InterLiga

InterLiga
Region Mexico (CONCACAF)
Number of teams 8 (group stage)
Current champions Mexico Monterrey
Most successful club(s) Mexico UANL Tigres (2 times)
Television broadcasters Fox Sports en Español
Motto Rumbo a la Libertadores

The InterLiga was a football competition from 2004 to 2010 between Mexican clubs to determine qualifying spots for that country in South America's premier club competition, the Copa Libertadores.

Prior to the 2004 Copa Libertadores, Mexican clubs competed in two levels of competitionfirst against one another, and then against clubs from Venezuelafor spots in the main competition. In 2004, Mexico and Venezuela were granted automatic entries to the Copa Libertadores for the first time. The Mexican Football Federation decided to create a qualifying league for its two automatic spots, and the first InterLiga was held that January, during the off-season of the Mexican Primera División.

The eight qualifying teams were selected based on their combined results in the Apertura and Clausura phases of the Primera División, and divided into two groups of four, with even-numbered seeds in one group and odd-numbered seeds in the other. Each group was conducted as a single round-robin league. In order to assure a more neutral environment, and to take advantage of a large and relatively well-off pool of Mexican football fans, all matches were held in the United States in California and Texas, two states with large Mexican populations. The winners of each group then played in a final for one of the two Libertadores berths. The loser of the final had a second chance to earn the other berth, as it would compete in a play-in game against the winner of a match against the two second-place finishers from each group.

The actual league champions are currently excluded from the InterLiga as they qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League, which is contested during the same time period as the Libertadores, and whose prize is a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup. Mexican teams would not be eligible for the latter competition if they won the Libertadores because Mexico belongs to CONCACAF.

Tournaments

YearFinal VenueChampionRunner-up
2004California CarsonSantos LagunaAmérica
2005Texas HoustonUANLGuadalajara
2006California CarsonUANLGuadalajara
2007California CarsonNecaxaAmérica
2008California CarsonAméricaAtlas
2009California CarsonGuadalajaraPachuca
2010California CarsonMonterreyEstudiantes Tecos

Note: After both finals have been played, both winners qualify to Copa Libertadores, but the winner with the best performance in the group stage becomes champion. Since 2005, when Mexico gained a third spot (dubbed "Mexico 3") to play in the pre-group stage of the Copa Libertadores, the runner-up has been "Mexico 3". "Mexico 1", who qualifies directly to the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, has been chosen in a match between the two champions of the year preceding the previous, independent from the InterLiga. "Mexico 2" is the InterLiga champion and also qualifies directly to the group stage.

Participations

History Topscorers

PosPlayerGoals
1Chile Reinaldo Navia 9
1Paraguay Salvador Cabañas9
2Argentina Bruno Marioni7
3Mexico Cuauhtémoc Blanco 6
3Mexico Aldo de Nigris 6
4Mexico Omar Bravo5
4Argentina Walter Gaitán5
4Brazil Kléber Boas5
4Mexico Alfredo Moreno5
5Mexico Manuel Perez4
5Mexico Jared Borgetti4
5Chile Sebastian Gonzalez4
5Mexico Carlos Ochoa4
5Mexico Ramón Morales4
5Paraguay Edgar Benitez4
5Mexico Adolfo Bautista4
5Paraguay Jorge Achucarro4

As January 19, 2008

External links

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