O São Caetano foi campeão paulista pela primeira vez em 2004, ao vencer o Paulista de Jundiaí por 3 a 1 e 2 a 0 na final. Naquele ano, o zagueiro Serginho morreu durante um jogo no Morumbi.
São Caetano 2004
São Caetano 2004 won the first Paulista Championship in the club's history by defeating Paulista de Jundiaí in the final. The same year was marked by the death of defender Serginho in a match against São Paulo at Morumbi.
History
São Caetano arrived at 2004 as one of the forces of Brazilian football. Under the command of Muricy Ramalho in the decisive phase, the team won the Paulista Championship for the first time. In the final, Azulão faced Paulista de Jundiaí. They won the first leg 3-1 away from home and confirmed the title with a 2-0 victory at Pacaembu on April 18, 2004. The year had its saddest episode on October 27, during the match against São Paulo at Morumbi for the Brazilian Championship. Defender Serginho suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest in the 14th minute of the second half and died. The autopsy showed asymmetric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. After the incident, the club lost 24 points in the 2004 Brazilian Championship. Serginho's death also led Brazilian football to adopt defibrillators and ambulances in stadiums on match days as a mandatory protocol.