# 2020 Ecuadorian Serie A

The 2020 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol Serie A (until 18 September 2020 officially known as the LigaPro Banco Pichincha 2020 for sponsorship reasons) was the 62nd season of the Serie A, Ecuador's top tier football league, and the second under the management of the Liga Profesional de Fútbol del Ecuador (or LigaPro). Delfín were the defending champions. Barcelona won their 16th domestic league title after defeating LDU Quito 3–1 on penalties following a 1–1 draw on aggregate score in the finals.
The competition was suspended from 14 March to 14 August due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Format

The format for the 2020 season was decided by LigaPro's Council of Presidents on 22 October 2019. For this season, the league returned to the three-stage system used before the 2019 season, scrapping the play-off stage played in the previous season. The first and second stages were played as single round-robin tournaments with all teams playing each other once for a total of 15 matches per stage. The first stage fixture was reversed for the second stage, and the top teams at the end of each stage qualified for the finals as well as the Copa Libertadores group stage. The finals were a double-legged series between the winners of both stages with a penalty shoot-out deciding the champion in case of a tie in points and goals scored. In case a team won both stages of the season, the finals would not have been played and that team would win the championship.
An aggregate table including the matches of both the first and second stages was used to decide international qualification and relegation, with the best two teams (other than the stage winners) qualifying for the Copa Libertadores, and the next best three teams qualifying for the Copa Sudamericana. The remaining Copa Sudamericana berth would have been allocated through the 2020 Copa Ecuador, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and had its berth reallocated to the next best team in the aggregate table. Meanwhile, the teams that ended in the 15th and 16th place of the aggregate table would have competed in relegation play-offs against the third- and fourth-placed teams of the 2020 Serie B for the right to remain in the top tier for the following season, however, in a Council of Presidents session held on 23 May 2020 it was decided not to expand the Serie A to 18 teams for the 2021 season, meaning that the bottom two teams of the aggregate table at the end of the season were relegated to Serie B.

## Teams
### Stadia and locations

| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity |
| Aucas | Quito | Gonzalo Pozo Ripalda | 21,689 |
| Barcelona | Guayaquil | Monumental Banco Pichincha | 57,267 |
| Delfín | Manta | Jocay | 17,834 |
| Deportivo Cuenca | Cuenca | Banco del Austro Alejandro Serrano Aguilar | 18,549 |
| El Nacional | Quito | Olímpico Atahualpa | 35,258 |
| El Nacional | Cayambe | Guillermo Albornoz | 12,000 |
| Emelec | Guayaquil | Banco del Pacífico Capwell | 40,020 |
| Guayaquil City | Guayaquil | Christian Benítez Betancourt | 10,152 |
| Independiente del Valle | Sangolquí | Rumiñahui | 7,233 |
| Independiente del Valle | Quito | Olímpico Atahualpa | 35,258 |
| Independiente del Valle | Quito | Rodrigo Paz Delgado | 41,575 |
| LDU Portoviejo | Portoviejo | Reales Tamarindos | 20,500 |
| LDU Quito | Quito | Rodrigo Paz Delgado | 41,575 |
| Macará | Ambato | Bellavista | 16,467 |
| Mushuc Runa | Ambato | COAC Mushuc Runa | 6,000 |
| Mushuc Runa | Ambato | Bellavista | 16,467 |
| Olmedo | Riobamba | Olímpico | 7,233 |
| Orense | Machala | 9 de Mayo | 16,456 |
| Técnico Universitario | Ambato | Bellavista | 16,467 |
| Universidad Católica | Quito | Olímpico Atahualpa | 35,258 |
* ↑ Used by Independiente del Valle for their home match against Mushuc Runa, and as home stadium since the resumption of the league following the COVID-19 pandemic.
* ↑ Used by Independiente del Valle for their home match against Orense.
* ↑ Used by Mushuc Runa for their home match against Barcelona.

### Personnel and kits

| Team | Manager | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
| Aucas | Darío Tempesta | Umbro | Banco del Pacífico |
| Barcelona | Fabián Bustos | Marathon | Pilsener |
| Delfín | Horacio Montemurro (caretaker) | Baldo's | Banco del Pacífico |
| Deportivo Cuenca | Guillermo Duró (caretaker) | Joma | Chubb Seguros |
| El Nacional | José Villafuerte (caretaker) | Lotto | Aceros ANDEC Banco General Rumiñahui |
| Emelec | Ismael Rescalvo | Adidas | Tubos Pacífico |
| Guayaquil City | Pool Gavilánez | Astro | Cooperativa San Francisco Ltda. |
| Independiente del Valle | Miguel Ángel Ramírez | Marathon | Chery DirecTV |
| LDU Portoviejo | Pablo Trobbiani | Boman | Cooperativa 15 de Abril |
| LDU Quito | Pablo Repetto | Puma | Banco Pichincha |
| Macará | Paúl Vélez | Boman | Cooperativa San Francisco Ltda. |
| Mushuc Runa | Ricardo Dillon | Elohim | Cooperativa Mushuc Runa |
| Olmedo | Geovanny Cumbicus | Boman | Cooperativa Daquilema GolTV |
| Orense | Patricio Lara | JMP Sport | Banco del Austro |
| Técnico Universitario | José Eugenio Hernández | Boman | Cooperativa San Francisco Ltda. |
| Universidad Católica | Santiago Escobar | Umbro | Discover Card |

### Managerial changes

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
| First stage |||||||
| Olmedo | Ricardo Dillon | Resigned | 3 November 2019 | Pre-season | Darío Franco | 9 December 2019 |
| Mushuc Runa | Martín Cardetti | Sacked | 5 November 2019 | Pre-season | Ricardo Dillon | 12 November 2019 |
| El Nacional | Marcelo Zuleta | End of contract | 7 November 2019 | Pre-season | Eduardo Lara | 12 November 2019 |
| Barcelona | Tabaré Silva | End of contract | 27 November 2019 | Pre-season | Fabián Bustos | 16 December 2019 |
| Aucas | Gabriel Schürrer | End of contract | 9 December 2019 | Pre-season | Máximo Villafañe | 11 December 2019 |
| Delfín | Fabián Bustos | Signed by Barcelona | 15 December 2019 | Pre-season | Ángel López Pérez | 27 December 2019 |
| Delfín | Ángel López Pérez | Sacked | 29 February 2020 | 11th | Carlos Ischia | 1 March 2020 |
| Aucas | Máximo Villafañe | Resigned | 14 June 2020 | 16th | Darío Tempesta | 14 June 2020 |
| Olmedo | Darío Franco | Resigned | 15 June 2020 | 13th | Geovanny Cumbicus | 18 June 2020 |
| El Nacional | Eduardo Lara | Sacked | 20 June 2020 | 9th | Jorge Montesino | 20 June 2020 |
| Orense | Humberto Pizarro | Mutual consent | 1 September 2020 | 15th | Patricio Lara | 2 September 2020 |
| Delfín | Carlos Ischia | Sacked | 4 September 2020 | 11th | Miguel Ángel Zahzú | 4 September 2020 |
| Deportivo Cuenca | Tabaré Silva | Sacked | 30 September 2020 | 16th | Guillermo Duró (caretaker) | 30 September 2020 |
| Second stage |||||||
| LDU Portoviejo | Rubén Darío Insúa | Sacked | 5 November 2020 | 15th | Marcelo Zuleta | 5 November 2020 |
| El Nacional | Jorge Montesino | Sacked | 7 November 2020 | 15th | Javier Rodríguez | 7 November 2020 |
| El Nacional | Javier Rodríguez | Resigned | 20 November 2020 | 16th | Édison Méndez | 20 November 2020 |
| LDU Portoviejo | Marcelo Zuleta | Resigned | 20 November 2020 | 15th | Pablo Trobbiani | 20 November 2020 |
| Delfín | Miguel Ángel Zahzú | Sacked | 3 December 2020 | 10th | Horacio Montemurro (caretaker) | 3 December 2020 |
| El Nacional | Édison Méndez | Resigned | 8 December 2020 | 16th | José Villafuerte (caretaker) | 8 December 2020 |

## Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic

On 14 March 2020 after two Matchday 5 games had been played, the competition was suspended indefinitely by LigaPro due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 20 May LigaPro's Council of Presidents decided to tentatively resume the league on 17 July pending final approval by the Ecuadorian government, with matches to be played behind closed doors. That same day the Council approved to restart training activities on 8 June, which was later moved to 10 June per decision by the National Emergency Operations Committee (COE). However, the date for the resumption of the competition was pushed back as the protocol approved by the Ecuadorian government through the National COE had set 29 July as the earliest tentative date for resumption.
On 27 July, the National COE approved LigaPro's biosecurity protocol and established 15 August as the tentative date to resume the competition. Eventually, on 11 August the National COE approved LigaPro's request to resume the competition on 14 August, with the completion of the fifth matchday.

## First stage
### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | LDU Quito | 15 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 29 | 13 | +16 | 35 | Advance to Finals and qualification for Copa Libertadores group stage |
| 2 | Independiente del Valle | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 36 | 22 | +14 | 32 | |
| 3 | Universidad Católica | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 32 | 14 | +18 | 31 | |
| 4 | Barcelona | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 13 | +10 | 29 | |
| 5 | Macará | 15 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 22 | 17 | +5 | 24 | |
| 6 | Aucas | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 26 | 23 | +3 | 23 | |
| 7 | Técnico Universitario | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 16 | +1 | 22 | |
| 8 | Delfín | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 22 | −5 | 18 | |
| 9 | Guayaquil City | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 23 | −6 | 18 | |
| 10 | Mushuc Runa | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 22 | −6 | 18 | |
| 11 | Olmedo | 15 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 26 | 29 | −3 | 17 | |
| 12 | Emelec | 15 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 20 | 22 | −2 | 16 | |
| 13 | El Nacional | 15 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 24 | −8 | 14 | |
| 14 | LDU Portoviejo | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 19 | 30 | −11 | 13 | |
| 15 | Orense | 15 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 27 | −12 | 10 | |
| 16 | Deportivo Cuenca | 15 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 30 | −14 | 8 | |

### Results

| Home \ Away | AUC | BAR | DEL | CUE | NAC | EME | GUA | IDV | LDP | LDQ | MAC | MUS | OLM | ORE | TEC | CAT |
| Aucas | — | — | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | — | 3–1 | — | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | — | — | — | — |
| Barcelona | 4–2 | — | — | — | 0–0 | 2–1 | — | — | 1–1 | — | — | — | 3–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| Delfín | — | 1–2 | — | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | — | — | — | — | — | 4–1 | — | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–0 |
| Deportivo Cuenca | — | 0–3 | — | — | — | — | 1–1 | 1–3 | — | 1–2 | — | — | 0–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 |
| El Nacional | — | — | — | 1–1 | — | 2–1 | — | 2–4 | 2–1 | 0–3 | — | — | 3–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | — |
| Emelec | 4–0 | — | — | 2–0 | — | — | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | — | — | — | — |
| Guayaquil City | — | 2–1 | 0–0 | — | 2–1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1–1 | — | 4–1 | — | 1–0 | 1–3 |
| Independiente del Valle | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | — | — | — | 3–0 | — | — | — | 4–4 | 2–1 | 1–2 | — | — | 2–2 |
| LDU Portoviejo | — | — | 2–1 | 2–4 | — | — | 3–1 | 1–2 | — | 1–1 | 2–2 | — | 2–1 | — | — | — |
| LDU Quito | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | — | — | — | 2–0 | 2–3 | — | — | 1–0 | 2–0 | — | — | — | 2–1 |
| Macará | — | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0–0 | 1–1 |
| Mushuc Runa | — | 1–2 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–1 | — | 1–0 | — | 2–0 | — | — | — | — | 1–2 |
| Olmedo | 3–2 | — | 2–0 | — | — | 1–1 | — | — | — | 2–3 | 1–2 | 1–2 | — | 2–2 | — | — |
| Orense | 2–2 | — | — | — | — | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–2 | — | — | — | — |
| Técnico Universitario | 2–0 | — | — | — | — | 2–0 | — | 0–1 | 3–1 | 0–5 | — | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | — | — |
| Universidad Católica | 3–1 | — | — | — | 1–1 | 4–1 | — | — | 4–0 | — | — | — | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–1 | — |
* ↑ Match awarded 3–0 to Olmedo due to Deportivo Cuenca being suspended by FEF for failing to pay its creditors.

## Second stage
### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Barcelona | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 7 | +15 | 29 | Advance to Finals and qualification for Copa Libertadores group stage |
| 2 | Emelec | 15 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 15 | +13 | 28 | |
| 3 | Guayaquil City | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 17 | +6 | 26 | |
| 4 | LDU Quito | 15 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 31 | 20 | +11 | 24 | |
| 5 | Deportivo Cuenca | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 18 | 21 | −3 | 23 | |
| 6 | Independiente del Valle | 15 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 26 | 21 | +5 | 22 | |
| 7 | Orense | 15 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 19 | −7 | 21 | |
| 8 | Delfín | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 22 | 19 | +3 | 20 | |
| 9 | Universidad Católica | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 14 | +2 | 20 | |
| 10 | Técnico Universitario | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 20 | |
| 11 | Macará | 15 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 15 | 20 | −5 | 20 | |
| 12 | Aucas | 15 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 33 | 32 | +1 | 19 | |
| 13 | LDU Portoviejo | 15 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 20 | 29 | −9 | 17 | |
| 14 | Mushuc Runa | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 23 | −6 | 13 | |
| 15 | Olmedo | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 27 | −11 | 13 | |
| 16 | El Nacional | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 25 | −15 | 12 | |

### Results

| Home \ Away | AUC | BAR | DEL | CUE | NAC | EME | GUA | IDV | LDP | LDQ | MAC | MUS | OLM | ORE | TEC | CAT |
| Aucas | — | 2–1 | — | — | — | 1–1 | — | 3–3 | — | — | — | — | 3–3 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 |
| Barcelona | — | — | 1–0 | 2–0 | — | — | 2–0 | 2–0 | — | 2–2 | 3–0 | 3–0 | — | — | — | — |
| Delfín | 2–2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | — | 3–1 | — | — | — |
| Deportivo Cuenca | 3–3 | — | 2–1 | — | 0–0 | 2–1 | — | — | 2–1 | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | — | — | — | — |
| El Nacional | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | — | — | — | 0–3 | — | — | — | 2–1 | 2–1 | — | — | — | 0–2 |
| Emelec | — | 1–1 | 3–2 | — | 3–0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0–0 | — | 4–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 |
| Guayaquil City | 4–2 | — | — | 2–1 | — | 1–0 | — | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | — | 3–2 | — | 1–1 | — | — |
| Independiente del Valle | — | — | — | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | — | — | 2–3 | 3–2 | — | — | — | 4–0 | 1–0 | — |
| LDU Portoviejo | 3–2 | 0–2 | — | — | 3–0 | 0–6 | — | — | — | — | — | 0–0 | — | 1–2 | 0–2 | 2–1 |
| LDU Quito | 4–1 | — | — | 5–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | — | — | 1–1 | — | — | — | 3–0 | 4–0 | 1–2 | — |
| Macará | 2–1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–4 | — | 0–3 | 1–0 | 0–1 | — | — |
| Mushuc Runa | 1–4 | — | 2–0 | — | — | 2–3 | — | 3–2 | — | 1–2 | — | — | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | — |
| Olmedo | — | 1–0 | — | 1–1 | 1–2 | — | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–3 | — | — | — | — | — | 0–0 | 2–1 |
| Orense | — | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2–1 | — | 1–0 | 1–1 |
| Técnico Universitario | — | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | — | 0–0 | — | — | — | 0–1 | — | — | — | — | 1–0 |
| Universidad Católica | — | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | — | — | 2–1 | 3–1 | — | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | — | — | — | — |
* ↑ Match awarded 3–0 to Guayaquil City due to El Nacional being suspended by FEF for failing to pay its creditors.

## Finals

LDU Quito and Barcelona qualified for the Finals (Third stage) by being the First stage and Second stage winners, respectively. The winners were the Serie A champions and earned the Ecuador 1 berth in the 2021 Copa Libertadores, and the losers were the Serie A runners-up and earned the Ecuador 2 berth in the 2021 Copa Libertadores. By having the greater number of points in the aggregate table, LDU Quito played the second leg at home.
Tied 1–1 on aggregate, Barcelona won on penalties.

## Aggregate table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | LDU Quito | 30 | 18 | 5 | 7 | 60 | 33 | +27 | 59 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores group stage |
| 2 | Barcelona (C) | 30 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 46 | 21 | +25 | 58 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores group stage |
| 3 | Independiente del Valle | 30 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 62 | 43 | +19 | 54 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores second stage |
| 4 | Universidad Católica | 30 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 48 | 28 | +20 | 51 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores first stage |
| 5 | Emelec | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 48 | 37 | +11 | 44 | Qualification for Copa Sudamericana first stage |
| 6 | Guayaquil City | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 40 | 40 | 0 | 44 | Qualification for Copa Sudamericana first stage |
| 7 | Macará | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 44 | Qualification for Copa Sudamericana first stage |
| 8 | Aucas | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 59 | 55 | +4 | 42 | Qualification for Copa Sudamericana first stage |
| 9 | Técnico Universitario | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 28 | 27 | +1 | 42 | |
| 10 | Delfín | 30 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 39 | 41 | −2 | 38 | |
| 11 | Mushuc Runa | 30 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 33 | 45 | −12 | 31 | |
| 12 | Deportivo Cuenca | 30 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 34 | 51 | −17 | 31 | |
| 13 | Orense | 30 | 6 | 13 | 11 | 28 | 47 | −19 | 31 | |
| 14 | Olmedo | 30 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 42 | 56 | −14 | 30 | |
| 15 | LDU Portoviejo (R) | 30 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 39 | 59 | −20 | 30 | Relegation to Serie B |
| 16 | El Nacional (R) | 30 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 26 | 49 | −23 | 26 | Relegation to Serie B |
* ↑ Since the 2020 Copa Ecuador was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador, the spot awarded to its champions (Copa Sudamericana first stage) was passed over to the aggregate table fourth best-placed team not qualified for the Copa Libertadores.

## Top goalscorers

| Rank | Name | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Cristian Martínez Borja | LDU Quito | 24 |
| 2 | Gabriel Torres | Independiente del Valle | 16 |
| 3 | Víctor Figueroa | Aucas | 14 |
| 4 | José Cevallos | Emelec | 13 |
| 4 | Francisco Fydriszewski | LDU Portoviejo | 13 |
| 6 | Juan Sebastián Herrera | Macará | 11 |
| 6 | Gonzalo Mastriani | Guayaquil City | 11 |
| 6 | Muriel Orlando | Mushuc Runa | 11 |
| 9 | Facundo Barceló | Emelec | 10 |
| 9 | Damián Díaz | Barcelona | 10 |
| 9 | Michael Hoyos | Guayaquil City | 10 |
| 9 | Sergio López | Aucas | 10 |
Source: Soccerway