The 1996 Torneo Descentralizado was the 81st season of the top category of Peruvian football. A total of 16 teams competed in the tournament. Sporting Cristal

Sporting Cristal

Club Sporting Cristal is a Peruvian football team. Based in the Rímac District, in the department of Lima, it plays in the professional league known as the Peruvian First Division. Founded on November 16, 1926 in the Rimac District given its approval to the merger and Snuff Sporting merging with...

 won its 13th first division title, completing a string of 3 consecutive titles starting in 1994. The feat is known as a tricampeonato and was only accomplished before by Alianza Lima

Alianza Lima

Club Alianza Lima is a Peruvian First Division football club who plays at the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva in the La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. They are one of the most famous and well supported clubs in the country and the oldest team in the Peruvian First Division.Alianza enjoyed success...

.

Changes from 1995

• The tournament would be played like in 1994, where the champion was crowned after the first stage of the tournament and the second berth to the Copa Libertadores was determined by an end-of-season Liguilla featuring 4 teams.
• Four teams were relegated instead of the customary two. Two teams from the Copa Peru
  Copa Perú
  The Copa Perú is a football tournament in Peru. Despite its name, it is not entirely an elimination-cup competition, but rather a series of league tournaments done within a year whose ultimate level is an elimination round...
  
   and the Segunda División
  Segunda División
  The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
  
   in their place.

Teams

Team	City	Stadium	Capacity
Alianza Atlético Alianza Atlético Club Alianza Atlético Sullana is a Peruvian football club, located in the city of Sullana, Piura. The club was founded on January 18, 1920 and in 1988, they were promoted to the top tier of Peruvian football, the Peruvian Primera División...	Sullana Sullana Sullana is the name of the capital of the Sullana Province, in the north-western coastal plains of Peru on the Chira valley.-Location:Sullana is located at 04°53' south latitude and 80°41' west longitude, 38 km north of Piura, the capital of the region.-Climate:The province has a tropical...	Campeones del 36 Estadio Campeones del 36 The Estadio Municipal Campeones del 36 is a multi-use stadium in Sullana, Peru. It is currently used by the football team Alianza Atlético. The stadium holds 8,000 people and was built in 2000. It is a small stadium that is planned to be expanded....	8,000
Alianza Lima Alianza Lima Club Alianza Lima is a Peruvian First Division football club who plays at the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva in the La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. They are one of the most famous and well supported clubs in the country and the oldest team in the Peruvian First Division.Alianza enjoyed success...	Lima Lima Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...	Alejandro Villanueva Estadio Alejandro Villanueva Estadio Alejandro Villanueva is a stadium located in the neighborhood of Matute in La Victoria District in Lima, Peru. The stadium is the home field of the football club Alianza Lima. The stadium has a capacity of 40,000 people.-History:...	35,000
Atlético Torino Atlético Torino Club Atlético Torino is a Peruvian football club, playing in the city of Talara.The club were founded 1946 and play in the Peruvian Segunda División which is the second division of the Peruvian league.-History:...	Talara Talara Talara is a city in the Talara Province of the Piura Region, in northwestern Peru. It is a port city on the Pacific Ocean with a population of 103,200 as of 2005. Its climate is hot and dry. Due to its oil reserves, and ability to produce aviation fuel, Talara hosted a United States air base during...	Campeonisimo Estadio Campeonisimo Estadio Campeonísimo is a multi-use stadium in Piura, Peru. It is currently used by football team Atlético Torino. The stadium holds 8,000 people ....	8,000
Aurich–Cañaña Aurich–Cañaña Aurich–Cañaña was a Peruvian football club located in Chiclayo, Peru. They played their home games at the Estadio Elías Aguirre.-History:Aurich–Cañaña was the result of the fusion of the traditional clubs Juan Aurich and Deportivo Cañaña....	Chiclayo Chiclayo Chiclayo is the capital city of the Lambayeque region in northern Peru. It is located 13 kilometers inland from the Pacific coast and 770 kilometers from the nation's capital, Lima...	Elias Aguirre Estadio Elias Aguirre Estadio Elías Aguirre is a multi-purpose stadium administrated by the governmental Instituto Peruano del Deporte in Chiclayo, Peru. It was built in 1970 named after the 19th century Peruvian sailor Elías Aguirre Romero...	24,500
Ciclista Lima Ciclista Lima Ciclista Lima Association is a Peruvian football club, playing in the city of Lima. It is the second oldest club in Peru.The club is the biggest of Lima city, and one of the biggest in Lima Province....	Lima Lima Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...	Nacional Estadio Nacional (Lima) The Estadio Nacional of Peru is a multi-purpose stadium located in Lima, Peru. Its current capacity is 50,000 as stated by the Peruvian Football Federation. The stadium was inaugurated on 27 October 1952 for the 1953 South American Championship—replacing the Stadium Nacional—and is Peru's principal...	45,750
Cienciano	Cusco Cusco Cusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...	Garcilaso Estadio Garcilaso de la Vega Estadio Garcilaso is Cusco's principal stadium and the home venue of the local team Cienciano. The stadium was named after the Peruvian mestizo Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and inaugurated in 1960, with an initial capacity of 30,000...	42,056
Deportivo Municipal	Lima Lima Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...	Nacional Estadio Nacional (Lima) The Estadio Nacional of Peru is a multi-purpose stadium located in Lima, Peru. Its current capacity is 50,000 as stated by the Peruvian Football Federation. The stadium was inaugurated on 27 October 1952 for the 1953 South American Championship—replacing the Stadium Nacional—and is Peru's principal...	45,750
Deportivo Pesquero Deportivo Wanka Deportivo Wanka is a Peruvian football club, based in the city of Huancayo in the Peruvian Andes. It was founded in 1996 and is named after the Wankas people who formerly inhabited the area and after whom the city of Huancayo is named. The current Deportivo Wanka is merged with Deportivo Pesquero...	Chimbote Chimbote Chimbote is the largest city in the Ancash Region of Peru, and the capital of both Santa Province and Chimbote District.The city is located on the coast in Chimbote Bay, south of Trujillo and north of Lima on the North Pan-American highway. It is the start of a chain of important cities like...	Manuel Gómez Arellano Estadio Manuel Gomez Arellano Estadio Manuel Gómez Arellano was a multi-use stadium in Chimbote . It is no longer used by football team José Gálvez FBC. The stadium held 15,000 people. It was replaced by Estadio Olímpico Municipal in 2007....	25,000
FBC Melgar	Arequipa Arequipa Arequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...	Mariano Melgar Estadio Mariano Melgar The Estadio Mariano Melgar is a multi-use stadium in Arequipa, Peru. Its primary use is to host football games for Peruvian First Division team Melgar FBC and Copa Peru teams Sportivo Huracán, Senati FC, FBC Aurora and FBC White Star. The stadium has a seating capacity of 20,000 and includes a...	20,000
Guardia Republicana Guardia Republicana For the paramiltary for see: Republican GuardGuardia Republicana is a Peruvian football club, playing in the city of Lima.The club were founded 1981 and play in the Copa Perú which is the third division of the Peruvian league.-History:...	Lima Lima Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...	Nacional Estadio Nacional (Lima) The Estadio Nacional of Peru is a multi-purpose stadium located in Lima, Peru. Its current capacity is 50,000 as stated by the Peruvian Football Federation. The stadium was inaugurated on 27 October 1952 for the 1953 South American Championship—replacing the Stadium Nacional—and is Peru's principal...	45,750
La Loretana La Loretana La Loretana is a Peruvian football club, playing in the city of Pucallpa.The club were founded 1 May 1971 and play in the Copa Perú which is the third division of the Peruvian league.-History:...	Pucallpa Pucallpa Pucallpa is a city in eastern Peru located on the banks of the Ucayali River, a major tributary of the Amazon River. It is the capital of the Ucayali region, the Coronel Portillo Province and the Calleria District....	Aliardo Soria Estadio Official de Pucallpa Estadio Official de Pucallpa is a multi-use stadium in Ucayali, Peru. It is currently used by football teams Atlético Pucallpa, Deportivo Bancos, Deportivo Hospital, La Loretana, and Tecnológico. The stadium holds 15,000 people....	15,000
San Agustín C.D. San Agustín San Agustín was a Peruvian football club, located in the city of Lima. The club was founded on August 9, 1970 with the name of club San Francisco, later was renamed Huracán San Isidro and finally San Agustín.-History:...	Lima Lima Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...	Nacional Estadio Nacional (Lima) The Estadio Nacional of Peru is a multi-purpose stadium located in Lima, Peru. Its current capacity is 50,000 as stated by the Peruvian Football Federation. The stadium was inaugurated on 27 October 1952 for the 1953 South American Championship—replacing the Stadium Nacional—and is Peru's principal...	45,750
Sport Boys Sport Boys Sport Boys Association is a Peruvian football club, playing in the port city of Callao. It was founded on Peru's independence day, July 28, 1927....	Callao Callao Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...	Miguel Grau Estadio Miguel Grau (Callao) Estadio Miguel Grau is a multi-use stadium in Callao, Peru. Its use is available to several football teams in the region including Primera División club Sport Boys. The stadium's maximum capacity is 17,000 and was inaugurated on 16 June 1996 with a match between Sport Boys and Deportivo Pesquero...	18,000
Sporting Cristal Sporting Cristal Club Sporting Cristal is a Peruvian football team. Based in the Rímac District, in the department of Lima, it plays in the professional league known as the Peruvian First Division. Founded on November 16, 1926 in the Rimac District given its approval to the merger and Snuff Sporting merging with...	Lima Lima Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...	San Martin de Porres Estadio San Martin de Porres Estadio San Martín de Porres is a multi-purpose stadium in Lima, Peru. It is currently used by the football club Sporting Cristal and Club Deportivo San Martín...	15,000
Unión Minas Unión Minas Unión Minas is a Peruvian football club, playing in the city of Cerro de Pasco.The club were founded 23 April 1974 and play in the Copa Perú which is the third division of the Peruvian league.-History:...	Cerro de Pasco Cerro de Pasco Cerro de Pasco is a city in central Peru. It is the capital of the Pasco region, and an important mining center. It is connected by road and by rail to the city of Lima.- Overview :...	Daniel Alcides Carrión Estadio Daniel Alcides Carrión Estadio Daniel Alcides Carrión is a multi-use stadium located in Cerro de Pasco, Peru. It is used by football team Unión Minas. The stadium holds 8,000 people and is the highest stadium in the world, with an altitude of 4,380 meters above sea level. This makes it very difficult for players who...	8,000
Universitario de Deportes Universitario de Deportes Club Universitario de Deportes, also known as Universitario, or more popularly as [La] "U", is a Peruvian football club located in Lima. It is the most successful football club in Peru. The club was founded in 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of...	Lima Lima Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...	Nacional Estadio Nacional (Lima) The Estadio Nacional of Peru is a multi-purpose stadium located in Lima, Peru. Its current capacity is 50,000 as stated by the Peruvian Football Federation. The stadium was inaugurated on 27 October 1952 for the 1953 South American Championship—replacing the Stadium Nacional—and is Peru's principal...	45,750

First stage

The first stage of the season was played as a double round-robin tournament

Round-robin tournament

A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...

. Sporting Cristal

Sporting Cristal

Club Sporting Cristal is a Peruvian football team. Based in the Rímac District, in the department of Lima, it plays in the professional league known as the Peruvian First Division. Founded on November 16, 1926 in the Rimac District given its approval to the merger and Snuff Sporting merging with...

 as champions qualified for the 1997 Copa Libertadores. Alianza Lima

Alianza Lima

Club Alianza Lima is a Peruvian First Division football club who plays at the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva in the La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. They are one of the most famous and well supported clubs in the country and the oldest team in the Peruvian First Division.Alianza enjoyed success...

 directly advanced to the end-of-season Liguilla and received a bonus point for placing second. The teams that placed 3 to 8 advanced to a preliminary round.

Pre-Liguilla

|}
Universitario, Deportivo Pesquero, and Cienciano qualified for the Liguilla.

Liguilla

All matches were played in Lima.

Round 1			|Round 2	|Round 3
Team #1	Score	Team #2	Team #1	Score	Team #2	Team #1	Score	Team #2
Alianza Lima	4–1	Cienciano	Cienciano	2–2	Deportivo Pesquero	Alianza Lima	4–1	Deportivo Pesquero
Deportivo Pesquero	2–3	Universitario	Universitario	0–0	Alianza Lima	Universitario	5–0	Cienciano

External links

• RSSSF Peru 1996 by Eli Schmerler, José Luis Pierrend