Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala

Liga Nacional de Guatemala
Founded 1919
Country Guatemala
Confederation CONCACAF
Number of teams 12
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Primera División de Ascenso
Domestic cup(s) Copa de Guatemala
International cup(s) CONCACAF Champions League
Current champions CD Guastatoya (1st Title)
Most championships Comunicaciones C.S.D. Municipal (Both with 30 Titles)
2017–18 Guatemalan Liga Nacional

Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala (National Football League of Guatemala), formerly known as Liga Mayor "A" (Major League "A") is a professional football division in Guatemala, the highest one in the country. It is sanctioned by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. The champion and runner-up teams of the Liga Nacional's official tournaments qualify to participate in international competitions within the UNCAF and the CONCACAF. Twelve teams currently compose the league and compete for the national title. Comunicaciones and C.S.D. Municipal, both with 30 national titles, are the most successful clubs in the league to date.

History

Its first official professional tournament took place in 1942, and succeeded what was known as the Liga Capitalina (League of the Capital), which was an amateur tournament that started in 1919. The 1942-43 tournament was played by seven teams in a double round-robin tournament. Three teams – Municipal, Tipografía Nacional, and Guatemala FC – finished tied for the first place after the two rounds. A playoff between the three teams was conducted to determine the winner, with Municipal earning their first national title.[1]

Competition Format

The league has had several different formats throughout its history; currently, the league season is divided into two tournaments. The Apertura, which is played in the fall, and the Clausura, which is played in the spring. The first 6 clubs in the standings at the end of each competition participate in the playoffs to determine the champion, 1st and 2nd place teams qualify directly to semi-finals, while the others have to play in the quarter-finals. The winners of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments participate in the CONCACAF Champions League.

At the end of 2008-2009 Apertura and Clausura tournaments the league expanded to 12 teams to compete in a larger versions of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments. Now the 12th placed team (the team with the least number of points) in the aggregated table standings (combined standings of both the Apertura and Clausura tournaments) is relegated to the Primera División de Ascenso (2nd division of the league) automatically at the end of the Clausura tournament in late May. The teams that finish 10th and 11th in the aggregated table standings enter into a two-legged playoff with the second- and third-placed clubs of the Primera División de Ascenso, respectively. The playoff winners play in the top division while the losers spend the next season in the second division.

Teams in the league

Location of current teams in Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala
Team Home city Stadium Capacity
Antigua GFC Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepequez Estadio Pensativo 9,000
Cobán Imperial Cobán, Alta Verapaz Estadio José Ángel Rossi 15,000
Comunicaciones Guatemala, Guatemala Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores 26,000
Guastatoya Guastatoya, El Progreso Estadio David Cordón Hichos 5,000
Malacateco Malacatán, San Marcos Estadio Santa Lucía 7,000
Marquense San Marcos, Guatemala Estadio Marquesa de la Ensenada 11,000
Municipal Guatemala, Guatemala Estadio Manuel Felipe Carrera 7,500
Petapa San Miguel Petapa, Guatemala Estadio Julio Armando Cobar 7,500
Sanarate Sanarate Estadio Municipal de Sanarate 4,000
Siquinalá Siquinalá Estadio Mateo Sicay Paz 3,000
Suchitepéquez Mazatenango, Suchitepéquez Estadio Carlos Salazar Hijo 10,500
Xelajú Quetzaltenango Estadio Mario Camposeco 11,220

Champions in Guatemalan Football History

Champions were:[2] Amateur and Professional Champions.

Amateur Champions
Team Location Champions
Universidad SC
(formerly Escuela de Medicina)		 Guatemala City 6
Tipografia Nacional Guatemala City 3
Allies Guatemala City 2
Cibeles Guatemala City 2
Escuela Politécnica Guatemala City 2
Guatemala FC
(formerly Escuela Normal)		 Guatemala City 2
Hércules Guatemala City 2
La Joya Guatemala City 2
Quetzal Guatemala City 1
Professional Champions
Team Location Champions
CSD Municipal Guatemala City 30
Comunicaciones Guatemala City 30
Aurora FC Guatemala City 8
Xelajú MC Quetzaltenango 5
Tipografía Nacional Guatemala City 3
Suchitepéquez Mazatenango 2
CD Jalapa Jalapa 2
Antigua GFC Antigua Guatemala 3
Cobán Imperial Cobán 1
Deportivo Guastatoya Guastatoya 1

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Guatemala, 100 años de fútbol - Municipal" Archived 2006-12-09 at the Wayback Machine. - prensalibre.com - Prensa Libre newspaper, Guatemala
  2. ↑ "Guatemala - List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
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