In search of an unprecedented title, Cruzeiro has a double South American champion

In search of the unprecedented Copa Sudamericana title, Cruzeiro has two players who have already won the continental tournament. On Thursday (4), at 9pm (Brasília time), the celestial team will debut against Universidad Católica, in Quito, Ecuador. It will be the club’s seventh participation in history.

In the squad led by the Argentine Nicolás Larcamóngoalkeeper Anderson and defender Zé Ivaldo they were South American champions during the Athletico-PR days, in 2021. The coach was Alberto Valentim, from Minas Gerais, now at Ituano.

Before that, in 2018, under the command of Tiago Nunes, Zé Ivaldo was also South American champion with Athletico-PR. Furacão, in fact, is the only Brazilian with two titles. Internacional (2008), São Paulo (2012) and Chapecoense (2016) have lifted the trophy on other occasions.

This season, the Nicolás Larcamón’s men are in Group B of the group stagealongside Universidad Católica (Ecuador), Unión La Calera (Chile) and Alianza FC (Colombia).

Cruzeiro in the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana

• Round 1: Universidad Católica-EQU x Cruzeiro – 04/04 (Thursday), at 9pm, at Olímpico Atahualpa, in Quito
• Round 2: Cruzeiro x Alianza-COL – 11/4 (Thursday), at 9pm, at Mineirão, in Belo Horizonte
• Round 3: Unión La Calera-CHI x Cruzeiro – 4/23 (Tuesday), at 7pm, in Sausalito, in Viña del Mar
• Round 4: Alianza-COL x Cruzeiro – 7/05 (Tuesday), at 9:30 pm, at Armando Maestre Pavajeau, in Valledupar
• Round 5: Cruzeiro x Unión La Calera-CHI – 05/16 (Thursday), at 9pm, at Mineirão, in Belo Horizonte
• Round 6: Cruzeiro x Universidad Católica-EQU – 05/30 (Thursday), at 9pm, at Mineirão, in Belo Horizonte

Retrospect of Cruzeiro in the South American

Two-time champion of the Copa Libertadores, Cruzeiro never went beyond the round of 16 in the South American Championship. Overall, the celestial team entered the field 16 times in the competition, with seven wins, two draws and another seven defeats. In total, 18 goals were scored and 20 conceded.

The best campaigns in Cruzeiro’s history in the South American Championship were recorded in 2004 and 2005, when the club reached the round of 16.

Participate in Itatiaia Esporte channels: