Campeonato Cearense
Season2021
Dates10 February – 23 May
ChampionsFortaleza (44th title)
RelegatedBarbalha
Guarany de Sobral
Copa do BrasilCeará
Ferroviário
Fortaleza (via 2021 Série A)
Série DCrato
Icasa
Pacajus
Copa do NordesteFortaleza
Ceará (via RNC)
Copa do Nordeste qualificationFerroviário
Atlético Cearense
Floresta (via RNC)
Matches played59
Goals scored181 (3.07 per match)
Top goalscorerOlávio (14 goals)
← 2020
2022 →

The 2021 Campeonato Cearense (officially the Cearense Ypióca 2021 for sponsorship reasons)[1] was the 107th edition of Ceará's top professional football league organized by FCF. The competition began on 10 February 2021.[2]

Due to the worsening of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, the Government of Ceará suspended the Campeonato Cearense on 11 March 2021.[3] The tournament resumed on 1 May 2021,[4] and ended on 23 May 2021.

In the final, the defending champions Fortaleza and Ceará tied 0–0. Fortaleza were declared champions, winning their 44th title, due to their best performance in the tournament.[5]

Format

In the first stage the teams (except the teams that participated in the 2021 Copa do Nordeste, Ceará and Fortaleza) played the other teams in a single round-robin tournament. Top six teams advanced to the second stage, while the bottom two teams were relegated to 2022 Campeonato Cearense Série B. First stage winners qualified for the 2022 Copa do Brasil.

In the second stage the first stage teams and Ceará and Fortaleza played in a single round-robin tournament. Top four teams advanced to the semi-finals.

Semi-finals and final were played on a single-leg basis, with the higher-seeded team hosting the leg. If tied, the higher-seeded team would be the winners. Champions qualified for the 2022 Copa do Brasil.[6]

Teams

Club Home city
Atlético Cearense Fortaleza
Barbalha Barbalha
Caucaia Caucaia
Ceará Fortaleza
Crato Crato
Ferroviário Fortaleza
Fortaleza Fortaleza
Guarany de Sobral Sobral
Icasa Juazeiro do Norte
Pacajus Pacajus

First stage

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Ferroviário 7 5 1 1 12 5 +7 16 Advance to the second stage and qualify for the 2022 Copa do Brasil
2 Pacajus 7 3 4 0 9 3 +6 13 Advance to the second stage
3 Atlético Cearense 7 3 3 1 12 8 +4 12
4 Caucaia 7 3 1 3 14 6 +8 10
5 Icasa 7 2 4 1 9 7 +2 10
6 Crato 7 1 2 4 6 9 −3 5
7 Guarany de Sobral (R) 7 1 2 4 4 10 −6 5 Relegation to the 2022 Campeonato Cearense Série B
8 Barbalha (R) 7 1 1 5 5 23 −18 4
Source: FCF
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Wins; 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Head-to-head result (only between two teams); 6) Draw.
(R) Relegated

Second stage

On 10 March (1st round), Caucaia fielded, against Pacajus, the ineligible player Hugo Freitas. Due to this, Caucaia were deducted six points and sanctioned with a fine of R$5,000 after they were punished, on 23 March, by Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva do Futebol do Ceará (TJDF).[7]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Fortaleza 7 5 2 0 20 2 +18 17 Advance to the semi-finals
2 Ferroviário 7 5 2 0 14 4 +10 17
3 Ceará 7 4 1 2 15 8 +7 13
4 Atlético Cearense 7 3 2 2 21 11 +10 11
5 Pacajus 7 2 3 2 10 9 +1 9
6 Crato 7 1 1 5 7 23 −16 4
7 Icasa 7 1 0 6 3 19 −16 3
8 Caucaia[a] 7 1 1 5 11 25 −14 −2
Source: FCF
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Wins; 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Head-to-head result (only between two teams); 6) Draw.
Notes:
  1. ^ Caucaia were deducted six points.

Final stages

Semi-finals

Fortaleza6–0Atlético Cearense
Lucas Crispim 10', 74'
Yago Pikachu 61'
Luiz Henrique 84'
Romarinho 88'
Ronald 90'		 Report
Castelão, Fortaleza
Attendance: 0
Referee: Antônio Magno Lima Cordeiro
Ferroviário0–3Ceará
Report Klaus 74'
Saulo Mineiro 78', 87'
Castelão, Fortaleza
Attendance: 0
Referee: Luiz César de Oliveira Magalhães

Final

Fortaleza0–0Ceará
Report
Castelão, Fortaleza
Attendance: 0
Referee: Rafael Traci (Santa Catarina)

Overall table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Fortaleza 9 6 3 0 26 2 +24 21 Champions and 2022 Copa do Brasil[a]
2 Ceará 9 5 2 2 18 8 +10 17 Runners-up and 2022 Copa do Brasil
3 Ferroviário 8 5 2 1 14 7 +7 17 2022 Copa do Brasil
4 Atlético Cearense 8 3 2 3 21 17 +4 11
5 Pacajus 7 2 3 2 10 9 +1 9 2022 Série D
6 Crato 7 1 1 5 7 23 −16 4
7 Icasa 7 1 0 6 3 19 −16 3
8 Caucaia[b] 7 1 1 5 11 25 −14 −2
9 Guarany de Sobral 7 1 2 4 4 10 −6 5 Relegation to the 2022 Campeonato Cearense Série B
10 Barbalha 7 1 1 5 5 23 −18 4
Source: FCF
Notes:
  1. ^ Fortaleza qualified for the 2022 Copa do Brasil via 2021 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.
  2. ^ Caucaia were deducted six points.

Top goalscorers

No. Player Club Goals
1 Olávio Atlético Cearense 14
2 Ciel Caucaia 8
3 Adilson Bahia Ferroviário 7
Valdo Bacabal Atlético Cearense

References

  1. ^ "Ypióca e Federação Cearense de Futebol renovam naming rights do Cearense" (in Portuguese). MKTEsportivo. 9 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Cearense Série A inicia com dois empates sem gols" (in Portuguese). FCF. 10 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Governo do Ceará amplia lockdown, paralisa Estadual, mas Nordestão e Copa do Brasil seguem liberados" (in Portuguese). Globo. 11 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Cearense retorna no sábado; veja jogos da segunda rodada da segunda fase" (in Portuguese). Globo. 26 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Fortaleza é Tricampeão Cearense" (in Portuguese). FCF. 23 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Regulamento Específico da Competição Campeonato Cearense da Série A 2021" (PDF) (in Portuguese). FCF.
  7. ^ "Caucaia perde seis pontos na Justiça e é multado por escalação irregular" (in Portuguese). Globo. 23 March 2021.
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