Brazilian championship second strongest in world

 　　SAO PAULO, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The International Federation¹ of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) Tuesday said that the Brazilian national league, the Campeonato Brasileiro, was the second strongest in 2012.

　　The Brazilian tournament climbed to second place thanks to Corinthians' success in the World Club Cup.

　　"The Brazilian, German, Italian and English leagues are at the same level, but the Brazilian division takes second place due to Corinthians' participation² in the World Club Cup. Without these 34 points, the German and Italian championships would be in front of the Brasileiro," an IFFHS spokesman said.

　　The Brazilian championship finished 2012 with 1,057 points, just 20 more than the German Bundesliga. England's Premier³ League trailed in fifth position.

　　The Campeonato Brasileiro continues to grow in strength and stature⁴ as an increasing number of top level players are either staying in the country or returning earlier in their careers than previous generations.

　　The 20-year-old Neymar has confirmed he will be remaining at Santos until the 2014 World Cup, whilst Sao Paulo's Luis Fabiano rejected lucrative⁵ offers from Champions League sides to return to his homeland.

　　In addition, experienced world-class veterans are also contributing to the enhanced strength of the league. Diego Forlan and Clarence Seedorf last year joined Internacional and Botafogo respectively, and two-time Champions League winner Deco helped Fluminense lift the 2012 Brazilian title.

1 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

2 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

3 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

4 stature   

n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材

参考例句：

• He is five feet five inches in stature.他身高5英尺5英寸。
• The dress models are tall of stature.时装模特儿的身材都较高。

5 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。