2020–21 Liga Primera de Nicaragua
 |
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Apertura: TBD Clausura: TBD |
| Relegated | TBD |
| CONCACAF League | TBD TBD |
| Matches played | 196 |
| Goals scored | 459 (2.34 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Apertura: TBD(TBD goals) Clausura: TBD(TBD goals) |
| Biggest home win | Apertura: TBD 5–0 TBD (26 October 2019) Clausura: TBD 7–0 TBD |
| Biggest away win | Apertura: TBD 1–4 TBD Clausura: TBD 0–2 TBD |
| Highest scoring | Apertura: TBD 3–3 TBD Clausura: TBD 7–0 TBD |
← 2019–20 2021–22 →
All statistics correct as of 9 May 2020. | |
The 2020–21 Liga Primera de Nicaragua season was to be divided into two tournaments, Apertura and Clausura. The season will determine the 75th and 76th champions in the history of the Liga Primera de Nicaragua, the top division of football in Nicaragua. The Apertura tournament is to be played in the second half of 2020, while the Clausura is to be played in the first half of 2021.
Format
The Apertura playoff format is changed from previous years, while the Clausura will use the same 4-team playoff format. For the Apertura, the top four teams from the regular stage advanced to a "quadrangular" double-round robin instead of a playoff stage. The regular stage and quadrangular winners played to decide the tournament's champion, but ultimately the same team won both and the final was not necessary. The same format was recently adopted by the Costa Rican Primera División, but for both half seasons.
Team information
A total of ten teams contested the league, including nine sides from the 2019–20 Primera División, and one side from the 2019–20 Segunda División.
UNAN Managua finished last in the aggregate table and were relegated to the Segunda División. The champions from the Segunda División, Deportivo Las Sabanas, were promoted in their place.
The 9th place team in the aggregate table, ART Jalapa, faced the second-place team from the Segunda División, Deportivo Masaya, in a playoff for a spot in the Primera División. ART Jalapa won 4–3 over two legs, meaning ART Jalapa remained in Primera División.
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from Segunda División as of May, 2020.
- Champions: Junior de Managua
Relegated to Segunda División as of May, 2020.
- Last Place: Deportivo Las Sabanas
Other News
New Ball Provider
VOIT will be providing and major ball sponsor for 2020-2021 [1]
Managerial Changes
Pre Season Apertura 2020
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juventus Managua |  Jaime Ruiz
|
Interimship ended | May 2020 | Oscar Blanco
|
May 2020 | TBD (Apertura 2019) |
| Junior de Managua |
|
Sacked | May 2020 | Tyrone Acevedo
|
May 2020 | TBD (Apertura 2019) |
| Real Madriz |  Juan Ramirez
|
Contract finished | May 2020 | Carlos Matamoros
|
May 2020 | TBD (Apertura 2019) |
| ART Jalapa |  Angel Orellana
|
Contract finished | May 2020 |  Carlos Javier Martino
|
May 2020 | TBD (Apertura 2019) |
| Deportivo Ocotal |  Reynaldo Clavasquín
|
Sacked | May 2020 | Elvin Díaz
|
May 2020 | TBD (Apertura 2019) |
During the Apertura season
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deportivo Ocotal | Elvin Diaz
|
TBD | Oct 2020 | Marcos Rivera
|
Oct 2020 | TBD (Apertura 2020) |
Pre Season Apertura 2020
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madriz | Carlos Matamoros
|
Contract finished | 2020 | Ronaldo Alvarado
|
2021 | TBD (Apertura 2021) |
| Deportivo Ocotal | Marcos Rivera
|
Contract finished | December 2020 | Mario Alfaro
|
January 2021 | TBD (Apertura 2021) |
Apertura
Personnel and sponsoring
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Kit sponsors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ART Municipal Jalapa | Carlos Javier Martino
|
|
Joma | Alcadia de Jalapa |
| Chinandega | Reyna Espinoza
|
Lester Espinoza
|
Nil | Nil |
| Diriangén FC |  Flavio da Silva
|
Ereck Tellez
|
Joma | Claro, Victoria frost,Cafe Ox, Flor de Cana, Electrolit |
| Junior Managua | Tyrone Acevedo
|
Carlos Membreno
|
Joma | Oceanica, MT-MultiTrans |
| Juventus Managua | Oscar Blanco
|
|
Nil | Nil |
| Managua | Emilio Aburto
|
Nahum Peralta
|
Joma | Alcadia de Managua, Ravoline |
| Ocotal | Elvin Díaz
|
Guillermo Espino
|
Nil | Alcadia de Ocotal |
| Real Estelí | Holver Flores
|
Manual Rosas
|
Kappa | Beco, Movi star, La Curaçao, Banpro, Vitalsis |
| Real Madriz | Carlos Matamoros
|
|
Joma | Alcadia de Somoto |
| Walter Ferretti | Henry Urbina
|
Denis Espinoza
|
Joma | Claro, MC |
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Estelí (Q) | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 30 | 12 | +18 | 34 | Advance to Playoffs (Semifinals) |
| 2 | Walter Ferretti (X) | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 15 | +10 | 29 | |
| 3 | Municipal Jalapa (X) | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 13 | +4 | 26 | Advance to Playoffs (Quarterfinals) |
| 4 | Diriangén (X) | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 17 | +2 | 23 | |
| 5 | Juventus Managua (Z) | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 21 | 23 | −2 | 21 | |
| 6 | Chinandega (Z) | 16 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 20 | 30 | −10 | 20 | |
| 7 | Managua (Z) | 16 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 21 | 25 | −4 | 19 | |
| 8 | Deportivo Ocotal (Z) | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 19 | −2 | 16 | |
| 9 | Real Madriz (Z) | 16 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 21 | −6 | 15 | |
| 10 | Junior (E) | 16 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 24 | −10 | 13 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) head-to-head points; 5) head-to-head goal difference; 6) head-to-head goals scored; 7) draw.
(E) Eliminated; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (X) Assured a place of the playoffs; (Z) Cannot join the playoff semifinals directly
Results
Finals
Quarterfinals
| Municipal Jalapa | 0–2 | Chinandega F.C. |
|---|---|---|
| Nil | Adolfo Colindres own  7' Erick Alcazar 47' |
Chinandega progressed.
| Diriangen | 2–0 | Juventus Managua |
|---|---|---|
| Luis Coronel 16' Bernando Laurerio 29' |
Nil |
Diriangen progressed.
Semi-finals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Ferretti | 3–6 | Diriangén | 2–3 | 1–3 |
| Real Estelí | 3–2 | Chinandega | 2–2 | 1–0 |
| Diriangén | 3–2 | Walter Ferretti |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Nino own 59' Maycon 62' Rene Huete own 83' |
Dshon Forbes 13' Ezequiel Ugalde 34' |
| Walter Ferretti | 1–3 | Diriangén |
|---|---|---|
| Rene Huete 72' |
Alexis Ramos 18' 22' Maycon 44' |
Diriagen won 6-3 on aggregate.
| Chinandega | 2–2 | Real Estelí |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Vinerio 69' Erick Alcazar 88' |
Edgar Castillo 37' Brandon Ayerdis 61' |
| Real Estelí | 1–0 | Chinandega |
|---|---|---|
| Josué Quijano 15' |
Nil |
Real Esteli won 3–2 on aggregate.
Final
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diriangén | 0–1 | Real Estelí | 0–0 | 0–1 |
| Diriangén | 0–0 | Real Estelí |
|---|---|---|
| Real Estelí | 1–0 | Diriangén |
|---|---|---|
List of foreign players in the league
This is a list of foreign players in the 2020–21 season. The following players:
- Have played at least one game for the respective club.
- Have not been capped for the Nicaragua national football team on any level, independently from the birthplace
A new rule was introduced this season, that clubs can have four foreign players per club and can only add a new player if there is an injury or a player/s is released, and it is before the closing of the season transfer window.
|
ART Jalapa
Chinandega
Diriangén
Juventus Managua
Managua
|
Ocotal
Real Estelí
Real Madriz
Junior de Managua
Walter Ferretti
|
(player released during the Apertura season)
(player released between the Apertura and Clausura seasons)
(player released during the Clausura season)