The ¨Black Beast¨ as they are known in Chile established a legacy of persistency back in 1997 as they became the Copa Libertadores team with the most losses to have ever won the title. Three losses to start out the tournament would have ruled almost any team out the getting past the group stages.

All in all, they played from behind a good amount of the time yet there was enough intestinal fortitude to come back and end up ahead. They also endured a coaching change that was in many books the catalyst for their amazing turnaround. Paulo Autuori was given his walking papers mid-season and Brazilian international Oscar Bernardi. Bernardi woul help reload the team with important players like Palhinha and Elivélton, two players who were important pieces to the São Paulo dynasty a back in the early 90´s when they dominated the world football scene. Defender Wilson Gottardo and forward Marcelo would energize the boys from Belo Horizonte and the story would slowly be told. These players would mesh well with players like Brazilian international Mauro Galvão, Ricardinho, Donizete, and a young goalkeeper who would become the backstop for some very important teams at AC Milan- Dida.

They earned a spot to the final where they would face Peru´s Sporting Cristal. The Peruvians were the first team from that country to reach the finals of the premiere club tournament in the western hemisphere in 25 years. They were also the surprise team of the tournament after eliminating Racing Club, and former champs Vélez Sarsfield along the way. The side coached by Sergio Markarían had some incredibly talented young stars that would eventually make names for themselves in the game as was the case with Nolberto Solano, Flavio Maestri, and Roberto Palacios. They happened to have locked horns in group play when Sporting beat Cruzeiro in Lima 1-0 and the Brazilians returned the favor 2-1, thus allowing the Brazilians to qualify. In the away leg of the final both sides played to a scoreless draw in Lima. In the return leg the Raposa would end up on top with a goal by Elivélton.



Road to the Title

Group Stage
19/02/97 Cruzeiro 1 (Aílton), Gremio 2 (Zé Alcino y Emerson)
25/02/97 Alianza Lima 1 (Waldir Saenz), Cruzeiro 0
28/02/97 Sporting Cristal 1 (Julinho), Cruzeiro 0
12/03/97 Gremio 0, Cruzeiro 1 (Palinha)
18/03/97 Cruzeiro 2 (Reinaldo y Palinha), Alianza Lima 0
11/04/97 Cruzeiro 2 (Alex y Reinaldo), Sporting Cristal 1 (Manuel Marengo)

Second Round
07/05/97 El Nacional 1 (Kléver Chalá), Cruzeiro 0
14/05/97 Cruzeiro 2 (Marcelo 2), El Nacional 1 (Joffre Arroyo)
CRU win in PKs 5-3

Quarters
27/05/97 Cruzeiro 2 (Elivelton y Alex), Gremio 0
03/06/97 Gremio 2 (Mauro Galvao y Ze Alcino), Cruzeiro 1 (Fabinho)


Semis
23/07/97 Cruzeiro 1 (Marcelo), Colo Colo 0
30/07/97 Colo Colo 3 (Ivo Basay 3 (2p)), Cruzeiro 1 (Marcelo)
CRU win in PKs 4-1

Final
06/08/97 Sporting Cristal 0, Cruzeiro 0
13/08/97 Cruzeiro 1 (Elivélton), Sporting Cristal 0


Some factoids:

Only Brazilian side to win the domestic treble (state, national, and Copa do Brasil) in the same year.