Apertura and Clausura
Encyclopedia
The Apertura and Clausura tournaments are a relatively recent innovation for many Latin America
n football leagues
in which the traditional European football season from August to May is divided in two sections per season
, each with its own champion
. Apertura and Clausura are the Spanish
words for "opening" and "closing". In French-speaking Haiti
, these are known as the Ouverture and the Fermeture.
, Colombia, Panama
and Paraguay
while it is held in the second half of the calendar year in Argentina
, Bolivia
, Costa Rica
, El Salvador
, Guatemala
, Honduras
, Mexico
, Nicaragua
, Uruguay
and Venezuela
. Haiti
holds the Ouverture in the first half of the calendar year.
In most leagues, each tournament constitutes a national championship in itself. On the other hand, in the leagues of Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, the winners of the Apertura and Clausura play each other in a playoff for the season title, or there is a final stage where teams qualify based on placements in the Apertura and Clausura. Thus, two championship titles are awarded per year in the first group of leagues, and only one in the second.
In Mexico, for instance, the winners of each tournament play each other at the beginning of the following season for another title, but this is a rather minor season curtain-raiser, akin to national Super Cup
s in European
leagues. Relegations, if any, are done on an aggregate basis; usually the combined table for both tournaments determine relegation placement(s). In the Argentine and Mexican leagues, the average points over the previous three seasons are used to determine relegation.
Peru has abolished its Apertura and Clausura format after the 2008 season and adopted new formats. Ecuador used it only in 2005.
The Apertura and Clausura format can be seen as a means to fill in the gaps caused by the inherent lack of elimination cup competitions in most Latin American nations.
is a notable tournament in Latin America not to split the season into two parts, using a single-season double round-robin format to decide the champions, similar to those in European leagues, though played between April and December. Uruguay is planning to return to this system in 2010. The last single season in Uruguay was held in 1993. Argentine Football Association
president Julio Grondona
proposed in December 2008 the return to a single season format, but there are no plans currently for such a format change in the near future. Brazilian clubs also participate in the state leagues
from January to April. Brazil also has, unlike most Spanish-speaking nations, a national cup
.
in Japan
had a similar system, although it was called 1st Stage and 2nd Stage. The seasons became unified permanently in 2005, partially to avoid conflicts with the Emperor's Cup
. The K-League
of South Korea
also had the same system in 1984, 1986, 1995, 2004, 2005, and 2006. In 2007, it again became unified because of confusion among fans.
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n football leagues
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
in which the traditional European football season from August to May is divided in two sections per season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
, each with its own champion
Champion
A champion is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition.There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, and even further divisions at one or more of these levels, as in soccer. Their champions...
. Apertura and Clausura are the Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
words for "opening" and "closing". In French-speaking Haiti
Ligue Haïtienne
The Division 1 Ligue Haïtienne, also recently referred to as the Digicel D1, is the premier and highest division football league in Haiti. It was created in 1937 and is headed by the Fédération Haïtienne de Football, the official governing body of football in the country...
, these are known as the Ouverture and the Fermeture.
Latin America
The Apertura is held in the first half of the calendar year in ChileLiga Chilena de Fútbol: Primera División
The Primera División del Fútbol Profesional Chileno is the top level of Chilean football, and main component of the Chilean football league system. It is organized by the Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional and is currently ranked 9th in the IFFHS' Best Leagues of the World ranking...
, Colombia, Panama
ANAPROF
The Liga Panameña de Fútbol is the top football league in Panama. Until 2009, the league was named Asociación Nacional Pro Fútbol .-Format:...
and Paraguay
Liga Paraguaya: Primera División
The División Profesional de la Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol , also known as the Primera División , or due to sponsorship reasons Copa TIGO, is the top-flight professional football league in Paraguay...
while it is held in the second half of the calendar year in Argentina
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...
, Bolivia
Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano
-List of champions:*Torneo adecuacion was celebrate to adequate seasons to European style -Titles by team :-List of all-time topscorers:...
, Costa Rica
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...
, El Salvador
Primera División de Fútbol Profesional
The Primera División of the ' , more commonly known as La Liga Mayor or La Primera, is the top professional football league in El Salvador. It was established in 1969 and as of 2011 has 10 clubs...
, Guatemala
Liga Nacional de Guatemala
Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala , formerly known as Liga Mayor "A" is a professional football division in Guatemala, the highest one in the country. It is sanctioned by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala...
, Honduras
Liga Nacional de Futbol de Honduras
Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras is the first and highest division of football in Honduras. The league season is divided into Opening and Closing . One team is relegated to the Liga de Ascenso and one team is promoted from Liga de Ascenso...
, Mexico
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
, Nicaragua
Primera División de Nicaragua
Primera División de Nicaragua is the top division of the Federación Nicaragüense de Fútbol, it was created in 1933. It is played in two parts, Torneo de Apertura and Torneo de Clausura. In each there is a play-off of the top 4 teams in a 2-leg semi-final and final...
, Uruguay
Primera División Uruguaya
The Liga Profesional de Primera División , also known as the Primera División Uruguaya or Primera División de Uruguay , is a professional football league in Uruguay at the top of the country's football league system. It is organized by the Uruguayan Football Association and is contested by 16 teams...
and Venezuela
Primera División Venezolana
The Primera División , or Liga Venezolana is the top-flight professional football league of Venezuela. It was created in 1921 and turned professional in 1957...
. Haiti
Ligue Haïtienne
The Division 1 Ligue Haïtienne, also recently referred to as the Digicel D1, is the premier and highest division football league in Haiti. It was created in 1937 and is headed by the Fédération Haïtienne de Football, the official governing body of football in the country...
holds the Ouverture in the first half of the calendar year.
In most leagues, each tournament constitutes a national championship in itself. On the other hand, in the leagues of Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, the winners of the Apertura and Clausura play each other in a playoff for the season title, or there is a final stage where teams qualify based on placements in the Apertura and Clausura. Thus, two championship titles are awarded per year in the first group of leagues, and only one in the second.
In Mexico, for instance, the winners of each tournament play each other at the beginning of the following season for another title, but this is a rather minor season curtain-raiser, akin to national Super Cup
Super Cup
A Super Cup is a competition, usually but not exclusively in football, which often forms the curtain-raiser to a season. Most Super Cups are one-off fixtures between the League Champions and major Cup Winners of the previous season. Sometimes these are two-legged affairs, with a match played at...
s in European
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
leagues. Relegations, if any, are done on an aggregate basis; usually the combined table for both tournaments determine relegation placement(s). In the Argentine and Mexican leagues, the average points over the previous three seasons are used to determine relegation.
Peru has abolished its Apertura and Clausura format after the 2008 season and adopted new formats. Ecuador used it only in 2005.
The Apertura and Clausura format can be seen as a means to fill in the gaps caused by the inherent lack of elimination cup competitions in most Latin American nations.
Brazil
The Brazilian national leagueCampeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...
is a notable tournament in Latin America not to split the season into two parts, using a single-season double round-robin format to decide the champions, similar to those in European leagues, though played between April and December. Uruguay is planning to return to this system in 2010. The last single season in Uruguay was held in 1993. Argentine Football Association
Argentine Football Association
The Argentine Football Association is the governing body of football in Argentina. It organises the Argentine football league and the Argentina national football team. It is based in Buenos Aires...
president Julio Grondona
Julio Grondona
Julio Humberto Grondona is an Argentine football executive. He has served as president of the Argentine Football Association since 1979...
proposed in December 2008 the return to a single season format, but there are no plans currently for such a format change in the near future. Brazilian clubs also participate in the state leagues
Brazilian Football State Championship
The Brazilian football state championships are football competitions carried out in every state of Brazil. As the state championships are very old competitions , they are very traditional, and are almost as important as the national leagues.Historically, because of economical or geographical...
from January to April. Brazil also has, unlike most Spanish-speaking nations, a national cup
Copa do Brasil
The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...
.
Japan and Korea
For most of its history (except in 1996, 2002, and 2003) the J. LeagueJ. League
The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
had a similar system, although it was called 1st Stage and 2nd Stage. The seasons became unified permanently in 2005, partially to avoid conflicts with the Emperor's Cup
Emperor's Cup
, commonly known as or , is a Japanese association football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J. League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, Japan Soccer League...
. The K-League
K-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
also had the same system in 1984, 1986, 1995, 2004, 2005, and 2006. In 2007, it again became unified because of confusion among fans.
Apertura and Clausura by country
| Country | League | Champions | Calendar | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primera División | Both (Since 1991–92) | European (August – June) | 1990–91 – present | |
| Liga de Fútbol Profesional Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano -List of champions:*Torneo adecuacion was celebrate to adequate seasons to European style -Titles by team :-List of all-time topscorers:... |
Both (Since 2003) | European (August – June) | 1991 – present | |
| Primera División | Both | American (January – December) | 2002 – present | |
| Primera A | Both | American (February – December) | 2002 – present | |
| Primera División | Both | European | 2007–08 – present | |
| Serie A | Both | American | 2005 | |
| Primera División | Both | European (August – June) | 1998–99 – present | |
| Liga Nacional de Fútbol | Both | European | 1999–00 – present | |
| Ligue Haïtienne Ligue Haïtienne The Division 1 Ligue Haïtienne, also recently referred to as the Digicel D1, is the premier and highest division football league in Haiti. It was created in 1937 and is headed by the Fédération Haïtienne de Football, the official governing body of football in the country... |
Both (since 2002, except in 2005–06) | American (April–November) | 2002, 2003, 2004–05, 2007–present | |
| Liga Nacional de Fútbol Liga Nacional de Futbol de Honduras Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras is the first and highest division of football in Honduras. The league season is divided into Opening and Closing . One team is relegated to the Liga de Ascenso and one team is promoted from Liga de Ascenso... |
Both (Since 1997–98) | European (August – May) | 1997–98 – present | |
| Primera División Primera División de México The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing... |
Both | European (July – May) | 1996–97 – present | |
| Primera División Primera División de Nicaragua Primera División de Nicaragua is the top division of the Federación Nicaragüense de Fútbol, it was created in 1933. It is played in two parts, Torneo de Apertura and Torneo de Clausura. In each there is a play-off of the top 4 teams in a 2-leg semi-final and final... |
One | European | ??? | |
| Liga de Fútbol | Both (Since 2007) | American (February – November) | 2001 – present | |
| Primera División | Both (Since 2007) | American (February – December) | 1996 - present | |
| Primera División | One | American (February – November) | 1997–2008 | |
| Primera División | One | European (August – June) | 1994 – present | |
| Primera División | One | European (August – May) | 1996-97 - present |
See also
- Philippine Basketball AssociationPhilippine Basketball AssociationThe Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
— a professional basketball league which conducts a split season similar in many ways to the Apertura and Clausura