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Liga FPD

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(Redirected from Costa Rica Premier Division)
Liga Promerica
Founded13 June 1921; 103 years ago (1921-06-13)
CountryCosta Rica
ConfederationCONCACAF
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toLiga de Ascenso
International cup(s)CONCACAF Champions Cup
Central American Cup
Current championsSaprissa (40th title)
(2024 Clausura)
Most championshipsSaprissa (40 titles)
TV partnersFUTV
Tigo Sports
TD+
Websiteunafut.com
Current: 2024–25 Liga FPD season

The Primera División of Costa Rica, commonly known as Liga de Fútbol de Primera División (Liga FPD),[1] and Liga Promerica for sponsorship reasons,[2] is the top professional association football division in Costa Rica. It is administered by the Unión de Clubes de Fútbol de la Primera División (UNAFUT).[3] The league consists of 12 teams, with the last-placed team relegated to the Liga de Ascenso.

The league was founded in 1921,[3] with Herediano crowned as the first champions.[4] Saprissa is the most successful club having won the championship a record 40 times. Together with Alajuelense (30 titles) and Herediano (29 titles), they have dominated the league.

Competition format

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Former logo

The Liga FPD features a format in which two separate tournaments are held over the course of one particular season. The Torneo de Apertura (Spanish for "Opening Tournament") lasts from July to December, while the Torneo de Clausura (Spanish for "Closing Tournament") lasts from January to May. From 2007 to 2017, these were known respectively as Torneo de Invierno ("Winter Tournament") and Torneo de Verano ("Summer Tournament"), based on the Costa Rican seasons, with the Invierno tournament played during the rainy season and the Verano tournament played during the dry season.

A separate tournament is played on stages. The first stage follows the usual double round-robin format. During the course of a tournament, each club plays every other club twice, once at home and once away, for a total of 22 matchdays. Teams receive three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, with the top-four clubs at the end of the stage qualifying to the second stage. The second stage consists of a quadrangular in which the best four teams qualified will face each other twice again, adding 6 additional matchdays. If the top team of the first stage also wins the quadrangular, the club will be crowned as champions; otherwise, a double-legged final will be played between the winners of the first stage and the winners of the quadrangular to determine the champion.

Promotion and relegation

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A system of promotion and relegation exists between the Primera División and the Segunda División. In spite of having two champions during a regular season, the Liga FPD only relegates one team per season based on the aggregate performance in both Apertura and Clausura tournaments. The last-placed team in the aggregate table is relegated to the Liga de Ascenso.

Qualifying for CONCACAF competitions

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The top teams in the Liga FPD qualify to the CONCACAF Champions League. Starting in the 2017–18 season, the CONCACAF Champions League will be separated into two stages. The first stage is CONCACAF League, which consists of sixteen teams from Central America and the Caribbean, in which the winner qualifies to the second stage, the Champions League, joining other fifteen teams. Because of this format, the qualification criteria in the Liga FPD are:

  • If one team wins both the Apertura and Clausura tournaments
    • The double champion will qualify directly to the second stage of the Champions League
    • The two non-champion teams with the best aggregate record at the end of the season will qualify to the CONCACAF League
  • If two teams are crowned champions over the season
    • The champion with the best aggregate record will qualify directly to the second stage of the Champions League
    • The champion with the worst aggregate record will qualify to the CONCACAF League
    • The non-champion team with the best aggregate record will qualify to the CONCACAF League

History

[edit]
Saprissa's Christian Bolaños disputes the ball against Alajuelense's Rónald Matarrita. Alajuelense and Saprissa have the biggest rivalry in the league, known as El Clásico

On 13 June 1921, the Costa Rican Football Federation was created. With its creation, the need of a tournament also emerged, along with the establishment of a national team, as a result of Costa Rica being invited to the 1921 Juegos del Centenario in Guatemala.[5]

The first season of the Costa Rican Primera División was played in 1921 with seven teams: Alajuelense, Cartaginés, Herediano, La Libertad, Sociedad Gimnástica Española, Sociedad Gimnástica Limonense and La Unión de Tres Ríos. La Libertad and Gimnástica Limonense played the first ever match of the Liga FPD, with La Libertad emerging victorious with a lone goal scored by Rafael Madrigal. Herediano were crowned as champions.[5]

In 1999, the Costa Rican Football Federation created the UNAFUT (acronym of Unión de Clubes de Fútbol de la Primera División), an entity designed for the organization and administration of the Primera División tournament and its youth leagues (known as Alto Rendimiento).[3]

On 9 January 2014, UNAFUT decided to rename the tournament to Liga FPD, in order to give more identity to the league.[6]

The main rivalry in the league is El Clásico, played by Alajuelense and Saprissa, as both teams are the most successful in the league and both share the vast majority of followers throughout the country. Since their first encounter at the old national stadium on 12 October 1949, the two teams have faced each other in over 300 matches, with the winning balance in favor of Saprissa.[7]

Clubs 2024–25

[edit]
Team Location Stadium Capacity Founded
Alajuelense Alajuela, Alajuela Alejandro Morera Soto 18,000 1919
Cartaginés Cartago, Cartago José Rafael "Fello" Meza 10,000 1906
Guanacasteca Nicoya, Guanacaste Estadio Chorotega 3,000 1973
Herediano Heredia, Heredia Eladio Rosabal Cordero [9] 8,000 1921
Municipal Liberia Liberia, Guanacaste Edgardo Baltodano 7,000 1977
Puntarenas F.C. Puntarenas, Puntarenas Estadio Lito Pérez 4,105 2004
Pérez Zeledón San Isidro de El General, San José Estadio Municipal 6,000 1991
San Carlos Ciudad Quesada, Alajuela Carlos Ugalde Álvarez 5,600 1965
Santa Ana Santa Ana, San José Piedades de Santa Ana 2,000 1993
Santos de Guápiles Guápiles, Limón Ebal Rodríguez 3,000 1961
Saprissa San Juan de Tibás, San José Ricardo Saprissa 23,000 1935
Sporting F.C. Pavas, San José Ernesto Rohrmoser 3,000 2016

Champions

[edit]
Ed. Season Champion Runner-up
1
1921 Herediano Gimnástica Española
2
1922 Herediano La Libertad
3
1923 Cartaginés La Libertad
4
1924 Herediano Cartaginés
5
1925 La Libertad Herediano
6
1926 La Libertad Cartaginés
7
1927 Herediano La Libertad
8
1928 Alajuelense Gimnástica Española
9
1929 La Libertad Alajuelense
10
1930 Herediano Gimnástica Española
11
1931 Herediano Orión
12
1932 Herediano Orión
13
1933 Herediano Gimnástica Española
14
1934 La Libertad Alajuela Junior
15
1935 Herediano Alajuela Junior
16
1936 Cartaginés La Libertad
17
1937 Herediano Gimnástica Española
18
1938 Orión Gimnástica Española
19
1939 Alajuelense Herediano
20
1940 Cartaginés Orión
21
1941 Alajuelense La Libertad
22
1942 La Libertad Gimnástica Española
23
1943 Universidad de Costa Rica Alajuelense
24
1944 Orión Herediano
25
1945 Alajuelense Orión
26
1946 La Libertad Herediano
27
1947 Herediano La Libertad
28
1948 Herediano Alajuelense
29
1949 Alajuelense Orión
30
1950 Alajuelense Saprissa
31
1951 Herediano Orión
32
1952 Saprissa Alajuelense
33
1953 Saprissa Herediano
34
1954 No tournament.
35
1955 Herediano Saprissa
36
1956 No tournament.
37
1957 Saprissa Alajuelense
38
1958 Alajuelense Saprissa
39
1959 Alajuelense Saprissa
40
1960 Alajuelense Herediano
41
1961 Asofútbol Herediano Saprissa
42
1961 Fedefútbol Carmelita Uruguay de Coronado
43
1962 Saprissa Alajuelense
44
1963 Uruguay de Coronado Saprissa
45
1964 Saprissa Orión
46
1965 Saprissa Alajuelense
47
1966 Alajuelense Saprissa
48
1967 Saprissa Alajuelense
49
1968 Saprissa Cartaginés
50
1969 Saprissa Alajuelense
51
1970 Alajuelense Saprissa
52
1971 Alajuelense Saprissa
53
1972 Saprissa Alajuelense
54
1973 Saprissa Cartaginés
55
1974 Saprissa Herediano
56
1975 Saprissa Cartaginés
57
1976 Saprissa Deportivo México
58
1977 Saprissa Cartaginés
59
1978 Herediano Municipal Puntarenas
60
1979 Herediano Cartaginés
61
1980 Alajuelense Herediano
62
1981 Herediano Limonense
63
1982 Saprissa Municipal Puntarenas
64
1983 Alajuelense Municipal Puntarenas
65
1984 Alajuelense Saprissa
66
1985 Herediano Alajuelense
67
1986 Municipal Puntarenas Alajuelense
68
1987 Herediano Cartaginés
69
1988 Saprissa Herediano
70
1989 Saprissa Alajuelense
71
1990 No tournament.
72
1990–91 Alajuelense Saprissa
73
1991–92 Alajuelense Saprissa
74
1992–93 Herediano Cartaginés
75
1993–94 Saprissa Alajuelense
76
1994–95 Saprissa Alajuelense
77
1995–96 Alajuelense Cartaginés
78
1996–97 Alajuelense Saprissa
79
1997–98 Saprissa Alajuelense
80
1998–99 Saprissa Alajuelense
81
1999–00 Alajuelense Saprissa
82
2000–01 Alajuelense Herediano
83
2001–02 Alajuelense Santos de Guápiles
84
2002–03 Alajuelense Saprissa
85
2003–04 Saprissa Herediano
86
2004–05 Alajuelense Pérez Zeledón
87
2005–06 Saprissa Puntarenas F.C.
88
2006–07 Saprissa Alajuelense
89
2007 Invierno Saprissa Herediano
90
2008 Verano Saprissa Alajuelense
91
2008 Invierno Saprissa Alajuelense
92
2009 Verano Liberia Mía Herediano
93
2009 Invierno Brujas Puntarenas F.C.
94
2010 Verano Saprissa San Carlos
95
2010 Invierno Alajuelense Herediano
96
2011 Verano Alajuelense San Carlos
97
2011 Invierno Alajuelense Herediano
98
2012 Verano Herediano Santos de Guápiles
99
2012 Invierno Alajuelense Herediano
100
2013 Verano Herediano Cartaginés
101
2013 Invierno Alajuelense Herediano
102
2014 Verano Saprissa Alajuelense
103
2014 Invierno Saprissa Herediano
104
2015 Verano Herediano Alajuelense
105
2015 Invierno Saprissa Alajuelense
106
2016 Verano Herediano Alajuelense
107
2016 Invierno Saprissa Herediano
108
2017 Verano Herediano Saprissa
109
2017 Apertura Pérez Zeledón Herediano
110
2018 Clausura Saprissa Herediano
111
2018 Apertura Herediano Saprissa
112
2019 Clausura San Carlos Saprissa
113
2019 Apertura Herediano Alajuelense
114
2020 Clausura Saprissa Alajuelense
115
2020 Apertura Alajuelense Herediano
116
2021 Clausura Saprissa Herediano
117
2021 Apertura Herediano Saprissa
118
2022 Clausura Cartaginés Alajuelense
119
2022 Apertura Saprissa Herediano
120
2023 Clausura Saprissa Alajuelense
121
2023 Apertura Saprissa Herediano
122
2024 Clausura Saprissa Alajuelense

Performance by club

[edit]
Club Winners Runners-up Winning years
Saprissa
40
18
1952, 1953, 1957, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007 Invierno, 2008 Verano, 2008 Invierno, 2010 Verano, 2014 Verano, 2014 Invierno, 2015 Invierno, 2016 Invierno, 2018 Clausura, 2020 Clausura, 2021 Clausura, 2022 Apertura, 2023 Clausura, 2023 Apertura, 2024 Clausura.
Alajuelense
30
26
1928, 1939, 1941, 1945, 1949, 1950, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2010 Invierno, 2011 Verano, 2011 Invierno, 2012 Invierno, 2013 Invierno, 2020 Apertura
Herediano
29
23
1921, 1922, 1924, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1955, 1961 Asofútbol, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1992–93, 2012 Verano, 2013 Verano, 2015 Verano, 2016 Verano, 2017 Verano, 2018 Apertura, 2019 Apertura, 2021 Apertura
La Libertad
6
7
1925, 1926, 1929, 1934, 1942, 1946
Cartaginés
4
10
1923, 1936, 1940, 2022 Clausura
Orión
2
6
1938, 1944
Municipal Puntarenas
1
3
1986
San Carlos
1
2
2019 Clausura
Pérez Zeledón
1
1
2017 Apertura
Uruguay de Coronado
1
1
1963
Brujas
1
0
2009 Invierno
Carmelita
1
0
1961 Fedefútbol
Liberia Mía
1
0
2009 Verano
Universidad de Costa Rica
1
0
1943

[10]

Player records

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Top scorers

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Rank Nat. Player Goals
1 Costa Rica Víctor Núñez 244
2 Costa Rica Errol Daniels 196
3 Costa Rica Álvaro Saborio 168
4 Costa Rica Roy Sáenz 168
5 Costa Rica Leonel Hernández 164
6 Costa Rica Guillermo Guardia 149
7 Costa Rica Evaristo Coronado 148
8 Costa Rica Alejandro Alpízar 147
9 Costa Rica Erick Scott 144
10 Costa Rica Juan Ulloa 140
11 Costa Rica Vicente Wanchope 133

[11]

Most appearances

[edit]
Danny Fonseca is the fourth most capped player in the Liga FPD
Rank Nat. Player Years Apps
1 Costa Rica Marvin Obando 1979–2000 685
2 Costa Rica Julio Fuller 1975–1994 684
3 Costa Rica Enrique Díaz 1977–1996 676
4 Costa Rica Danny Fonseca 1999–2018 652
5 Costa Rica Luis Diego Arnáez 1987–2005 579
6 Costa Rica Mauricio Montero 1980–1990 556
7 Costa Rica Wílmer López 1992–2009 550
8 Costa Rica Óscar Ramírez 1983–1999 546
9 Costa Rica Evaristo Coronado 1981–1995 536
10 Costa Rica Luis Quirós 1986–2000 531

[12]

References

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  1. ^ Molina Salas, José Pablo. "Legacy Irazú es el balón oficial presentado por Voit para la Liga FPD". unafut.com (in European Spanish). Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Liga Promerica será el nuevo concepto del fútbol de la primera división". unafut.com. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "¿Quiénes Somos?". unafut.com (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Primera División". unafut.com (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  5. ^ a b Coto, Gerardo. "1921". UNAFUT.com. UNAFUT. Archived from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  6. ^ Vargas, Gabriel (10 January 2014). "Fission es el balón que se usará en el torneo de Verano 2014". La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Una rivalidad que divide a los ticos". FIFA.com (in European Spanish). FIFA. 21 February 2014. Archived from the original on January 1, 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  8. ^ "Calendario Torneo Apertura 2023". www.unafut.org. UNAFUT, Genius Sports Group. Retrieved 9 Jan 2024.
  9. ^ Herediano is temporarily playing at Estadio "Colleya" Fonseca in Guadalupe, San José while their home stadium undergoes renovation [8]
  10. ^ "Primera División". www.unafut.com (in European Spanish). UNAFUT. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  11. ^ "Club de los 100". www.unafut.com (in European Spanish). UNAFUT. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  12. ^ "Jugadores con más partidos de campeonato nacional". unafut.com (in European Spanish). UNAFUT. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
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