Primera División

Countries	Venezuela
Confederation	CONMEBOL
Founded	1957
Number of teams	18
Relegation to	Segunda División
Level on pyramid	Level 1
Domestic cup(s)	Copa Venezuela
International cup(s)	Copa Libertadores Copa Sudamericana
Current champions	Caracas (2008-09)
Most championships	Caracas (10 titles)
Website	FVF's website
2009–10 season

The Primera División Venezolana (Venezuelan First Division), or Liga Venezolana (Venezuelan League) is the top-flight professional football league of Venezuela. It was created in 1921 and turned professional in 1957. It's organized by the Federación Venezolana de Fútbol and from the season 2007-2008 the league will consist of 18 clubs.

[edit] Format

The 18 teams play two single-round tournaments each year: the Apertura (August to December), and the Clausura (February to June). The league table is kept like a normal European league table, one point for ties three points for wins.

The absolute champion is decided between the Apertura and Clausura champions. If the same team is the champions of both tournaments that team is the absolute champion.

[edit] International qualification

• The winner of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments qualify to the group phase of the Copa Libertadores, (The absolute champion qualifies as Venezuela 1 and the runner up as Venezuela 2).

• The team with the most points in the entire season (Apertura + Clausura) qualifies to the preliminary round of the Copa Libertadores as Venezuela 3.

• The second and third team with the most points in the entire season qualifies to the Copa Sudamericana as Venezuela 1 and Venezuela 2.

• If a team won both tournaments that team qualify to the Copa Libertadores as Venezuela 1, then the first and second team with the most points in the entire season qualify to the Copa Libertadores as Venezuela 2 and Venezuela 3 and the fourth and fifth team with the most points in the entire season qualify to the Copa Sudamericana as Venezuela 1 and Venezuela 2.

• If the winner of the Copa de Venezuela does not qualify to the Copa Libertadores through the aforementioned manners or through the point total in the entire season, they take the Venezuela 2 spot in the Copa Sudamericana.

[edit] Relegation

• The two lowest placed teams in the entire season (Apertura + Clausura) are automatically relegated to the Segunda División

[edit] 2008/09 Teams

[edit] List of champions

[edit] Amateur

[edit] Professional

[edit] Annual Tournament (February to August)

[edit] Seasonal Tournament (August to May)

[edit] Titles by Club

[edit] External links

• Venezuelan Football Federation (Spanish)
• News in spanish about the First Division of the Venezuelan Football/Soccer
• News and pictures in spanish
• RSSSF
• FuriaVinotinto - Unnofficial Forum (Spanish)