	Rato Castelli
1953	Jim López
1954	Osvaldo Brandão
1955	Lula
1956	Lula
1957	Béla Guttmann
1958	Lula
1959	Osvaldo Brandão
1960	Lula
1961	Lula
1962	Lula
1963	Sylvio Pirillo
1964	Lula
1965	Lula
1966	Mário Travaglini
1967	Antoninho
1968	Antoninho
1969	Antoninho
1970	Zezé Moreira
1971	Osvaldo Brandão
1972	Osvaldo Brandão
1973	Otto Glória
	Pepe
1974	Osvaldo Brandão
1975	José Poy
1976	Dudu
1977	Osvaldo Brandão
1978	Chico Formiga
1979	Jorge Vieira
1980	Carlos Alberto Silva
1981	Chico Formiga
1982	Mário Travaglini
1983	Jorge Vieira
1984	Castilho
1985	Cilinho
1986	Pepe
1987	Cilinho
1988	Jair Pereira
1989	Carlos Alberto Silva
1990	Vanderlei Luxemburgo
1991	Telê Santana
1992	Telê Santana
1993	Vanderlei Luxemburgo
1994	Vanderlei Luxemburgo
1995	Eduardo Amorim
1996	Vanderlei Luxemburgo
1997	Nelsinho Baptista
1998	Nelsinho Baptista
1999	Vanderlei Luxemburgo
2000	Levir Culpi
2001	Vanderlei Luxemburgo
2002	Ademir Fonseca
2003	Geninho
2004	Muricy Ramalho
2005	Émerson Leão
2006	Vanderlei Luxemburgo
2007	Vanderlei Luxemburgo
2008	Vanderlei Luxemburgo
2009	Mano Menezes
2010	Dorival Júnior
2011	Muricy Ramalho
2012	Muricy Ramalho
2013	Tite
2014	Doriva
2015	Marcelo Fernandes
2016	Dorival Júnior
2017	Fábio Carille
2018	Fábio Carille
2019	Fábio Carille
2020	Vanderlei Luxemburgo
2021	Hernán Crespo
2022	Abel Ferreira
2023	Abel Ferreira

The competition, held since 2007, is played in two-legged semifinals and final by the four best placed countryside São Paulo state clubs that did not reach the semifinal stage of the Campeonato Paulista in the season. Which in turn, is the 5th to 8th place of the first stage of Campeonato Paulista, except the teams from the city of São Paulo and also including Santos.