Copa União
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In the 1987 year, CBF (the official representative of FIFA in Brazil) argued that they had no finances to make a new Brazilian Championship that time, so the 13 most popular Brazilians soccer clubs formed an alliance, the Club of the 13, to realize one national championship, called Copa União (Union Cup). The CBF agreed with their rules and would legitimate that championship as an Brazilian Championship. The Club of the 13 invited three other clubs and organized the tournament as a double round robin from which four teams qualified for the semifinals.
Then, the 1987 Brazilian Championship started whith massive support of the fans, the media and patronaged by Coca-Cola and Rede Globo. Copa União, organized by the Club of the 13 and considered to be the first division, was a rebirth of a successful national championship. Later, seeing the fame and glory of the new Copa União, CBF created and formed another group, the "Brazil Cup", reuniting 2 clubs that stayed out of "Copa União" and the other teams of second division. With that new group, CBF designed a new Brazilian championship in which the ongoing Copa União would be the "Green Module" and their own Brazil Cup the "Yellow Module". Flamengo was the winner of Copa União, defeating Internacional after home and away matches.
During the championship, CBF determined that Green Module's two finalists should play a final group stage with the Yellow Module's two finalists: Sport Recife and Guarani. The Club of the 13, who organized the Copa União, didn't agree with this crossing, so Flamengo and Internacional never played that games. Sport eventually beat Guarani to claim the title. CBF officially recognizes Sport as the national champions.
Flamengo, Internacional and the Club of the 13, however, have never recognized the decision and consider Flamengo and Internacional as champion and runner-up of the 1987 National Championship. Also, the Brazilian Supreme Court of Sports recognises the title of Flamengo, while CBF says Sport Recife is the champion of the Braziliam Championship of 1987.
Sport and Guarani represented Brazil in the 1988 Copa Libertadores de América. The trophy of the 1987 Brazilian Championship sits in Sport's museum, which is open to visitors.
The Copa União trophy sits in Flamengo's trophies room, open to visitors as well. [1]
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