The Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa, also known as Taça de Prata, or nicknamed Robertão, was an association football competition contested in Brazil between 1967 and 1970 among soccer teams from São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais and Paraná states. It was an important soccer tournament, being considered a predecessor to the Brazilian Championship induced in 1971. Thus in 2010 the Brazilian Football Confederation decided to consider the winners of the Robertão as Brazilian champions. The 1st edition of the tournament was organized by Federação de Futebol do Estado do Rio de Janeiro and Federação Paulista de Futebol. History Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa, nicknamed Robertão, was created in 1967 from the Torneio Rio-São Paulo, a traditional football competition contested by the major clubs from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, considered the strongest state federations. Since 1967, Torneio Rio-São Paulo had not been held until the revival in 1993, paving the way for the organization of Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa at that time. The 1967 edition of Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa was the first tournament that congregated all the main clubs of Brazil, named after the former president of São Paulo's football federation, Roberto Gomes Pedrosa (1913-1954). Since 1968, the tournament was also called the Taça de Prata (Silver Trophy) and considered the most important competition of Brazilian football. Between 1959 and 1964 the winner of the Taça Brasil, a knockout competition which was contended in Brazil between 1959 and 1968, provided the Brazilian entrant for the following season's Copa Libertadores. The Copa Libertadores was expanded for 1966 and two Brazilian teams were allowed to enter; both the winners and runners-up of the 1965 and 1966 Taça Brasil entered the Copa Libertadores. Following the formation of the Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa in 1967, one Brazilian Copa Libertadores place went to the winner of the Taça Brasil, and one to the winner of the Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa in 1967 and 1968 Brazilian seasons. 1968 was the last year the Taça Brasil was contested; in 1969 and 1970 the top two finishers in the Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa entered the following season's Copa Libertadores. However, due to the misunderstandings between the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBD) and CONMEBOL, Brazil turned out not participating of the Copa Libertadores in 1969 and 1970, but the CBD came back to indicate Fluminense and Palmeiras, the champions and runners-up of Robertão 1970,