Primera División Peruana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Countries |  Peru |
|---|---|
| Confederation | CONMEBOL |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Relegation to | Segunda División |
| Level on pyramid | Level 1 |
| Domestic cup(s) | None |
| International cup(s) | Copa Libertadores Copa Sudamericana |
| Current champions | U. San Martín (2008) |
| Most championships | Universitario (24 titles) |
 2009 season |
|
The Peruvian First Division is the top professional division of Peruvian football.[1] It is also known as Primera División, División de Honor, Campeonato Nacional and officially known today as Torneo Descentralizado de Fútbol Profesional Peruano (Professional Decentralized Football Tournament). Its current name has been in place since 1966, when the first non-capital teams were invited to compete in the first division.
Its sponsored name is Copa Cable Mágico because of its main sponsor, the local cable television provider Cable Mágico. It is played by 16 teams. The league operates a system of promotion and relegation system at the end of the season with the Segunda División and the Copa Perú. Seasons run from February to December with teams playing 44 games each. The league is organized by the ADFP.
The first Peruvian football league was founded in 1912 but its format and name has changed several times over the years. The first Peruvian football league played between 1912 and 1921 were unofficial and played between teams of the capital city. In 1926, the official league was founded by the newly-formed Peruvian Football Federation. The league started out amateur and turned professional in 1951. In 1966, the first true national league was founded and stands today. As of 2008, the league title has been won by over 19 clubs but Universitario de Deportes, Alianza Lima, and Sporting Cristal share a total of 61 titles of the 92 contested. Universitario and Alianza Lima alone account for 50% of the titles won. The most recent club to have won the league competition is Universidad San Martín de Porres which formed itself in 2004. This is the first time since 1958 where the big three football clubs of Peru were kept from winning the title for two consecutive years.
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[edit] History
Football was played in Peru as early as the 19th century by British residents.[2] The Peruvian Championship (Campeonato Peruano) was first founded in 1912 and lasted until 1921. In this league, only teams from Lima participated. This championship was largely known for the difficulties it faced such as teams dropping out and several walkovers. The Peruvian Football Federation was founded in 1922 due to disagreements in the organization of the league. The Campeonato de Selección y Competencia was introduced, with official F.P.F.-sanctioned tournaments starting in 1926. This marked the first time teams from Callao could participate in this league. However, it did not include teams from the rest of country but it was the strongest and the winner was regarded as the national champion. The first champion of this era was Sport Progreso. In 1950 the last amateur season was won by Deportivo Municipal. By the end of the amateur era, the strongest teams were Alianza Lima and Universitario de Deportes, which had formed the biggest rivalry in Peru. Other notable teams of the time included Sport Boys, Deportivo Municipal and Atlético Chalaco.
In 1951 the league turned professional. Sport Boys won the first professional league title. The professional era saw the rise of a new team that would rival Alianza Lima and Universitario. They were founded as Sporting Tabaco and later renamed Sporting Cristal. In 1960 the champion of the league began to qualify to the Copa Libertadores. In 1966 a proper national league, the Descentralized Championship (Campeonato Descentralizado), was introduced. Four non-capital teams were invited to participate in the newly-founded league.
Starting in 1972, many different formats were used, with preliminary metropolitan leagues (Lima area) and a complex network of regional leagues set up to qualify for a final Descentralized Championship to decide the national champion, or championship groups (liguillas, "small leagues") following a regular season. This format was dropped in 1992 and the traditional liguilla format made a short return to the Descentralizado.
The Apertura and Clausura format, used in Argentina, was adopted in 1997, with two half-year tournaments leading to a playoff final between its winners. At the end of the 2008 season this format was abolished due to the lack of championship playoffs in the last two years of its existence. The 2009 season employed a new liguilla format including a regular season between 16 teams which would qualify to two groups depending on their placement at the end of the regular season. The winners of each group would dispute a two-legged final at the end of the season to determine the national champion.
As of 2008, Universitario, Alianza Lima and Sporting Cristal have won 24, 22 and 15 official league titles respectively. They are regarded as the big three of Peru. However, other teams have risen to new heights. In particular, a team from Cuzco, Cienciano, has been the only Peruvian team to win international tournaments (Copa Sudamericana 2003 and Recopa Sudamericana 2004), though it has yet to win the domestic league title. Other notable teams include FBC Melgar, which is the only non-capital team to have won a national championship.
[edit] Competition format and sponsorship
[edit] Domestic
The 2009 season is being played by 16 teams, a two-team expansion from the previous season. The season runs from February to December and will be played in two stages. The first stage is a regular season where each teams plays 30 home-and-away fixtures. The second stage is divided into two groups. The teams that place an odd number in the regular season will play in Group A. The remaining teams will play in Group B. The teams will play 14 more home-and-away fixtures. The winner of each group will play in the final to decide the national champion. The fixtures will be played on the weekends on Saturdays and Sundays. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. A tie in points for relegation will result in a playoff at a neutral ground chosen by the ADFP. Two teams will be relegated and the champions of the second division and Copa Peru will take their place. With regard to foreign players, Peruvians teams are limited to three players without Peruvian citizenship per game.
[edit] International
Five teams participate in international competitions while they play the national championship. These international club fixtures take place during the week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. During the first half of the year, three teams will participate in the Copa Libertadores 2009. Universitario and U. San Martín will play in the group stage and Sporting Cristal will have to qualify through the preliminary round. During the second half of the year, two teams will participate in the Copa Sudamericana 2009. Cienciano will play in the first stage and Alianza Atlético will have to qualify through the preliminary stage.
[edit] South American qualification
South America has two international competitions played every year. Peru has five berths, three in the Copa Libertadores and two in the Copa Sudamericana. The two Peruvian finalists of the season will qualify directly to the second stage of the Copa Libertadores. The third berth will be the best team in the aggregate table at the end of the season. This team will qualify to the first stage of the Copa Libertadores. The two berths for the Copa Sudamericana qualify via the aggregate table. The two best teams after the third Copa Libertadores berth are eligible to play the Copa Sudamericana. The best of these two qualify to the first stage and the other qualifies to the preliminary stage.
[edit] Sponsorship
The Peruvian First Division is sponsored by Cable Mágico, hence the name Copa Cable Mágico. They have had exclusive broadcasting rights since 2000. In 2007 DirecTV began buying the broadcasting rights of a few teams and recently holds the rights to five teams.
[edit] Criticisms
The Torneo Descentralizado has received a myriad of criticisms. The competition's instability and lack of professionalism has been the cause of these criticisms.[3] Most criticisms lead up to the football federation president, Manuel Burga, a very unpopular character in Peruvian football in recent years.
[edit] Team count
The Descentralizado has changed the number of teams that operate in the league several times. Over the course of 44 years, the Descentralizado has had as low as 12 teams and as ridiculously high as 44. The early Descentralizados were played with an average number of teams ranging from 14 and 22. The first regional leagues began to appear in 1980 where the teams were separated into regional groups and would qualify to a final league. Though the first regional leagues were played with 16 teams, they would grow to larger numbers and lead to the record 44 teams in 1989 and 1990. These regional leagues were the longest seasons ever hosted. Many seasons were so long that they had to be played into the following year. The regional leagues were dropped in 1992, reducing the team count back to 16. The team count would be reduced to 12 by the end of the 1990s. During the 2000s, the team count continued to fluctuate between 12, 14, 16 and even a surprising 13.[4]
[edit] Artificial turf
Several stadiums used in the top division have artificial grass installed for the so-called massification of sport. Most stadiums in Peru are owned by the I.P.D. (Instituto Peruano del Deporte) which is the group responsible for supporting articial turf in Peru. This has been severely criticized by top division teams and media. At first, these artificial turfs were installed for the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup however, more artificial turf was installed in other stadiums after the U-17 World Cup concluded. These turfs are criticized for having a negative influence on the game and injuries they cause to players.
[edit] Structure
One of the most criticized aspects of the top division is the competition structure. The competition structure has been unstable for many years. The early top division competitions were simple leagues which modeled after the European leagues where the champion was decided after every team played each other once at home and once away. Eventually, the liguilla format was adopted which was historically accepted by the general public. The latest format that received criticism was the Apertura and Clausura format adopted in 1997. It was in 2008, when the team Universidad San Martín had the strangest scenario. It won the Clausura 2008 tournament but had to lose its remaining matches in order to ensure it would not play against the Apertura 2008 champion, Universitario. By losing the remaining matches, points were won by the teams that were in between Universitario and the 7th place position of the Clausura tournament which they needed to reach in order to dispute the final playoff. Universitario did not reach 7th place and Universidad San Martín was crowned national champion. Consequently, the 2009 season had a different competition structure but was not eagerly accepted because it was a completely new liguilla format, that neither Peru nor the football world had ever seen.
[edit] Rivalries
- Alianza Lima - Universitario de Deportes (El Clásico)
- Sporting Cristal - Universitario de Deportes
- Alianza Lima - Sporting Cristal
- Deportivo Municipal - Universitario de Deportes (El Clásico Moderno)
- Sport Boys - Universitario de Deportes
- Cienciano - Melgar FBC (El clásico del sur)
- José Gálvez FBC - Club Sport Áncash (El clásico de Áncash)
- Club Atlético Chalaco - Sport Boys (El clásico porteño)
[edit] Clubs
| Team | City | Stadium[5] | Capacity[6] | Field |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alianza Atlético | Sullana | Campeones del 36[7] | 8,000 | Grass |
| Alianza Lima | Lima | Alejandro Villanueva[8] | 35,000 | Grass |
| Cienciano | Cuzco | Garcilaso | 42,056 | Grass |
| Colegio Nacional Iquitos | Iquitos | Max Augustin | 24,000 | Artificial |
| Coronel Bolognesi | Tacna | Jorge Basadre | 19,850 | Grass |
| FBC Melgar | Arequipa | Mariano Melgar | 20,000 | Grass |
| Inti Gas Deportes | Ayacucho | Ciudad de Cumaná | 15,000 | Grass |
| José Gálvez FBC | Chimbote | Manuel Rivera Sanchez[9] | 25,000 | Artificial |
| Juan Aurich | Chiclayo | Elias Aguirre | 24,500 | Artificial |
| Sport Áncash | Huaraz | Rosas Pampa | 8,000 | Grass |
| Sport Huancayo | Huancayo | Huancayo | 20,000 | Grass |
| Sporting Cristal | Lima | San Martin de Porres | 18,000 | Grass |
| Total Chalaco | Callao | Miguel Grau | 17,000 | Grass |
| Universidad César Vallejo | Trujillo | Mansiche | 25,000 | Artificial |
| Universidad San Martín de Porres | Lima | San Martin de Porres | 18,000 | Grass |
| Universitario de Deportes | Lima | Monumental[8] | 80,093 | Grass |
[edit] Seasons
| Season | Champion (number of titles) | Runner-up | Top scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | Lima Cricket FBC (1) | ||
| 1913 | Jorge Chávez (1) | ||
| 1914 | Lima Cricket FBC (2) | ||
| 1915 | Sport José Galvez (1) | ||
| 1916 | Sport Jose Galvez (2) | ||
| 1917 | Sport Juan Bielovucic (1) | ||
| 1918 | Sport Alianza (1) | ||
| 1919 | Sport Alianza (2) | ||
| 1920 | Sport Inca (1) | ||
| 1921 | Sport Progreso (1) | ||
| 1922-25 |
|
||
[edit] Amateur era
| Season | Champion (number of titles) | Runner-up | Top scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Sport Progreso (2) | Sportivo Tarapacá Ferrocarril | |
| 1927 | Alianza Lima (3) | Unión Buenos Aires | |
| 1928 | Alianza Lima (4) | Federación Universitaria | Alejandro Villanueva (Alianza Lima) (3) |
| 1929 | Federación Universitaria (1) | Circolo Sportivo Italiano | Carlos Cilloniz (Universitario) (8) |
| 1930 | Atlético Chalaco (1) | Alianza Lima | Manuel Puente (Atlético Chalaco) (3) |
| 1931 | Alianza Lima (5) | Sporting Tabaco | Alejandro Villanueva (Alianza Lima) (16) |
| 1932 | Alianza Lima (6) | Federación Universitaria | Teodoro Fernández (Universitario) (11) |
| 1933 | Alianza Lima (7) | Universitario | Teodoro Fernández (Universitario) (9) |
| 1934 | Universitario (2) | Alianza Lima | Teodoro Fernández (Universitario) (9) |
| 1935 | Sport Boys (1) | Alianza Lima | Jorge Alcalde (Sport Boys) (5) |
| 1936 |
|
||
| 1937 | Sport Boys (2) | Alianza Lima | Juan Flores (Sport Boys) (10) |
| 1938 | Deportivo Municipal (1) | Sport Boys | Jorge Alcalde (Sport Boys) (8) |
| 1939 | Universitario (3) | Mariscal Sucre FC | Teodoro Fernández (Universitario) (15) |
| 1940 | Deportivo Municipal (2) | Universitario | Teodoro Fernández (Universitario) (15) |
| 1941 | Universitario (4) | Deportivo Municipal | Jorge Cabrejos (Deportivo Municipal) (13) |
| 1942 | Sport Boys (3) | Deportivo Municipal | Teodoro Fernández (Universitario) (11) |
| 1943 | Deportivo Municipal (3) | Alianza Lima | German Cerro (Universitario) (9) |
| 1944 | Mariscal Sucre FC (1) | Deportivo Municipal | Victor Espinoza (Universitario) (16) |
| 1945 | Universitario (5) | Deportivo Municipal | Teodoro Fernández (Universitario) (16) |
| 1946 | Universitario (6) | Deportivo Municipal | Valeriano Lopez (Sport Boys) (22) |
| 1947 | Atlético Chalaco (2) | Deportivo Municipal | Valeriano Lopez (Sport Boys) (20) |
| 1948 | Alianza Lima (8) | Atlético Chalaco | Valeriano Lopez (Sport Boys) (20) |
| 1949 | Universitario (7) | Mariscal Sucre FC | Emilio Salinas (Alianza Lima) (18) |
| 1950 | Deportivo Municipal (3) | Sport Boys | Alberto Terry (Universitario) (16) |
[edit] Professional era
| Season | Champion (number of titles) | Runner-up | Top scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Sport Boys (4) | Deportivo Municipal | Valeriano Lopez (Sport Boys) (31) |
| 1952 | Alianza Lima (9) | Sport Boys | Emilio Salinas (Alianza Lima) (22) |
| 1953 | Mariscal Sucre FC (2) | Alianza Lima | Gualberto Blanco (Atlético Chalaca) (17) |
| 1954 | Alianza Lima (10) | Sporting Tabaco | Vicente Villanueva (Sporting Tabaco) (14) |
| 1955 | Alianza Lima (11) | Universitario | Maximo Mosquera (Alianza Lima) (11) |
| 1956 | Sporting Cristal (1) | Alianza Lima | Daniel Ruiz (Universitario) (16) |
| 1957 | Centro Iqueño (1) | Atlético Chalaco | Daniel Ruiz (Universitario) (20) |
| 1958 | Sport Boys (5) | Atlético Chalaco | Juan Joya (Alianza Lima) (17) |
| 1959 | Universitario (8) | Sport Boys | Daniel Ruiz (Universitario) (28) |
| 1960 | Universitario (9) | Sport Boys | Fernando Olaechea (Centro Iqueño) (18) |
| 1961 | Sporting Cristal (2) | Alianza Lima | Alberto Gallardo (Sporting Cristal) (18) |
| 1962 | Alianza Lima (12) | Sporting Cristal | Alberto Gallardo (Sporting Cristal) (22) |
| 1963 | Alianza Lima (13) | Sporting Cristal | Pedro Pablo Leon (Alianza Lima) (13) |
| 1964 | Universitario (10) | Alianza Lima | Ángel Uribe (Universitario) (15) |
| 1965 | Alianza Lima (14) | Universitario | Carlos Urranaga (Defensor Lima) (16) |
| 1966 | Universitario (11) | Sport Boys | Teófilo Cubillas (Alianza Lima) (19) |
| 1967 | Universitario (12) | Sporting Cristal | Pedro Pablo Leon (Alianza Lima) (14) |
| 1968 | Sporting Cristal (3) | Juan Aurich | Oswaldo Ramírez (Sport Boys) (26) |
| 1969 | Universitario (13) | Defensor Arica | Jaime Moreno (Deportivo Municipal) (15) |
| 1970 | Sporting Cristal (4) | Universitario | Teófilo Cubillas (Alianza Lima) (22) |
| 1971 | Universitario (14) | Alianza Lima | Manuel Mellan (Deportivo Municipal) (25) |
| 1972 | Sporting Cristal (5) | Universitario | Francisco Gonzalez (Defensor Lima) (20) |
| 1973 | Defensor Lima (1) | Sporting Cristal | Francisco Gonzalez (Defensor Lima) (25) |
| 1974 | Universitario (15) | Unión Huaral | Pablo Muchotrigo (Cienciano) (32) |
| 1975 | Alianza Lima (15) | Alfonso Ugarte | Jose Leyva (Alfonso Ugarte) (28) |
| 1976 | Unión Huaral (1) | Sport Boys | Alejandro Luces (Union Huaral) (17) |
| 1977 | Alianza Lima (16) | Sporting Cristal | Freddy Ravello (Alianza Lima) (21) |
| 1978 | Alianza Lima (17) | Universitario | Juan José Oré (Universitario) (19) |
| 1979 | Sporting Cristal (6) | Atlético Chalaco | Jose Leyva (Alfonso Ugarte) (28) |
| 1980 | Sporting Cristal (7) | Atlético Torino | Oswaldo Ramírez (Sporting Cristal) (18) |
| 1981 | FBC Melgar (1) | Deportivo Municipal | Jose Carranza (Alianza Lima) (15) |
| 1982 | Universitario (16) | Alianza Lima | Percy Rojas (Univesitario) (19) |
| 1983 | Sporting Cristal (8) | FBC Melgar | Juan Caballero (Sporting Cristal) (29) |
| 1984 | Sport Boys (6) | Universitario | Jaime Drago (Universitario), Francisco Montero (Atletico Torino) (13) |
| 1985 | Universitario (17) | U. Técnica de Cajamarca | Genaro Neyra (FBC Melgar) (22) |
| 1986 | Deportivo San Agustín (1) | Alianza Lima | Juvenal Briceño (FBC Melgar) (16) |
| 1987 | Universitario (18) | Alianza Lima | Fidel Suarez (Universitario) (20) |
| 1988 | Sporting Cristal (9) | Universitario | Alberto Mora (Octavio Espinosa) (15) |
| 1989 | Unión Huaral (2) | Sporting Cristal | Carlos Delgado (Carlos Mannucci) (14) |
| 1990 | Universitario (19) | Sport Boys | Cláudio Adão (Sport Boys) (31) |
| 1991 | Sporting Cristal (10) | Universitario | Raúl Horacio Baldessari (Sporting Cristal) (25) |
| 1992 | Universitario (20) | Sporting Cristal | Marco dos Santos "Marquinho" (Sport Boys) (18) |
| 1993 | Universitario (21) | Alianza Lima | Waldir Sáenz (Alianza Lima) (19) |
| 1994 | Sporting Cristal (11) | Universitario | Flavio Maestri (Sporting Cristal) (25) |
| 1995 | Sporting Cristal (12) | Alianza Lima | Julinho (Sporting Cristal) (23) |
| 1996 | Sporting Cristal (13) | Alianza Lima | Waldir Sáenz (Alianza Lima) (19) |
| 1997 | Alianza Lima (18) | Sporting Cristal | Ricardo Zegarra (Alianza Atletico) (17) |
| 1998 | Universitario (22) | Sporting Cristal | Nílson Esidio Mora (Sporting Cristal) (25) |
| 1999 | Universitario (23) | Alianza Lima | Ysrael Zúñiga (FBC Melgar) (32) |
| 2000 | Universitario (24) | Sporting Cristal | Eduardo Esidio (Universitario) (37) |
| 2001 | Alianza Lima (19) | Cienciano | Jorge Ramirez (Deportivo Wanka) (21) |
| 2002 | Sporting Cristal (14) | Universitario | Luis Fabián Artime (FBC Melgar) (24) |
| 2003 | Alianza Lima (20) | Sporting Cristal | Luis Bonnet (Sporting Cristal) (20) |
| 2004 | Alianza Lima (21) | Sporting Cristal | Gabriel Garcia (FBC Melgar) (35) |
| 2005 | Sporting Cristal (15) | Cienciano | Miguel Mostto (Cienciano) (18) |
| 2006 | Alianza Lima (22) | Cienciano | Miguel Mostto (Cienciano) (22) |
| 2007 | U. San Martín (1) | Coronel Bolognesi | Johan Fano (Universitario) (19) |
| 2008 | U. San Martín (2) | Universitario | Miguel Ximénez (Sporting Cristal) (32) |
| 2009 |
[edit] Clubs by titles
As of end of 2008
| Club | National titles | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Era | Status | Level | |||||
| Liga (1912-21) |
Campeonato Amateur (1926-50) |
Campeonato Profesional (51-present) |
Unofficial (1912-21) |
Official (1926-present) |
Amateur (1912-50) |
Professional (1951-present) |
||
| Universitario[10] | 24 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 7 | 17 | ||
| Alianza Lima[11] | 22 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 2 | 20 | 8 | 14 |
| Sporting Cristal[12] | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | ||||
| Sport Boys | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | ||
| Deportivo Municipal | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||||
| U. San Martín | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Unión Huaral | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Mariscal Sucre FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Atlético Chalaco | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Sport Progreso | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Lima Cricket FBC | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Sport José Gálvez[13] | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| FBC Melgar | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Defensor Lima | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Deportivo San Agustín | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Centro Iqueño | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Jorge Chávez | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Juan Bielovucic | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Sport Inca | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Asociacion Deportiva de Futbol Profesional". adfp.org.pe. http://www.adfp.org.pe/archivos/BASES2008.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
- ^ Álvarez Escalona, Gerardo Tomas. "La difusión del fútbol en Lima". http://sisbib.unmsm.edu.pe/bibVirtual/Tesis/Human/Alvarez_E_T/Cap2.htm. Retrieved on 6 June, 2009.
- ^ Becker, Wolfy (6 March, 2007). "The dreadful situation of Peruvian football". Journal Peru. Wolfy Becker. http://journalperu.com/?p=479. Retrieved on 2009-06-15.
- ^ Castro, Roberto; Behr, Raúl. "Descentralizado X-Files". dechalaca. http://dechalaca.com/content/view/4217/103/. Retrieved on 15 June 2009.
- ^ Most stadiums are owned by the Instituto Peruano del Deporte (IPD).
- ^ "Peru". fussballtempel.net. http://www.fussballtempel.net/conmebol/PER.html. Retrieved on 2008-02-02.
- ^ Owned by the municipality of Sullana.
- ^ a b Stadium is owned by club.
- ^ Owned by the municipality of Chimbote.
- ^ Includes titles as "Federación Universitaria" (until 1932).
- ^ Includes titles as "Sport Alianza" (Liga).
- ^ Formerly "Sporting Tobacco" (until 1955), although no titles were won under that name.
- ^ Campeonato Peruano team from Lima, not to be confused with Club José Gálvez from Chimbote.
