After seven years, Cruzeiro target state title and aim to end rivals’ run | OneFootball

Cruzeiro reached the final of the Campeonato Mineiro after defeating Pouso Alegre for the second time at Mineirão, by 1-0. The goal scored by Kaio Jorge means that the team led by Tite will play its third final of the decade and is still seeking its first title, something that hasn’t happened since 2019.

The last state championship won by Cruzeiro was precisely in 2019, before the start of the 2020s. Since then, the club has fallen short in the following editions (2020, 2021, 2023, and 2025) and lost two finals to Atlético Mineiro (2022 and 2024), accumulating the longest drought of the century. If they lift the trophy this season, Raposa will end a seven-year gap without winning the Mineiro and will celebrate their first state title of the 2020s.

The final, therefore, carries symbolic weight. Besides the battle for the title, Cruzeiro is trying to regain its prominence on the state scene after a period of rebuilding both on and off the field. Since 2019, the year they won the title but were relegated in the Brazilian Championship, the club has gone through the biggest institutional and financial crisis in its history, having spent three years in Série B and only returning to the top flight in 2023.

In 2020, in the first year after relegation, the team finished 5th and didn't even reach the semifinals, having to compete for the Troféu Inconfidência. On that occasion, Uberlândia, their opponent, had several players test positive for Covid-19, which led Raposa to forfeit the trophy.

In 2021, the team, then led by Felipe Conceição, was eliminated by América Mineiro in the semifinals.

The year 2022 marked the first after the transformation into a SAF, with the acquisition by Ronaldo Nazário. That season, Cruzeiro finished 3rd in the group stage of the Mineiro, advanced to the semifinals, and defeated Athletic Club in both matches. In the final, they were beaten by Atlético 3-1, finishing as runners-up.

In 2023, they were eliminated by América in the semifinals after losing both games (2-0 and 2-1). In 2024, they reached the final again and faced Atlético. The team, then managed by Larcamón, finished first in their group in the qualifying phase and eliminated Tombense in the semifinals (0-0 in the first leg and 3-1 in the second).

In the final, they drew the first match at Arena MRV against Atlético, 2-2, after coming from behind. At Mineirão, they took the lead and had the advantage of a draw, but ended up losing 3-1 after a comeback, once again finishing as runners-up.

Given this scenario, the state trophy has gained strategic status in the current administration. Internally, winning the Mineiro is treated as the main objective of the season, even by the SAF leadership. If the title is confirmed, it will be Pedro Lourenço’s first celebration at the helm of Cruzeiro’s professional football, as the president was present for the victory in the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior by the under-20 team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.