Liga Panameña de Fútbol
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| Country | Panama |
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| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Levels on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Liga Nacional de Ascenso |
| International cup(s) | CONCACAF Champions League |
| Current champions | Sporting San Miguelito (2013 c) |
| Most championships | Tauro (11 titles) |
| TV partners | RPC TV, TV-Max |
| Website | www.lpfpanama.net |
 2013 Clausura |
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The Liga Panameña de Fútbol (English: Panamanian Football League) is the top football league in Panama. Until 2009, the league was named Asociación Nacional Pro Fútbol (ANAPROF).
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Format [edit]
The league's season is divided into two tournaments called Apertura and Clausura. Both tournaments have an identical format. Each tournament has two stages: the first stage is a double round-robin round where each teams plays every other team twice, once at home and once away. The top-four teams advance to a final stage, a single-elimination culminating with a final match.
Relegation and international qualification [edit]
The first stage of both tournaments are combined into an aggregate table to determine relegation. The team with the fewest points is relegated to the Primera A for the following season.
The champions of both tournaments qualify to the CONCACAF Champions League (see also ANAPROF participation in CONCACAF).
History [edit]
In 1987, a group of men, composed of Giancarlo Gronchi, Jan Domburg, Edgar Plazas, Jorge Zelasny, Ángel Valero and Juan Carlos Delgado, founded the Asociación Nacional Pro-Fútbol (ANAPROF for short) on February 26, 1988.
Their objective was to establish the bases to organize a professional footballers in Panama, in order to help the Panamanian football team in the long term.
Founding teams [edit]
- Chirilanco (Bocas del Toro)
- Deportivo la Previsora (La Chorrera)
- Deportivo Perú (Panama City)
- Euro Kickers (Panama City)
- Plaza Amador (Panama City)
- Tauro (Panama City)
Timeline [edit]
- The league was founded in as ANAPROF in 1988 after years of turmoil in Panamanian football. The season began on February 26, 1988 featuring with 6 teams participating. The league wasn't split into Apertura/Clausura seasons until 2001, previously the teams played a full season with all teams playing all other teams in a home and away set as is the standard in most European leagues today.
- From 1994-96 there was a schism in Panamanian football as both the ANAPROF and LINFUNA existed as separate leagues. LINFUNA was recognized by FIFA, but the two leagues joined together to form a 12 team, single-table league in the 1996-97 season.
- In 1997-98, the league was split into two groups for the regular season with an 8 team Play-off after the season was completed. The Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals were two-leg Play-offs, but the Final was a single match.
- In 1998-99, the league was moved down to 10 teams with the best 6 teams after a home-and-away season of 18 games moved on to the secondary tournament. Each team matched up against the other qualifying teams once and the top 4 of the 6 in terms of points moved on to the home-and-away Semi-Finals. The winners advanced to a single match Final.
- In 1999-00, the league switched to a single table format for the opening round. The top 6 teams from the opening round moved on to the second round where they each played other qualifying teams once. The top 4 again moved to the home-and-away Semi-Finals. The winners of those series played in the single match Final.
- The format from 1999-00 was again used in 2000-01.
- In 2001, the previous format was again used, but in both Apertura and Clausura seasons for the first time with the first round seeing each team play just 9 games and not 18. The league began using the modern Grand Championship Play-off between the Apertura and Clausura winners in order to have an overall Champion.
- In the 2002 Apertura, 8 teams in two separate groups of 4 teams. Each team played the teams in the other group one time and the teams from its own group twice, once at home and once away. The top two teams from each group qualified for the home-and-away Semi-Finals. The winners of those series played in the single match Final.
- In the 2002 Clausura, 8 teams took part in single-table home-and-away season, that saw all 8 teams play 14 games. The top 4 teams qualified for a Semi-Final group where each team would again play home-and-away vs all other qualified teams. The top two teams then met in a two-leg home-and-away Championship, where the winner was determined by aggregate goals.
- The 2003 Apertura used the same format as the 2002 Clausura.
- In the 2003 Clausura, The 4 team Semi-Final group was dropped for a pair of home-and-away series featuring the top point getter from the 8 team, 14 game season face the fourth highest point earner and the second highest would face the third highest.
- In 2004 ANAPROF increased from 8 to 10 teams.
- In 2007 the Grand Championship format was abandoned, therefore there will be two champions from now on: Apertura and Clausura.
- In the 2008 Apertura the league was split into two groups for the regular season (13 games only) with a 4 team Play-off after the season was completed. The Semi-Finals are two-leg Play-offs, and the Final is a single match.
- In the 2008 Clausura the league played all 18 games and also the groups were joined. The last team in the aggregate table will play a relegation Play-off with the champion of Primera A.
- In 2009 ANAPROF changes its name to Liga Panameña de Fútbol.
Current teams [edit]
2012-13 teams [edit]
Seasons [edit]
2012 - 2013 Season [edit]
see 2012 Clausura
see 2012–13 Liga Panameña de Fútbol season
2010 Clausura [edit]
see 2010 Liga Panameña de Fútbol Clausura Final
2010 - 2011 Season [edit]
see 2010–11 Liga Panameña de Fútbol season
2009 Season [edit]
see 2009 Liga Panameña de Fútbol season
Anaprof Seasons [edit]
see 2008 Clausura
see 2008 Apertura
see 2007 Apertura
see 2006 ANAPROF
see 2005 ANAPROF
see 2004 ANAPROF
see 2003 ANAPROF
see 2002 ANAPROF
see 2000–2001 ANAPROF
see 1999–2000 ANAPROF
Past results [edit]
Championships by team [edit]
| Teams | Championships | Runner Up's |
|---|---|---|
| Tauro | 11 | 8 |
| Árabe Unido | 10 | 5 |
| San Francisco FC | 8 | 8 |
| CD Plaza Amador | 5 | 6 |
| Chorrillo FC | 1 | 2 |
| Euro Kickers | 1 | 2 |
| Panamá Viejo FC | 1 | 0 |
| Sporting San Miguelito | 1 | 0 |
| Chepo FC | 0 | 2 |
| Atlético Veragüense | 0 | 1 |
| Alianza FC | 0 | 1 |
| Sporting de Colón | 0 | 1 |
| Projusa | 0 | 1 |
Top-scorers by season [edit]
See also [edit]
- Liga Panameña de Fútbol (Official Page-Spanish)
- ANAPROF participation in CONCACAF
- LPF Website (unofficial)
- Panama-List of Champions
- ANAPROF club particcipation in UNCAF tournament
- Federaciòn Panameña de Fùtbol (fepafut.com)
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