Football Season Guide

Gained access to Série A in 2024 by finishing third in Série B, last season. It was a very tight contest between no less than 7 teams that could have clinched promotion on the last round. Criciúma are back at top flight competition after having been relegated from Série A back in 2014. 2024 has been a good year so far, for Criciúma. They have won Campeonato Catarinense (State Championship), after winning away and drawing at home against Brusque. Criciúma has also won the Recopa Catarinense (sort of a State Supercup) in January, and they are through to Brazilian's Cup next stage. Manager Cláudio Tencati is on this job since 2021, which makes him one of the longest running managers in Brazilian top flight together with Portuguese Abel Ferreira from Palmeiras. Tencati has established as a major figure on the club by bringing Criciúma up from Série C to Série A. Criciúma will heavily rely on last season's main squad, having added just a handful of new players to the side. Some players like Trauco or Renato Kayzer have good Série A experience, but the main attraction for the new year is the surprising new signing Yannick Bolasie coming directly from British football to add creativity and impredictability to 'Tigre'. The squad seems short at this point. It looks like the board is waiting for to see if they confirm the win in Catarinense to bring some new players, which is bad in itself, as the new players will necessarily start the league season delayed in adaptation. Marquinhos Gabriel should be the team's playmaker (if he can stay fit and avoid injuries); striker Felipe Vizeu has some points to prove after not living up to the expectations raised around 2016 when he was a rising young star at Flamengo's academy. Criciúma has been interchanging between a 5-3-2 formation and a flat 4-3-3 with three natural strikers.