Gremio's 2016 campaign was all but impressive, but their ninth spot did earn them a ticket for the Copa Libertadores nevertheless, which was the positive point of the season. The side from Porto Alegre bounced back one year later with a more than decent run in the Serie A, but the fans will remember this season for the Copa Libertadores win mostly. Renato Gaucho's men weren't that big of a favourite for the trophy at the start, but Gremio's confidence grew during the season and they managed to lift their third Copa Libertadores, the first one since 1995, eventually after beating Argentinian side Lanus in the final. A 1-0 win at home in Porto Alegre put them in the perfect position for the return against Lanus and goals scored by Fernandinho and Luan proved to be enough eventually to seal the deal, which made this season a huge success.
Gremio were in the race for the top spot in the Serie A as well, but closing the gap with Corinthians was just a bridge too far. The coaching staff decided to start with reserves in the last matches of the season as the regulars focused on the Copa Libertadores, which wasn't the best news for the league position as Gremio dropped to the fourth spot, one point behind Santos and Palmeiras. This won't bother the fans at all though. The Copa Libertadores win was more than they could have hoped for and the atmosphere in Porto Alegre couldn't have been better as a result as well.
