Liga de Fútbol de Primera División

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Liga de Fútbol de Primera División (FPD)
Logo of the Liga de Fútbol de Primera División.png
Association FEDEFUTBOL
Host UNAFUT
First edition 1921
Teams 12 teams
Title holder CS Herediano
Record holder CD Saprissa (34 tracks)
Record player Marvin Obando (685)
Record scorer Víctor Nuñez (217)
Current playing time Clausura 2020
Television rights Repretel, Teletica, Multimedios44, Tigo Sports, ESPN2
Website www.unafut.com
Qualification for: CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF League
↓ Liga de Ascenso-Segunda Division (II)

The Liga de Fútbol de Primera División , or FPD for short , is the top division in Costa Rican football . It is organized by the league association UNAFUT on behalf of the Costa Rican football association Federación Costarricense de Fútbol (FEDEFUTBOL). The current title holder (Apertura 2019) is CS Herediano .

history

The Costa Rican national champion has been played since 1921. In the first season, seven teams -  CS Herediano , SG Española , CS La Libertad , CS Cartaginés , SG Limonense , CS La Unión de Tres Ríos and LD Alajuelense  - took part in the championship. CS Herediano, who has celebrated 27 titles to date, was the first Costa Rican champion at the time. In 1954 and 1956 the championship was canceled due to scheduling problems.

In 1961, the Costa Rican soccer championship split into two competing competitions. Five of the eight teams represented in the first division founded their own association, the remaining three in turn played a national champion. After the end of the season it was possible to agree on a reunification of the competitions. The five "rebellious" teams were automatically qualified for the 1962 championship, the other three had to play in relegation games against the three best teams in the second division. So it came about that Carmen FC , champions of the three-man league, relegated to the second division.

In 1990, the championship fell for the third time in the history of the league. The reason was the national team's participation in the 1990 World Cup and the change from one season per calendar year to one from July to May.

Since 1990, the championship, which until then has been held by calendar year, has been played from July to May.

Since the 2007/08 season, two champions have been chosen each season, the Apertura is called Invierno , the Clausura Verano ; the league had also been played in the Apertura / Clausura system for a few years before, but in the end the two winners still played the champions.

The new FIFA licensing element for professional clubs came into effect in part at the beginning of Inviernos 2010; by Verano 2013, the entire regulations will be incorporated into the participation regulations.

During the second half of the 2010/11 season, a member club ( Liberia Mía CF / CD Barrio México ) was excluded from UNAFUT and thus from the Primera División due to extreme financial irregularities and violations of several rules and statutes. After the league started with only 11 teams in 2011/12, there will be 12 again in the 2012/13 season, as the last-placed team will play a relegation game against the second division runners-up in 2012 instead of being relegated directly.

For the Verano 2014 season, the league name was changed from Primera División de Costa Rica to Liga de Fútbol de Primera División de Costa Rica, FPD for short, with the aim of creating a brand for top division football. Since then, the marketing effort has increased significantly and UNAFUT tries to ensure that supporters of all clubs identify with the product FPD.

Since the 2016/17 season, the playoffs have been replaced by a championship round.

Since the 2017/18 season, the seasons are again called Apertura and Clausura, instead of Invierno (winter) and Verano (summer).

From 2018/2019, the championship round was replaced by playoffs again, but the winner of this round must play the championship in a final, as in the last two seasons against the first of the main round.

Current competition mode (2019/20)

The 2019/20 season is divided into the two seasons Campeonato Apertura 2019 and Campeonato Clausura 2020 . The two championships are played in the following mode:

Main round

The twelve participating teams play in a single round (first and second leg) in the "everyone against everyone" mode from the best four teams, which then contest the final round. The best placed is also set for the grand finale. In contrast to previous seasons, the schedule of the two championships is not identical.

Final round

The four qualified teams meet in the semifinals and finals. Both phases are played back and forth, with the better placed team enjoying home rights. If the first-placed winner wins these playoffs, he is immediately champion; if this is not the case, he will qualify for the grand finale.

Big final

If the winner of the main round and the final round are not the same team, they will contest the grand finale in order to play off the champions in the first and second leg. The team with the highest total number of points from the main and final round receives home rights.

descent

An overall table is drawn up from the main rounds of the two championships (Apertura and Clausura). The last placed in this rating will be relegated to the Liga de Ascenso-Segunda División .

Sponsorship

League name

Since the introduction of the Torneos Cortos , i.e. two championships per season, in 2007 UNAFUT has been marketing the FPD's league name. The first title sponsor was Scotiabank, the current sponsor is the state-owned bank Banco Popular. The league's namesake is seen as one of the league's elite sponsors.

Elite sponsors

The elite sponsors of the FPD support UNAFUT both financially and strategically. The title sponsor of the FPD is also one of the elite sponsors.

Cue ball

Up to and including the 2002/03 season, each club was allowed to decide for itself which manufacturer the balls should be from for their home games (as long as the ball met the requirements of FIFA). For example, balls from three manufacturers were used in the 2002/2003 season. For the 2003/2004 season, however, the UNAFUT announced a competition for the first time to determine a uniform match ball. The first ball sponsor was the US company Wilson, with which the contract was extended in between. The current manufacturer of the official game ball is the Voit company. Every season (two per year) there is a new official match ball.

  • 2003/04 Invierno 2010: Wilson
  • Verano 2011-Verano 2015: Miter
  • Since Invierno 2015: Voit

Sleeve advertising

The FPD has had an official sleeve sponsor since the 2011/12 season. Thus, on the right sleeve of each jersey of the twelve top division clubs, there will no longer only be the logo of the league, but also that of the sleeve sponsor; on the left sleeve, the clubs must bind the Costa Rican flag as before. After two Grupo Nación daily newspapers were sponsors, the league's title sponsor has been featured on the shirt sleeves since the 2015-16 season.

Broadcast rights

Free TV

Each club negotiates with the national television channels about the broadcasting rights of its home games. At the moment, three media groups own the television rights of the first division clubs in free TV:

Pay TV

Since the beginning of the 2018–19 season, some of the games have been shown exclusively on pay TV, in both cases via the digital offer of a cable TV provider and via sublicensing of the free TV rights.

International rights

  • ESPN Inc. (ESPN 2 Norte) through sublicense from Televisora ​​de Costa Rica: CD Saprissa (in Mexico and Central America)

particularities

  • There must be four flags next to each other in each stadium: a Costa Rica flag as the flag of the home country, a flag of UNAFUT as the flag of the tournament organizer, a flag of the reigning champions and a flag of the home club. This rule also applies in all other leagues in Costa Rica (instead of the UNAFUT flag with the flag of the organizing association).
  • With each edition, a famous ex-player, coach or official is honored, so the subtitle of the season logo is “Dedicado:…”.
  • In each squad (consisting of a maximum of 30 players) there may be a maximum of four foreigners.

Participants 2017/18

Except for relegated AD San ​​Carlos , all eleven clubs from the previous season will continue to participate. It should be noted, however, that Belén FC has changed its name to Guadalupe FC and has moved to the city of the same name. What is new this AD Municipal Grecia FC as a climber from the Liga de Ascenso-Segunda División .

Of the seven Costa Rican provinces, only Puntarenas has no representative in the FPD. The province of San José is most strongly represented with four associations, while the city of Alajuela is home to two associations (AD Carmelita and LD Alajuelense).

society Origin (canton, province) founding First participation First class since Stadium (capacity) M / P title TV rights Outfitter
AD Carmelita Alajuela, Alajuela 1948 1958 Invierno 2012 Rafael Bolaños (1,000) 1/0 ExtraTV ProSport
AD Municipal Grecia FC Grecia, Alajuela 1965 Apertura 2017 Apertura 2017 Allen Riggioni Suárez (4,000) 0/0 Repretel Living sport
AD Municipal Liberia Liberia, Guanacaste 1977 2001 Invierno 2015 Edgardo Baltodano Briceño (6,500) 1/0 Teletica ProSport
AD Municipal Pérez Zeledón Pérez Zeledón, San José 1991 1991/92 1991/92 Municipal Otto Ureña (5,500) 1/0 Teletica Textiles JB
AD Santos de Guápiles Pococí, Limón 1961 1999/00 Invierno 2009 Ebal Rodrígez Aguilar (4,500) 0/0 Teletica Living sport
CD Saprissa Tibás, San José 1935 1949 1949 Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá (23,112) 34 /6 Teletica Kappa
CS Cartaginés Cartago, Cartago 1906 1921 1984 José Rafael "Fello" Meza (13,500) 3/5 Teletica Joma
CS Herediano Heredia, Heredia 1921 1921 1921 Eladio Rosabal Cordero (8,700) 26/ 10 Repretel Umbro
Guadalupe FC Goicoechea, San Jose 1979 1994/95 Invierno 2011 José Joaquín "Colleya" Fonseca (4,500) 0/1 Repretel Pirma
LD Alajuelense Alajuela, Alajuela 1919 1921 1921 Alejandro Morera Soto (18,000) 29/9 Repretel Kelme
Limón FC Puerto Limon, Limon 1961 1964 Invierno 2010 Juan Goban (3,500) 0/0 Repretel Living sport
UCR FC Montes de Oca, San José 1941 1941 Invierno 2013 Jorge Hernán "Cuty" Monge (5,500) 1/1 Repretel Saeta

Current playing time

See Liga Promerica Clausura 2020 .

Master (1921 to today)

Playback time

  • 1921 : CS Herediano
  • 1922 : CS Herediano
  • 1923 : CS Cartaginés
  • 1924 : CS Herediano
  • 1925 : CS La Libertad
  • 1926 : CS La Libertad
  • 1927 : CS Herediano
  • 1928 : LD Alajuelense
  • 1929 : CS La Libertad
  • 1930 : CS Herediano
  • 1931 : CS Herediano
  • 1932 : CS Herediano
  • 1933 : CS Herediano
  • 1934 : CS La Libertad
  • 1935 : CS Herediano
  • 1936 : CS Cartaginés
  • 1937 : CS Herediano
  • 1938 : Orión FC
  • 1939 : LD Alajuelense
  • 1940 : CS Cartaginés
  • 1941 : LD Alajuelense
  • 1942 : CS La Libertad
  • 1943 : CF Universidad de Costa Rica
  • 1944 : Orión FC
  • 1945 : LD Alajuelense
  • 1946 : CS La Libertad
  • 1947 : CS Herediano
  • 1948 : CS Herediano
  • 1949 : LD Alajuelense
  • 1950 : LD Alajuelense
  • 1951 : CS Herediano
  • 1952 : CD Saprissa
  • 1953 : CD Saprissa
  • 1954 : Not held (scheduling problems)
  • 1955 : CS Herediano
  • 1956 : Not held (scheduling problems)
  • 1957 : CD Saprissa
  • 1958 : LD Alajuelense
  • 1959 : LD Alajuelense
  • 1960 : LD Alajuelense
  • 1961 : CS Herediano (ASOFUTBOL, see text above)
  • 1961 : Carmen FC * (FEDEFUTBOL, see text above)
  • 1962 : CD Saprissa
  • 1963 : Uruguay de Coronado
  • 1964 : CD Saprissa
  • 1965 : CD Saprissa
  • 1966 : LD Alajuelense
  • 1967 : CD Saprissa
  • 1968 : CD Saprissa
  • 1969 : CD Saprissa
  • 1970 : LD Alajuelense
  • 1971: LD Alajuelense
  • 1972: CD Saprissa
  • 1973: CD Saprissa
  • 1974: CD Saprissa
  • 1975: CD Saprissa
  • 1976: CD Saprissa
  • 1977: CD Saprissa
  • 1978: CS Herediano
  • 1979: CS Herediano
  • 1980: LD Alajuelense
  • 1981: CS Herediano
  • 1982: CD Saprissa
  • 1983: LD Alajuelense
  • 1984: LD Alajuelense
  • 1985: CS Herediano
  • 1986: AD Municipal Puntarenas
  • 1987: CS Herediano
  • 1988: CD Saprissa
  • 1989: CD Saprissa
  • 1990: Not held (scheduling problems)
  • 1990/91: LD Alajuelense
  • 1991/92: LD Alajuelense
  • 1992/93: CS Herediano
  • 1993/94: Saprissa CD
  • 1994/95: CD Saprissa
  • 1995/96: LD Alajuelense
  • 1996/97: LD Alajuelense

* Carmen FC today AD Carmelita

** Liberia Mía CF (today AD Municipal Liberia , 2nd division)

By number

society

number

CD Saprissa 34
LD Alajuelense 29
CS Herediano 28
CS La Libertad (now 4th division) 06th
CS Cartaginés 03
Orión FC (today 3rd division) 02
CF Universidad de Costa Rica 01
Carmen FC (now AD Carmelita ) 01
CS Uruguay de Coronado (today 2nd division) 01
AD Municipal Puntarenas (now 4th division) 01
Liberia Mía CF (today AD Municipal Liberia , 2nd division) 01
Brujas FC (dissolved) 01
AD Municipal Pérez Zeledón 01
AD San ​​Carlos 01

Cup competitions

National cup competition

See also: Torneo de Copa de Costa Rica

From the 1920s to the mid-1990s, cup tournaments were regularly played between the top division teams. These tournaments often had no connection with each other, but were officially organized or approved by FEDEFUTBOL and are therefore included in the statistics. Often there were no sporting criteria for participation, but clubs were invited based on their status.

After years of unsuccessful attempts, mostly the plans failed due to the possible low economic value, UNAFUT and LIFUSE succeeded at the beginning of 2013 in convincing their affiliated clubs to agree to an official national cup competition. So it was decided from now on to hold the tournament annually during the summer break, with participants from the two top divisions.

The cup competition has not been held again since 2016, but a new one is planned for mid-2019.

Supercup

You also: Súper Copa de Costa Rica

At the beginning, the UNAFUT Presidium decided to create a Supercup, which should be played once a year during the summer break in the national stadium. Since there was no national cup competition in Costa Rica at this time, the champions of invierno y des verano should compete against each other. LD Alajuelense won the first, and so far only official, edition against CS Herediano.

When UNAFUT developed a national cup competition in April 2013 in cooperation with LIFUSE (the operating association of the second division), which is played annually during one month of the summer break, it was decided to put the Supercup on hold for a while. Since there is now a cup winner every year, it would theoretically be possible to play a Supercup, but since there are two champions per year, one of the two would have to be preferred. Should the Primera División only determine one champion per year in the future, or the cup competition should also be held every six months, the Supercup would be reintroduced.

International successes of Costa Rican teams

UNCAF-Copa Interclubes (until 2007) / CONCACAF League (from 2017)

  • CD Saprissa: 6 × winners: 1972, 1973, 1978, 1998, 2003; 7 times runner-up: 1971, 1974, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2019
  • LD Alajuelense: 3 × winners: 1996, 2002, 2005; 2 × runner-up: 1999, 2000
  • Puntarenas FC: 1 × winner: 2006
  • CS Herediano: 1 × winner: 2018
  • CS Cartaginés: 1 × runner-up: 1978
  • AD Santos de Guápiles: 1 × runner-up: 2017

CONCACAF Champions Cup (until 2008) / Champions League (from 2008/09)

  • CD Saprissa: 3 × winners: 1993, 1995, 2005; 2 × runner-up: 2004, 2008
  • LD Alajuelense: 2 × winners: 1986, 2004; 3 × second: 1971, 1992, 1999
  • CS Cartaginés: 1 × winner: 1994

FIFA Club World Cup

  • CD Saprissa: 1 × third: 2005

See also

Web links