The football (soccer) Campeonato Brasileiro Série B 2002, the second level of Brazilian National League, was played from August 11 to December 7, 2002. The competition had 26 clubs and two of them were promoted to Série A and six were relegated to Série C.The competition was won by Criciúma.
Criciúma defeated Fortaleza in the finals, and was declared 2002 Brazilian Série B champions, claiming the promotion to the 2003 Série A along with Fortaleza, the runners-up. The six worst ranked teams in the first round ( Americano, Botafogo-SP, Sampaio Corrêa, Guarany de Sobral, XV de Piracicaba and Bragantino) were relegated to play Série C in 2003.
Format The 26 teams played against each other once. The eight best placed teams qualified to the quarter-finals, in which the eight-placed team played against the first-placed team, the seventh-placed team played against the second-placed team, the sixth-placed team played against the third-placed team, and the fifth-placed team played against the fourth-placed team. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals were played over two legs. The six worst teams in the first stage were relegated to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C of the following year.
Teams Team City Stadium 2001 Season América Mineiro Belo Horizonte Independência 27th in Série A América de Natal Natal Machadão 12th in Série B Americano Rio de Janeiro Godofredo Cruz 14th in Série B Anapolina Anápolis Jonas Duarte 17th in Série B Avaí Florianópolis Ressacada 4th in Série B Botafogo-SP Ribeirão Preto Santa Cruz 26th in Série A Bragantino Bragança Paulista Nabi Abi Chedid 16th in Série B Caxias Caxias do Sul Centenário 3rd in Série B Ceará Fortaleza Castelão 8th in Série B CRB Maceió Pajuçara 6th in Série B Criciúma Criciúma Heriberto Hülse 22nd in Série B Fortaleza Fortaleza Castelão 9th in Série B Guarany de Sobral Sobral Junco 3rd in Série Cgained a berth in the Série B after Malutrom withdrew. Joinville Joinville Ernestão 9th in Série B Jundiaí Jundiaí Jayme Cintra 1st in Série C Londrina Londrina Café 15th in Série B Mogi Mirim Mogi Mirim Vail Chaves 2nd in Série C Náutico Recife Aflitos 5th in Série B Remo Belém Mangueirão 19th in Série B Santa Cruz Recife Arruda 25th in Série A São Raimundo Manaus Ismael Benigno 11th in Série B Sampaio Corrêa São Luís Castelão 20th in Série B Sport Recife Ilha do Retiro 28th in Série A União São João Araras Herminião 7th in Série B Vila Nova Goiânia Serra Dourada 13th in Série B XV de Piracicaba Piracicaba Barão da Serra Negra 18th in Série B
First stage
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals
Sources
References