Colombia - Primera A

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The Categoría Primera A is the top-tier football league in Colombia. This championship is considered to be one of the most competitive in South America, mainly due to the success their teams have experienced in CONMEBOL competitions. The league was founded in 1948 and is played year in, year out by 20 teams.

This league works on a relegation-promotion system. The two worst teams in the Primera A get relegated to the Primera División B. Their spot is awarded to the champion and the runners-up of the Primera B. Contrary to what happens in Europe, there are two tournaments played every year in the Colombian top-flight. The first one is called Torneo Apertura, which starts in January and comes to an end in June. The second tournament is called Finalización; it starts in July and concludes in December.

Relegation is determined each year by the “Tabla de promedio” (average standings) which is obtained by dividing the number of points earned between the number of games played over the previous three seasons. The two teams with the lowest averages drop down to the Primera B.

Each tournament consists of 20 games. All teams face each of their rivals at least once, and the Colombian Federation added a “Semana de Clásicos” match to complete all 20 games. The eight highest-ranked clubs move on to the next stage where they are divided into two groups of four. Here they play six more games. The top-ranked clubs from each group progress to the final where they battle it out for the tournament title.

Added to the championship, the Colombian top-flight hands out eight spots for continental competitions. Four of those give entry to the Copa Libertadores while the other four offer tickets to the Copa Sudamericana. The winners of each tournament, along with the team that earns the most points and the winner of the Colombian Cup enter the Libertadores. The four top-ranked teams that do not qualify for the aforementioned tournament get to play in the Sudamericana.