During January the club reinforced the squad with central back Sandro Blum from Juventude, offensive Midfielder
Djalminha from
Guarani FC and left-back
Júnior from
Esporte Clube Vitoria. The team won the
Campeonato Paulista playing the best campaign in the professional history of that competition. Managed by
Wanderley Luxemburgo and his tactical system known as "Magic Square"(4-2-2-2), the team grabbed 83 points out of 90 possible, and scoring 102 goals in 30 matches. In
Copa do Brasil the squad advanced to semifinals and defeated
1995 Copa Libertadores incumbent champions
Gremio. Shockingly, the heavy-favourite club lost the
1996 Copa do Brasil Final against
Cruzeiro at
Parque Antartica playing without two key players: defensive Midfielder
Flavio Conceicao and Forward
Müller. During summer, the club transferred out
Rivaldo to
Deportivo La Coruña (after the Spanish club paid $7,0 million),
Amaral to
Parma and
Müller to
São Paulo following a contract-dispute (loaned from
Kashiwa Reysol which owned 50% of the contract that ended on 9 June) losing offensive ground for the upcoming
Campeonato Brasileiro and therefore the team is being early eliminated by
Gremio in
Quarterfinals.
Rivaldo,
Cafu, Marcos, Junior, Roque Júnior, and Luizao were called up to have been playing in the Brazil national football team managed by
Luiz Felipe Scolari to win the
2002 FIFA World Cup Final. ==Squad==