Costa Rican Primera División

Unión de Clubes de Fútbol
de la Primera División
Country Costa Rica
Confederation CONCACAF
Founded June 13, 1921
Number of teams 12
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Segunda División de Costa Rica
International cup(s) CONCACAF Champions League
Current champions Saprissa (32)
(Torneo Invierno 2015)
Most championships Deportivo Saprissa (32)
TV partners Teletica Canal 7,
Extra TV 42, Repretel
Website Official website
2015-16

Primera División de Costa Rica (also known as the Costa Rican FPD) is a professional league for association football clubs in Costa Rica.[1] At the top of the Costa Rican league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 12 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Segunda División de Costa Rica. The seasons consist of two tournaments each year, the Invierno (Winter), from July to December, and the Verano (Summer), from January to May. Thus, there are two champions each season with teams playing anywhere from 32 to 44 games each, totalling 412 games in the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, but recently there have been games programmed on Friday afternoons and Monday nights. Also the league has some Wednesday nights available to program games if any club needs it. The Campeonatos de Invierno and Verano are sponsored by Junta Protección Social-ProGol.

The competition formed on June 13, 1921 following an invitation presented by Guatemala to Costa Rica to participate in its Centenary Games. A total of 12 clubs have won the title. The current champions are Saprissa, who won the Torneo Invierno 2015.

Format

The current Primera División season has two championships. The 12 teams play each other twice (home and away) for a total of 22 games in each championship. The top four teams qualify for the semi-finals with the semi-final winners meeting to determine the tournament champion. The winners of both tournaments (Invierno and Verano) qualify to the CONCACAF Champions League. Where one team wins both tournaments, the next best team in the aggregate table (Invierno and Verano combined) qualifies.

History

In the year 1921, the Liga Nacional de Fútbol was created by Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, CS Cartaginés, CS Herediano, Club Sport La Libertad, Sociedad Gimnástica Española de San José, Club Sport La Unión de Tres Ríos and Sociedad Gimnástica Limonense, and the Primera División was born. In 1931 the league was centralized and renamed as Federación Deportiva de Costa Rica, then Federación Nacional de Fútbol and in the 1970s to Federación Costarricense de Fútbol (FEDEFUTBOL).

In 1999, the FEDEFUTBOL, created UNAFUT to operate the Primera División and the Alto Rendimiento and Juvenil Especial (both Youth Development Leagues from Primera Division clubs).

Classics and Derbys: Note that there is a difference between a Classic and a Derby. The classic is a game in which there is a big rivalry between the teams and remains fiercely fought over the years. A derby is played between two teams that falls in the same town or city.

Clubs in 2014 Apertura season

The league currently consists of the following 12 clubs. For the 2014 Apertura season, teams are aligned as follows:

Club City Stadium Capacity Founded Head Coach
Liga Deportiva Alajuelense El Llano, Alajuela Alejandro Morera Soto 18,000 1919 Costa Rica Javier Delgado
Belén Belén, Heredia Estadio Polideportivo de Belén 3,000 1979 Argentina José Giacone
CS Cartagines Cartago, Cartago José Rafael "Fello" Meza 13,500 1906 Uruguay César Eduardo Méndez
Deportivo Saprissa San Juan, San José Ricardo Saprissa Aymá 23,000 1935 Costa Rica Carlos Watson
Club Sport Herediano Heredia, Heredia Eladio Rosabal Cordero 8,500 1921 Costa Rica Hernán Medford
Limón F.C. Limón, Limón Estadio Juan Gobán 3,000 1964 Costa Rica Horacio Esquivel
Asociación Deportiva Carmelita El Carmen, Alajuela, Alajuela Alejandro Morera Soto 18,000 1975 Costa Rica Vinicio Alvarado
Club Sport Uruguay de Coronado Coronado, San José Municipal el Labrador 4,005 1936 Costa Rica Rónald González
Municipal Pérez Zeledón San Isidro del General, San José Municipal de Pérez Zeledón 6,000 1962 Costa Rica Mauricio Wright
Municipal Liberia Liberia, Guanacaste Estadio Edgardo Baltodano Briceño 6,000 1977 Costa Rica Erick Rodríguez
Universidad de Costa Rica Montes de Oca, San José Estadio Ecológico 1,800 1941 Portugal Guilherme Farinha
Santos de Guápiles Guápiles, Limón Ebal Rodríguez Aguilar 3,000 1961 Costa Rica Johnny Chaves

Defunct franchises

List of champions year by year

Year Winner Runner-up
1921Herediano Gimnástica Española
1922HeredianoLa Libertad
1923CartaginésLa Libertad
1924HeredianoCartaginés
1925La LibertadHerediano
1926La LibertadCartaginés
1927HeredianoLa Libertad
1928Alajuelense Gimnástica Española
1929La LibertadAlajuelense
1930Herediano Gimnástica Española
1931HeredianoOrión
1932HeredianoLa Libertad
1933Herediano Gimnástica Española
1934La LibertadAlajuela Junior
1935HeredianoAlajuela Junior
1936CartaginésLa Libertad
1937Herediano Gimnástica Española
1938Orión Gimnástica Española
1939AlajuelenseHerediano
1940CartaginésOrión
1941AlajuelenseLa Libertad
1942La Libertad Gimnástica Española
1943Universidad de Costa RicaAlajuelense
1944OriónHerediano
1945AlajuelenseOrión
1946La LibertadHerediano
1947HeredianoLa Libertad
1948HeredianoAlajuelense
1949AlajuelenseOrión
1950AlajuelenseSaprissa
1951HeredianoOrión
1952SaprissaAlajuelense
1953SaprissaHerediano
1954Vacated
1955HeredianoSaprissa
1956Vacated
1957SaprissaAlajuelense
1958AlajuelenseSaprissa
1959AlajuelenseSaprissa
1960AlajuelenseHerediano
1961 ASOFUTBOLHeredianoSaprissa
1961 FEDEFUTBOLCarmenUruguay de Coronado
1962SaprissaAlajuelense
1963Uruguay de CoronadoSaprissa
1964SaprissaOrión
1965SaprissaAlajuelense
1966AlajuelenseSaprissa
1967SaprissaAlajuelense
1968SaprissaCartaginés
1969SaprissaAlajuelense
1970AlajuelenseSaprissa
1971AlajuelenseSaprissa
1972SaprissaAlajuelense
1973SaprissaCartaginés
1974SaprissaHerediano
1975SaprissaCartaginés
1976SaprissaBarrio México
1977SaprissaCartaginés
1978Herediano Municipal Puntarenas
1979HeredianoCartaginés
1980AlajuelenseHerediano
1981HeredianoLimonense
1982SaprissaMunicipal Puntarenas
1983AlajuelenseMunicipal Puntarenas
1984AlajuelenseSaprissa
1985HeredianoAlajuelense
1986Municipal PuntarenasAlajuelense
1987HeredianoCartaginés
1988SaprissaHerediano
1989SaprissaAlajuelense
1990Vacated
1990-91AlajuelenseSaprissa
1991-92AlajuelenseSaprissa
1992-93HeredianoCartaginés
1993-94SaprissaAlajuelense
1994-95SaprissaAlajuelense
1995-96AlajuelenseCartaginés
1996-97AlajuelenseSaprissa
1997-98SaprissaAlajuelense
1998-99SaprissaAlajuelense
1999–2000AlajuelenseSaprissa
2000-01AlajuelenseHerediano
2001-02AlajuelenseSantos de Guápiles
2002-03AlajuelenseSaprissa
2003-04SaprissaHerediano
2004–05AlajuelensePérez Zeledón
2005–06SaprissaPuntarenas F.C
2006–07SaprissaAlajuelense
2007 AperturaSaprissaHerediano
2008 ClausuraSaprissaAlajuelense
2008 AperturaSaprissaAlajuelense
2009 ClausuraLiberia MíaHerediano
2009 AperturaBrujasPuntarenas F.C.
2010 ClausuraSaprissaSan Carlos
2010 AperturaAlajuelenseHerediano
2011 ClausuraAlajuelenseSan Carlos
2011 AperturaAlajuelenseHerediano
2012 ClausuraHeredianoSantos de Guápiles
2012 AperturaAlajuelenseHerediano
2013 ClausuraHeredianoCartagines
2013 AperturaAlajuelenseHerediano
2014 ClausuraSaprissaAlajuelense
2014 AperturaSaprissaHerediano
2015 ClausuraHeredianoAlajuelense
2015 AperturaSaprissaAlajuelense
2016 Clausura

Champion titles by club (1921–2015)

Club Championships Runner-Up
Deportivo Saprissa 32 15
LD Alajuelense 29 23
CS Herediano 24 19
CS La Libertad 6 7
CS Cartaginés 3 10
Orión F.C. 2 6
A.D. Municipal Puntarenas 1 3
Uruguay de Coronado 1 1
CF Universidad de Costa Rica 1 0
Asociación Deportiva Carmelita 1 0
Brujas FC 1 0
Liberia Mía 1 0
Sociedad Gimnástica Española 0 7
Alajuela Junior 0 2
Puntarenas F.C. 0 2
Santos de Guápiles 0 2
Barrio México 0 1
Limón FC 0 1
Municipal Pérez Zeledón 0 1

Short championships titles (2007–2013)

Short championships (opening and closure) titles by club (2007–2013)

Club Apertura
Championships
Runner-Up
Alajuelense 4 1
Saprissa 2 0
Brujas 1 0
Herediano 0 4
Puntarenas F.C. 0 1

Club Clausura
Championships
Runner-Up
Herediano 2 1
Saprissa 2 0
Alajuelense 1 1
Liberia Mía 1 0
San Carlos 0 2
Cartaginés 0 1
Santos de Guápiles 0 1

References

  1. Tor-Kristian Karlsen. "World Cup 2014: five things you didn’t know about Costa Rica". the Guardian. Retrieved 19 December 2014.

External links

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