growth of football popularity amongst lower classes generated a rift in the lpf. their directors had defended that football should remain an elitist sport. this difference in opinion led to creation of another competing league, the associação paulista de esportes atléticos (paulista association of athletic sports), apea, which promoted the sport among all social classes. corinthians and palestra itália (a new club founded by italian immigrants), and paulistano helped to comprise the new league.