Cruzeiro return to Jaconi after a year, Libertadores spot secured | OneFootball

Almost a year after their last visit to Caxias do Sul, Cruzeiro returns to the Alfredo Jaconi stadium in a completely different scenario. On December 8th of last year, Raposa ended the Brazilian Championship by defeating Juventude 1-0, but finished the competition in ninth place with 52 points—one less than Bahia, which secured the last spot in the Pre-Libertadores.

Now, in November 2025, the reunion with the club from Rio Grande do Sul takes place under a new context. Even before stepping onto the field for the 33rd round, when they would face Fluminense, Cruzeiro mathematically secured its spot in the next edition of the Conmebol Libertadores. The confirmation came with São Paulo’s defeat to Bragantino, which left the team from Minas Gerais unreachable in the G-7, the zone that guarantees a spot in the continental tournament.

With a 19-point advantage over the eighth-placed team and only 15 points left in play, Cruzeiro secured its return to the most important competition in South America after six years of absence. This achievement represents a significant turnaround compared to the previous season—when, even with an away win in the final round, the club missed out by a single point.

Under the management of coach Leonardo Jardim, Cruzeiro underwent structural changes, revamped part of the squad, and found stability. The team currently holds third place in the Brasileirão and heads into the final stretch with a solid performance, reflecting the team’s evolution and, above all, consistency—something that was lacking last year. In 2024, after finishing the first half in 4th place with 33 points, Raposa, then under Fernando Diniz, had only the 14th best campaign in the second half, with 19 points.

This time, Alfredo Jaconi is no longer the stage for a bitter farewell and becomes a symbol of a new era. Cruzeiro returns to the stadium in Rio Grande do Sul not to mourn what slipped away, but to celebrate their return to the continent—the main goal since the beginning of the club’s restructuring.

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