Primera División Venezolana

Infobox sports league

pixels=100px
caption="Primera División Venezolana
sport=Football
founded=1957
teams=18
country=VEN
champion=Deportivo TachiraThe Primera División Venezolana ("Venezuelan First Division"), or Liga Venezolana ("Venezuelan League") is the most important football (soccer) competition of Venezuela. It was created in 1921 and became a professional league in 1957. It's organized by the Federación Venezolana de Fútbol and from the season 2007-2008 the league will consist of 18 clubs.

The league Tournament

The 18 teams play two single-round tournaments each year: the Apertura (August to December), and the Clausura (February to June). The league table is kept like a normal European league table, one point for ties three points for wins.

The absolute champion is decided between the Apertura and Clausura champions. If the same team is the champions of both tournaments that team is the absolute champion.

International Cups Qualification

*The winner of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments qualify to the group phase of the Copa Libertadores, (The absolute champion qualify as Venezuela 1 and the runner up as Venezuela 2).

*The team with the most points in the entire season (Apertura + Clausura) qualify to the preliminary round of the Copa Libertadores as Venezuela 3.

*The second and third team with the most points in the entire season qualify to the Copa Sudamericana as Venezuela 1 and Venezuela 2.

*If a team won both tournaments that team qualify to the Copa Libertadores as Venezuela 1, then the first and second team with the most points in the entire season qualify to the Copa Libertadores as Venezuela 2 and Venezuela 3 and the fourth and fifth team with the most points in the entire season qualify to the Copa Sudamericana as Venezuela 1 and Venezuela 2.

Relegation

*The two lowest placed teams in the entire season (Apertura + Clausura) are automatically relegated to the Segunda División

2008/09 Teams

easonal Tournament (August to May)

Titles by Club

External links

* [http://www.federacionvenezolanadefutbol.org Venezuelan Football Federation] es icon
* [http://www.liderendeportes.com/secciones/?sid=46 News in spanish about the First Division of the Venezuelan Football/Soccer]
* [http://www.lavinotinto.com News and pictures in spanish]
* [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesv/venezchamp.html RSSSF]
* [http://www.furiavinotinto.com FuriaVinotinto - Unnofficial Forum] es icon