Idman.biz
The main surprise of the season in Brazil was the club "Mirassol", representing the state of São Paulo. The team finished the championship in fourth place and qualified for the Copa Libertadores.
Idman.Biz reports that "Mirassol" played in the semi-professional D Series as recently as 2020. This season, for the first time in its history, the club was promoted to the Brazilian A Series.
The team's success is not due to a large budget or star players. "Mirassol" has the smallest budget in the league. Its most famous player is 36-year-old Reinaldo. The defender, who was once dismissed from Gremio, was third in the A Series in terms of goal + assist with 13 goals and 6 assists.
There are other interesting stories in the squad. Striker Alesson spent last season at the Russian club Torpedo, but was unable to prove himself in the league. After returning to Brazil, he became one of the main players of "Mirassol".
The main secret of success is in management. This season, former Barcelona player Paulinho was appointed as the club's sporting director. He finished his football career in 2024 and immediately started his managerial career.
It was Paulinho who chose the right head coach for the team. Although Rafael Guanaes started working at the club as an unknown name, he gave "Mirassol" a clear and recognizable playing style. The team even controlled the ball 63 percent of the time against "Flamengo".
