Primera División de Costa Rica

Primera División de Costa Rica is a professional league for association football clubs in Costa Rica. At the top of the Costa Rican league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 12 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Segunda División. The seasons are separated by two single tournaments each year, the Apertura, from August to December, and the Clausura, February to June. Thus, there are two champions each season with teams playing anywhere from 32 to 44 games each totalling 412 games in the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. The Campeonatos de Invierno y Verano are sponsored by Scotiabank for the 2010-2011 season.
The competition formed on June 13, 1921 following an invitation presented by Guatemala to Costa Rica to participate in its Centenary Games. A total of 12 clubs have won the title. The current champions are Alajuelense, who won the 2010 Torneo Clausura.
==Format==
The current Primera División season has two championships.The format both championship is the same. The twelve clubs are divided into two groups of six. They play all the clubs in a single round-robin format for 11 matches, and then within their own group for the remaining five. The three best clubs in each group advance to a single elimination playoff system. The teams that finishes 2 & 3 in their groups play against the opposite seed from the other group over two legs. The winner of that tie advances to the semifinals and play against one of the top clubs from the groups. The winners of that tie advances to the finals, which determines the tournament champion. 
The Primera División operates system of promotion and relegation with the Segunda División and third division Primera División de Liga Nacional de Futbol Aficionado (LINAFA).
==History==
In the year 1921, the Liga Nacional de Fútbol is created by Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, Club Sport Cartaginés, Club Sport Herediano, Club Sport La Libertad, Sociedad Gimnástica Española de San José, Club Sport La Unión de Tres Ríos and Sociedad Gimnástica Limonense, and the Primera División was born. In 1931 the league was centralized and renamed Federación Deportiva de Costa Rica, then Federación Nacional de Fútbol and in the 1970s to Federación Costarricense de Fútbol (FEDEFUTBOL). In 1999, the FEDEFUTBOL, created UNAFUT to operate the Primera División and the Alto Rendimiento y Juvenil Especial (Youth Development Leagues from clubs of First Division).
==The Classic==
The Classic (derby) in Costa Rica is played between Alajuelense and Deportivo Saprissa the two teams have the biggest support groups in the country, the largest stadiums, and the largest number of national and international titles in their cases. The first Classic was played in 1949 when Deportivo Saprissa was promoted to the Primera División de Costa Rica and the score was 6-5 (Alajuela's win). The statistics said that Saprissa defeated Alajuelense in 104 matches and Alajuelense defeated Saprissa in 83 matches in Costa Rica's championship. It is important to mention that before the Deportivo Saprissa's promotion to the Primera Division, the Classic was played between Club Sport Herediano and Club Sport La Libertad (now in the Third Division), but gradually began to lose intensity until it lost that "classic" title. 
Other Classic and Derbys 
Note that there is a difference between Classic and Derby, the classic is the party where there is a rivalry that as the years have passed be increasing, and the derby is when two teams that falls in the same town or city. 
*Costa Rican Classic of Classics: Deportivo Saprissa vs. Alajuelense.
*"Clasico del Buen Futbol": Deportivo Saprissa vs Club Sport Herediano 
*Provincial Classic: Club Sport Herediano vs. Alajuelense, Club Sport Herediano vs. Club Sport Cartagines (Oldest).
*Sa-Sa Classic: Deportivo Saprissa vs Sagrada Familia (Second Division).
*Alajuelan Derby: Alajuelense vs. Asociación Deportiva Carmelita (Second Division).
*Caribbean Derby: Santos de Guápiles vs Limon F.C..
*Ports Classic: Limon F.C. vs. Puntarenas.
*Capital Derby: Brujas FC vs. Deportivo Saprissa.
==Clubs in 2010-2011 season==
The league currently consists of the following 12 clubs. For the 2010-2011 season, teams are aligned as follows:
Club 	City 	Stadium 	Capacity	Founded	Head Coach
Grupo A 	Grupo A 	Grupo A 	Grupo A 	Grupo A	Grupo A
Asociación Deportiva Municipal dePérez Zeledón (Guerreros del Sur) 	San Isidro del General,San José	Municipal de Pérez Zeledón 	6,000 	1962 	Rafael Bautista Arenas
Asociación Deportiva Barrio México (Equipo Canela) 	Guadalupe, San José 	Coyella Fonseca 	4.500 	1945 	Marvin Solano
Club Deportivo Saprissa(El Monstruo Morado) 	San Juan, San José 	Ricardo Saprissa Aymá 	23,000 	1935 	Alexandre Guimarães
Club Sport CartaginésDeportiva Sociedad Anónima 	Cartago, Cartago 	José Rafael "Fello" Meza Ivankovich	13,500 	1906 	Jhonny Chávez
Limón Fútbol Club(La Tromba del Caribe) 	Limón, Limón 	Estadio Nuevo de Limón 	3,000 	1964 	Rónald Mora Padilla
Puntarenas Fútbol Club, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva(Los Tiburones del Pacifico)	Puntarenas, Puntarenas 	Miguel Ángel "Lito" Pérez Treacy 	4,105 	2004 	Jorge González Estévez
Grupo B 	Grupo B 	Grupo B 	Grupo B 	Grupo B	Grupo B
Asociación Deportiva San Carlos(Los Toros del Norte) 	Ciudad Quesada, Alajuela 	Carlos Ugalde Álvarez 	5,600 	1965 	Daniel Casas
Asociación Deportiva Santos de Guápiles(La Marea Roja) 	Guápiles, Limón 	Ebal Rodríguez Aguilar 	3,000 	1961 	Ronald Gómez
Orión Fútbol Club 	Desamparados, San José 	Jorge H. "Cuty" Monge 	5,000 	2004 	Daniel Torres
Club Sport Herediano 	Heredia, Heredia 	Eladio Rosabal Cordero 	8,144 	1921 	Alejandro Giuntini
Liga Deportiva Alajuelense 	El Llano, Alajuela 	Alejandro Morera Soto 	18,000 	1919 	Oscar Ramirez
==Defunct Franchises==
Club 	City 	Stadium 	Capacity 	Founded 	Ceased Operations
Defunct Franchises 	Defunct Franchises	Defunct Franchises	Defunct Franchises	Defunct Franchises	Defunct Franchises
Club Deportivo Alajuela Junior 	 	 	 	1933 	1936
Club Sport Buenos Aires 	 	 	 	1932 	1935
Club Sport Costa Rica 	 	 	 	1924 	1924
Club Sport México 	 	 	 	1932 	1934
Club Sport Progreso 	 	 	 	1923 	1925
Corsarios Fútbol Club 	 	 	 	1930 	1930
Hispano Atlético 	 	 	 	1932 	1932
Juventud 	 	 	 	1927 	1927
Sociedad Gimnástica Española de San José	 	 	 	1912 	
Unión Deportiva Moravia 	 	 	 	1926 	1955
==List of champions year by year==
Year 	Winner 	Runner-up
1921 	Herediano 	Gimástica Española
1922 	Herediano 	La Libertad
1923 	Cartaginés 	La Libertad
1924 	Herediano 	Cartaginés
1925 	La Libertad 	Herediano
1926 	La Libertad 	Cartaginés
1927 	Herediano 	La Libertad
1928 	Alajuelense 	Gimástica Española
1929 	La Libertad 	Alajuelense
1930 	Herediano 	Gimástica Española
1931 	Herediano 	Orión
1932 	Herediano 	La Libertad
1933 	Herediano 	Gimástica Española
1934 	La Libertad 	Alajuela Junior
1935 	Herediano 	Alajuela Junior
1936 	Cartaginés 	La Libertad
1937 	Herediano 	Gimástica Española
1938 	Orión 	Gimástica Española
1939 	Alajuelense 	Herediano
1940 	Cartaginés 	Orión
1941 	Alajuelense 	La Libertad
1942 	La Libertad 	Gimástica Española
1943 	Universidad de Costa Rica	Alajuelense
1944 	Orión 	Herediano
1945 	Alajuelense 	Orión
1946 	La Libertad 	Herediano
1947 	Herediano 	La Libertad
1948 	Herediano 	Alajuelense
1949 	Alajuelense 	Orión
1950 	Alajuelense 	Saprissa
1951 	Herediano 	Orión
1952 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
1953 	Saprissa 	Herediano
1954 	Vacated 	Vacated
1955 	Herediano 	Saprissa
1956 	Vacated 	Vacated
1957 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
1958 	Alajuelense 	Saprissa
1959 	Alajuelense 	Saprissa
1960 	Alajuelense 	Herediano
1961 ASOFUTBOL 	Herediano 	Saprissa
1961 FEDEFUTBOL	Carmen 	Uruguay de Coronado
1962 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
1963 	Uruguay de Coronado 	Saprissa
1964 	Saprissa 	Orión
1965 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
1966 	Alajuelense 	Saprissa
1967 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
1968 	Saprissa 	Cartaginés
1969 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
1970 	Alajuelense 	Saprissa
1971 	Alajuelense 	Saprissa
1972 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
1973 	Saprissa 	Cartaginés
1974 	Saprissa 	Herediano
1975 	Saprissa 	Cartaginés
1976 	Saprissa 	Barrio México
1977 	Saprissa 	Cartaginés
1978 	Herediano 	Municipal Puntarenas
1979 	Herediano 	Cartaginés
1980 	Alajuelense 	Herediano
1981 	Herediano 	Limonense
1982 	Saprissa 	Municipal Puntarenas
1983 	Alajuelense 	Municipal Puntarenas
1984 	Alajuelense 	Saprissa
1985 	Herediano 	Alajuelense
1986 	Municipal Puntarenas 	Alajuelense
1987 	Herediano 	Cartaginés
1988 	Saprissa 	Herediano
1989 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
1990 	Vacated 	Vacated
1990-91 	Alajuelense 	Saprissa
1991-92 	Alajuelense 	Saprissa
1992-93 	Herediano 	Cartaginés
1993-94 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
1994-95 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
1995-96 	Alajuelense 	Cartaginés
1996-97 	Alajuelense 	Saprissa
1997-98 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
1998-99 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
1999–2000 	Alajuelense 	Saprissa
2000-01 	Alajuelense 	Herediano
2001-02 	Alajuelense 	Santos de Guápiles
2002-03 	Alajuelense 	Saprissa
2003-04 	Saprissa 	Herediano
2004–05 	Alajuelense 	Pérez Zeledón
2005–06 	Saprissa 	Puntarenas
2006–07 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
2007 Apertura 	Saprissa 	Herediano
2008 Clausura 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
2008 Apertura 	Saprissa 	Alajuelense
2009 Clausura 	Liberia Mía 	Herediano
2009 Apertura 	Brujas 	Puntarenas
2010 Clausura 	Saprissa 	San Carlos
2010 Apertura 	Alajuelense 	Herediano
2011 Clausura 	Alajuelense 	San Carlos
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==Champion Titles by club (1921–2007)==
Club 	Championships	Runner-Up
Saprissa 	29 	15
Alajuelense 	26 	18
Herediano 	21 	10
La Libertad 	6 	7
Cartaginés 	3 	10
Orión 	2 	6
Municipal Puntarenas 	1 	3
Uruguay de Coronado 	1 	1
Universidad de Costa Rica	1 	0
Carmen 	1 	0
Brujas F.C. 	1 	0
Liberia Mía 	1 	0
Gimnástica Española 	0 	7
Alajuela Junior 	0 	2
Barrio México 	0 	1
Limonense 	0 	1
Pérez Zeledón 	0 	1
Puntarenas 	0 	1
Santos de Guápiles 	0 	1
==Short Championships (Opening and Closure) Titles by club (2007–2011)==
Club 	AperturaChampionships	Runner-Up
Saprissa 	2 	0
Alajuelense	1 	1
Brujas 	1 	0
Herediano 	0 	2
Puntarenas 	0 	1
Club 	ClausuraChampionships	Runner-Up
Saprissa 	2 	0
Alajuelense	1 	1
Liberia Mía	1 	0
San Carlos 	0 	2
Herediano 	0 	1
==External links==
* http://www.futboltico.com/
* http://www.futboldecostarica.com/
* UNAFUT - Primera Division
* Federación Costarricense de Fútbol (Federation of Costa Rican Football)
*
 
Category:Leagues