- Apertura and Clausura
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Light-green - countries with Apertura and Clausura tournaments during calendar year; Orange - countries with Apertura and Clausura starting in the second half of calendar year and finishing at the first half of following year; Number 1 shows countries where the Apertura and Clausura are only parts of a larger tournament.
The Apertura and Clausura tournaments are a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional European football season from August to May is divided in two sections per season, each with its own champion. Apertura and Clausura are the Spanish words for "opening" and "closing". In French-speaking Haiti, these are known as the Ouverture and the Fermeture.
Contents
Latin America
The Apertura is held in the first half of the calendar year in Chile, Colombia, Panama and Paraguay while it is held in the second half of the calendar year in Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Uruguay and Venezuela. Haiti holds the Ouverture in the first half of the calendar year.
In most leagues, each tournament constitutes a national championship in itself. On the other hand, in the leagues of Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, the winners of the Apertura and Clausura play each other in a playoff for the season title, or there is a final stage where teams qualify based on placements in the Apertura and Clausura. Thus, two championship titles are awarded per year in the first group of leagues, and only one in the second.
In Mexico, for instance, the winners of each tournament play each other at the beginning of the following season for another title, but this is a rather minor season curtain-raiser, akin to national Super Cups in European leagues. Relegations, if any, are done on an aggregate basis; usually the combined table for both tournaments determine relegation placement(s). In the Argentine and Mexican leagues, the average points over the previous three seasons are used to determine relegation.
Peru has abolished its Apertura and Clausura format after the 2008 season and adopted new formats.[clarification needed] Ecuador used it only in 2005.
The Apertura and Clausura format can be seen as a means to fill in the gaps caused by the inherent lack of elimination cup competitions in most Latin American nations.
Brazil
The Brazilian national league is a notable tournament in Latin America not to split the season into two parts, using a single-season double round-robin format to decide the champions, similar to those in European leagues, though played between April and December. Uruguay is planning to return to this system in 2010. The last single season in Uruguay was held in 1993. Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona proposed in December 2008 the return to a single season format,[1] but there are no plans currently for such a format change in the near future. Brazilian clubs also participate in the state leagues from January to April. Brazil also has, unlike most Spanish-speaking nations, a national cup.
Japan and Korea
For most of its history (except in 1996, 2002, and 2003) the J. League in Japan had a similar system, although it was called 1st Stage and 2nd Stage. The seasons became unified permanently in 2005, partially to avoid conflicts with the Emperor's Cup. The K-League of South Korea also had the same system in 1984, 1986, 1995, 2004, 2005, and 2006. In 2007, it again became unified because of confusion among fans.
Apertura and Clausura by country
Country League Champions Calendar Seasons 
ArgentinaPrimera División Both (Since 1991–92) European (August – June) 1990–91 – present 
BoliviaLiga de Fútbol Profesional Both (Since 2003) European (August – June) 1991 – present 
ChilePrimera División Both American (January – December) 2002 – present 
ColombiaPrimera A Both American (February – December) 2002 – present 
Costa RicaPrimera División Both European 2007–08 – present 
EcuadorSerie A Both American 2005 
El SalvadorPrimera División Both European (August – June) 1998–99 – present 
GuatemalaLiga Nacional de Fútbol Both European 1999–00 – present 
HaitiLigue Haïtienne Both (since 2002, except in 2005–06) American (April–November) 2002, 2003, 2004–05, 2007–present[2] 
HondurasLiga Nacional de Fútbol Both (Since 1997–98) European (August – May) 1997–98 – present 
MexicoPrimera División Both European (July – May) 1996–97 – present 
NicaraguaPrimera División One European ??? 
PanamaLiga de Fútbol Both (Since 2007) American (February – November) 2001 – present 
ParaguayPrimera División Both (Since 2007) American (February – December) 1996 - present 
PeruPrimera División One American (February – November) 1997–2008 
UruguayPrimera División One European (August – June) 1994 – present 
VenezuelaPrimera División One European (August – May) 1996-97 - present See also
- Philippine Basketball Association — a professional basketball league which conducts a split season similar in many ways to the Apertura and Clausura
References
- ^ "Grondona reconoció que quiere volver a los "torneos largos" - Ambito.com". Ambitoweb.com. 2007-11-21. http://www.ambitoweb.com/noticia.asp?id=434871&seccion=Deportes&fecha=25/12/2008. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
- ^ Haiti adopted the two-stage season in 2002. In 2004, it changed its season to align with the European football calendar, conducting the Ouverture in 2004 and the Fermeture in 2005. The 2005–06 season saw only one championship contested. In 2007, the league returned to the American calendar and a two-stage season.
Categories:- Association football terminology
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