Corinthians 1976

The 1976 Corinthians reached the final of the Brazilian Championship and was the scene of the famous Corinthian Invasion at the Maracanã. The team was still experiencing the drought of titles that began after the 1954 Paulista Championship and transformed the campaign into a landmark in the history of the black and white supporters.

History

In 1976, Corinthians was going through a long period without major titles. The last trophy of significance had been the 1954 Paulista Championship, and pressure on the club grew each season. Nevertheless, the team had a consistent campaign in the Brazilian Championship and reached the decisive phases. The semifinal against Fluminense, played on December 5, 1976 at the Maracanã, went down in history. Tens of thousands of Corinthians supporters traveled from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro and occupied much of the stadium, in an episode that became known as the Corinthian Invasion. Under the rain, the match ended tied 1-1, and Corinthians advanced on penalties, with a decisive performance by goalkeeper Tobias. In the final, on December 12, 1976, Corinthians faced Internacional at the Beira-Rio and lost 2-0, with goals by Dario and Valdomiro. The Colorado team won their second consecutive Brazilian Championship. Even without the title, the 1976 campaign is considered one of the most symbolic in the club's history, because it showed the strength of the supporters' mobilization. The following year, in 1977, Corinthians ended the drought by winning the Paulista Championship.