The 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro Série D was a football competition held in Brazil, equivalent to the fourth division. The competition was originally scheduled to begin on 3 May and end on 22 November, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic the tournament was rescheduled for 6 September 2020 – 6 February 2021.
Sixty-eight teams competed in the tournament. Sixty-four teams qualified from their state leagues and cups, and four relegated from the 2019 Campeonato Brasileiro Série C (ABC, Atlético Acreano, Globo and Luverdense). Luverdense declined to participate being replaced by Sinop.
The match Guarany de Sobral v Salgueiro, scheduled for 20 September 2020 (Group A3 1st round), was postponed after 12 Guarany de Sobral players tested positive for COVID-19.
In the Group A8 12th round, (14 November 2020), São Caetano players refused to play their away match against Marcílio Dias in protest over unpaid wages. Marcílio Dias was awarded a 3–0 win by forfeit.
Altos, Floresta, Mirassol, and Novorizontino qualified for the semi-finals and were promoted to the 2021 Campeonato Brasileiro Série C.
In the finals, Mirassol defeated Floresta 2–0 on aggregate to win their first title.
Format changes A preliminary stage was played during this season. In the preliminary stage, eight teams were drawn into four ties, with the winners of each tie advancing to the group stage. The group stage had 64 teams, 60 teams qualified directly and four teams decided in the preliminary stage. The 64 teams were drawn into eight groups of eight teams each. The top four teams of each group qualified for the round of 32.
Teams
Federation ranking The number of teams from each state was chosen based on the CBF State Ranking. RankFederationCoeff.TeamsNotes1 São Paulo84,16642 Rio de Janeiro50,13033 Minas Gerais45,0144 Rio Grande do Sul42,1495 Paraná34,6126 Santa Catarina31,7777 Bahia21,6318 Goiás19,8569 Pernambuco19,36910 Ceará16,853211 Alagoas11,98612 Pará9,74613 Mato Grosso9,10014 Maranhão7,643156,80116 Paraíba5,31317 Sergipe4,12818 Acre3,30519 Piauí2,57320 Amazonas2,24521 Distrito Federal2,23722 Mato Grosso do Sul2,05923 Espírito Santo1,91024 Tocantins1,87625 Rondônia1,78426 Amapá1,77027 Roraima1,739
Participating teams Teams in italic played the preliminary stage. The teams were: FederationTeamHome cityQualification method AcreGalvezRio Branco2019 Campeonato Acriano runners-upRio BrancoRio Branco2019 Campeonato Acriano 3rd placeAtlético AcreanoRio Branco2019 Série C Group B 10th place AlagoasCoruripeCoruripe2019 Campeonato Alagoano 3rd placeJaciobáPão de Açúcar2019 Campeonato Alagoano 4th place AmapáSantosMacapá2019 Campeonato Amapaense championsYpirangaMacapá2019 Campeonato Amapaense runners-up AmazonasFast ClubeManaus2019 Campeonato Amazonense runners-upNacional-AMManaus2019 Campeonato Amazonense 3rd place BahiaBahia de FeiraFeira de Santana2019 Campeonato Baiano runners-upAtlético de AlagoinhasAlagoinhas2019 Campeonato Baiano 3rd placeVitória da ConquistaVitória da Conquista2019 Campeonato Baiano 4th place CearáFlorestaFortaleza2019 Campeonato Cearense 3rd placeGuarany de SobralSobral2019 Campeonato Cearense 4th place Espírito SantoVitóriaVitória2019 Campeonato Capixaba championsReal NoroesteÁguia Branca2019 Copa Espírito Santo champions Federal DistrictGamaGama2019 Campeonato Brasiliense championsBrasilienseTaguatinga2019 Campeonato Brasiliense runners-up GoiásGoiâniaGoiânia2019 Campeonato Goiano 4th placeGoianésiaGoianésia2019 Campeonato Goiano 6th placeAparecidenseAparecida de Goiânia2019 Campeonato Goiano 7th place MaranhãoMoto ClubSão Luís2019 Campeonato Maranhense runners-upJuventude SamasSão Mateus do Maranhão2019 Copa Federação Maranhense de Futebol champions Mato GrossoCEOVVárzea Grande2019 Campeonato Mato-Grossense runners-upUnião RondonópolisRondonópolis2019 Campeonato Mato-Grossense 3rd placeSinopSinop2019 Campeonato Mato-Grossense 5th place Mato Grosso do SulÁguia NegraRio Brilhante2019 Campeonato Sul-Mato-Grossense championsAquidauanenseAquidauana2019 Campeonato Sul-Mato-Grossense runners-up Minas GeraisCaldensePoços de Caldas2019 Campeonato Mineiro 6th placeTupynambásJuiz de Fora2019 Campeonato Mineiro 8th placeVilla NovaNova Lima2019 Campeonato Mineiro 9th place ParáIndependenteTucuruí2019 Campeonato Paraense runners-upBragantinoBragança2019 Campeonato Paraense 3rd place ParaíbaCampinenseCampina Grande2019 Campeonato Paraibano runners-upAtlético CajazeirenseCajazeiras2019 Campeonato Paraibano 3rd place ParanáToledoToledo2019 Campeonato Paranaense runners-upFC CascavelCascavel2019 Campeonato Paranaense 7th placeNacional-PRRolândia2019 Taça FPF champions PernambucoSalgueiroSalgueiro2019 Campeonato Pernambucano first stage 4th placeCentralCaruaru2019 Campeonato Pernambucano first stage 5th placeAfogadosAfogados da Ingazeira2019 Campeonato Pernambucano first stage 6th place PiauíRiverTeresina2019 Campeonato Piauiense championsAltosAltos2019 Campeonato Piauiense runners-up Rio de JaneiroBanguRio de Janeiro2019 Campeonato Carioca 3rd placeCabofrienseCabo Frio2019 Campeonato Carioca 6th placePortuguesaRio de Janeiro2019 Copa Rio runners-upAmérica de NatalNatal2019 Campeonato Potiguar championsPotiguar de MossoróMossoró2019 Campeonato Potiguar 4th placeABCNatal2019 Série C Group A 9th placeGloboCeará-Mirim2019 Série C Group A 10th place Rio Grande do SulCaxiasCaxias do Sul2019 Campeonato Gaúcho 3rd placeSão LuizIjuí2019 Campeonato Gaúcho 4th placePelotasPelotas2019 Copa FGF champions RondôniaVilhenenseVilhena2019 Campeonato Rondoniense championsJi-ParanáJi-Paraná2019 Campeonato Rondoniense runners-up RoraimaSão RaimundoBoa Vista2019 Campeonato Roraimense championsBaréBoa Vista2019 Campeonato Roraimense runners-up Santa CatarinaMarcílio DiasItajaí2019 Campeonato Catarinense 5th placeJoinvilleJoinville2019 Campeonato Catarinense 7th placeTubarãoTubarão2019 Campeonato Catarinense 8th place São PauloNovorizontinoNovo Horizonte2019 Campeonato Paulista 6th placeFerroviáriaAraraquara2019 Campeonato Paulista 7th placeMirassolMirassol2019 Campeonato Paulista 12th placeSão CaetanoSão Caetano do Sul2019 Copa Paulista champions SergipeFreipaulistanoFrei Paulo2019 Campeonato Sergipano championsItabaianaItabaiana2019 Campeonato Sergipano runners-up TocantinsPalmasPalmas2019 Campeonato Tocantinense championsTocantinópolisTocantinópolis2019 Campeonato Tocantinense runners-up
Competition format In the preliminary stage, eight teams from the worst ranked federations in the CBF ranking were drawn into four ties, with the winners of each tie advancing to the group stage. In the group stage, the remaining 60 teams and the 4 four teams qualified from the preliminary stage were divided into eight groups of eight organized regionally. Top four teams qualified for the round of 32. From the round of 32 on the competition was played as a knock-out tournament with each round contested over two legs.
Preliminary stage It was played from 6 to 13 September 2020. The lowest-seeded teams from the eight worst ranked federations in the 2020 CBF ranking (Amazonas, Distrito Federal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Espírito Santo, Tocantins, Rondônia, Amapá, and Roraima) competed to decide four places in the group stage.
Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would not be used, extra time would not be played, and the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winners (Regulations Article 18).
Matches
Group stage In the group stage, each group played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, the following criteria would be used to determine the ranking: 1. Wins; 2. Goal difference; 3. Goals scored; 4. Head-to-head (if the tie was only between two teams); 5. Fewest red cards; 6. Fewest yellow cards; 7. Draw in the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation (Regulations Article 13).
The top four teams qualified for the round of 32.
Group A1
Group A2
Group A3
Group A4
Group A5
Group A6
Group A7
Group A8
Final stages The final stages were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. For the round of 16, semi-finals and finals, the best-overall-performance team hosted the second leg. If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would not be used, extra time would not be played, and the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winners (Regulations Article 18).
For the quarter-finals, teams were seeded based on the table of results of all matches in the competition. The top four seeded teams played the second leg at home.
The four quarter-final winners were promoted to 2021 Série C.
Round of 32 The round of 32 was a two-legged knockout tie, with the draw regionalised. The matches were played from 5 to 13 December 2020.
Matches
Round of 16 The matches were played from 19 to 27 December 2020. Matches
Quarter-finals The draw for the quarter-finals was seeded based on the table of results of all matches in the competition (except preliminary stage matches) for the qualifying teams. The teams were ranked according to points. If tied on points, the following criteria would be used to determine the ranking: 1. Wins; 2. Goal difference; 3. Draw in the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation (Regulations Article 15).
Quarter-finals seedings Team 1 Altos3812+15 2 Novorizontino3811+16 3 América de Natal3510+24 4 Aparecidense3510+24 5 Mirassol329+25 6 Floresta328+12 7 Fast Clube318+13 8 Marcílio Dias297+8 Seed 3 and seed 4 were decided by a draw held on 28 December 2020, 11:00 at CBF headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.
Matches The matches were played from 2 to 10 January 2021.
Semi-finals The matches were played from 16 to 24 January 2021. Matches
Finals The matches were played on 30 January and 6 February 2021. Matches
Top goalscorers RankPlayerTeamGoals1Wallace Pernambucano América de Natal12Zé Love Brasiliense3Fabrício Daniel Mirassol11Tiago Marques Ferroviária5Alex Henrique Aparecidense10Fabinho Alves TupynambásThiago Santos Itabaiana8Adriano Portuguesa9Betinho AltosGustavo Coutinho CabofrienseLuquinhas Brasiliense
References