Paraguayan Primera División

División Profesional
Country Paraguay
Confederation CONMEBOL
Founded 1906
Number of teams 12
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to División Intermedia
International cup(s) Copa Libertadores
Copa Sudamericana
Current champions Libertad
(2014 Clausura)
Most championships Olimpia (39 titles)
TV partners Unicanal
Website APF
2015 Apertura

The División Profesional de la Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol (locally: [diβiˈsjon pɾofesjoˈnal de la asosjaˈsjon paɾaˈɣwaʝa ðe ˈfutβol]; Professional Division of the Paraguayan Football Association), also known as the Primera División [pɾiˈmeɾa ðiβiˈsjon] (first division), or due to sponsorship reasons Copa TIGO [ˈkopa ˈtiɣo], is the top-flight professional football league in Paraguay. Currently, there are 12 teams in the first division.

The most successful club is Olimpia, who has won 39 titles. The current champion is Libertad. IFFHS ranked the league as the ninth strongest in the world in 2012,[1] and the eleventh strongest in the world in 2013.[2]

History

Liga Paraguaya's first game was played in 1906, after the director of the El Diario newspaper, Don Adolfo Riquelme, brought to his office on 18 June 1906, the representatives of the five existing football teams in Paraguay at that time (Olimpia, Guaraní, Libertad, General Díaz, and Nacional) to create the governing body of football in Paraguay: the Liga Paraguaya de Fútbol (known today as Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol). The representatives were William Paats and Junio Godoy (Olimpia) Ramón Caballero, Manuel Bella and Salvador Melián (Guaraní), Juan Escalada (Libertad), César Urdapilleta (General Díaz), and Vicente Gadea (Nacional).[3] The Liga Paraguaya saw Club Guaraní as the first champion in 1906, after defeating Olimpia in the final.

The Primera División was founded in 1906 with 5 teams, and turned professional in 1935 when 10 clubs broke away from the amateur leagues to form a professional league. Since 1996 the format of tournament was changed to Torneo Apertura and Clausura, but since 2008 both tournaments are independents.

Traditionally, the dominance of Olimpia and Cerro Porteño went unchallenged for decades. All of this changed at the turn of the 21st century. Since then, Libertad has been the most dominant club, while Nacional and Guarani have also experienced success at the domestic level.

Format

The system of the tournaments is round-robin. 12 teams play two rounds of 11 dates either one (visit and home), in total 22 dates in each tournament. Each year tournaments are divided in two independents tournaments: the Torneo Apertura (Opening Tournament) from February to July, and the Torneo Clausura (Closing Tournament) from July to December.

Relegation is based on an averaging system. At the end of each season, the two teams with the worst three-year averages are relegated, and the two best teams in the "División Intermedia" (second division) are promoted to Primera División.

International cup participation

Since 2012, Paraguay have seven slots in international cups (three in the Copa Libertadores de America and four in the Copa Sudamericana). These seven slots will be filled by five teams.

In the Copa Libertadores, the winner of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments qualify automatically. The third representative (going into the first round play-off) is the best placed non-champion from the cumulative table of both the Apertura and Clausura.

In the Copa Sudamericana, the champion of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments qualify, with the 4th and 5th best placed teams from the Apertura and Clausura cumulatives.

First Division teams

The following are the teams in the first division in 2014:

Teams

Sportivo Luqueño
General Díaz
Asunción
Locations of the 2015 Primera División teams
Team Home city Stadium Capacity
Cerro Porteño Asunción General Pablo Rojas 32,000
Deportivo Capiatá Capiatá Capiatá 6,000
Guaraní Asunción Rogelio Livieres 6,000
General Díaz Luque General Adrián Jara 3,500
Libertad Asunción Dr. Nicolás Leoz 10,000
Nacional Asunción Arsenio Erico 4,000
Olimpia Asunción Manuel Ferreira 15,000
Rubio Ñu Asunción La Arboleda 5,000
San Lorenzo San Lorenzo Gunther Vogel 5,000
Santaní San Estanislao Juan José Vázquez 8,000
Sol de América Villa Elisa Luis Alfonso Giagni 5,000
Sportivo Luqueño Luque Feliciano Cáceres 25,000

List of champions

Amateur era

Season Champion Runner-up Third Place
1906 Guaraní (1) Olimpia Libertad
1907 Guaraní (2) Olimpia Libertad
1908
No Tournament
1909 Nacional (1) Libertad Olimpia
1910 Libertad (1) Atlántida Nacional
1911 Nacional (2) Atlántida Sol de América
1912 Olimpia (1) Sol de América Nacional
1913 Cerro Porteño (1) Sol de América Nacional
1914 Olimpia (2) Cerro Porteño River Plate
1915 Cerro Porteño (2) Olimpia Guaraní
1916 Olimpia (3) Guaraní Nacional
1917 Libertad (2) Olimpia Cerro Porteño
1918 Cerro Porteño (3) Nacional Olimpia
1919 Cerro Porteño (4) River Plate Olimpia
1920 Libertad (3) Olimpia Cerro Porteño
1921 Guaraní (3) Nacional Sol de América
1922
No Tournament
1923 Guaraní (4) Olimpia Libertad
1924 Nacional (3) Libertad Olimpia
1925 Olimpia (4) Guaraní Nacional
1926 Nacional (4) Olimpia River Plate
Sol de América
1927 Olimpia (5) Libertad
Nacional
No third-place awarded
1928 Olimpia (6) Libertad Nacional
1929 Olimpia (7) Libertad Sportivo Luqueño
River Plate
1930 Libertad (4) River Plate Olimpia
1931 Olimpia (8) Libertad No third-place awarded
1932
No Tournament
1933
No Tournament
1934
No Tournament

Professional Era

Season Champion Runner-up Third Place
1935 Cerro Porteño (5) Sol de América Libertad
1936 Olimpia (9) Atlántida Nacional
1937 Olimpia (10) Cerro Porteño Guaraní
1938 Olimpia (11) Cerro Porteño Libertad
1939 Cerro Porteño (6) Olimpia Nacional
1940 Cerro Porteño (7) Sol de América Guaraní
1941 Cerro Porteño (8) Olimpia Nacional
1942 Nacional (5) Cerro Porteño Guaraní
1943 Libertad (5) Olimpia Sol de América
1944 Cerro Porteño (9) Libertad Guaraní
1945 Libertad (6) Cerro Porteño Presidente Hayes
1946 Nacional (6) Sol de América Cerro Porteño
1947 Olimpia (12) Guaraní Nacional
1948 Olimpia (13) Cerro Porteño Sportivo Luqueño
1949 Guaraní (5) Nacional Cerro Porteño
1950 Cerro Porteño (10) Libertad Olimpia
1951 Sportivo Luqueño (1) Cerro Porteño Nacional
1952 Presidente Hayes (1) Libertad
Sol de América
No third-place awarded
1953 Sportivo Luqueño (2) Libertad
Cerro Porteño
No third-place awarded
1954 Cerro Porteño (11) Libertad Olimpia
1955 Libertad (7) Olimpia Cerro Porteño
1956 Olimpia (14) Libertad Sol de América
1957 Olimpia (15) Cerro Porteño
Sol de América
Guaraní
No third-place awarded
1958 Olimpia (16) Cerro Porteño Guaraní
1959 Olimpia (17) Cerro Porteño Sportivo Luqueño
1960 Olimpia (18) Cerro Porteño Sportivo Luqueño
1961 Cerro Porteño (12) Olimpia Sportivo Luqueño
1962 Olimpia (19) Nacional River Plate
1963 Cerro Porteño (13) Olimpia Libertad
River Plate
1964 Guaraní (6) Nacional
Cerro Porteño
No third-place awarded
1965 Olimpia (20) Guaraní
1966 Cerro Porteño (14) Guaraní
1967 Guaraní (7) Libertad
1968 Olimpia (21) Cerro Porteño
1969 Guaraní (8) Olimpia
1970 Cerro Porteño (15) Guaraní
1971 Olimpia (22) Cerro Porteño
1972 Cerro Porteño (16) Olimpia
1973 Cerro Porteño (17) Olimpia
1974 Cerro Porteño (18) Olimpia
1975 Olimpia (23) Sportivo Luqueño
1976 Libertad (8) Cerro Porteño
1977 Cerro Porteño (19) Libertad
1978 Olimpia (24) Sol de América
1979 Olimpia (25) Sol de América
1980 Olimpia (26) Cerro Porteño
1981 Olimpia (27) Sol de América
1982 Olimpia (28) Nacional
1983 Olimpia (29) Sportivo Luqueño Libertad
1984 Guaraní (9) Cerro Porteño Olimpia
1985 Olimpia (30) Nacional Sol de América
1986 Sol de América (1) Olimpia Cerro Porteño
1987 Cerro Porteño (20) Olimpia Sol de América
1988 Olimpia (31) Sol de América Libertad
1989 Olimpia (32) Guaraní Cerro Porteño
1990 Cerro Porteño (21) Libertad Olimpia
Sportivo Luqueño
1991 Sol de América (2) Cerro Porteño Olimpia
Guaraní
1992 Cerro Porteño (22) Libertad Olimpia
Sportivo Luqueño
1993 Olimpia (33) Cerro Porteño Guaraní
1994 Cerro Porteño (23) Olimpia Sport Colombia
1995 Olimpia (34) Cerro Porteño Guaraní
Nacional
1996 Cerro Porteño (24) Guaraní Olimpia
1997 Olimpia (35) Cerro Porteño Guaraní
1998 Olimpia (36) Cerro Porteño Guaraní
1999 Olimpia (37) Cerro Porteño Colegiales
2000 Olimpia (38) Guaraní Cerro Porteño
2001 Cerro Porteño (25) Sportivo Luqueño 12 de Octubre
2002 Libertad (9) 12 de Octubre Cerro Porteño
2003 Libertad (10) Guaraní Olimpia
2004 Cerro Porteño (26) Libertad Tacuary
2005 Cerro Porteño (27) Libertad Nacional
2006 Libertad (11) Cerro Porteño Tacuary
2007 Libertad (12) Sportivo Luqueño Cerro Porteño
2008 Apertura Libertad (13) Nacional Cerro Porteño
Clausura Libertad (14) Guaraní Cerro Porteño
2009 Apertura Cerro Porteño (28) Libertad Nacional
Clausura Nacional (7) Libertad Guaraní
2010 Apertura Guaraní (10) Cerro Porteño Olimpia
Clausura Libertad (15) Cerro Porteño Nacional
2011 Apertura Nacional (8) Olimpia Libertad
Clausura Olimpia (39) Cerro Porteño Libertad
2012 Apertura Cerro Porteño (29) Olimpia Libertad
Clausura Libertad (16) Nacional Guaraní
2013 Apertura Nacional (9) Guaraní Cerro Porteño
Clausura Cerro Porteño (30) Libertad Deportivo Capiatá
2014 Apertura Libertad (17) Guaraní Olimpia
Clausura Libertad (18) Cerro Porteño Guaraní

Titles by club

Club Winners Runners-up Winning years Runners-up years
Olimpia 39 22 1912, 1914, 1916, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1947, 1948, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1965, 1968, 1971, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2011 Clausura 1906, 1907, 1915, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1926, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1955, 1961, 1963, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1986, 1987, 1994, 2011 Apertura, 2012 Apertura
Cerro Porteño 30 29 1913, 1915, 1918, 1919, 1935, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1944, 1950, 1954, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2009 Apertura, 2012 Apertura, 2013 Clausura 1914, 1937, 1938, 1942, 1945, 1948, 1951, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1971, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2010 Apertura, 2010 Clausura, 2011 Clausura, 2014 Clausura,
Libertad 18 21 1910, 1917, 1920, 1930, 1943, 1945, 1955, 1976, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 Apertura, 2008 Clausura, 2010 Clausura, 2012 Clausura, 2014 Apertura, 2014 Clausura 1909, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1944, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1967, 1977, 1990, 1992, 2004, 2005, 2009 Apertura, 2009 Clausura, 2013 Clausura
Guaraní 10 14 1906, 1907, 1921, 1923, 1949, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1984, 2010 Apertura 1916, 1925, 1947, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2008 Clausura, 2013 Apertura, 2014 Apertura
Nacional 9 10 1909, 1911, 1924, 1926, 1942, 1946, 2009 Clausura, 2011 Apertura, 2013 Apertura 1918, 1921, 1927, 1949, 1962, 1964, 1982, 1985, 2008 Apertura, 2012 Clausura
Sol de América 2 11 1986, 1991 1912, 1913, 1935, 1940, 1946, 1952, 1957, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1988
Sportivo Luqueño 2 4 1951, 1953 1975, 1983, 2001, 2007
Presidente Hayes 1 0 1952

Topscorers

References

  1. Daily "Hoy" (ed.): Paraguay tiene la 9na mejor liga del mundo. (in Spanish) 8 January 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  2. "THE STRONGEST NATIONAL LEAGUE OF THE WORLD". Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  3. Historia de la APF

External links