Paraguayan Primera División

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

División Profesional
Founded1906
CountryParaguay
ConfederationCONMEBOL
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toDivisión Intermedia
Domestic cup(s)Copa Paraguay
International cup(s)Copa Libertadores
Copa Sudamericana
Current championsLibertad (22nd title)
(2022 Apertura)
Most championshipsOlimpia (45 titles)
TV partnersMultideporte & Unicanal (Three games per matchday are broadcast live plus One game per matchday are broadcast delayed Sunday at 22:00)
Tigo Sports & Tigo Max (Four games per matchday)
Telefuturo (Only emits highlights per matchday)
Paravisión (Only are broadcast live called El Partido del Viernes Friday at 21:00 (K.O 21:10))
TVC Sports 2 (Only are broadcast live Friday at 20:55 (K.O 21:10))
GolTV
TVC Sports
WebsiteAPF
Current: 2022 season

The most successful club is Olimpia, with 45 championships. The most recent champions are Libertad, having won the 2022 Apertura tournament. IFFHS ranked the league as the ninth strongest in the world in 2012,[1] and the eleventh strongest in the world in 2013.[2] In 2017, the Primera División returned to 9th position in the world and the 4th from South America, after Brazil (3rd), Colombia (6th) and Argentina (7th).[3]

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).[4] 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 each tournament is independent.

Traditionally, the dominance of Olimpia and Cerro Porteño went mostly 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 local level.

Format

The system of the tournaments is round-robin. 12 teams play two rounds of 11 dates either away or home games, 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.

Teams

The following are the teams in the first division in 2022:

Asunción
12 de Octubre
G. Caballero (JLM)
Guaireña
Sol de América
Asunción teams:
Cerro Porteño
Guaraní
Libertad
Nacional
Olimpia
Resistencia
Sportivo Ameliano
Tacuary
Locations of the 2022 Primera División teams
Team Home city Stadium Capacity
12 de OctubreItauguáLuis Alberto Salinas10,000
Cerro PorteñoAsunciónGeneral Pablo Rojas45,000
General CaballeroJuan León MallorquínKa'arendy3,000
GuaireñaVillarricaParque del Guairá12,000
GuaraníAsunciónRogelio Livieres6,000
LibertadAsunciónTigo La Huerta10,000
NacionalAsunciónArsenio Erico4,000
OlimpiaAsunciónManuel Ferreira25,000
ResistenciaAsunciónTomás Beggan Correa3,500
Sol de AméricaVilla ElisaLuis Alfonso Giagni10,000
Sportivo AmelianoAsunciónJosé Tomás Silva800
TacuaryAsunciónToribio Vargas3,000

List of champions

Complete list of champions since 1906. Paraguayan football turned professional since the 1935 season.

Ed. Season Champion Runner-up Third
1
1906Guaraní (1)OlimpiaLibertad
2
1907Guaraní (2)OlimpiaLibertad
—
1908
No championship held
3
1909Nacional (1)LibertadOlimpia
4
1910Libertad (1)AtlántidaNacional
5
1911Nacional (2)AtlántidaSol de América
6
1912Olimpia (1)Sol de AméricaNacional
7
1913Cerro Porteño (1)Sol de AméricaNacional
8
1914Olimpia (2)Cerro PorteñoRiver Plate
9
1915Cerro Porteño (2)OlimpiaGuaraní
10
1916Olimpia (3)GuaraníNacional
11
1917Libertad (2)OlimpiaCerro Porteño
12
1918Cerro Porteño (3)NacionalOlimpia
13
1919Cerro Porteño (4)River PlateOlimpia
14
1920Libertad (3)OlimpiaCerro Porteño
15
1921Guaraní (3)NacionalSol de América
—
1922
No championship held
16
1923Guaraní (4)OlimpiaLibertad
17
1924Nacional (3)LibertadOlimpia
18
1925Olimpia (4)GuaraníNacional
19
1926Nacional (4)OlimpiaRiver Plate
Sol de América
20
1927Olimpia (5)Libertad
Nacional		no third-place awarded
21
1928Olimpia (6)LibertadNacional
22
1929Olimpia (7)LibertadSportivo Luqueño
River Plate
23
1930Libertad (4)River PlateOlimpia
24
1931Olimpia (8)Libertadno third-place awarded
—
1932
No championship held due to the Chaco War
—
1933
—
1934
25
1935Cerro Porteño (5)Sol de AméricaLibertad
26
1936Olimpia (9)AtlántidaNacional
27
1937Olimpia (10)Cerro PorteñoGuaraní
28
1938Olimpia (11)Cerro PorteñoLibertad
29
1939Cerro Porteño (6)OlimpiaNacional
30
1940Cerro Porteño (7)Sol de AméricaGuaraní
31
1941Cerro Porteño (8)OlimpiaNacional
32
1942Nacional (5)Cerro PorteñoGuaraní
33
1943Libertad (5)OlimpiaSol de América
34
1944Cerro Porteño (9)LibertadGuaraní
35
1945Libertad (6)Cerro PorteñoPresidente Hayes
36
1946Nacional (6)Sol de AméricaCerro Porteño
37
1947Olimpia (12)GuaraníNacional
38
1948Olimpia (13)Cerro PorteñoSportivo Luqueño
39
1949Guaraní (5)NacionalCerro Porteño
40
1950Cerro Porteño (10)LibertadOlimpia
41
1951Sportivo Luqueño (1)Cerro PorteñoNacional
42
1952Presidente Hayes (1)Libertad
Sol de América		no third-place awarded
43
1953Sportivo Luqueño (2)Libertad
Cerro Porteño		no third-place awarded
44
1954Cerro Porteño (11)LibertadOlimpia
45
1955Libertad (7)OlimpiaCerro Porteño
46
1956Olimpia (14)LibertadSol de América
47
1957Olimpia (15)Cerro Porteño
Sol de América
Guaraní		no third place awarded
48
1958Olimpia (16)Cerro PorteñoGuaraní
49
1959Olimpia (17)Cerro PorteñoSportivo Luqueño
50
1960Olimpia (18)Cerro PorteñoSportivo Luqueño
51
1961Cerro Porteño (12)OlimpiaSportivo Luqueño
52
1962Olimpia (19)NacionalRiver Plate
53
1963Cerro Porteño (13)OlimpiaLibertad
River Plate
54
1964Guaraní (6)Nacional
Cerro Porteño		no third-place awarded
55
1965Olimpia (20)GuaraníCerro Porteño
56
1966Cerro Porteño (14)GuaraníOlimpia
57
1967Guaraní (7)LibertadOlimpia
58
1968Olimpia (21)Cerro Porteño
59
1969Guaraní (8)Olimpia
60
1970Cerro Porteño (15)Guaraní
61
1971Olimpia (22)Cerro Porteño
62
1972Cerro Porteño (16)Olimpia
63
1973Cerro Porteño (17)Olimpia
64
1974Cerro Porteño (18)Olimpia
65
1975Olimpia (23)Sportivo Luqueño
66
1976Libertad (8)Cerro Porteño
67
1977Cerro Porteño (19)Libertad
68
1978Olimpia (24)Sol de América
69
1979Olimpia (25)Sol de América
70
1980Olimpia (26)Cerro Porteño
71
1981Olimpia (27)Sol de América
72
1982Olimpia (28)Nacional
73
1983Olimpia (29)Sportivo LuqueñoLibertad
74
1984Guaraní (9)Cerro PorteñoOlimpia
75
1985Olimpia (30)NacionalSol de América
76
1986Sol de América (1)OlimpiaCerro Porteño
77
1987Cerro Porteño (20)OlimpiaSol de América
78
1988Olimpia (31)Sol de AméricaLibertad
79
1989Olimpia (32)GuaraníCerro Porteño
80
1990Cerro Porteño (21)LibertadOlimpia
Sportivo Luqueño
81
1991Sol de América (2)Cerro PorteñoOlimpia
Guaraní
82
1992Cerro Porteño (22)LibertadOlimpia
Sportivo Luqueño
83
1993Olimpia (33)Cerro PorteñoGuaraní
84
1994Cerro Porteño (23)OlimpiaSport Colombia
85
1995Olimpia (34)Cerro PorteñoGuaraní
Nacional
86
1996Cerro Porteño (24)GuaraníOlimpia
87
1997Olimpia (35)Cerro PorteñoGuaraní
88
1998Olimpia (36)Cerro PorteñoGuaraní
89
1999Olimpia (37)Cerro PorteñoColegiales
90
2000Olimpia (38)GuaraníCerro Porteño
91
2001Cerro Porteño (25)Sportivo Luqueño12 de Octubre
92
2002Libertad (9)12 de OctubreCerro Porteño
93
2003Libertad (10)GuaraníOlimpia
94
2004Cerro Porteño (26)LibertadTacuary
95
2005Cerro Porteño (27)LibertadNacional
96
2006Libertad (11)Cerro PorteñoTacuary
97
2007Libertad (12)Sportivo LuqueñoCerro Porteño
98
2008AperturaLibertad (13)NacionalCerro Porteño
99
ClausuraLibertad (14)GuaraníCerro Porteño
100
2009AperturaCerro Porteño (28)LibertadNacional
101
ClausuraNacional (7)LibertadGuaraní
102
2010AperturaGuaraní (10)Cerro PorteñoOlimpia
103
ClausuraLibertad (15)Cerro PorteñoNacional
104
2011AperturaNacional (8)OlimpiaLibertad
105
ClausuraOlimpia (39)Cerro PorteñoLibertad
106
2012AperturaCerro Porteño (29)OlimpiaLibertad
107
ClausuraLibertad (16)NacionalGuaraní
108
2013AperturaNacional (9)GuaraníCerro Porteño
109
ClausuraCerro Porteño (30)LibertadCapiatá
110
2014AperturaLibertad (17)GuaraníOlimpia
111
ClausuraLibertad (18)Cerro PorteñoGuaraní
112
2015AperturaCerro Porteño (31)GuaraníLibertad
113
ClausuraOlimpia (40)Cerro PorteñoGuaraní
114
2016AperturaLibertad (19)OlimpiaSol de América
115
ClausuraGuaraní (11)OlimpiaLibertad
116
2017AperturaLibertad (20)GuaraníOlimpia
117
ClausuraCerro Porteño (32)OlimpiaGuaraní
118
2018AperturaOlimpia (41)Cerro PorteñoLibertad
119
ClausuraOlimpia (42)Cerro PorteñoLibertad
120
2019AperturaOlimpia (43)Cerro PorteñoLibertad
121
ClausuraOlimpia (44)LibertadCerro Porteño
122
2020AperturaCerro Porteño (33)OlimpiaLibertad
123
ClausuraOlimpia (45)Guaraníno third-place awarded
124
2021AperturaLibertad (21)OlimpiaNacional
125
ClausuraCerro Porteño (34)GuaraníSol de América
126
2022AperturaLibertad (22)Cerro PorteñoOlimpia
127
Clausura

Titles by club
Club Winners Runners-up Winning years Runners-up years
Olimpia45271912, 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, 2015 Clausura, 2018 Apertura, 2018 Clausura, 2019 Apertura, 2019 Clausura, 2020 Clausura1906, 1907, 1915, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1926, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1955, 1961, 1963, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1986, 1987, 1994, 2011 Apertura, 2012 Apertura, 2016 Apertura, 2016 Clausura, 2017 Clausura, 2020 Apertura, 2021 Apertura
Cerro Porteño34341913, 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, 2015 Apertura, 2017 Clausura, 2020 Apertura, 2021 Clausura1914, 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, 2015 Clausura, 2018 Apertura, 2018 Clausura, 2019 Apertura, 2022 Apertura
Libertad22221910, 1917, 1920, 1930, 1943, 1945, 1955, 1976, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 Apertura, 2008 Clausura, 2010 Clausura, 2012 Clausura, 2014 Apertura, 2014 Clausura, 2016 Apertura, 2017 Apertura, 2021 Apertura, 2022 Apertura1909, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1944, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1967, 1977, 1990, 1992, 2004, 2005, 2009 Apertura, 2009 Clausura, 2013 Clausura, 2019 Clausura
Guaraní11181906, 1907, 1921, 1923, 1949, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1984, 2010 Apertura, 2016 Clausura1916, 1925, 1947, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2008 Clausura, 2013 Apertura, 2014 Apertura, 2015 Apertura, 2017 Apertura, 2020 Clausura, 2021 Clausura
Nacional9101909, 1911, 1924, 1926, 1942, 1946, 2009 Clausura, 2011 Apertura, 2013 Apertura1918, 1921, 1927, 1949, 1962, 1964, 1982, 1985, 2008 Apertura, 2012 Clausura
Sol de América2111986, 19911912, 1913, 1935, 1940, 1946, 1952, 1957, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1988
Sportivo Luqueño241951, 19531975, 1983, 2001, 2007
Presidente Hayes1—1952 —

Topscorers

Sponsors

Main sponsors
  • Pepsi (1997-1998)
  • Brahma (1997-1998)
  • Lloyds TSB (1999-2000)
  • Gillette (2005-2007)
  • Tigo (2008-present)
  • Visión Banco (2010-present)

Current official sponsors
  • Coca-Cola (1987-2004/2011-present)
  • Pilsen (1988-2007/2011-present)
  • Caña Fortin
  • Vino Toro
  • Lácteos Trébol
  • Lácteos Lactolanda
  • Pastas Anita
  • Supermercado Superseis
  • Supermercado La Bomba
  • Supermercado Arete
  • Supermercados Kingo
  • Bein TV (1999-present)
  • DirecTV (1999-present)
  • GOL TV (2003-presente)

Former official sponsors
  • Daewoo Motor
  • Suzuki Motor
  • Pirelli
  • Pulp (2005-2010)
  • Pepsi (1994-1999)
  • Brahma (1995-1999)
  • Budweiser (2007-2008)
  • Multicanal (1996-2006)
  • Nuevo Siglo Cable TV (1996-2007)
  • SKY (2000-2004)
  • Supermercado Real
  • Supermercado Gran Vía
  • Supermercado Ycua Bolaños
  • Shopping Multiplaza
  • González Giménez

See also
  • Football in Paraguay
  • Paraguayan football league system
  • División Intermedia
  • Paraguayan Tercera División
  • Paraguayan Primera División B
  • Primera División B Nacional
  • Paraguayan Cuarta División
  • Campeonato Nacional de Interligas
  • Unión del Fútbol del Interior
  • Paraguayan women's football championship
  • Football Federation of the 1st Department Concepción
  • Football Federation of the 2nd Department San Pedro
  • Football Federation of the 3rd Department Cordillera
  • Football Federation of the 4th Department Guairá
  • Football Federation of the 5th Department Caaguazú
  • Football Federation of the 6th Department Caazapá
  • Football Federation of the 7th Department Itapúa
  • Football Federation of the 8th Department Misiones
  • Football Federation of the 9th Department Paraguarí
  • Football Federation of the 10th Department Alto Paraná
  • Football Federation of the 11th Department Central
  • Football Federation of the 12th Department Ñeembucú
  • Football Federation of the 13th Department Amambay
  • Football Federation of the 14th Department Canindeyú
  • Football Federation of the 15th Department Presidente Hayes
  • Football Federation of the 16th Department Alto Paraguay
  • Football Federation of the 17th Department Boquerón

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". Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  3. "THE STRONGEST NATIONAL LEAGUE OF THE WORLD : SPAIN'S LA LIGA AGAIN NUMBER 1 ! - IFFHS". iffhs.de. 14 January 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  4. Historia de la APF Archived 22 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
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