Primera División de Fútbol Profesional

The Primera División de Fútbol Profesional is the official name of the first division professional football league in El Salvador. The Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol since 1998 regulates the league under a different schedule format (Clausura/Apertura). The first division is comprised of 10 teams, with the squads competing currently in the Apertura 2008.

Apertura 2008 Teams

*C.D. Águila
*Alianza F.C.
*C.D. FAS
*C.D. Luis Angel Firpo
*A.D. Isidro Metapán
*Nejapa F.C.
*C.D. Vista Hermosa
*C.D. Chalatenango
*Juventud Independiente
*C.D. Atlético Balboa

History

In 1921, the Salvadoran sports commission (Comisión Nacional de Educación Física) celebrated for the first time the National Sports Week. In 1924, the commission included a football tournament in the Sports Week. That year, the final was won by club Hércules, who defeated Chinameca Sporting Club 4-0 in the final. A year later, in 1925, Hércules retained their title by beating Santiagueño 4-0.

In 1926, the commission declared that the football tournament in the Sports Week would be the official National Championship. The contenders were three teams who represent the three zones of the whole country: Nequepio (Central Zone), Chinameca Sporting Club (Eastern Zone) and Olímpic (Western Zone). Nequepio and Chinameca reached the final. This format was used from 1926 to 1930.

Controversy occurred in the 1929–30 the players and the directors of Excélsior (from Santa Ana, Western Zone) said that the second leg of the final should not count, because of the extremely brutal football played by Hércules and because the referee helped Hércules to win the title by ignoring almost all their fouls. They therefore forfeited the deciding match for the championship. From then on, the team of the Western Zone refused to join the National Championship. No national playoff was held again until 1937.

From 1939 to 1941, only regional championships were played. CD 33 won the Central Zone in 1939, España F.C. in 1940 and Quequeisque in 1941; these championships are often considered national titles.

During 1944 and 1945 no national championship was organised; Quequeisque won the Central Zone in both seasons; these championships are often considered national titles.

Throughout 1947, the Salvadoran Football Federation tried to organize a National Championship in league format, but the tournament was suspended after a couple of rounds. There was no institutionalised relegation, but Once Municipal (champions), Libertad (league runners-up), Alacranes, España F.C., Cuscatlecto and Quequeisque all failed to enter the 1950–51 league; instead, Atlético Marte, Olímpic and C.D. Águila entered.

In 1969 the Primera División de Fútbol Profesional was introduced and since then has been in charge of the first division in El Salvador. The Primera División de Fútbol Profesional used a year long format until 1998.

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 Clausura, which is played in the spring. The first 4 clubs in the standings at the end of each competition participate in the play-offs to determine the champion.

Since the introduction of the 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League, the qualification for the Salvadoran teams to compete in CONCACAF competition has changed compared to the defunct tournaments of the Copa Interclubes UNCAF and CONCACAF Champions' Cup. The winner of the Apertura each year qualifies automatically to the group stages of the following CONCACAF Champions League. The winner of the Clausura qualifies to the preliminary round of the CONCACAF Champions League. If the winner of the Clausura is also the winner of the Apertura of the previous year then the team that placed 1st, or 2nd if the Apertura champion does best in the Clausura regular season, qualifies to the preliminary round of the CONCACAF Champions League.

The 10th place team in the final relegation standings (the combined standings of both apertura and clausura tournaments) is relegated to Segunda División (one division lower) automatically at the end of the Clausura tournament in late May. Teams who finish in 9th place have to play in a two legged playoff series with the top team of the Segunda División, if defeated, they will be relegated and their opponents will be promoted.

Defunct Teams

* Quequeisque
* ADET

Records

Biggest Win
*C.D. Luis Angel Firpo 11-0 Cojutepeque F.C., 30 April, 1995

Champions & Runners-Up

Year	Champion	Runner-up	score
1926-27	Chinameca Sporting Club	Nequepio	2-1
1927-28	Hércules	Chinameca Sporting Club	3-0
1928-29	Hércules	Excélsior	1-1 2-0
1929-30	Hércules	Excélsior	0-2 3-1
1930-31	Hércules
1931-32	Hércules
1932-33	Hércules
1933-34	Hércules
1934-35	C.D. Maya
1935-36	C.D. Maya
1936-37	C.D. 33	Alacranes	3-1
1937-38	C.D. 33	C.D. Maya	10-3
1938-39	C.D. 33
1939-40	España F.C.
1940-41	Quequeisque
1941-42	Quequeisque	L.A. Firpo
1942-43	Quequeisque
1943-44	Quequeisque	Ferrocarril
1944-45	Quequeisque
1945-46	Quequeisque
1946	Libertad F.C.	Once Municipal
1947	Libertad F.C.
1947-48	No Championship
1948-49	Once Municipal	Libertad F.C.
1949-50	No Championship
1950-51	C.D. Dragon	Atlético Marte
1951-52	C.D. FAS	Leones
1952-53	C.D. Dragon	Juventud Olimpica
1953-54	C.D. FAS	C.D. Dragon
1955	Atlético Marte	C.D. Dragon
1955-56	Atlético Marte	L.A. Firpo
1956-57	Atlante	C.D. Dragón
1957-58	C.D. FAS	Once Municipal
1959	C.D. Águila	C.D. FAS
1960-61	C.D. Águila	C.D. FAS
1961-62	C.D. FAS	C.D. Águila
1962	C.D. FAS	Atlante
1963-64	C.D. Águila	Juventud Olimpica
1964	C.D. Águila	C.D. FAS
1965-66	Alianza F.C.	Universidad
1966-67	Alianza F.C.	C.D. Águila
1967-68	C.D. Águila	C.D. FAS
1969	Atlético Marte	C.D. FAS
1970	Atlético Marte	C.D. FAS
1972	C.D. Águila	Juventud Olimpica
1973	Juventud Olimpica	Alianza F.C.
1974-75	C.D. Platense Municipal Zacatecoluca	Negocios Internacionales
1975-76	C.D. Águila	Alianza F.C.
1976-77	C.D. Águila	Once Municipal
1977-78	C.D. FAS	Once Municipal
1978-79	C.D. FAS	Alianza F.C.
1979-80	C.D. Santiagueño	C.D. Águila
1980-81	Atlético Marte	C.D. Santiagueño
1981	C.D. FAS	Independiente
1982	Atlético Marte	Independiente
1983	C.D. Águila	C.D. FAS
1984	C.D. FAS	C.D. Águila
1985	Atlético Marte	Alianza F.C.
1986-87	Alianza F.C.	C.D. Águila
1987-88	C.D. Águila	C.D. FAS
1988-89	L.A. Firpo	Cojutepeque F.C.	1-1 2-2 [aet, 4-3 pen]
1989-90	Alianza F.C.	L.A. Firpo	3-1
1990-91	L.A. Firpo	C.D. Águila	1-0
1991-92	L.A. Firpo	Alianza F.C.	3-0
1992-93	L.A. Firpo	Alianza F.C.	2-1
1993-94	Alianza F.C.	C.D. FAS	2-1
1994-95	C.D. FAS	L.A. Firpo	1-2 3-1
1995-96	C.D. FAS	L.A. Firpo	1-1 1-0
1996-97	Alianza F.C.	L.A. Firpo	0-0 3-2
1997-98	L.A. Firpo	C.D. FAS	2-0
1998 (Apertura)	Alianza F.C.	L.A. Firpo	1-0
1999 (Clausura)	L.A. Firpo	C.D. FAS	1-1 [aet, 5-4 pen]
1999 (Apertura)	C.D. Águila	C.D. Municipal Limeño
2000 (Clausura)	L.A. Firpo	ADET	1-1 10-9
2000 (Apertura)	C.D. Águila	C.D. Municipal Limeño	3-2
2001 (Clausura)	C.D. Águila	C.D. FAS	1-1 2-1
2001 (Apertura)	Alianza F.C.	L.A. Firpo	2-1
2002 (Clausura)	C.D. FAS	Alianza F.C.	4-0
2002 (Apertura)	C.D. FAS	San Salvador F.C.	3-1
2003 (Clausura)	San Salvador F.C.	L.A. Firpo	3-1
2003 (Apertura)	C.D. FAS	C.D. Águila	2-2 [aet, 5-3 pen]
2004 (Clausura)	Alianza F.C.	C.D. FAS	1-1 [aet, 3-2 pen]
2004 (Apertura)	C.D. FAS	C.D. Atlético Balboa	0-0 4-3
2005 (Clausura)	C.D. FAS	L.A. Firpo	3-1
2005 (Apertura)	C.D. Vista Hermosa	A.D. Isidro Metapán	2-0
2006 (Clausura)	C.D. Águila	C.D. FAS	4-2
2006 (Apertura)	Once Municipal	C.D. FAS	3-1
2007 (Clausura)	A.D. Isidro Metapan	L.A. Firpo	1-0 (aet)
2007 (Apertura)	L.A. Firpo	C.D. FAS	1-1 [5 - 3 pen]
2008 (Clausura)	L.A. Firpo	C.D. FAS	1-0 (aet)
2008 (Apertura)

Club Performances

El Salvador Clubs - International Competitions

* Copa Interclubes UNCAF (Defunct)
** C.D. Platense Municipal Zacatecoluca: 1 Time "Champions" 1975
** Alianza F.C.: 1 Time "Champions" 1997

* CONCACAF Champions' Cup (Defunct)
** C.D. FAS: 1 Time "Champions" 1979
** C.D. Águila: 1 Time "Champions" 1976
** Alianza F.C.: 1 Time "Champions" 1967
** Atlético Marte: 1 Time "Runner-Up" 1981

* CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup (Defunct)
** Atlético Marte: 1 Time "Champions" 1991
** C.D. FAS: 1 Time "Runner-Up" 1995

ee Also

*Top Goalscorer List
*Foreign Player List

External links

* [http://www.clima.com.sv/ Primera División de Fútbol Profesional Official Website] (Spanish)
* [http://www.laprensagrafica.com/lmf/ La Prensa Grafica coverage] (Spanish)
* [http://www.clubdeportivofas.com/]
* [http://www.distintivos.com.br/Lista_alfabetica_equipes_pais.asp?pais=ELS]
* [http://www.pasito.com/Subcat.asp?regid=8&who=isp&catid=2]
* [http://www.rsssf.com/colours/elsalvador.html]
* [http://216.75.63.183/?cat=0]
* [http://www.elsalvador.com/noticias/EDICIONESANTERIORES/2000/NOVIEMBRE/noviembre23/DEPORTES/depor16.html]