Categoría Primera A
 | |
| Country | Colombia |
|---|---|
| Confederation | CONMEBOL |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Number of teams | 20 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Categoría Primera B |
| Domestic cup(s) |
Copa Colombia Superliga Colombiana |
| International cup(s) |
Copa Libertadores Copa Sudamericana |
| Current champions |
Independiente Santa Fe (8th title) (2014-II) |
| Most championships |
Millonarios Atletico Nacional (14 titles) |
| TV partners |
TV Colombia Win Sports/RCN (7 games by round) RCN Colombia (2 games by round) |
| Website | Official Site |
 2015 season | |
The Categoría Primera A (Spanish pronunciation: [kateɣoˈɾi.a pɾiˈmeɾa ˈa]), commonly referred to as Liga Águila[1] due to sponsorship by brewery company Bavaria (manufacturer of Águila beer), is a Colombian professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's premier football tournament and sits at the top of the Colombian football league system. From 1990 to 2010, the league was referred to as Copa Mustang, due to a contract with Protabaco, a tobacco industry that produced Mustang cigarettes (that ended in 2010 due to an anti-tobacco law).[2]
Twenty clubs play in the league. The División Mayor del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano, better known as Dimayor, operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Categoría Primera B.
Fourteen teams have been crowned as the Colombian football champions. The most successful clubs are Millonarios and Atlético Nacional with 14 titles. The IFFHS have ranked the league the 9th best in the world and, the third best in South America.
Format
League stage
During the league stage, which lasts for eighteen games, each team plays against every other team once, plus an additional game against their local rival in the league. The league table is kept like a normal European league table, one point for ties and three points for a win. The top eight teams advance to the playoffs.
Playoffs
The playoffs have been organized in two different ways over the course of the short tournaments. They were first organized by dividing the eight teams into two groups where they would play home and away games; then, the two group winners would play the final. In later years, the playoffs are organized in pairs and play direct elimination in home and away games until only two teams reach the finals.
Finals
The finals involve two games. The team with the highest overall points achieved during the league stage gets to play the second game in their home stadium; if the aggregate points are the same, the home game is determined by the goal difference. The team with the highest aggregate score after both home and away games wins and is awarded the championship. If the games end up in a tie, there is no additional time and it proceeds directly to a penalty shoot-out. The away goals rule is not used.
Relegation
Relegation from Primera A is based on an averaging system. At the end of each season, the team with the worst three-year average is relegated to Primera B.
Superliga Colombiana
Once the torneo Finalización is over, the winner of Apertura and Finalización face each other off in Superliga Colombiana and the winner is given a spot in the Copa Sudamericana.
History
Before 1948 there was no professional football league in Colombia. The first clubs were formed in Barranquilla and Bogotá: Barranquilla FC, Polo Club, Escuela Militar and Bartolinos, although the game took a while to develop in popularity.[3] The 1918 Campeonato Nacional was the first tournament played between Colombian clubs, followed by the Copa Centenario Batalla de Boyacá. Independiente Medellín, founded on 15 April 1913, is the oldest club that remains as a professional club.[4] The first tournament was organised by Colombian Football Federation and DIMAYOR in 1948. In the tournament 10 teams signed up (each had to pay a fee of 1,000 pesos): one of Barranquilla, two of Bogotá, two of Cali, two of Manizales, two of Medellín and two of Pereira.[5] 252 players were registered as follows: 182 Colombians, 13 Argentines, 8 Peruvians, 5 Uruguayans, 2 Chileans, 2 Ecuadorians, 1 Dominican and 1 Spanish.[5]
From 1949 to 1954 the DIMAYOR, the organiser of the league, broke away from FIFA after a dispute with Adefútbol, the existing amateur football authority in Colombia, in a period known as El Dorado. Therefore, all Colombian teams were suspended from playing international football. The Colombian national team was also under sanction. However, FIFA sanction did not hurt the league; instead, the Colombian league reached its golden era during the period.[6]
In 1968 the league followed the pattern common in South America by splitting into two separate competitions per season, the Apertura (February to June) and the Finalización (July to December). In 1991 a second division was added to the first with a third, now defunct. The Copa Colombia appeared in 1950 although this knockout competition was only contested from time to time until 2008 when it became an annual tournament.[7]
Current teams
Teams for 2015 season
Seasons by club
This is the complete list of the clubs that has took part of the Categoría Primera A, founded in 1948, until 2015 season.[8] Teams who currently plays are indicated in bold.
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Champions by seasons
The only tournament that was not awarded to a champion occurred on 1989, after the assassination of referee Álvaro Ortega on October 1 in Medellín. All games, post-season games and international representation for the following year were cancelled.[9][10]
Table
| Season | Champion (Title count) | Runner-up | Leading goalscorer(s)[11] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Santa Fe (1) | Junior |  Alfredo Castillo (Millonarios; 31 goals) | ||
| 1949 | Millonarios (1) | Deportivo Cali | Pedro Cabillón (Millonarios; 42 goals) | ||
| 1950 | Once Caldas (1) | Millonarios | .svg.png){kind=small} Casimiro Ávalos (Deportivo Pereira; 27 goals) | ||
| 1951 | Millonarios (2) | Boca Juniors | Alfredo Di Stéfano (Millonarios; 31 goals) | ||
| 1952 | Millonarios (3) | Boca Juniors | Alfredo Di Stéfano (Millonarios; 19 goals) | ||
| 1953 | Millonarios (4) | Deportes Quindío | Mario Garelli (Deportes Quindío; 20 goals) | ||
| 1954 | Atlético Nacional (1) | Deportes Quindío | Carlos Alberto Gambina (Atlético Nacional; 21 goals) | ||
| 1955 | Independiente Medellín (1) | Atlético Nacional | Felipe Marino (Independiente Medellín; 22 goals) | ||
| 1956 | Atlético Quindio (1) | Millonarios |  Jaime Gutiérrez (Deportes Quindío; 21 goals) | ||
| 1957 | Independiente Medellín (2) | Deportes Tolima | José Vicente Grecco (Independiente Medellín; 30 goals) | ||
| 1958 | Santa Fe (2) | Millonarios | José Américo Montanini (Bucaramanga; 36 goals) | ||
| 1959 | Millonarios (5) | Independiente Medellín | Felipe Marino (Cúcuta-Medellín; 35 goals) | ||
| 1960 | Santa Fe (3) | América | Walter Marcolini (Deportivo Cali; 30 goals) | ||
| 1961 | Millonarios (6) | Independiente Medellín | Alberto Perazzo (Santa Fe; 32 goals) | ||
| 1962 | Millonarios (7) | Deportivo Cali |  José Omar Verdún (Cúcuta Deportivo; 36 goals) | ||
| 1963 | Millonarios (8) | Santa Fe | Omar Lorenzo Devanni (Bucaramanga; 36 goals) José Omar Verdún (Cúcuta Deportivo; 36 goals) | ||
| 1964 | Millonarios (9) | Cúcuta Deportivo | Omar Lorenzo Devanni (Magdalena-Bucaramanga; 28 goals) | ||
| 1965 | Deportivo Cali (1) | Atlético Nacional | Perfecto Rodríguez (Independiente Medellín; 38 goals) | ||
| 1966 | Santa Fe (4) | Independiente Medellín | Omar Lorenzo Devanni (Santa Fe; 31 goals) | ||
| 1967 | Deportivo Cali (2) | Millonarios | José María Ferrero (Millonarios; 38 goals) | ||
| 1968 | Unión Magdalena (1) | Deportivo Cali | José María Ferrero (Millonarios; 32 goals) | ||
| 1969 | Deportivo Cali (3) | América | Hugo Horacio Lóndero (América; 25 goals) | ||
| 1970 | Deportivo Cali (4) | Junior | José María Ferrero (Cúcuta Deportivo; 27 goals) Walter Sossa (Santa Fe; 27 goals) | ||
| 1971 | Santa Fe (5) | Atlético Nacional | Hugo Horacio Lóndero (Cúcuta Deportivo; 30 goals) Apolinar Paniagua (Deportivo Pereira; 30 goals) | ||
| 1972 | Millonarios (10) | Deportivo Cali | Hugo Horacio Lóndero (Cúcuta Deportivo; 27 goals) | ||
| 1973 | Atlético Nacional (2) | Millonarios | Nelson Silva Pacheco (Cúcuta-Júnior; 36 goals) | ||
| 1974 | Deportivo Cali (5) | Atlético Nacional |  Víctor Ephanor (Junior; 33 goals) | ||
| 1975 | Santa Fe (6) | Millonarios | Jorge Ramón Cáceres (Deportivo Pereira; 35 goals) | ||
| 1976 | Atlético Nacional (3) | Deportivo Cali | Miguel Angel Converti (Millonarios; 33 goals) | ||
| 1977 | Junior (1) | Deportivo Cali | Oswaldo Marcial Palavecino (Atlético Nacional; 33 goals) | ||
| 1978 | Millonarios (11) | Deportivo Cali | Oswaldo Marcial Palavecino (Atlético Nacional; 36 goals) | ||
| 1979 | América (1) | Santa Fe | Juan José Irigoyén (Millonarios; 36 goals) | ||
| 1980 | Atlético Junior (2) | Deportivo Cali | Sergio Cierra (Deportivo Pereira; 26 goals) | ||
| 1981 | Atlético Nacional (4) | Deportes Tolima | Víctor Hugo del Río (Deportes Tolima; 29 goals) | ||
| 1982 | América (2) | Deportes Tolima | Miguel Oswaldo González (Bucaramanga; 27 goals) | ||
| 1983 | América (3) | Junior | Hugo Gottardi (Santa Fe; 29 goals) | ||
| 1984 | América (4) | Millonarios | Hugo Gottardi (Santa Fe; 23 goals) | ||
| 1985 | América (5) | Deportivo Cali | Miguel Oswaldo González (Bucaramanga; 34 goals) | ||
| 1986 | América (6) | Deportivo Cali | Héctor Ramón Sossa (Independiente Medellín; 23 goals) | ||
| 1987 | Millonarios (12) | América |  Jorge Aravena (Deportivo Cali; 23 goals) | ||
| 1988 | Millonarios (13) | Atlético Nacional | Sergio Angulo (Santa Fe; 29 goals) | ||
| 1989 | |||||
| 1990 | América (7) | Atlético Nacional | Antony de Ávila (América; 25 goals) | ||
| 1991 | Atlético Nacional (5) | América | Iván Valenciano (Junior; 30 goals) | ||
| 1992 | América (8) | Atlético Nacional | John Jairo Tréllez (Atlético Nacional; 25 goals) | ||
| 1993 | Junior (3) | Independiente Medellín | Miguel Guerrero (Junior; 34 goals) | ||
| 1994 | Atlético Nacional (6) | Millonarios | Rubén Darío Hernández (Medellín-Pereira-América; 32 goals) | ||
| 1995 | Junior (4) | América | Iván Valenciano (Junior; 24 goals) | ||
| 1995–96 | Deportivo Cali (6) | Millonarios | Iván Valenciano (Junior; 36 goals) | ||
| 1996–97 | América (9) | Bucaramanga | Hamilton Ricard (Deportivo Cali; 36 goals) | ||
| 1998 | Deportivo Cali (7) | Once Caldas | Víctor Bonilla (Deportivo Cali; 37 goals) | ||
| 1999 | Atlético Nacional (7) | América | Sergio Galván Rey (Once Caldas; 26 goals) | ||
| 2000 | América (10) | Junior | Carlos Alberto Castro (Millonarios; 24 goals) | ||
| 2001 | América (11) | Independiente Medellín | Carlos Alberto Castro (Millonarios; 29 goals) Jorge Horacio Serna (Independiente Medellín; 29 goals) | ||
| 2002 | Apertura | América (12) | Atlético Nacional | Luis Fernando Zuleta (Unión Magdalena; 13 goals) | |
| Finalización | Independiente Medellín (3) | Deportivo Pasto | Orlando Ballesteros (Atlético Bucaramanga; 13 goals) Milton Rodríguez (Deportivo Pereira; 13 goals) | ||
| 2003 | Apertura | Once Caldas (2) | Junior | Arnulfo Valentierra (Once Caldas; 13 goals) | |
| Finalización | Deportes Tolima (1) | Deportivo Cali | Léider Preciado (Deportivo Cali; 17 goals) | ||
| 2004 | Apertura | Independiente Medellín (4) | Atlético Nacional | Sergio Herrera (América; 13 goals) | |
| Finalización | Junior (5) | Atlético Nacional | Leonardo Fabio Moreno (América; 15 goals) Léider Preciado (Santa Fe; 15 goals) | ||
| 2005 | Apertura | Atlético Nacional (8) | Santa Fe | Víctor Aristizábal (Atlético Nacional; 16 goals) | |
| Finalización | Deportivo Cali (8) | Real Cartagena | Jámerson Rentería (Real Cartagena; 12 goals) Hugo Rodallega (Deportivo Cali; 12 goals) | ||
| 2006 | Apertura | Deportivo Pasto (1) | Deportivo Cali | Jorge Díaz Moreno (Cúcuta Deportivo; 15 goals) | |
| Finalización | Cúcuta Deportivo (1) | Deportes Tolima | Diego Álvarez (Independiente Medellín; 11 goals) Jhon Charría (Deportes Tolima; 11 goals) | ||
| 2007 | Apertura | Atlético Nacional (9) | Atlético Huila | Fredy Montero (Atlético Huila; 13 goals) Sergio Galván Rey (Atlético Nacional; 13 goals) | |
| Finalización | Atlético Nacional (10) | La Equidad | Dayro Moreno (Once Caldas; 16 goals) | ||
| 2008 | Apertura | Boyacá Chicó (1) | América | Miguel Caneo (Boyacá Chicó FC; 13 goals) Iván Velásquez (Deportes Quindío; 13 goals) | |
| Finalización | América (13) | Independiente Medellín | Fredy Montero (Deportivo Cali; 16 goals) | ||
| 2009 | Apertura | Once Caldas (3) | Junior | Teófilo Gutiérrez (Junior; 16 goals) | |
| Finalización | Independiente Medellín (5) | Atlético Huila | Jackson Martínez (Independiente Medellín; 18 goals) | ||
| 2010 | Apertura | Junior (6) | La Equidad | Carlos Bacca (Junior; 12 goals) Carlos Rentería (La Equidad; 12 goals) | |
| Finalización | Once Caldas (4) | Deportes Tolima | Wilder Medina (Deportes Tolima; 16 goals) Dayro Moreno (Once Caldas; 16 goals) | ||
| 2011 | Apertura | Atlético Nacional (11) | La Equidad | Carlos Rentería (Atlético Nacional; 12 goals) | |
| Finalización | Junior (7) | Once Caldas | Carlos Bacca (Junior; 12 goals) | ||
| 2012 | Apertura | Santa Fe (7) | Deportivo Pasto | Robin Ramírez (Deportes Tolima; 13 goals) | |
| Finalización | Millonarios (14) | Independiente Medellín | Henry Hernández (Cúcuta Deportivo; 9 goals) Carmelo Valencia (La Equidad; 9 goals) | ||
| 2013 | Apertura | Atlético Nacional (12) | Santa Fe | Wilder Medina (Santa Fe; 12 goals) | |
| Finalización | Atlético Nacional (13) | Deportivo Cali | Dayro Moreno (Millonarios; 16 goals) Luis Carlos Ruiz (Junior; 16 goals) | ||
| 2014 | Apertura | Atlético Nacional (14) | Junior | Dayro Moreno (Millonarios; 12 goals) | |
| Finalización | Santa Fe (8) | Independiente Medellín | Germán Cano (Independiente Medellín; 16 goals) | ||
Source for champions and runners-up by season: RSSSF[12]
Trophy
The trophy that is given to the champion of the league is the same one since 1948, the winners are given replica for their trophy rooms. Meanwhile the original one used in 1948 Campeonato Profesional is in the DIMAYOR headquarters and is engraved with all the names of the clubs who have won it.[13]
Titles by club
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning years | Runners-up years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlético Nacional | 14 | 10 | 1954, 1973, 1976, 1981, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2005–I, 2007–I, 2007–II, 2011–I, 2013–I, 2013–II, 2014–I | 1955, 1965, 1971, 1974, 1988, 1990, 1992, 2002–I, 2004–I, 2004–II |
| Millonarios | 14 | 9 | 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1972, 1978, 1987, 1988, 2012–II | 1950, 1956, 1958, 1967, 1973, 1975, 1984, 1994, 1995–96 |
| América | 13 | 7 | 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1996–97, 2000, 2001, 2002–I, 2008–II | 1960, 1969, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2008–I |
| Deportivo Cali | 8 | 13 | 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1995–96, 1998, 2005–II | 1949, 1962, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1985, 1986, 2003–II, 2006–I, 2013–II |
| Santa Fe | 8 | 4 | 1948, 1958, 1960, 1966, 1971, 1975, 2012–I, 2014–II | 1963, 1979, 2005–I, 2013–I |
| Junior | 7 | 7 | 1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004–II, 2010–I, 2011–II | 1948, 1970, 1983, 2000, 2003–I, 2009–I, 2014–I |
| Independiente Medellín | 5 | 8 | 1955, 1957, 2002–II, 2004–I, 2009–II | 1959, 1961, 1966, 1993, 2001, 2008–II, 2012–II, 2014–II |
| Once Caldas | 4 | 2 | 1950, 2003–I, 2009–I, 2010–II | 1998, 2011–II |
| Deportes Tolima | 1 | 5 | 2003–II | 1957, 1981, 1982, 2006–II, 2010–II |
| Deportivo Pasto | 1 | 2 | 2006–I | 2002–II, 2012–I |
| Deportes Quindío | 1 | 2 | 1956 | 1953, 1954 |
| Cúcuta Deportivo | 1 | 1 | 2006–II | 1964 |
| Boyacá Chicó | 1 | 0 | 2008–I | — |
| Unión Magdalena | 1 | 0 | 1968 | — |
Source: RSSSF
References
- ↑ http://www.golcaracol.com/futbol-colombiano/liga-postobon/articulo-325417-asi-el-nuevo-logo-del-fpc-llego-la-liga-aguila
- ↑ Caracol Radio (2009-06-17). "No habrá publicidad de cigarrillos en eventos deportivos y culturales" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2009-06-17.
- ↑ http://www.rsssf.com/tablesc/colfound.html. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ Ruíz Bonilla, Guillermo (2008). La gran historia del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano. Ediciones Dayscript. pp. 12–14; 19. ISBN 978-958-987-1300.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ruíz Bonilla, Guillermo (2008). La gran historia del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano. Ediciones Dayscript. p. 51. ISBN 978-958-987-1300.
- ↑ El Tiempo - Colombia entra en la élite del fútbol mundial con 'la época de El Dorado' (Spanish)
- ↑ Acosta, Andrés (2013-01-10). "Colombia - List of Cup Winners". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Andrés Acosta and RSSSF. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
- ↑ Acosta, Andrés; Ballesteros, Frank (15 January 2010). "Colombia - All-Time Table First Division". RSSSF.com.
- ↑ Ruiz Bonilla, Guillermo (October 2008). La gran historia del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano [The Grand History of Colombian Professional Football] (in Spanish). Ediciones Dayscript. p. 223. ISBN 978-958-98713-0-0.
- ↑ The 1989 on RSSSF
- ↑ Arteaga, José; Ballesteros, Frank (March 6, 2008). "Colombian League Top Scorers". website. RSSSF. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
- ↑ Juan Pablo Andres and Frank Ballesteros, 22 May 2014. "Colombia - List of Champions and Runners-Up". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
- ↑ Caracol Radio, ed. (14 July 2012). "Estos son los trofeos que reciben los campeones" (in Spanish).
External links
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