# 2023 Campeonato Cearense

The 2023 Campeonato Cearense (officially the Campeonato Cearense 1XBET 2023 for sponsorship reasons) was the 109th edition of Ceará's top professional football league organized by FCF. The competition began on 14 January and ended on 8 April 2023. Fortaleza are the defending champions.

## Format

In the first stage, the 10 teams were drawn into two groups of five teams each.
| Group A | Group B |
| IguatuBarbalhaCaucaiaCearáAtlético Cearense | FerroviárioFortalezaGuarani de JuazeiroMaracanãPacajus |
Each team will play on a single round-robin tournament against the five clubs from the other group. The winners of each group will advance to the semi-finals, while the runners-up and third place will advance to the quarter-finals.
The bottom two teams of each group will play the relegation stage. The relegation stage will be played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The bottom two teams will be relegated to 2024 Campeonato Cearense Série B.
In the first stage and the relegation stage, the teams will be ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, the following criteria will be used to determine the ranking: 1. Wins; 2. Goal difference; 3. Goals scored; 4. Fewest red cards; 5. Fewest yellow cards; 6. Draw in the headquarters of the FCF.
Quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals will be played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If tied on aggregate, the penalty shoot-out will be used to determine the winners. For the finals, the team with best performance in the semi-finals and the first stage will host the second leg.
Champions and runners-up will qualify for the 2024 Copa do Brasil. Top three teams not already qualified for 2024 Série A, Série B or Série C will qualify for 2024 Série D.

## First stage
### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Ceará | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 3 | +11 | 13 | Advance to the semi-finals |
| 2 | Iguatu | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 10 | Advance to quarter-finals |
| 3 | Atlético Cearense | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 8 | Advance to quarter-finals |
| 4 | Caucaia | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 6 | Advance to relegation stage |
| 5 | Barbalha | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 13 | −7 | 3 | Advance to relegation stage |

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Fortaleza | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 12 | Advance to the semi-finals |
| 2 | Maracanã | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 8 | Advance to quarter-finals |
| 3 | Ferroviário | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 7 | Advance to quarter-finals |
| 4 | Pacajus | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 4 | Advance to relegation stage |
| 5 | Guarani de Juazeiro | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 19 | −16 | 0 | Advance to relegation stage |

## Relegation stage
### Standings and Results

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation | CAU | BAR | PAC | GUA |
| 1 | Caucaia | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 12 | | | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| 2 | Barbalha | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 9 | | 1–2 | | 1–0 | 0–1 |
| 3 | Pacajus (R) | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 8 | Relegation to 2024 Série B | 1–1 | 1–2 | | 7–0 |
| 4 | Guarani de Juazeiro (R) | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 14 | −11 | 4 | Relegation to 2024 Série B | 1–1 | 1–4 | 0–1 | |

## Final stages
### Bracket

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| | | | | Ferroviário | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | |
| Ferroviário | 2 | 3 | 5 | Fortaleza | 1 | 4 | 5 | | | | |
| Maracanã | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | Fortaleza | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | Ceará | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| | | | | Iguatu | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | |
| Atlético Cearense | 1 | 0 | 1 | Ceará | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | | |
| Iguatu | 2 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | |

### Quarter-finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Atlético Cearense | 1–3 | Iguatu | 1–2 | 0–1 |
| Ferroviário | 5–1 | Maracanã | 2–0 | 3–1 |

#### Group D
### Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Iguatu | 1–3 | Ceará | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| Ferroviário | 1–5 | Fortaleza | 1–1 | 0–4 |

#### Group F
### Finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Fortaleza | 4–3 | Ceará | 2–1 | 2–2 |

#### Matches

| Fortaleza | Ceará |
| GK | 16 | Fernando Miguel |
| DF | 2 | Tinga (c) |
| DF | 19 | Emanuel Brítez |
| DF | 4 | Titi |
| DF | 6 | Bruno Pacheco |
| MF | 88 | Lucas Sasha |
| MF | 8 | Caio Alexandre | 24' | 75' |
| MF | 7 | Tomás Pochettino | | 80' |
| FW | 21 | Moisés | | 75' |
| FW | 91 | Thiago Galhardo | 90+6' |
| FW | 9 | Juan Martín Lucero | | 85' |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 12 | Kennedy | 24' |
| DF | 3 | Brayan Ceballos |
| DF | 5 | Marcelo Benevenuto |
| DF | 20 | Dudu |
| MF | 10 | Lucas Crispim |
| MF | 17 | Zé Welison |
| MF | 22 | Yago Pikachu | | 80' |
| MF | 27 | Calebe | | 75' |
| MF | 31 | Amorim |
| MF | 35 | Hércules | | 75' |
| FW | 11 | Romarinho | 90+5' | 85' |
| FW | 29 | Guilherme |
| Coach: ||
| Juan Pablo Vojvoda ||
| GK | 1 | Richard |
| DF | 17 | Warley |
| DF | 3 | Tiago Pagnussat |
| DF | 4 | David Ricardo | 63' |
| DF | 22 | Willian Formiga | | 81' |
| MF | 6 | Richardson (c) | 31' | 63' |
| MF | 8 | Arthur Rezende | 90+1' |
| MF | 99 | Guilherme Castilho | | 63' |
| FW | 11 | Erick | | 84' |
| FW | 77 | Janderson | | 63' |
| FW | 63 | Vitor Gabriel |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 12 | Alfredo Aguilar |
| DF | 13 | Luiz Otávio |
| DF | 15 | Gabriel Lacerda |
| DF | 23 | Danilo Barcelos | | 81' |
| DF | 88 | Michel Macedo |
| MF | 5 | Caíque Gonçalves | 83' | 63' |
| MF | 10 | Jean Carlos |
| MF | 14 | Chay | | 63' |
| MF | 80 | Léo Rafael |
| MF | 95 | Willian Maranhão |
| FW | 31 | Hygor | | 84' |
| FW | 90 | Luvannor | | 63' |
| Coach: ||
| Gustavo Morínigo ||
* Assistant referees:
* Bruno Raphael Pires (Goiás)
* Bruno Boschilia (Paraná)
* Fourth official:
* Leandro Pedro Vuaden (Rio Grande do Sul)
* Fifth official:
* Jorge Fernando Teixeira Bandeira Filho
* Video assistant referee:
* Pablo Ramon Gonçalves Pinheiro (Rio Grande do Norte)
* Assistant video assistant referees:
* Lucas Paulo Torezin (Paraná)
| Ceará | Fortaleza |
| GK | 1 | Richard |
| DF | 17 | Warley | 90+1' |
| DF | 3 | Tiago Pagnussat | | 78' |
| DF | 13 | Luiz Otávio (c) |
| DF | 22 | Willian Formiga | | 78' |
| MF | 5 | Caíque Gonçalves |
| MF | 8 | Arthur Rezende |
| MF | 14 | Chay | 14' | 66' |
| FW | 11 | Erick |
| FW | 77 | Janderson | | 70' |
| FW | 63 | Vitor Gabriel | | 78' |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 12 | Alfredo Aguilar |
| DF | 4 | David Ricardo |
| DF | 15 | Gabriel Lacerda |
| DF | 23 | Danilo Barcelos | | 78' |
| DF | 88 | Michel Macedo |
| MF | 10 | Jean Carlos | | 66' |
| MF | 80 | Léo Rafael |
| MF | 95 | Willian Maranhão |
| MF | 99 | Guilherme Castilho | | 78' |
| FW | 31 | Hygor | | 78' |
| FW | 90 | Luvannor | | 70' |
| Coach: ||
| Gustavo Morínigo ||
| GK | 16 | Fernando Miguel |
| DF | 2 | Tinga (c) | 61' |
| DF | 19 | Emanuel Brítez | 64' |
| DF | 4 | Titi |
| DF | 6 | Bruno Pacheco | | 82' |
| MF | 88 | Lucas Sasha |
| MF | 8 | Caio Alexandre |
| MF | 7 | Tomás Pochettino | | 46' |
| FW | 21 | Moisés | | 77' |
| FW | 91 | Thiago Galhardo | | 77' |
| FW | 9 | Juan Martín Lucero |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 12 | Kennedy |
| DF | 3 | Brayan Ceballos |
| DF | 5 | Marcelo Benevenuto | | | 90+1' |
| DF | 20 | Dudu |
| MF | 10 | Lucas Crispim | | 82' |
| MF | 17 | Zé Welison |
| MF | 22 | Yago Pikachu | 90+2' | 77' |
| MF | 27 | Calebe | 89' | 46' |
| MF | 35 | Hércules |
| FW | 11 | Romarinho | | 77' | 90+1' |
| FW | 18 | Silvio Romero | 89' |
| FW | 29 | Guilherme |
| Coach: ||
| Juan Pablo Vojvoda ||
* Assistant referees:
* Luanderson Lima dos Santos (Bahia)
* Leila Naiara Moreira da Cruz (Distrito Federal)
* Fourth official:
* Yuri Elino Ferreira da Cruz (Rio de Janeiro)
* Fifth official:
* José Moracy de Sousa e Silva
* Video assistant referee:
* Igor Junio Benevenuto de Oliveira (Minas Gerais)
* Assistant video assistant referees:
* Frederico Soares Vilarinho (Minas Gerais)