Costa Rican 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 |
Herediano (25) (Torneo Invierno 2015) |
| Most championships | Deportivo Saprissa (32) |
| TV partners |
Teletica Canal 7, Extra TV 42, Repretel |
| Website | Official website |
 2016–17 | |
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 runners-up with the best aggregate record (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.
- Costa Rican Classic: Deportivo Saprissa vs. Alajuelense.
- "Clasico del Buen Futbol": Deportivo Saprissa vs Club Sport Herediano
- Provincial Classic: Club Sport Herediano vs. Alajuelense, Club Sport Herediano vs. Club Sport Cartagines
Clubs in 2015 Apertura season
The league currently consists of the following 12 clubs. For the 2015 Apertura season, teams are aligned as follows:
Defunct franchises
| Club | City | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Ceased Operations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defunct Franchises | |||||
| Club Deportivo Alajuela Junior | 1933 | 1936 | |||
| Club Sport Buenos Aires | 1932 | 1935 | |||
| Club Sport Costa Rica | 1924 | 1924 | |||
| Club Sport México | 1932 | 1934 | |||
| Brujas F.C. | 2004 | 2011 | |||
| Club Sport Progreso | 1923 | 1925 | |||
| Corsarios Fútbol Club | 1930 | 1930 | |||
| Hispano Atlético | 1932 | 1932 | |||
| Juventud | 1927 | 1927 | |||
| Sociedad Gimnástica Española de San José |
1912 | ||||
| Unión Deportiva Moravia | 1926 | 1955 | |||
List of champions year by year
Champion titles by club (1921–2016)
| Club | Championships | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|
| Deportivo Saprissa | 32 | 15 |
| LD Alajuelense | 29 | 24 |
| CS Herediano | 25 | 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)
|
|
References
- ↑ Tor-Kristian Karlsen. "World Cup 2014: five things you didn't know about Costa Rica". the Guardian. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
External links
- (Spanish) Fútbol Tico
- (Spanish) Fútbol de Costa Rica
- (Spanish) UNAFUT - Primera División de Costa Rica
- (Spanish) Federación Costarricense de Fútbol (Football Federation of Costa Rica)
- (English) Costa Rica - List of Champions and Runners Up, RSSSF.com
| |||||||
| National teams |
| ||||||
| League system |
| ||||||
| Domestic cups |
| ||||||
| Awards |
| ||||||
| Lists |
| ||||||
| |||||||