RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian football will look back on 2016 as a mixture of glory and tragedy, blending the conquest of Olympic gold at home and the sorrow caused by a plane crash, which killed 19 players, as well as coaches and managers of the Chapecoense football team.

The first half of the year proved very difficult. The legendary Brazilian squad could not seem to find its feet, languishing in sixth place of the South American qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, and being knocked out by Paraguay during the knockout stage of the Copa America Centenario.

A change was imminent when Aldenor Bacchi, known as Tite, took over as national coach from Dunga in June.

Under Tite's command, the "Selecao" was transformed, scoring six consecutive wins in the qualifiers to close the year on top of the rankings, with 27 points, four ahead of Uruguay in second place.

Alongside this reversal, the Brazilian team, led by Neymar, won the gold medal at home during the Rio Olympics, on the hallowed turf of the Maracana.

In the league, Brazilian football clubs took six direct qualifying spots for the Copa Libertadores: Palmeiras, Santos, Flamengo y Atletico Mineiro, for finishing in the top four spots of the Brazilian championship, Gremio, champion of the Brazilian Cup, and Chapecoense, considered as champions of the regional Copa Sudamericana.

Two more teams, Botafogo and Atletico Paranaense, who finished fifth and sixth in the league, will enter the play-offs to try and take yet another Copa Libertadores spot.

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