The football (soccer) Campeonato Brasileiro Série B 2002, the second level of Brazilian National League, was played from August 11 to December 22, 2001. The competition had 28 clubs and two of them were promoted to Série A and six were relegated to Série C. The competition was won by Paysandu.
Paysandu finished the final phase group with the most points, and was declared 2001 Brazilian Série B champions, claiming the promotion to the 2002 Série A along with Figueirense, the runners-up. The six worst ranked teams in the first round (Sergipe, Tuna Luso, ABC, Desportiva, Nacional-AM and Serra) were relegated to play Série C in 2002.
Format The 28 teams were divided into two groups, win which each team played against each other twice. The four best placed teams in each group qualified to the quarter-finals, in which the first-placed team of the South-Southeastern Group played against the fourth-placed team of the North-Northeastern Group, the second-placed team of the South-Southeastern Group played against the third-placed team of the North-Northeastern Group, the third-placed team of the South-Southeastern Group played against the second-placed team of the North-Northeastern Group, and the fourth-placed team of the South-Southeastern Group played against the first-placed team of the North-Northeastern Group. The quarter-finals were played over two legs, and in case of tie in points, in case the away goals rule wasn't applicable, the team with the best campaign in the first phase of the two would qualify.the winners qualified to the final phase, in each the remaining four teams played against each other twice. The two best on this group would achieve promotion to the Série A of the following year. The six worst teams in the first stage were relegated to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C of the following year.
Teams Team City Stadium 2000 Season ABC Natal Machadão 18th in Série B América de Natal Natal Machadão 21st in Série B Americano Campos dos Goytacazes Godofredo Cruz 25th in Série B Anapolina Anápolis Jonas Duarte 13th in Série B Avaí Florianópolis Ressacada 15th in Série B Bragantino Bragança Paulista Nabi Abi Chedid 30th in Série B Caxias Caxias do Sul Centenário 7th in Série B Ceará Fortaleza Castelão 22nd in Série B CRB Maceió Pajuçara 16th in Série B Criciúma Criciúma Heriberto Hülse 14th in Série B Desportiva Cariacica Engenheiro Alencar Araripe 31st in Série B Figueirense Florianópolis Orlando Scarpelli 9th in Série B Fortaleza Fortaleza Castelão 5th in Série B Joinville Joinville Ernestão 20th in Série B Londrina Londrina Café 35th in Série B Malutrom São José dos Pinhais Tancredo Neves 1st in Série C Nacional-AM Manaus Vivaldão 27th in Série B Náutico Recife Aflitos 6th in Série B Paysandu Recife Curuzú 4th in Série B Remo Belém Mangueirão 3rd in Série B São Raimundo Manaus Ismael Benigno 11th in Série B Sampaio Corrêa São Luís Castelão 12th in Série B Sergipe Aracaju João Hora 28th in Série C Serra Serra Robertão 17th in Série B Tuna Luso Recife Ilha do Retiro 4th in Série C União São João Araras Herminião 26th in Série B Vila Nova Goiânia Serra Dourada 34th in Série B XV de Piracicaba Piracicaba Barão da Serra Negra 28th in Série B
First stage
North-Northeastern Group
South-Southeastern Group
Relegation playoff
Quarterfinals
Final stage
Final standings
Sources