# 2022–23 Liga Primera de Nicaragua

The 2022–23 Liga Primera de Nicaragua season was to be divided into two tournaments, Apertura and Clausura. The season will determine the 79th and 80th champions in the history of the Liga Primera de Nicaragua, the top division of football in Nicaragua. The Apertura tournament is to be played in the second half of 2022, while the Clausura is to be played in the first half of 2023.

## Teams
### Team information

A total of ten teams contested the league, including nine sides from the 2021–22 Primera División, and one side from the 2021–22 Segunda División.
Real Madriz finished last in the aggregate table and were relegated to the Segunda División. The champions from the Segunda División, Matagalpa FC, were promoted in their place.
The 9th place team in the aggregate table, ART Jalapa, faced the second-place team from the Segunda División, CD Junior, in a playoff for a spot in the Primera División. ART Jalapa won 4–3 over two legs, meaning ART Jalapa remained in the Primera División.

### Promotion and relegation

Promoted from Segunda División as of June, 2022.
* Champions: Matagalpa
Relegated to Segunda División as of June, 2022.
* Last Place: Real Madriz

### Stadiums and locations

| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
| ART Municipal Jalapa | Jalapa | Estadio Alejandro Ramos Turcio | 2,000 |
| Diriangén | Diriamba | Estadio Cacique Diriangén | 8,500 |
| Juventus | Managua | Estadio Olímpico del IND Managua | 7,000 |
| Sport Sébaco | Matagalpa | Estadio Municipal de Matagalpa | 1,800 |
| Managua | Managua | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol (UNAN) | 15,000 |
| Ocotal | Ocotal | Estadio Roy Fernando Bermúdez | 7,000 |
| Real Estelí | Estelí | Estadio Independencia | 4,800 |
| Matagalpa | Matagalpa | Estadio Municipal de Matagalpa | 1,800 |
| UNAN Managua | Managua | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol (UNAN) | 15,000 |
| Walter Ferretti | Managua | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol (UNAN) | 15,000 |

### Personnel and kits

| Team | Chairman | Head Coach | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor(s) |
| ART Municipal Jalapa | TBD | Luis Javier Londoño * | Bernardo Laureiro * | Keuka | AT&T |
| Diriangén | TBD | Roberto Armando Chanampe * | TBD | Macron | AT&T |
| Juventus | TBD | Alexis Zepeda * | Jhans Mina * | Keuka | AT&T |
| HYH Sebaco | TBD | Glen Blanco * | Luis Galeano * | Keuka | AT&T |
| Matagalpa | TBD | Oscar Castillo * | Rodolfo Forbes * | Keuka | AT&T |
| Managua | TBD | Emilio Aburto * | Kevin Serapio * | Keuka | AT&T |
| Ocotal | TBD | Nelson Vasquez * | TBD | Keuka | AT&T |
| Real Estelí | TBD | Ramon Otoneil Olivas * | Josué Quijano * | Keuka | AT&T |
| UNAN Managua | TBD | Eduardo Urroz * | Anderson Tremio * | Joma | AT&T |
| Walter Ferretti | TBD | Luis Diaz * | Denis Espinoza * | Keuka | AT&T |

## News
### Shirt sponsorship

Keuka agreed to sponsor 8 teams in the Liga Primera (2 teams not being sponsored is Diriangén and UNAN Managua) starting in the Clausura 2023.

## Managerial changes
### Pre-season Apertura 2022

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
| Ocotal | Mario Alfaro | Contract Ended | June 2022 | Nelson Vásquez | June 2022 | TBD (Apertura 2021) |
| Diriangén | Tyrone Leiva | Contract Ended | May 2022 | Roberto Chanampe | June 2022 | TBD (Apertura 2021) |
| Real Estelí | José Luis Trejo Montoya | Contract Ended | July 2022 | Ramon Otoneil Olivas | July 2022 | TBD (Apertura 2021) |

### During the Apertura season

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
| Matagalpa FC | Oscar Castillo | Sacked | August 2022 | Sting Fabricio López | August 2022 | TBD (Apertura 2022) |
| Managua FC | Juan Cortez | Sacked | August 2022 | Emilio Aburto | August 2022 | TBD (Apertura 2022) |

### Pre-season Clausura 2023

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
| Managua | Emilio Aburto | Contract Ended | December 2022 | Flavio Da Silva | December 15, 2022 | TBD (Apertura 2022) |
| ART Municipal Jalapa | Luis Javier Londono | Contract Ended | December 2022 | Carlos Javier Martino | 28 December 2022 | TBD (Apertura 2022) |
| HYH Sebaco | Glen Blanco | Contract Ended | December 2022 | Héctor Medina | December 28, 2022 | TBD (Apertura 2022) |
| Matagalpa FC | Sting Lopez | Contract Ended | December 2022 | Glen Blanco | January 3, 2023 | TBD (Apertura 2022) |
| Deportivo Ocotal | Nelson Vasquez | Contract Ended | December 2022 | Sting Lopez | January 3, 2023 | TBD (Apertura 2022) |

### During Clausura 2023

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
| Municipal Jalapa | Carlos Javier Martino | Sacked | February 22, 2023 | Ricardo Gaitan | February 2023 | TBD (Apertura 2022) |

## Apertura 2022
### Finals
#### Quarterfinals

Managua progressed.
Walter Ferretti progressed.

#### Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Walter Ferretti | 4-3 | Diriangén | 2–3 | 2-0 |
| Real Estelí | 2-0 | Managua | 0-0 | 2–0 |
2-2 on aggregate, Walter Ferretti won 5-3 on penalties.
Real Estelí won 2-0 on aggregate.

#### Final
##### Second leg

4-4 on Aggregate. Real Esteli won 4-3 on penalties
* Apertura 2022 champions
* Real Estelí 19th title

## Clausura 2023
### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Diriangén (Q) | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 36 | 19 | +17 | 39 | Advance to Playoffs (Semifinals) |
| 2 | Real Estelí (Q) | 18 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 37 | 19 | +18 | 35 | Advance to Playoffs (Semifinals) |
| 3 | Managua (Q) | 18 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 26 | 23 | +3 | 29 | Advance to Playoffs (Quarterfinals) |
| 4 | Walter Ferretti (Q) | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 26 | 24 | +2 | 26 | Advance to Playoffs (Quarterfinals) |
| 5 | Matagalpa (Q) | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 25 | Advance to Playoffs (Quarterfinals) |
| 6 | Deportivo Ocotal (Q) | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 24 | Advance to Playoffs (Quarterfinals) |
| 7 | UNAN Managua | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 24 | 25 | −1 | 20 | |
| 8 | Municipal Jalapa | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 21 | 30 | −9 | 19 | |
| 9 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 21 | 32 | −11 | 19 | |
| 10 | Juventus Managua | 18 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 19 | 38 | −19 | 13 | |

### Finals
#### Quarterfinals

Managua progressed.
Matagalpa progressed, winning 9-8 penalties.

#### Semifinals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Diriangén | 5-0 | Matagalpa | 2–0 | 3-0 |
| Real Estelí | 3-3 (pen 4-3) | Managua | 1-0 | 2–3 |
Diriangén won 5-0 on aggregate.
3-3 on aggregate, Real Esteli won 4-3 on penalties.

#### Final
##### Second leg

Real Esteli won 3-0 on Aggregate
* Clausura 2023 champions
* Real Estelí 20th title

## List of foreign players in the league

This is a list of foreign players in the 2022–23 season. The following players:
* Have played at least one game for the respective club.
* Have not been capped for the Nicaragua national football team on any level, independently from the birthplace
A new rule was introduced this season, that clubs can have four foreign players per club and can only add a new player if there is an injury or a player/s is released, and it is before the closing of the season transfer window.
(player released during the Apertura season) (player released between the Apertura and Clausura seasons) (player released during the Clausura season)