Wikipedia
2021 Paraguayan Primera División season
The 2021 División Profesional season (officially the Copa de Primera TIGO-Visión Banco 2021 for sponsorship reasons) was the 87th season of the Paraguayan Primera División, the top-flight professional football league in Paraguay. The season began on 5 February and ended on 5 December 2021. The fixtures for the season were announced on 15 January 2021.[1][2] Olimpia were the defending champions after winning the 2020 Clausura tournament.
| Season | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 5 February – 5 December 2021 |
| Champions | Apertura: Libertad (21st title) Clausura: Cerro Porteño (34th title) |
| Relegated | Sportivo Luqueño River Plate |
| Copa Libertadores | Cerro Porteño Libertad Guaraní Olimpia |
| Copa Sudamericana | Nacional Guaireña Sol de América (via Copa Paraguay) |
| Matches played | 180 |
| Goals scored | 456 (2.53 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Apertura: Leonardo Villagra (10 goals) Clausura: Sebastián Ferreira and Lorenzo Melgarejo (9 goals each) |
| Biggest home win | Libertad 5–0 Sportivo Luqueño (29 August) Libertad 5–0 River Plate (3 December) |
| Biggest away win | 12 de Octubre 0–5 Sol de América (20 February) Guaraní 1–6 Libertad (16 May) |
| Highest scoring | Guaraní 1–6 Libertad (16 May) |
← 2020 2022 → | |
In the Torneo Apertura, Libertad secured their twenty-first league title with one match to spare following Nacional's loss to River Plate on 23 May,[3] whilst in the Torneo Clausura Cerro Porteño won their thirty-fourth league title after drawing with eventual runners-up Guaraní 2–2 on the last matchday played on 4 December.[4]
Teams edit
Ten teams competed in the season: the top ten teams in the relegation table of the previous season, with no teams promoted from the División Intermedia since the 2020 seasons of the lower-tier club tournaments of Paraguayan football were cancelled by the Paraguayan Football Association due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] General Díaz and San Lorenzo were both relegated to the second tier at the end of the previous season after eight and two years in the top flight, respectively.
Stadia and locations edit
Asunción
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Locations of the 2021 Primera División teams| Team | Manager | City | Stadium[note 1] | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 de Octubre | Pedro Sarabia | Itauguá | Luis Alberto Salinas | 10,000 |
| Cerro Porteño | Francisco Arce | Asunción | General Pablo Rojas | 45,000 |
| Guaireña | Troadio Duarte | Villarrica | Parque del Guairá | 12,000 |
| Guaraní | Fernando Jubero | Asunción | Rogelio Livieres | 6,000 |
| Libertad | Daniel Garnero | Asunción | Dr. Nicolás Leoz | 10,000 |
| Nacional | Hernán Rodrigo López | Asunción | Arsenio Erico | 4,000 |
| Olimpia | Julio César Cáceres | Asunción | Manuel Ferreira | 25,000 |
| River Plate | Iván Almeida | Asunción | River Plate | 6,500 |
| Sol de América | Juan Pablo Pumpido | Villa Elisa | Luis Alfonso Giagni | 11,000 |
| Sportivo Luqueño | Miguel Ángel Zahzú | Luque | Feliciano Cáceres | 25,000 |
- ^ Teams occasionally play their home matches at Estadio Defensores del Chaco in Asunción. Derbies between Cerro Porteño and Olimpia are also played at this stadium.
Managerial changes edit
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torneo Apertura | ||||||
| River Plate | Ariel Galeano | End of caretaker spell | 18 December 2020 | Pre-season | Mario Jara | 21 December 2020[6] |
| Libertad | Juan Samudio | 23 December 2020 | Daniel Garnero | 30 December 2020[7] | ||
| Sol de América | Celso Ayala | Sacked | 17 February 2021[8] | 10th | Gustavo Florentín | 17 February 2021[8] |
| River Plate | Mario Jara | Resigned | 9 March 2021[9] | 8th | Enrique Landaida | 10 March 2021[10] |
| Olimpia | Néstor Gorosito | Sacked | 15 March 2021[11] | 4th | Sergio Órteman | 15 March 2021[12] |
| Sol de América | Gustavo Florentín | Resigned | 23 March 2021[13] | 8th | Ever Hugo Almeida | 23 March 2021[14] |
| River Plate | Enrique Landaida | Sacked | 17 April 2021[15] | 10th | Celso Ayala | 18 April 2021[16] |
| Sportivo Luqueño | Luis Escobar | 1 May 2021[17] | 8th | Gilberto Fleitas (caretaker) | 1 May 2021[17] | |
| Sol de América | Ever Hugo Almeida | 3 May 2021[18] | 9th | Iván Almeida (caretaker) | 3 May 2021[18] | |
| Sportivo Luqueño | Gilberto Fleitas | End of caretaker spell | 9 May 2021 | 8th | Alfredo Berti | 9 May 2021[19] |
| Guaraní | Gustavo Costas | Mutual consent | 28 May 2021[20] | 6th | Fernando Jubero | 12 June 2021[21] |
| Torneo Clausura | ||||||
| Sol de América | Iván Almeida | End of caretaker spell | 10 June 2021 | Pre-tournament | Juan Pablo Pumpido | 10 June 2021[22] |
| Olimpia | Sergio Órteman | Resigned | 14 August 2021[23] | 9th | Enrique Landaida | 15 August 2021[24] |
| Enrique Landaida | Change of role | 12 September 2021[25] | 10th | Álvaro Gutiérrez | 9 September 2021[26] | |
| Sportivo Luqueño | Alfredo Berti | Sacked | 12 September 2021[27] | 5th | Badayco Maciel[i] | 13 September 2021[29] |
| Olimpia | Álvaro Gutiérrez | Resigned | 14 October 2021[30] | 10th | Julio César Cáceres | 15 October 2021[31] |
| River Plate | Celso Ayala | Sacked | 18 October 2021[32] | 6th | Iván Almeida | 19 October 2021[33] |
| Sportivo Luqueño | Badayco Maciel | Replaced | 7 December 2021[34] | Relegation play-off | Miguel Ángel Zahzú | 8 December 2021[34] |
- Notes
Torneo Apertura edit
The Campeonato de Apertura, named "Centenario del Sportivo Luqueño", was the 123rd official championship of the Primera División and the first championship of the 2021 season. It started on 5 February and ended on 30 May.[35]
Standings edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Libertad (C) | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 36 | 15 | +21 | 38 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores group stage |
| 2 | Olimpia | 18 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 34 | 23 | +11 | 33 | |
| 3 | Nacional | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 26 | 19 | +7 | 30 | |
| 4 | Cerro Porteño | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 24 | 22 | +2 | 28 | |
| 5 | Guaireña | 18 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 20 | 14 | +6 | 26 | |
| 6 | Guaraní | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 24 | 27 | −3 | 25 | |
| 7 | 12 de Octubre | 18 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 20 | 25 | −5 | 22 | |
| 8 | Sportivo Luqueño | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 29 | −10 | 18 | |
| 9 | Sol de América | 18 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 28 | −10 | 14 | |
| 10 | River Plate | 18 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 32 | −19 | 12 |
Source: APF, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Playoff game (only if needed to decide championship between two teams), 3) Goal difference, 4) Goals for, 5) Away goals for, 6) Drawing of lots.
(C) Champions
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Playoff game (only if needed to decide championship between two teams), 3) Goal difference, 4) Goals for, 5) Away goals for, 6) Drawing of lots.
(C) Champions
Results edit
Top scorers edit
| Rank | Name | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leonardo Villagra | Nacional | 10 |
| 2 | Óscar Cardozo | Libertad | 9 |
| 3 | Mauro Boselli | Cerro Porteño | 7 |
| Robert Morales | Cerro Porteño | ||
| Jorge Recalde | Olimpia | ||
| 6 | Carlos Arrua | Nacional | 6 |
| Fernando Fernández | Guaraní | ||
| Alejandro Silva | Olimpia | ||
| 9 | José Ariel Núñez | 12 de Octubre | 5 |
| Fernando Romero | Guaireña | ||
| Pablo Velázquez | 12 de Octubre | ||
| Pablo Zeballos | River Plate |
Source: Soccerway
Torneo Clausura edit
The Campeonato de Clausura, named "Homenaje a César Zabala", was the 124th official championship of the Primera División and the second championship of the 2021 season. It began on 16 July and ended on 5 December.[36]
Standings edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cerro Porteño (C) | 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 27 | 8 | +19 | 38 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores group stage |
| 2 | Guaraní | 18 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 39 | 19 | +20 | 36 | |
| 3 | Sol de América | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 28 | |
| 4 | Libertad | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 32 | 21 | +11 | 27 | |
| 5 | 12 de Octubre | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 22 | −4 | 21 | |
| 6 | Sportivo Luqueño | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 27 | −11 | 21 | |
| 7 | Nacional | 18 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 17 | 25 | −8 | 20 | |
| 8 | Olimpia | 18 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 24 | 29 | −5 | 18 | |
| 9 | Guaireña | 18 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 21 | −9 | 18 | |
| 10 | River Plate | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 28 | −13 | 17 |
Source: APF, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Playoff game (only if needed to decide championship between two teams), 3) Goal difference, 4) Goals for, 5) Away goals for, 6) Drawing of lots.
(C) Champions
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Playoff game (only if needed to decide championship between two teams), 3) Goal difference, 4) Goals for, 5) Away goals for, 6) Drawing of lots.
(C) Champions
Results edit
Top scorers edit
| Rank | Name | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sebastián Ferreira | Libertad | 9 |
| Lorenzo Melgarejo | Libertad | ||
| 3 | Chico | Sol de América | 8 |
| 4 | Claudio Aquino | Cerro Porteño | 7 |
| José Florentín | Guaraní | ||
| José Verdún | Guaireña | ||
| 7 | Enrique Borja | Sportivo Luqueño | 6 |
| Robert Morales | Cerro Porteño | ||
| Alfio Oviedo | Guaraní | ||
| 10 | Hernesto Caballero | River Plate | 5 |
| Fernando Fernández | Guaraní | ||
| Marcelo González | Guaraní |
Source: Soccerway
Aggregate table edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cerro Porteño (C) | 36 | 19 | 9 | 8 | 51 | 30 | +21 | 66 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores group stage[a] |
| 2 | Libertad (C) | 36 | 19 | 8 | 9 | 68 | 36 | +32 | 65 | |
| 3 | Guaraní | 36 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 63 | 46 | +17 | 61 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores second stage |
| 4 | Olimpia | 36 | 16 | 3 | 17 | 58 | 52 | +6 | 51 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores first stage |
| 5 | Nacional | 36 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 43 | 44 | −1 | 50 | Qualification for Copa Sudamericana first stage |
| 6 | Guaireña | 36 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 32 | 35 | −3 | 44 | |
| 7 | 12 de Octubre | 36 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 38 | 47 | −9 | 43 | |
| 8 | Sol de América | 36 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 40 | 50 | −10 | 42 | Qualification for Copa Sudamericana first stage[b] |
| 9 | Sportivo Luqueño | 36 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 35 | 56 | −21 | 39 | |
| 10 | River Plate | 36 | 6 | 11 | 19 | 28 | 60 | −32 | 29 |
Source: APF
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Playoff game (only if needed to decide international qualification between two teams), 3) Goal difference, 4) Goals for, 5) Away goals for, 6) Drawing of lots.
(C) Champions
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Playoff game (only if needed to decide international qualification between two teams), 3) Goal difference, 4) Goals for, 5) Away goals for, 6) Drawing of lots.
(C) Champions
Notes:
- ^ Cerro Porteño also qualified for the 2021 Supercopa Paraguay as the best-ranked champions in the aggregate table.
- ^ Sol de América qualified for the Copa Sudamericana first stage as 2021 Copa Paraguay runners-up.
Relegation edit
Relegation is determined at the end of the season by computing an average of the number of points earned per game over the past three seasons. The team with the lowest average was relegated to the División Intermedia for the following season, while the team with the second lowest average played a double-legged relegation play-off against the 2021 Intermedia fourth placed team.[37]
Relegation table edit
| Pos | Team | 2019 Pts | 2020 Pts | 2021 Pts | Total Pts | Total Pld | Avg | Relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olimpia | 108 | 62 | 51 | 221 | 113 | 1.956 | |
| 2 | Cerro Porteño | 80 | 69 | 66 | 215 | 113 | 1.903 | |
| 3 | Libertad | 85 | 62 | 65 | 212 | 113 | 1.876 | |
| 4 | Guaraní | 69 | 59 | 61 | 189 | 113 | 1.673 | |
| 5 | Nacional | 52 | 44 | 50 | 146 | 113 | 1.292 | |
| 6 | Guaireña | — | 41 | 44 | 85 | 69 | 1.232 | |
| 7 | 12 de Octubre | — | 41 | 43 | 84 | 69 | 1.217 | |
| 8 | Sol de América | 57 | 35 | 42 | 134 | 113 | 1.186 | |
| 9 | Sportivo Luqueño (R) | 52 | 36 | 39 | 127 | 113 | 1.124 | Qualification for Relegation play-off |
| 10 | River Plate (R) | 52 | 38 | 29 | 119 | 113 | 1.053 | Relegation to División Intermedia |
Source: APF
Promotion/relegation play-off edit
| Sportivo Ameliano | 3–2 | Sportivo Luqueño |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Referee: Carlos Benítez
| Sportivo Luqueño | 1–1 | Sportivo Ameliano |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Referee: Alipio Colmán
Sportivo Ameliano won 4–3 on aggregate and were promoted to Primera División. Sportivo Luqueño were relegated to the División Intermedia.
Season awards edit
On 14 December 2021 a ceremony was held at the Paraguayan Football Association's headquarters to announce the winners of the season awards (Premios de Primera), who were chosen based on voting by the managers of the 10 Primera División teams, local sports journalists, the APF's Referee Commission, the public as well as official statistics.[38]
| Award | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Best Player | Claudio Aquino | Cerro Porteño |
| Revelation Player | Julio César Enciso | Libertad |
| People's Player | Jean Paulo Fernandes | Cerro Porteño |
| Top Scorer | Leonardo Villagra (14 goals) | Nacional |
| Best Goal | Claudio Aquino (against Olimpia, Torneo Clausura Round 14) | Cerro Porteño |
| Best Goalkeeper | Jean Paulo Fernandes | Cerro Porteño |
| Best Manager | Francisco Arce | Cerro Porteño |
| Fair Play Team | Guaireña | |
| Best Referee | Giancarlo Juliadoza | |
| Best VAR Referee | Mario Díaz de Vivar | |
References edit
- ^ "Vuelve el apasionante todos contra todos para el Apertura 2021" (in Spanish). Tigo Sports. 5 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ "Ya se conoce el calendario del torneo Apertura 2021" (in Spanish). Tigo Sports. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ "¡Libertad Campeón!". ABC Color. 23 May 2021.
- ^ "Guaraní vs. Cerro Porteño: A lo Ciclón, Cerro Porteño es el campeón del Clausura" (in Spanish). ABC Color. 4 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "Es oficial: ¡APF suspende Intermedia y 6 torneos más!". Versus. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ "Mario Jara es nuevo técnico del Kelito" (in Spanish). D10 Paraguay. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ "Libertad hace oficial la llegada de Daniel Garnero" (in Spanish). D10 Paraguay. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Sol tiene nuevo técnico" (in Spanish). D10 Paraguay. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- ^ "Un cambio anunciado: Se fue Mario Jara y River ya tiene nuevo DT" (in Spanish). Versus. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ "Landaida valora la oportunidad" (in Spanish). D10 Paraguay. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ "Olimpia oficializa la salida de Néstor Gorosito" (in Spanish). D10 Paraguay. 15 March 2021.
- ^ "Sergio Orteman, nuevo técnico de Olimpia" (in Spanish). D10 Paraguay. 15 March 2021.
- ^ "Gustavo Florentín renuncia a Sol de América" (in Spanish). D10 Paraguay. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ "Éver Hugo Almeida es nuevo técnico de Sol de América" (in Spanish). Versus. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ ""Kike" Landaida dejó River Plate sin poder ganar en el Apertura 2021" (in Spanish). Versus. 18 April 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
- ^ "Celso Ayala, listo para su segundo ciclo en River" (in Spanish). Tigo Sports. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Escobar deja la conducción técnica de Luqueño" (in Spanish). Tigo Sports. 18 April 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Éver Almeida ya no es técnico de Sol de América" (in Spanish). D10 Paraguay. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ "Sportivo Luqueño anunció al Berti" (in Spanish). D10 Paraguay. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ "Gustavo Costas deja la dirección técnica de Guaraní" (in Spanish). D10 Paraguay. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- ^ "Fernando Jubero está en Paraguay para el segundo ciclo en Guaraní" [Fernando Jubero is already in Paraguay for the second spell at Guaraní] (in Spanish). ABC Color. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Juan Pablo Pumpido es el nuevo DT de Sol de América" [Juan Pablo Pumpido is the new manager of Sol de América] (in Spanish). ESPN. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Sergio Orteman deja de ser técnico de Olimpia" (in Spanish). Tigo Sports. 15 August 2021.
- ^ "Olimpia presenta a Enrique Landaida" (in Spanish). D10 Paraguay. 15 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
- ^ "Enrique Landaida argumenta el cambio de técnico en Olimpia" (in Spanish). D10. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "Olimpia anuncia a Álvaro Gutiérrez como nuevo técnico" (in Spanish). D10. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "Alfredo Berti dejó la conducción técnica de Luqueño" (in Spanish). D10 Paraguay. 12 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
- ^ "Badayco Maciel continúa como entrenador de Sportivo Luqueño" (in Spanish). D10. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ "Badayco Maciel interina en Luqueño" (in Spanish). D10 Paraguay. 13 September 2021.
- ^ "Olimpia hace oficial la salida de Álvaro Gutiérrez" (in Spanish). D10. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Olimpia presenta el nuevo cuerpo técnico" (in Spanish). D10. 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Celso Ayala deja la conducción de River Plate" (in Spanish). Tigo Sports. 19 October 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
- ^ "Iván Almeida empieza a trabajar con el plantel de River Plate" (in Spanish). Tigo Sports. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Luqueño contrata a Zahzú para la revancha" (in Spanish). Tigo Sports. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ "El Torneo Apertura 2021 tiene fecha de inicio, denominación y formato" (in Spanish). Versus. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ "Así quedaron los torneos" (in Spanish). ABC Color. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
- ^ "Panorama completo de los torneos paraguayos" (in Spanish). D10 Paraguay. 2 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ "Estos fueron los protagonistas del 2021" (in Spanish). APF. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
External links edit
- APF's official website (in Spanish)