A competition "meant to be the precursor to a Brazilian Premier League has been officially formed after a meeting by member clubs in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday," according to ESPN. The statute for the "Liga Sul-Minas-Rio," a regional tournament consisting of clubs from five states in Brazil's south, "was signed by its 13 founding members -- Flamengo and Fluminense of Rio, Internacional and Gremio of Rio Grande do Sul, Atletico-MG and Cruzeiro of Minas Gerais, Coritiba and Atletico-PR of Parana, and Joinville, Chapacoense, Criciuma, Avai and Figueirense of Santa Catarina -- at Flamengo's headquarters on Thursday." The newly created league "is aiming to stage a 10-team tournament over eight dates at the beginning of 2016." Two teams from each state "will participate." In the case of Santa Catarina, Figueirense and Criciuma "will be chosen based on their federation ranking." Catarina federation chief Delfim de Padua Peixoto said, "The intention is to have it in 2016, next year. We have to adapt to the state leagues' calendar." The league "was formed to circumvent the restrictive influence of state federations on clubs, and eventually set the stage for a national competition that will be run by the clubs themselves, much like the Premier League in England." Cruzeiro chief Gilvan Tavares, who will serve as the new league's first president, said, "We have this intention, it's a giant step. It's like this in the world where football works. It's like this in England, Spain, Italy, Germany. We have to copy what works. We are behind" (ESPN, 9/11). ESPN's Tim Vickery wrote might Brazilian football "finally be approaching its 1992 moment?" That "was the year when England's major clubs broke away to form the Premier League." Brazil "is currently divided into 27 states, and each state continues to hold its own separate championship, which generally take place in the first few months of the year." For all their historic importance, these competitions "have long since passed their sell-by date." Between January and May, the big clubs, "with giant fan bases, play against teams so small they barely exist as professional concerns." Average crowds "are tiny, TV audiences are shrinking." For the big clubs, these competitions "have become a waste of time." Worse, "they eat into time that could be better used" (ESPN, 9/13).
