# 2021 Venezuelan Primera División season

The 2021 Primera División season, officially Liga de Fútbol Profesional Venezolano or Liga FUTVE, was the 65th season of the Venezuelan Primera División, the top-flight football league in Venezuela, and the 40th season since the start of the professional era. The season started on 11 April and ended on 11 December 2021.
Deportivo Táchira were the champions, winning their ninth league title by defeating Caracas 4–2 on penalties following a 0–0 draw after extra time in the final. Deportivo La Guaira were the defending champions, but they were eliminated in Fase Final A.

## Format changes

The league was expanded to 21 teams as relegation was suspended for the previous season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 21 teams were divided into three groups of seven teams each according to geographic location, with the teams playing the other teams in their group four times (twice at home and twice away) in a round-robin format. The top four teams in each group advanced to the next stage, the top two to Fase Final A and the next two to Fase Final B. In both Hexagonals, the teams faced each other twice, with the champion being decided in Fase Final A. The teams of Fase Final A and the top two of Fase Final B qualified for international competitions.
Originally, the two worst ranked teams among the last-placed teams would be relegated, and the other one would be involved in a play-off against the Segunda División runner-up to determine the final spot in the 2022 season. However, on 24 September 2021 the FVF announced that all three last-placed teams in the groups would be relegated, with only one promotion from the Segunda División.

## Teams
### Stadia and locations

Relegated to 2021 Segunda División :
* None (relegation suspended)
Promoted to 2021 Primera División :
| 1 | Hermanos Colmenarez |
| 2 | Universidad Central |
| Team | Manager | City | Stadium | Capacity |
| Academia Puerto Cabello | Jeremy Nowak (caretaker) | Puerto Cabello | La Bombonerita | 7,500 |
| Aragua | Edson Rodríguez | Maracay | Olímpico Hermanos Ghersi Páez | 14,000 |
| Atlético Venezuela | José Hernández | Caracas | Brígido Iriarte | 10,000 |
| Carabobo | Enrique Maggiolo | Valencia | Misael Delgado | 10,400 |
| Caracas | Noel Sanvicente | Caracas | Olímpico de la UCV | 23,940 |
| Deportivo La Guaira | Daniel Farías | Caracas | Olímpico de la UCV | 23,940 |
| Deportivo Lara | Leonardo González | Cabudare | Metropolitano de Cabudare | 47,913 |
| Deportivo Táchira | Juan Tolisano | San Cristóbal | Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo | 38,755 |
| Estudiantes de Mérida | Leonel Vielma | Mérida | Metropolitano de Mérida | 42,200 |
| Gran Valencia | Bladimir Morales | Valencia | Misael Delgado | 10,400 |
| Hermanos Colmenarez | Luis Alberto Pacheco | Barinas | Reinaldo Melo | 8,000 |
| LALA | Elías Emmons | Ciudad Guayana | Polideportivo Cachamay | 41,600 |
| Metropolitanos | José María Morr | Caracas | Olímpico de la UCV | 23,940 |
| Mineros de Guayana | Pastor Márquez | Ciudad Guayana | Polideportivo Cachamay | 41,600 |
| Monagas | Jhonny Ferreira | Maturín | Monumental de Maturín | 51,796 |
| Portuguesa | Alí Cañas | Acarigua | General José Antonio Páez | 18,000 |
| Trujillanos | Jesús Valiente | Valera | José Alberto Pérez | 25,000 |
| Universidad Central | Daniel Sasso | Caracas | Olímpico de la UCV | 23,940 |
| Yaracuyanos | Manuel González | San Felipe | Florentino Oropeza | 10,000 |
| Zamora | Alfarabi Romero (caretaker) | Barinas | Agustín Tovar | 29,800 |
| Zulia | Henry Meléndez | Maracaibo | José "Pachencho" Romero | 40,800 |

#### Managerial changes

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
| Yaracuyanos | Jesús Cabello | Resigned | 15 December 2020 | Pre-season | Daniel Farrar | 10 January 2021 |
| Trujillanos | Martín Carrillo | Resigned | 17 December 2020 | Pre-season | Gustavo Romanello | 11 March 2021 |
| Deportivo Lara | Leonardo González | Mutual consent | 20 December 2020 | Pre-season | Martín Brignani | 25 January 2021 |
| Carabobo | José Parada | End of contract | 31 December 2020 | Pre-season | Enrique Maggiolo | 14 February 2021 |
| Zulia | Alex García King | End of contract | 31 December 2020 | Pre-season | Frank Flores | 5 February 2021 |
| Estudiantes de Mérida | Martín Brignani | Resigned | 5 January 2021 | Pre-season | Leonel Vielma | 12 January 2021 |
| Mineros | Leonel Vielma | Signed by Estudiantes de Mérida | 12 January 2021 | Pre-season | Jesús Cabello | 11 March 2021 |
| Zamora | Luis Terán | End of caretaker spell | 24 January 2021 | Pre-season | Marcelo Gómez | 24 January 2021 |
| Trujillanos | Gustavo Romanello | Mutual consent | 29 March 2021 | Pre-season | Junior Lennin Díaz | 29 March 2021 |
| Academia Puerto Cabello | Carlos Maldonado | Sacked | 11 April 2021 | Pre-season | José Basualdo | 24 April 2021 |
| Aragua | Enrique García | Resigned | 8 May 2021 | 7th, Central Group | Edson Rodríguez | 12 May 2021 |
| Yaracuyanos | Daniel Farrar | Resigned | 16 May 2021 | 5th, Central Group | Tony Franco | 20 May 2021 |
| Trujillanos | Junior Lennin Díaz | Resigned | 17 May 2021 | 7th, Occidental Group | Jesús Valiente | 18 May 2021 |
| Universidad Central | Pedro Acosta | Mutual consent | 17 June 2021 | 7th, Oriental Group | Daniel Sasso | 17 June 2021 |
| LALA | Elías Emmons | Sacked | 23 July 2021 | 7th, Oriental Group | Álvaro Valencia | 26 July 2021 |
| Deportivo Lara | Martín Brignani | Sacked | 31 July 2021 | 5th, Central Group | Leonardo González | 2 August 2021 |
| Mineros | Jesús Cabello | Mutual consent | 2 August 2021 | 4th, Oriental Group | Pastor Márquez | 6 August 2021 |
| LALA | Álvaro Valencia | Resigned | 10 August 2021 | 7th, Oriental Group | Elías Emmons | 13 August 2021 |
| Zulia | Frank Flores | Mutual consent | 16 August 2021 | 5th, Occidental Group | Henry Meléndez | 16 August 2021 |
| Academia Puerto Cabello | José Basualdo | Sacked | 23 August 2021 | 7th, Central Group | Martín Carrillo | 26 August 2021 |
| Zamora | Marcelo Gómez | Sacked | 30 August 2021 | 6th, Occidental Group | Alfarabi Romero | 30 August 2021 |
| Yaracuyanos | Tony Franco | Resigned | 23 September 2021 | 7th, Central Group | Manuel González | 24 September 2021 |
| Atlético Venezuela | Jair Díaz | Demoted to assistant manager | 1 October 2021 | 3rd, Oriental Group | José Hernández | 1 October 2021 |
| Academia Puerto Cabello | Martín Carrillo | Sacked | 3 November 2021 | 2nd, Fase Final B | Jeremy Nowak | 4 November 2021 |

##### Notes

* 1 2 Caretaker manager until the end of the tournament.

## First stage

The first stage began on 11 April and ended on 22 October 2021. The 21 teams were divided in three groups of seven teams each. The top two teams of each group advanced to Fase Final A and the next two to Fase Final B. The last-placed teams were relegated.

### Occidental Group
#### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Deportivo Táchira | 24 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 49 | 22 | +27 | 49 | Advance to Fase Final A |
| 2 | Estudiantes de Mérida | 24 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 39 | 25 | +14 | 42 | Advance to Fase Final A |
| 3 | Portuguesa | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 32 | 21 | +11 | 39 | Advance to Fase Final B |
| 4 | Hermanos Colmenarez | 24 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 43 | 35 | +8 | 36 | Advance to Fase Final B |
| 5 | Zamora | 24 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 36 | 30 | +6 | 32 | |
| 6 | Zulia | 24 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 37 | 32 | +5 | 31 | |
| 7 | Trujillanos (R) | 24 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 8 | 79 | −71 | 1 | Relegation to Segunda División |

#### Results

| Home \ Away | TAC | ESM | HCO | POR | TRU | ZAM | ZUL | TAC | ESM | HCO | POR | TRU | ZAM | ZUL |
| Deportivo Táchira | — | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 4–1 | — | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 |
| Estudiantes de Mérida | 1–1 | — | 6–2 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | — | 1–2 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 |
| Hermanos Colmenarez | 2–2 | 4–2 | — | 1–3 | 6–0 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| Portuguesa | 0–3 | 3–0 | 0–0 | — | 5–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 |
| Trujillanos | 0–3 | 0–7 | 0–2 | 0–2 | — | 0–4 | 1–2 | 0–7 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | — | 0–5 | 0–3 |
| Zamora | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 6–0 | — | 0–3 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 2–1 | — | 2–1 |
| Zulia | 5–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 3–3 | — | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–3 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | — |
* ↑ Match awarded 3–0 to Zulia due to Zamora fielding the ineligible player Anthony Graterol. The match originally ended with Zamora winning by a 2–1 score.

### Central Group
#### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Deportivo La Guaira | 24 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 33 | 22 | +11 | 38 | Advance to Fase Final A |
| 2 | Deportivo Lara | 24 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 42 | 30 | +12 | 34 | Advance to Fase Final A |
| 3 | Academia Puerto Cabello | 24 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 24 | 21 | +3 | 34 | Advance to Fase Final B |
| 4 | Aragua | 24 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 22 | 25 | −3 | 33 | Advance to Fase Final B |
| 5 | Gran Valencia | 24 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 25 | 32 | −7 | 33 | |
| 6 | Carabobo | 24 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 31 | |
| 7 | Yaracuyanos (R) | 24 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 16 | 32 | −16 | 20 | Relegation to Segunda División |

#### Results

| Home \ Away | APC | ARA | CBO | DLG | LAR | GVA | YAR | APC | ARA | CBO | DLG | LAR | GVA | YAR |
| Academia Puerto Cabello | — | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | — | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 4–1 | 1–0 |
| Aragua | 0–0 | — | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 |
| Carabobo | 2–2 | 3–1 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | — | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 |
| Deportivo La Guaira | 0–1 | 0–0 | 4–2 | — | 4–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 5–0 | 0–2 | — | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–0 |
| Deportivo Lara | 2–2 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | — | 5–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Gran Valencia | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–3 | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–5 | — | 1–0 |
| Yaracuyanos | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | — | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | — |

### Oriental Group
#### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Caracas | 24 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 50 | 27 | +23 | 48 | Advance to Fase Final A |
| 2 | Monagas | 24 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 44 | 27 | +17 | 45 | Advance to Fase Final A |
| 3 | Metropolitanos | 24 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 42 | 31 | +11 | 35 | Advance to Fase Final B |
| 4 | Atlético Venezuela | 24 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 36 | 38 | −2 | 34 | Advance to Fase Final B |
| 5 | Universidad Central | 24 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 32 | 30 | +2 | 31 | |
| 6 | Mineros de Guayana | 24 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 25 | 33 | −8 | 29 | |
| 7 | LALA (R) | 24 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 15 | 58 | −43 | 9 | Relegation to Segunda División |

#### Results

| Home \ Away | AVE | CAR | LAL | MET | MIN | MON | UCV | AVE | CAR | LAL | MET | MIN | MON | UCV |
| Atlético Venezuela | — | 0–4 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | — | 0–2 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 2–4 | 1–0 |
| Caracas | 3–1 | — | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–3 | — | 5–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–1 |
| LALA | 2–2 | 1–0 | — | 1–5 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | — | 1–3 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 0–1 |
| Metropolitanos | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–0 | — | 3–0 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 6–0 | — | 3–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 |
| Mineros de Guayana | 1–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 1–0 | — | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | — | 0–2 | 1–1 |
| Monagas | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | — | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | — | 2–1 |
| Universidad Central | 2–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | — | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 3–0 | — |
* ↑ Match abandoned at half-time with Metropolitanos leading 6–0 since LALA did not show up for the second half.

## Fase Final A

Fase Final A was contested by the top two teams of the first stage groups, which played each other twice. The top two teams advanced to the final and also qualified for the 2022 Copa Libertadores along with the next best two teams, whilst the remaining two teams qualified for the 2022 Copa Sudamericana.

### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Caracas | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 6 | +14 | 18 | Advance to Final and qualification for Copa Libertadores group stage |
| 2 | Deportivo Táchira | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 9 | +5 | 18 | Advance to Final and qualification for Copa Libertadores group stage |
| 3 | Monagas | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 12 | +2 | 17 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores second stage |
| 4 | Deportivo Lara | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 9 | +1 | 11 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores first stage |
| 5 | Deportivo La Guaira | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 20 | −12 | 9 | Qualification for Copa Sudamericana first stage |
| 6 | Estudiantes de Mérida | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 22 | −10 | 8 | Qualification for Copa Sudamericana first stage |

### Results

| Home \ Away | CAR | DLG | LAR | TAC | ESM | MON |
| Caracas | — | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 |
| Deportivo La Guaira | 0–5 | — | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 |
| Deportivo Lara | 0–0 | 1–1 | — | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 |
| Deportivo Táchira | 1–0 | 4–2 | 0–0 | — | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| Estudiantes de Mérida | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | — | 2–2 |
| Monagas | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | — |

## Fase Final B

Fase Final B was contested by the third- and fourth-placed teams of the first stage groups, which played each other twice. The top two teams qualified for the 2022 Copa Sudamericana. Atlético Venezuela originally qualified to compete in Fase Final B on sporting merit, but withdrew due to their failure to comply with the requirements imposed by the FVF. Due to this, only five teams competed in Fase Final B.

### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Metropolitanos | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 14 | Qualification for Copa Sudamericana first stage |
| 2 | Hermanos Colmenarez | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 13 | Qualification for Copa Sudamericana first stage |
| 3 | Portuguesa | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 10 | |
| 4 | Aragua | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 10 | |
| 5 | Academia Puerto Cabello | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 15 | −5 | 6 | |
| 6 | Atlético Venezuela | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Withdrew |

### Results

| Home \ Away | APC | ARA | AVE | HCO | MET | POR |
| Academia Puerto Cabello | — | 2–3 | — | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 |
| Aragua | 2–2 | — | — | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 |
| Atlético Venezuela | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hermanos Colmenarez | 3–1 | 1–0 | — | — | 4–0 | 3–1 |
| Metropolitanos | 1–2 | 2–2 | — | 1–0 | — | 1–0 |
| Portuguesa | 2–0 | 1–1 | — | 3–0 | 1–1 | — |

## Final

The final was played at the Estadio Olímpico de la UCV in Caracas on 11 December 2021.

## Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Samson Akinyoola | Caracas | 18 |
| 2 | Richard Celis | Caracas | 17 |
| 3 | Juan Carlos Ortiz | Monagas | 16 |
| 4 | Adrián Fernández | Portuguesa | 14 |
| 4 | Franklin González | Monagas | 14 |
| 6 | Anuar Peláez | Hermanos Colmenarez | 13 |
| 6 | Juan Camilo Zapata | Hermanos Colmenarez | 13 |
| 8 | Alfredo Stephens | Aragua | 12 |
| 9 | Armando Araque | Estudiantes de Mérida | 11 |
| 9 | Joel Infante | Atlético Venezuela | 11 |
| 9 | Rubén Rojas | Deportivo Lara | 11 |
| 9 | Tommy Tobar | Atlético Venezuela | 11 |
Source: Soccerway

## Best XI

The Liga FUTVE announced the best XI team of the 2021 Liga FUTVE season between 14 and 17 December 2021. Additionally, seven relevant players were named in order to complete the team.
| Pos | Player | Team | App (S/B) | MP | | | Goals | Assi |
| GK | Cristopher Varela | Deportivo Táchira | 29 (29/0) | 2640 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| RB | Eduardo Fereira | Caracas | 31 (30/1) | 2497 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| CB | Jesús Quintero | Deportivo Táchira | 20 (17/3) | 1560 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CB | Carlos Rivero | Caracas | 27 (27/0) | 2381 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| LB | Daniel Linárez | Estudiantes de Mérida | 30 (30/0) | 2612 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| CM | Telasco Segovia | Deportivo Lara | 31 (27/4) | 2424 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| CM | Maurice Cova | Deportivo Táchira | 23 (18/5) | 1760 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| RM | Yerson Chacón | Deportivo Táchira | 35 (31/4) | 2603 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| LM | Richard Celis | Caracas | 28 (28/0) | 2426 | 10 | 1 | 16 | 7 |
| CF | Samson Akinyoola | Caracas | 34 (34/0) | 2996 | 7 | 0 | 18 | 6 |
| CF | Juan Carlos Ortiz | Monagas | 32 (32/0) | 2860 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 9 |
| Substitutes |||||||||
| GK | Nicolás Caprio | Monagas | 32 (32/0) | 2839 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DF | Diego Osío | Caracas | 32 (30/2) | 2777 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Edwin Peraza | Monagas | 29 (29/0) | 2586 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| MF | Edson Castillo | Caracas | 25 (25/0) | 2270 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| FW | Edgar Pérez Greco | Deportivo Táchira | 26 (25/1) | 1771 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 6 |
| FW | Juan Camilo Zapata | Hermanos Colmenarez | 31 (26/5) | 2461 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 6 |
| FW | Franklin González | Monagas | 33 (27/6) | 2293 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 3 |