. ▁Th irty ▁teams ▁participated . ▁Gr êm io ▁beat ▁Internacional ▁in ▁the ▁final s ▁and ▁won ▁their ▁ 3 2 nd ▁title . ▁Six teen ▁teams ▁were ▁re leg ated . ▁ ▁Part icip ating ▁teams ▁ ▁System ▁The ▁championship ▁would ▁have ▁seven ▁stages : ▁▁ ▁Division ▁A : ▁The ▁eigh teen ▁teams ▁that ▁had ▁qualified ▁to ▁Division ▁A ▁in ▁the ▁previous ▁year ▁were ▁divided ▁into ▁three ▁groups ▁of ▁six , ▁in ▁which ▁each ▁team ▁played ▁the ▁teams ▁of ▁its ▁own ▁group ▁in ▁a ▁double ▁round - ro bin ▁system . ▁The ▁four ▁best ▁teams ▁in ▁each ▁group ▁qualified ▁to ▁the ▁Second ▁phase , ▁while ▁the ▁bottom ▁two ▁teams ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁Re pe ch age . ▁C ax ias ▁and ▁Santo ▁ Â ng elo , ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁performance ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁Copa ▁ Ê nio ▁And rade , ▁were ▁automatically ▁qualified ▁regardless ▁of ▁placing ▁and ▁earned ▁an ▁extra ▁point ▁in ▁the ▁Second ▁phase . ▁ ▁Division ▁B : ▁The ▁eight ▁teams ▁that ▁had ▁qualified ▁to ▁Division ▁B ▁in ▁the ▁previous ▁year ▁joined ▁the ▁four ▁teams ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁promoted ▁from ▁the ▁Second ▁level , ▁and ▁were ▁divided ▁into ▁two ▁groups ▁of ▁six , ▁in ▁which ▁each ▁team ▁played ▁the ▁teams ▁of ▁its ▁own ▁group ▁in ▁a ▁double ▁round - ro bin ▁system . ▁the ▁best ▁team ▁in ▁each ▁group ▁qualified ▁to ▁the ▁Re pe ch age , ▁while ▁the ▁others ▁were ▁re leg ated ▁to ▁the ▁Second ▁level ▁of ▁that ▁same ▁year . ▁ ▁Second