Qualifying method of Copa Libertadores in Argentina
Encyclopedia
In the Primera División Argentina
, several qualifying methods were once adopted in the history in order to determine the Argentine
clubs representatives to participate in the Copa Libertadores, the most prestigious South American international football
tournament for clubs.
was represented by Apertura 2006 champion Estudiantes
, Clausura 2007 champion San Lorenzo, and the three best placed teams in the combined table of Apertura 2006 and Clausura 2007. Though Apertura 2007 was held much closer to Copa Libertadores 2008, the champion of Apertura 2007 cannot get the place because Apertura 2007 was considered to be the same season of Copa Libertadores 2008. So, champions of the Apertura have to wait for more than a year to play in the Copa Libertadores.
Moreover, since the inauguration session, the Copa Libertadores champion has qualified automatically to the following session's tournament, like Boca Juniors in 2007. However, unlike the European practice, the nation receives an extra place in the tournament to accommodate the holder. So there were six Argentine teams playing in Copa Libertadores 2008
instead of five.
, the qualification criteria are changed. The champions of previous season's Apertura and Clausura, and the Apertura of the same season are also eligible to play in Copa Libertadores. The remaining two places are filled by the best two teams in the combined table of these three tournaments. For example, Copa Libertadores 2009 would be represented by the Apertura 2007 champion, Clausura 2008 champion and also Apertura 2008 champion. The remaining places are allocated to the two teams having the highest points in the combined table of these three tournaments. The Argentine Football Association has not announced the qualification arrangement beyond 2009. However, it is believed that teams will qualify to the tournament according to the results of Clausura and Apertura of the year before. For example, those five teams having the most points in the combined table of Clausura 2009 and Apertura 2009 would qualify to Copa Libertadores 2010.
system. In these years, the teams having the highest points would be crowned the champion and gained the eligibility to play in the Copa Libertadores in the following year.
In 1965 and 1966, thanks to the increase of the number of representative in Argentina, the runner-up of the Primera División could also participate in next year's Copa Libertadores.
won San Loranzo 1-0 in the tournament.
respectively, represented Argentina to play in the Copa Libertadores 1973
.
and Rosario Central
qualified by winner each tournament respectively.
, as the runner-up of both Metropolitano and Nacional, Newell's Old Boys
, as the champion of Metropolitano and San Lorenzo de Almagro, as the champion of Nacional.
The tournament was held in a single round-robin format. Rosario Central and Newell's Old Boys, the first two teams in the table, qualified to Copa Libertadores 1975
.
When the same team had won both tournaments, a Pre Libertadores Tournament played by the runners-up of each tournament was held to determine the qualification. This scenario happened three times, namely in 1975, 1976 and 1979. In 1975 and 1976, a single-legged match was played, while in 1979, the tournament was contested in two legs.
Argentinos Juniors
won the Nacional 1985, so it gained the eligibility for the 1986 Libertadores. However, it also won the Copa Libertadores 1985
, and thus qualified to next season's tournament automatically, along with River Plate
, who won the 1985-86 national title. Therefore, the runner-up of the 1985 Nacional, Vélez Sársfield
, qualified for a Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament with the second to seventh-placed teams from the new double round-robin national league 1985-86 (together with 6 provincial qualifiers), to compete for the remaining qualification, and this tournament was won by Boca Juniors
.
Eight teams participated in the Pre-Libertadores tournament, and it was competed under a two-legged knock-out format with the winner qualifying to the Copa Lobertadores. Teams participating in this tournament were not solely drawn from the Primera División in the early years. A few teams from the Nacional B
, whose number varied each year, also took part in the competition.
This practice was very controversial, especially since one of the biggest teams Boca Juniors
lost the final against Newell's Old Boys
, costing them their first official championship since 1981 despite an unbeaten run in the Clausura.
As a result, in the following season, the winner of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments did not compete in a Final but both of them were crowned the champions. However, a three-legged Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament between the winners was contested, and the winner of the tournament would qualify directly to Copa Libertadores.
The second to fifth teams in the both the Apertura and Clausura entered an Octagonal tournament, which was a one-legged knock-out tournament. As the second to fifth team in the Apertura finished second, fourth, fifth and eighth in the Clausura, the sixth, seventh and ninth teams in the Clausura were eligibile to play in the Octagonal tournament. The winner of the tournament, Vélez Sársfield
then played against the loser of the Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament, Newell's Old Boys
, to compete for the second spot of Copa Libertadores. Newell's Old Boys won the match 1-0.
), the champions of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments got the eligibility for Copa Libertadores directly. When the same team won both tournaments, as was the case in 1995/96, 1996/97 and 1998/99, the runner-up of each tournament played a one-legged play-off to decide the qualification.
) and the current method was adopted in this season. The champions of Apertura and Clausura and the two highest placed teams in the aggregate table (i.e. combined points from Apertura/Clausura) qualified directly. The number of representatives increased to five in the 2003/04 season and the third team in the aggregate table also qualifies. When the same team wins both tournaments, as in 2005/06, the fourth team in the aggregate table also gets the eligibility.
Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
, several qualifying methods were once adopted in the history in order to determine the Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
clubs representatives to participate in the Copa Libertadores, the most prestigious South American international football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
tournament for clubs.
Current Method
The places of Copa Libertadores are allocated to the champions of Apertura and Clausura of the previous season, as well as the three best teams which have gained the highest number of points considering the combined table of Apertura and Clausura besides the two champions. For example, Copa Libertadores 2008Copa Libertadores 2008
The 2008 Copa Libertadores de América was the 49th edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's premier annual international club tournament. This marked the first year the competition was sponsored by Spanish bank Santander. As such, the competition is officially the 2008 Copa Santander...
was represented by Apertura 2006 champion Estudiantes
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
, Clausura 2007 champion San Lorenzo, and the three best placed teams in the combined table of Apertura 2006 and Clausura 2007. Though Apertura 2007 was held much closer to Copa Libertadores 2008, the champion of Apertura 2007 cannot get the place because Apertura 2007 was considered to be the same season of Copa Libertadores 2008. So, champions of the Apertura have to wait for more than a year to play in the Copa Libertadores.
Moreover, since the inauguration session, the Copa Libertadores champion has qualified automatically to the following session's tournament, like Boca Juniors in 2007. However, unlike the European practice, the nation receives an extra place in the tournament to accommodate the holder. So there were six Argentine teams playing in Copa Libertadores 2008
Copa Libertadores 2008
The 2008 Copa Libertadores de América was the 49th edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's premier annual international club tournament. This marked the first year the competition was sponsored by Spanish bank Santander. As such, the competition is officially the 2008 Copa Santander...
instead of five.
Future changes
For Copa Libertadores 2009Copa Libertadores 2009
The 2009 Copa Libertadores de América was the 50th edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's premier annual international club tournament....
, the qualification criteria are changed. The champions of previous season's Apertura and Clausura, and the Apertura of the same season are also eligible to play in Copa Libertadores. The remaining two places are filled by the best two teams in the combined table of these three tournaments. For example, Copa Libertadores 2009 would be represented by the Apertura 2007 champion, Clausura 2008 champion and also Apertura 2008 champion. The remaining places are allocated to the two teams having the highest points in the combined table of these three tournaments. The Argentine Football Association has not announced the qualification arrangement beyond 2009. However, it is believed that teams will qualify to the tournament according to the results of Clausura and Apertura of the year before. For example, those five teams having the most points in the combined table of Clausura 2009 and Apertura 2009 would qualify to Copa Libertadores 2010.
Past qualifying methods
The Copa Libertadores inaugurated in 1960. Since that year, the league format in Argentina has gone through several changes, and thus the method to qualify to Copa Libertadores has altered several times accordingly. Moreover, the increase of number of teams in Copa Libertadores also triggered some changes.1960–1966: Teams topping the league
From 1960 to 1966, the Primera División was played using a double round-robinRound-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
system. In these years, the teams having the highest points would be crowned the champion and gained the eligibility to play in the Copa Libertadores in the following year.
In 1965 and 1966, thanks to the increase of the number of representative in Argentina, the runner-up of the Primera División could also participate in next year's Copa Libertadores.
1967–1970: Champion and runner-up of Nacional
In 1967, the qualifying criteria were changed. Winning the Metropolitano did not gain eligibility in the Copa Libertadores. Instead, from 1967 to 1970, the champion and runner-up in the Nacional would be eligible to take part in the Copa Libertadores of the next year.1971: Winner of Nacional and Pre-Libertadores tournament
In 1971, the winner of the Nacional qualified to the Copa Libertadores directly. The winner of the Metropolitano regained the chance of qualification, as the Metropolitano champion would play against the runner-up of the Nacional in a Pre Libertadores Tournament to determine the allocation of the second spot in Copa Libertadores. The Metropolitano champion IndependienteClub Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
won San Loranzo 1-0 in the tournament.
1972: Champion and runner-up of Nacional
In 1972, the qualifying method was changed back to the system of 1968-70. The winner and runner-up of the Nacional, San Loranzo and River PlateClub Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
respectively, represented Argentina to play in the Copa Libertadores 1973
Copa Libertadores 1973
Copa Libertadores 1973 was won by defending champions Independiente of Argentina after defeating Colo Colo of Chile in a third decisive game. The third match which ended 2-1 in extra time was necessary after the previous two leg matches ended in draws....
.
1973: Champion of Metropolitano and Nacional
In 1973, the champion of the Metropolitano and Nacional qualified to Copa Libertadores 1974 directly. HuracánClub Atlético Huracán
Club Atlético Huracán is a sports club from the Parque Patricios neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The football team currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second level of the Argentine football league system. Huracán home stadium is the Estadio Tomás Adolfo Ducó.Huracán was...
and Rosario Central
Rosario Central
Club Atlético Rosario Central is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina. Its football team currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second tier of the Argentine football league system, after being relegated in the 2009-10 season....
qualified by winner each tournament respectively.
1974: Pre-Libertadores tournament
In 1974, a Pre Libertadores Tournament was held to determine the qualifying teams. The tournament was contested by Rosario CentralRosario Central
Club Atlético Rosario Central is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina. Its football team currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second tier of the Argentine football league system, after being relegated in the 2009-10 season....
, as the runner-up of both Metropolitano and Nacional, Newell's Old Boys
Newell's Old Boys
Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario. The club was founded on November 3, 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell, one of the pioneers of Argentine football...
, as the champion of Metropolitano and San Lorenzo de Almagro, as the champion of Nacional.
The tournament was held in a single round-robin format. Rosario Central and Newell's Old Boys, the first two teams in the table, qualified to Copa Libertadores 1975
Copa Libertadores 1975
The Copa Libertadores 1975 was an association football competition contested between the top clubs of the CONMEBOL federation. Independiente won the competition defeating Unión Española 2–0 in a play off after the original two legs finished 2–2 on points.-Group 1:-Group 2:-Group...
.
1975–1984: Champion of Metropolitano and Nacional
Starting from 1975, the qualifying method of 1967 was re-adopted. The winner of the Metropolitano and Nacional would automatically qualify to participate the Copa Libertadores in the following year.When the same team had won both tournaments, a Pre Libertadores Tournament played by the runners-up of each tournament was held to determine the qualification. This scenario happened three times, namely in 1975, 1976 and 1979. In 1975 and 1976, a single-legged match was played, while in 1979, the tournament was contested in two legs.
1985–1986: Champion of Nacional and the new tournament
In 1985, only the Nacional was held. The Metropolitano was not held, paving the way for the new European style seasons. The champion of Nacional 1985 and the new tournament 1985/86 would qualify to the Copa Libertadores 1986.Argentinos Juniors
Argentinos Juniors
Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine football club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. Founded on August 15, 1904, the club was originally called the “Martyrs of Chicago”, in homage to the eight anarchists imprisoned or hanged after the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago.-Early...
won the Nacional 1985, so it gained the eligibility for the 1986 Libertadores. However, it also won the Copa Libertadores 1985
Copa Libertadores 1985
The 1985 edition of Copa Libertadores was won by Argentinos Juniors, of Argentina for the first time, after defeating América de Cali of Colombia in a penalty shootout, following a playoff game after the two legged final finished level.-Group stage:...
, and thus qualified to next season's tournament automatically, along with River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
, who won the 1985-86 national title. Therefore, the runner-up of the 1985 Nacional, Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system...
, qualified for a Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament with the second to seventh-placed teams from the new double round-robin national league 1985-86 (together with 6 provincial qualifiers), to compete for the remaining qualification, and this tournament was won by Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
.
1986–1990: Winner of Primera División and Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament
From 1986 to 1990, the champion of the Primera División earned a place directly, whilst a Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament was held every year to determine the second qualifying team.Eight teams participated in the Pre-Libertadores tournament, and it was competed under a two-legged knock-out format with the winner qualifying to the Copa Lobertadores. Teams participating in this tournament were not solely drawn from the Primera División in the early years. A few teams from the Nacional B
Primera B Nacional Argentina
Primera B Nacional is the second most important category of Argentine football organized by the Argentine Football Association.It is played by teams from all over the country...
, whose number varied each year, also took part in the competition.
- In 1986/87, the second to sixth teams in the Primera División competed in the tournament with the first three placed teams in the Nacional B.
- In 1987/88, the second to eighth teams joined the competition alongside the champion of Nacional B. The winner of the Liguilla Classificación tournament this season, which was competed by the Primera Division teams that had not qualified to the Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament (excepting the two relegated teams), also qualified to the Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament of the following year.
- In 1988/89, this season qualified teams to Copa Libertadores 1989Copa Libertadores 1989The Copa Libertadores 1989 was the 30th edition in the tournament history. 20 teams participated in the competition, divided by groups of four . The first three teams qualify for the next round. Nacional of Montevideo entered directly into the second round as the champions of Copa Libertadores 1988...
as well as Copa Libertadores 1990Copa Libertadores 1990The Copa Libertadores 1990 was won by Club Olimpia after defeating Barcelona Sporting Club with a 3-1 aggregate in the finals. One of the players for Olimpia was legendary goalkeeper Ever Hugo Almeida, who retired from professional football the following year....
, as a result of the Libertadores changing format so that it was played in the first half of the calendar year. The first half of the season was regarded as a tournament in itself, named Apertura tournament. The top two teams after the first half of the season qualified to Copa Libertadores 1989Copa Libertadores 1989The Copa Libertadores 1989 was the 30th edition in the tournament history. 20 teams participated in the competition, divided by groups of four . The first three teams qualify for the next round. Nacional of Montevideo entered directly into the second round as the champions of Copa Libertadores 1988...
.
- After the end of the overall season of 1988/89, as in previous years, the champion of the league qualified directly and a Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament was held to decide the second qualifying team to Copa Libertadores 1990. The only difference was that the qualifying teams participate in Copa Libertadores of the next season instead of the same one. The second to seventh teams from the whole season tournament, as well as PlatenseClub Atlético PlatenseClub Atlético Platense is an Argentine sports club based in Vicente López, in the north side of Greater Buenos Aires. The club nickname is Calamar after the journalist Palacio Zino said that the team moved "like a squid in its ink"....
, the champion of the Liguilla Classificación tournament of previous season, competed in the tournament, plus the Nacional B champion. This was a double-elimination tournamentDouble-elimination tournamentA double-elimination tournament is a type of elimination tournament competition in which a participant ceases to be eligible to win the tournament's championship upon having lost two games or matches...
and the best placed team in this season's Liguilla Classificación tournament, which was the losers bracketBracket (tournament)A bracket is a tree diagram that represents the series of games played during a tournament, named as such because it appears to be a large number of interconnected brackets....
of the Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament, got the opportunity to participate in the Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament in the following season.
- In 1989/90, the normal method was reused except qualifications were now for the Copa Libertadores 1991Copa Libertadores 1991The 1991 Copa Libertadores was won by Colo-Colo of Chile after defeating Olimpia of Paraguay with a 3-0 aggregate score in the finals. The championship would mark a first for a Chilean club team in an international tournament...
. The champion of the Primera División gained direct qualification and a Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament was contested for the other spot. The number of teams in the Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament was reduced to four, with all of them coming from the Primera División. The second to fourth teams in the Primera División entered this tournament, as well as Deportivo Español, the best placed team in the previous season's Liguilla Classificación tournament.
1990–1992: Qualifying tournament and match between Apertura and Clausura champion
In the 1990/91 season, the format of Argentine football changed again. Since this season, instead of playing only one double round-robin tournament, two competitions have been held each year, namely, the Apertura and the Clausura. In season 1990/91, a Final was played between the champions of these tournaments, to determine the ultimate winner of the season. The ultimate winner was also eligible for the Copa Libertadores, while the loser needed to play in the Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament to compete for qualification. In this season, the Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament also featured the second to fourth teams in the Apertura and the second to fifth teams in the Clausura.This practice was very controversial, especially since one of the biggest teams Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
lost the final against Newell's Old Boys
Newell's Old Boys
Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario. The club was founded on November 3, 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell, one of the pioneers of Argentine football...
, costing them their first official championship since 1981 despite an unbeaten run in the Clausura.
As a result, in the following season, the winner of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments did not compete in a Final but both of them were crowned the champions. However, a three-legged Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament between the winners was contested, and the winner of the tournament would qualify directly to Copa Libertadores.
The second to fifth teams in the both the Apertura and Clausura entered an Octagonal tournament, which was a one-legged knock-out tournament. As the second to fifth team in the Apertura finished second, fourth, fifth and eighth in the Clausura, the sixth, seventh and ninth teams in the Clausura were eligibile to play in the Octagonal tournament. The winner of the tournament, Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system...
then played against the loser of the Liguilla Pre-Libertadores tournament, Newell's Old Boys
Newell's Old Boys
Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario. The club was founded on November 3, 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell, one of the pioneers of Argentine football...
, to compete for the second spot of Copa Libertadores. Newell's Old Boys won the match 1-0.
1992–1999: Champion of Apertura and Clausura
From 1992/93 (for Copa Libertadores 1994Copa Libertadores 1994
The Copa Libertadores 1994 was won by Vélez Sársfield against São Paulo Futebol Clube in the penalty shootout. Vélez's goalkeeper José Chilavert scored one of the penalty kicks and saved another one.- First Phase :...
), the champions of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments got the eligibility for Copa Libertadores directly. When the same team won both tournaments, as was the case in 1995/96, 1996/97 and 1998/99, the runner-up of each tournament played a one-legged play-off to decide the qualification.
Since 1999: Champion of Apertura and Clausura, and the best teams in the aggregate table
The number of seats for Argentine clubs increased to four in 1998/99 (for Copa Libertadores 2000Copa Libertadores 2000
The 2000 edition of the Copa Libertadores was the 41st in the tournament's history. It was held between February 15 and June 21. Thirty-two teams participated in this event.-Group 1:-Group 2:-Group 3:-Group 4:-Group 5:-Group 6:...
) and the current method was adopted in this season. The champions of Apertura and Clausura and the two highest placed teams in the aggregate table (i.e. combined points from Apertura/Clausura) qualified directly. The number of representatives increased to five in the 2003/04 season and the third team in the aggregate table also qualifies. When the same team wins both tournaments, as in 2005/06, the fourth team in the aggregate table also gets the eligibility.
See also
- Copa Libertadores
- Primera División ArgentinaPrimera División ArgentinaThe Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
- Argentine football league systemArgentine football league systemThe Argentine football league system consists of two national divisions , and a series of regionalized lower divisions...
- Apertura and Clausura in Argentine footballApertura and Clausura in Argentine footballThe Apertura and Clausura system is the format currently used by the Primera División Argentina. It was introduced for the 1990-1991 season.-Format:...
- Metropolitano championshipMetropolitano championshipThe Metropolitano championship was an Argentine football tournament that existed between 1967 and 1984. The Metropolitano formed one half of the Argentine 1st division taking place in the first half of the year, the Nacional took place in the 2nd half of the year. This arrangement lasted until 1982...
- Nacional championshipNacional championshipThe Nacional championship was an Argentine football tournament that existed between 1967 and 1985. The Nacional formed one half of the Argentine 1st division taking place in the second half of the year, the Metropolitano took place in the first half of the year. This arrangement lasted until 1982...
- Copa SudamericanaCopa SudamericanaThe Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...