A year after Pele’s death, “his” country Santos was relegated to the first division in 111 years, and riots broke out in the city | soccer

The Brazilian football season came to an end on Wednesday evening. It is no longer surprising that Palmeiras became national champions for the twelfth time. the Verdau After all, they have been almost certain of the title since last week.

It was Santos who demanded all the attention on the final day. The legendary club, which has produced greats such as Pele and Neymar, has been in the danger zone for some time, with relegation threatened for the first time in its 111-year existence.

To save themselves, Santos were not allowed to lose to Fortaleza on the final day of the match, but in a dramatic match they lost 1-2 to Vila Belmiro. The decline was real.

This is the way Santos is going through a sad bad phase, having had to part with the club’s greatest icon exactly a year ago: Pele. After retiring from the club in 1974, Santos managed to win the national title twice more, in 2002 and 2004.

Flamengo and São Paulo remain the only teams never relegated from the Brazilian top flight.

After the match, riots quickly broke out in the area surrounding the stadium, which later spread into the city. Many vehicles were set on fire. A fire was also lit near the young players’ sleeping places.