Ponte Preta's eighth spot in 2016 earned this team a Copa Sudamericana ticket but, more importantly, a decent amount of confidence at the start of the new season. The new campaign however didn't deliver at all and the fans were in fact furious after 38 matches in the Serie A. The Copa Sudamericana didn't earn Ponte Preta more confidence due to an early elimination against Sport Recife and the pressure in the Serie A eventually proved fatal as well.
Manager Gilson Kleina had to leave the club in September, but the managerial changes didn't push the performances to a higher level at all. Eduardo Baptista, Gilson Kleina's replacement, simply failed to turn the tide, which resulted in Ponte Preta's drop into the relegation zone near the very end. The club was in fact in a decent position to prevent the disaster, but three defeats in a row against Fluminense, Vitoria and Vasco Da Gama saw Ponte Preta even drop to the nineteenth position. The defeat at home against Vitoria ended the season. The Ponte Preta side took an early 2-0 lead, but Rodrigo Baldasso's early red card provided Vitoria with a surprising chance to bounce back: 2-3. The main reason for Ponte Preta's relegation however was the lack of form in the away games. This club only managed to bag one victory on the road, which proved fatal to say the least as the home form was actually quite decent.
