| Countries | Mexico |
|---|---|
| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Founded | 1943 |
| Divisions | 4 |
| Number of teams | 18 |
| Levels on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Liga de Ascenso |
| Domestic cup(s) | Copa México (Defunct) |
| International cup(s) | CONCACAF Champions League, Copa Libertadores |
| Current champions | Tigres UANL (2011 Apertura) |
| Most championships | Guadalajara (11 titles) |
| TV partners | Televisa TV Azteca Sky Sports Mexico ESPN Mexico Univision Telemundo Fox Deportes ESPN Deportes Azteca America TeleFutura Telelatino |
| Website | www.femexfut.org.mx |
| 2011-12 season | |
The Primera División Profesional (Professional First Division), known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing for league titles. However, in July 2011, groups were removed. Each season the league holds two tournaments, the Apertura in the winter and the Clausura in the summer. The league is currently ranked number 12 in the world and number 10 in the last decade (2001–2010) by the IFFHS.[1][2]
Prior to the Liga Mayor, there was no national football league in Mexico, and football competitions were held within relatively small geographical regions. The winners of the Primera Fuerza, a local league consisting of teams near and around Mexican Federal District, was considered the national competition. There were other regional leagues such as the Liga Veracruzana, Liga Occidental of Jalisco and Liga del Bajío that also had notable clubs. Many club owners were not keen on the idea of establishing a professional league, despite paying players under the table. With the increasing demand of football, there was a sense of urgency to unite all the local amateur leagues in Mexico to progress as a football nation. The professional national league was finally established in 1943.[3]
When the F.M.F. announced the formation of the nation's first professional league, many clubs petitioned to join the newly formed league. The F.M.F. announced that ten clubs would form the Liga Mayor (Major League). The first members of the league were founded by six clubs of the Primera Fuerza of Mexico City, two clubs from the Liga Occidental and two members from the Liga Veracruzana.
Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, many small clubs faced economic difficulties which were attributed to the lack of international competition by Mexican clubs and an unrewarding league format. As a result of the difficulties suffered by smaller teams, financially affluent Deportivo Guadalajara was able to capture 8 championships within a relatively short time span. Mexican clubs that placed high in the league standings could not afford to participate in prestigious international tournaments such as the Copa Libertadores as did many South American and European clubs.
The 1970 World Cup held in Mexico was the first World Cup televised on a grand scale. The season following the FIFA World Cup, the F.M.F. changed the league format and established a playoff phase to determine the national champion. This was done to regenerate interest and reward teams that placed fairly high in the standings.
In 1996, the league decided to split the season into two championships. This measure was done to generate additional revenues to finance the F.M.F.'s lower divisions. The league holds two tournaments per year, originally called invierno (winter) and verano (summer), now changed to apertura (opening - running from August to December) and clausura (closing - running from January to May). The change was done to correspond with FIFA's world footballing calendar, which "opens" in July/August and "closes" in April/May of the next year. So throughout the footballing world, the action lasts about ten months. In Europe, where tournaments are played as one single championship throughout the year, there is only one champion per year. In the case of Mexico, Argentina and other countries in South America, a new champion is crowned about every five months, or two per year.
Every season, The 18 teams are split into three groups of six, either group one, group two, or group three. They remain in their respective groups throughout the two tournaments played that season. The qualification phase of the tournament lasts 17 weeks, as all teams play each other once per tournament in a home and home series over both tournaments. The qualifying teams reach the liguilla phase of the respective tournament. As of June 7, 2011 the League has decided to do away with the 3 groups and allow the top 8 to directly qualify to the "Liguilla" phase of the tournament, thus eliminating the 'Repechage' match when a 4th place team from one group had more points than the third place team from a different group, along with that, they also changed who the qualifiers from the Apertura would be for the 2012 Edition of the Copa Libertadores, which would be the top 3 team who are not qualified for the Concacaf champions league or Conca-champions as the tournament is called.
La liguilla is the playoff phase of the tournament. This phase starts with eight qualifying teams and is played in the "tie" format in two-leg aggregate-score, similar to the quarterfinals and semifinals of the UEFA Champions League. The first six qualifying teams are the two best clubs from each of the three groups. The best two clubs on the General Classification Table who are not among the top two in their respective group round up the eight qualifiers. The Elimination bracket goes from an 8 team quarterfinal, to a 4 team semifinal, and a final. The Champion team is awarded the First division trophy, and the runner up is awarded a smaller version of the trophy as well. Each player receives a medal respective to their team's placement. The birth of la liguilla in 1970, modernized the league despite the disagreements between the traditionalists and the modernists. Clubs that were near bankruptcy were now better able to compete and generate profits.
At the end of a season, after the Apertura and Clausura tournaments, one team is relegated to the next lower division, Liga de Ascenso, and one team from that division is promoted and takes the place left open by the relegated team. Currently, the relegated team is determined by computing the points-per-game-played ratio for each team, considering all the games played by the team during the last two seasons (four tournaments). The team with the lowest ratio is relegated. For teams recently promoted, only the games played since their promotion are considered (two or four tournaments). The team promoted from Liga de Ascenso is the winner of a two-leg match between the champions of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments of that division. If a team becomes the champion in both tournaments, it is automatically promoted.
| Currently Promoted To (The Primera Division) |
| Club Tijuana |
| Currently Relegated From (The Primera Division) |
| Necaxa |
| Currently Promoted To (Liga de Ascenso) |
| Club Celaya |
| Primera División | |||||||
| Name | Manager | City | Stadium | Capacity | First Season In
First Division |
First Season of
Current Spell In 1st Division |
Nickname |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| America | Miguel Herrera | Mexico D.F | Azteca | 114,000 | 1943–44 | 1943–44 | Las Águilas (The Eagles) |
| Atlante | Mario García | Cancún, Quintana Roo | Andrés Quintana Roo | 20,000 | 1943–44 | 1991–92 | Los Potros de Hierro (The Iron Colts) |
| Atlas | Juan Carlos Chávez | Guadalajara, Jalisco | Jalisco | 60,713 | 1943–44 | 1979-80 | Los Zorros (The Foxes) |
| Guadalajara | Fernando Quirarte | Guadalajara, Jalisco | Omnilife | 49,850 | 1943–44 | 1943–44 | Las Chivas (The Goats), El Rebaño Sagrado (The Sacred Herd) |
| Cruz Azul | Enrique Meza | Mexico, D.F. | Azul | 35,161 | 1964–65 | 1964–65 | La Máquina Azul (The Blue Machine) |
| Jaguares de Chiapas | José Guadalupe Cruz | Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas | Víctor Manuel Reyna | 25,222 | 2002–03 | 2002–03 | Los Jaguares (The Jaguars) |
| Morelia | Tomás Boy | Morelia, Michoacán | Morelos | 41,056 | 1957–58 | 1981–82 | Monarcas (Monarchs) |
| Monterrey | Víctor Manuel Vucetich | Monterrey, Nuevo León | Tecnológico | 32,662 | 1945–46 | 1960–61 | Los Rayados (The Striped Ones) |
| Pachuca | Efraín Flores | Pachuca, Hidalgo | Hidalgo | 25,000 | 1967–68 | 1998–99 | Los Tuzos (The Gophers) |
| Puebla | Juan Carlos Osorio | Puebla, Puebla | Cuauhtémoc | 48,648 | 1944-45 | 2007–08 | Los Camoteros (The Sweet Potato Growers), La Franja (The Sash) |
| Querétaro | José Saturnino Cardozo | Querétaro, Querétaro | Corregidora | 34,130 | 1990–91 | 2009–10 | Los Gallos Blancos (The White Roosters) |
| San Luis | René Isidoro García | San Luis, San Luis Potosí | Alfonso Lastras | 28,000 | 1971–72 | 2005-06 | Los Gladiadores (The Gladiators) |
| Santos Laguna | Benjamin Galindo | Torreón, Coahuila | Corona | 30,000 | 1988–89 | 1988–89 | Los Guerreros (The Warriors), Los Santos (The Saints) |
| Tijuana | Antonio Mohamed | Tijuana, Baja California | Estadio Caliente | 33,340 | 2011-12 | 2011-12 | Xoloitzcuintles, Los Perros Aztecas (The Aztec Dogs) |
| Toluca | Wilson Graniolatti | Toluca, Mexico | Nemesio Díez | 27,000 | 1953–54 | 1953–54 | Los Diablos Rojos (Red Devils) |
| Estudiantes Tecos | José Luis Salgado | Zapopan, Jalisco | 3 de Marzo | 23,000 | 1975–76 | 1975–76 | Los Estudiantes (The Students), Los Tecolotes (The Owls) |
| Tigres de la UANL | Ricardo Ferretti | San Nicolás, Nuevo León | Universitario | 45,000 | 1974–75 | 1997–98 | Los Tigres (The Tigers) |
| Pumas U.N.A.M | Guillermo Vázquez | Mexico, D.F. | Olímpico Universitario | 68,954 | 1962–63 | 1962–63 | Los Pumas (The Cougars) |
Each team must have a kit of 3 distinct uniforms; local, visitor, and an optional alternate, as well as assigning the goalkeeper a distinct kit in any number of variations from that of the field players.[4]
The basic mandatory uniform for a player will be: 1. Game jersey, shorts, socks, shinguards and footwear. If using pants and / or thermal shirt, they must be the same color as the shorts or sleeve. As an exception to the above, if the supplier of uniforms for a club not provide thermal shirts the same color, then any color may be used if it is not confused with the color of opposing club, and the same color is used uniformly by all the players of the same club. 2. Goalkeeper: Each goalkeeper wears colors that distinguish him from other players, the referee and assistant referee. 3. Players are prohibited from using belts, hats, wristbands, shorts and / or thermal shirt commercial advertising not authorized by the Club. 4. Security: Players will not use or carry objects that are dangerous to themselves or other players (including any kind of jewelry).[5]
Players are to use a number of two (sometimes 3) consecutive digits on the back of the game shirt, and front of the shorts.[6]
Clubs may carry commercial advertising on their uniforms, provided that the colors of the Club, player number, the official emblem of the Club and the FMF can be clearly identified.[7]
In Theory, all of the First Division club have the right to sell their own broadcast rights. What this means in practice is that the league is effectively divided between teams broadcast on Televisa, TV Azteca and ESPN Dos (ESPN Dos only broadcast Cruz Azul and Santos local games) in México and Azteca America, TeleFutura Telemundo & Univision in United States and Telelatino and Fox Sports World hold broadcasting rights in Canada; Fox Sports is the only network that holds rights to broadcast selected matches in United States and South America.
Additionally, Televisa-owned networks Sky Sports and TDN hold exclusive broadcasting rights over selected matches throughout the regular season, although the majority of the most important ones are broadcasted live on the national networks.
Most of the Saturday afternoon and evening matches broadcasted by Televisa are shown primarily on Galavision (though there's rare ocasions where a Saturday game is played on Televisa's flagship network, Canal de las Estrellas), However, a blackout policy is usually applied, so Galavision affiliates are forced to air alternative programming during the matches. Sunday noon and afternoon games broadcasted by Televisa are shown on Canal de las Estrellas. All of the games broacasted by TV Azteca on Saturday and Sunday are shown on Azteca 13, Friday's matches however are shown on Azteca 7. The Wednesday and Thursday matches picked by the national newtorks are shown on Canal 5 and Azteca 7 and the rest of the matches air on Sky Sports and TDN.
| Season | Champion | Coach | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1943–1944 | Asturias | Ernest Pauler | Real Club España |
| 1944–1945 | Real Club España | Rodolfo Muñoz | Puebla |
| 1945–1946 | Veracruz | Enrique Palomini | Atlante |
| 1946–1947 | Atlante | Luis Grocz | León |
| 1947–1948 | León | José Maria Casullo | Oro |
| 1948–1949 | León | José Maria Casullo | Atlas |
| 1949–1950 | Veracruz | Juan Luque de Serrallonga | Atlante |
| 1950–1951 | Atlas | Eduardo Valdatti | Atlante |
| 1951–1952 | León | Antonio López Herranz | Guadalajara |
| 1952–1953 | Tampico Madero | Joaquín Urquiaga | Zacatepec |
| 1953–1954 | Marte | Ignacio Trelles | Oro |
| 1954–1955 | Zacatepec | Ignacio Trelles | Guadalajara |
| 1955–1956 | León | Antonio López Herranz | Oro |
| 1956–1957 | Guadalajara | Donald Ross | Toluca |
| 1957–1958 | Zacatepec | Ignacio Trelles | Toluca |
| 1958–1959 | Guadalajara | Arpad Fekete | León |
| 1959–1960 | Guadalajara | Arpad Fekete | América |
| 1960–1961 | Guadalajara | Javier de la Torre | Oro |
| 1961–1962 | Guadalajara | Javier de la Torre | América |
| 1962–1963 | Oro | Arpad Fekete | Guadalajara |
| 1963–1964 | Guadalajara | Javier de la Torre | América |
| 1964–1965 | Guadalajara | Javier de la Torre | Oro |
| 1965–1966 | América | Alejandro Scopelli | Atlas |
| 1966–1967 | Toluca | Ignacio Trelles | América |
| 1967–1968 | Toluca | Ignacio Trelles | UNAM |
| 1968–1969 | Cruz Azul | Raúl Cárdenas | Guadalajara |
| 1969–1970 | Guadalajara | Javier de la Torre | Cruz Azul |
| México '70 | Cruz Azul | Raúl Cárdenas | Guadalajara |
| Team | Nº of titles | Years/Tournaments Won |
|---|---|---|
| Guadalajara | 11 | 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1969-70, 1986-87, Verano 1997, Apertura 2006 |
| América | 10 | 1965-66, 1970-71, 1975-76, 1983-84, 1984-85, PRODE 85, 1987-88, 1988-89, Verano 2002, Clausura 2005 |
| Toluca | 10 | 1966-67, 1967-68, 1974-75, Verano 1998, Verano 1999, Verano 2000, Apertura 2002, Apertura 2005, Apertura 2008, Bicentenario 2010 |
| Cruz Azul | 8 | 1968-69, Mexico 70, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1973-74, 1978-79, 1979-80, Invierno 1997 |
| UNAM | 7 | 1976-77, 1980-81, 1990-91, Clausura 2004, Apertura 2004, Clausura 2009, Clausura 2011 |
| Pachuca | 5 | Invierno 1999, Invierno 2001, Apertura 2003, Clausura 2006, Clausura 2007 |
| León | 5 | 1947-48, 1948-49, 1951-52, 1955-56, 1991-92 |
| Monterrey | 4 | Mexico 86, Clausura 2003, Apertura 2009, Apertura 2010 |
| Tigres UANL | 3 | 1977-78, 1981-82, Apertura 2011 |
| Santos Laguna | 3 | Invierno 1996, Verano 2001, Clausura 2008 |
| Atlante | 3 | 1946-47, 1992-93, Apertura 2007 |
| Necaxa | 3 | 1994-95, 1995-96, Invierno 1998 |
| Puebla | 2 | 1982-83, 1989-90 |
| Zacatepec | 2 | 1954-55, 1957-58 |
| Veracruz | 2 | 1945-46, 1949-50 |
| Morelia | 1 | Invierno 2000 |
| Estudiantes UAG | 1 | 1993-94 |
| Oro | 1 | 1962-63 |
| Marte | 1 | 1953-54 |
| Tampico Madero | 1 | 1952-53 |
| Atlas | 1 | 1950-51 |
| Real Club España | 1 | 1944-45 |
| Asturias | 1 | 1943-44 |
|
Relegation and Promotion by Club
|
Notes
List of Mexican football champions
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