- Categoría Primera A
-
Liga Postobón Countries 
ColombiaConfederation Conmebol Founded 1948 Number of teams 18 Levels on pyramid 1 Relegation to Categoría Primera B Domestic cup(s) Copa Colombia International cup(s) Copa Libertadores
Copa SudamericanaCurrent champions Atlético Nacional (11th title)
(2011-I)Most championships Millonarios
América
(13 titles each)TV partners TV Colombia Website www.dimayor.com.co 
2011 seasonThe Categoría Primera A is the professional football league of Colombia. It is the country's premier football tournament and sits at the top of the Colombian football league system. Eighteen clubs play in the league. The División Mayor del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano, better known as Dimayor, operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Categoría Primera B. Because of sponsorship by soft drink company Postobón will sponsor the league for the next five years and the league will be called Liga Postobón.[1]
The league was started in 1947 by Alfonso Senior Quevedo, president of Adefútbol. Due to some political problems between 1947 and 1948, the league's first season was in 1948, and has been held yearly since. In the 1968 season the league has used the Apertura and Clausura system, although they have only crown a champion for each tournament since the 2002 season. In 1989, the season was cancelled mid-way through because of the assassination of a referee.
Fourteen teams have been crowned Colombian football champion. The most successful clubs are Millonarios and América, each with thirteen titles. The current champion is Atlético Nacional with their 11th title.
Contents
History
In 1948, Dimayor was founded in Barranquilla to officially organize football. FIFA declared the Colombian league a breakaway league after a dispute with the existing amateur football authority in Colombia. Therefore, all Colombian teams were suspended from playing international football. The Colombia national football team was also under sanction. However, the sanction did not hurt the league. Due to a strike in Argentine football, the best footballers were signed in Colombia. This era was known as El Dorado and lasted until 1953, when Alfredo Di Stéfano was transferred to Spain.
Format
League stage
During the league stage, which lasts eighteen games, each team plays against every other team once, plus an additional game against their local rival in the league. The league table is kept like a normal European league table, one point for ties and three points for a win. The top eight teams advance to the playoffs.
Finals
The finals involve two games. The team with the highest aggregate score after both home and away games wins and is crowned champion. If the game is a tie it proceeds directly to a penalty shoot-out. The away goals rule is not used.
Controversy
Commercial Logo of Copa Mustang
The setup and fixtures for the Copa Mustang have been changed many times. The current system was established in 1999. Prior to this setup, many complex fixtures and stages were used. One of the worst was the 1996–1997 cup, that actually was played for 18 months, from July 1996 to December 1997. The excuse to make an exceptionally complex league has usually been an effort to spice up the tournament. Several famous Colombian coaches have expressed a dislike of the new format and several teams have been in first place throughout the entire league stage, and then not even reached the final.
TV Broadcasting
The rights for presenting matches on television for the tournament have been held by RCN TV and other subscription channels like Telmex, in a five-year contract since 2006.
Current teams
Champions by seasons
Fourteen clubs has been the Primera A champion. Eight of those clubs have been the champion more than once. The most successful clubs are Millonarios and América, each with thirteen titles. Deportivo Cali, Atlético Nacional, América, and Millonarios are the only clubs that have won the title consecutively. América holds the record for the longest title streak winning five titles from 1982 to 1986. Since the start of the Apertura/Clausura championships in 2002, only Atlético Nacional in 2007 has won both championships in the same season.
Titles by club
Team Nº of titles Years Millonarios 13 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1972, 1978, 1987, 1988 América 13 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1996–97, 2000, 2001, 2002–I, 2008–II Atlético Nacional 11 1954, 1973, 1976, 1981, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2005–I, 2007–I, 2007–II, 2011–I Deportivo Cali 8 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1995–96, 1998, 2005–II Junior 6 1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004–II, 2010–I Santa Fe 6 1948, 1958, 1960, 1966, 1971, 1975 Independiente Medellín 5 1955, 1957, 2002–II, 2004–I, 2009–II Once Caldas 4 1950, 2003–I, 2009–I, 2010–II Deportes Tolima 1 2003–II Deportes Quindío 1 1956 Cúcuta Deportivo 1 2006–II Deportivo Pasto 1 2006–1 Unión Magdalena 1 1968 Boyacá Chicó 1 2008–I References
- ^ http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=694722&sec=global&cc=5901
- ^ Arteaga, José; Ballesteros, Frank (March 6, 2008). "Colombian League Top Scorers". website. RSSSF. http://www.rsssf.com/tablesc/coltops.html. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
External links
Seasons 1948 · 1949 · 1950 · 1951 · 1952 · 1953 · 1954 · 1955 · 1956 · 1957 · 1958 · 1959 · 1960 · 1961 · 1962 · 1963 · 1964 · 1965 · 1966 · 1967 · 1968 · 1969 · 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1995–96 · 1996–97 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011Early competitions Campeonato Nacional · Copa Centenario Batalla de BoyacáFootball in Colombia National teams Leagues National cup Football in South America (CONMEBOL) 
Argentina (AFA)National team · Women's national team · Under-20 National team · Under-17 National team · Primera División · Copa Argentina
Bolivia (FBF)National team · Women's national team · Under-20 National team · Under-17 National team · Liga de Fútbol Profesional · Copa Aerosur
Brazil (CBF)National team · Women's national team · Under-20 National team · Under-17 National team · Série A · Copa do Brasil
Chile (FFC) Colombia (FCF)National team · Women's national team · Under-20 National team · Under-17 National team · Primera A · Copa Colombia
Ecuador (FEF)
Paraguay (APF)National team · Women's national team · Under-20 National team · Under-17 National team · Primera División
Peru (FPF)National team · Women's national team · Under-20 National team · Under-17 National team · Primera División
Uruguay (AUF)National team · Women's national team · Under-20 National team · Under-17 National team · Primera División
Venezuela (FVF)National team · Women's national team · Under-20 National team · Under-17 National team · Primera División · Copa VenezuelaNational team competitions MenCopa América · Under-20 Football Championship · Under-17 Football Championship · Under-15 Football Championship · Pan-American Games · Superclásico de las AméricasWomenWomen's Football Championship · Under-20 Women's Football Championship · Under-17 Women's Football ChampionshipClub competitions CurrentCopa Libertadores · Copa Sudamericana · Recopa Sudamericana · Copa Suruga Bank · Copa Libertadores de Fútbol Femenino · Under-20 Copa LibertadoresDefunctIntercontinental Cup · Copa Iberoamericana · Copa CONMEBOL · Copa Mercosur · Copa Merconorte · Supercopa Sudamericana · Supercopa Masters · Copa de Oro · Copa Masters CONMEBOL · Copa Ganadores de Copa · Campeonato Sudamericano de Campeones · Copa Río de La PlataSouth American Footballer of the Year · South American Coach of the Year · South American Best 11 · Top-division clubs · Club competition winning teams · Club competition winning managersTop level football leagues of South America (CONMEBOL) Categories:- Football competitions in Colombia
- National association football premier leagues
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