2019–20 Liga Primera De Nicaragua

The 2019–20 Liga Primera de Nicaragua season was divided into two tournaments (Apertura and Clausura) and will determine the 73rd and 74th champions in the history of the Liga Primera de Nicaragua, the top division of football in Nicaragua. The Apertura tournament was played in the second half of 2019, while the Clausura was played in the first half of 2020.

The league was one of the few football leagues in the world, along with the Belarus, Tajikistan that did not suspend their season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Format

The Apertura play-off format was changed from previous years, while the Clausura will use the same 4-team play-off format. For the Apertura, the top four teams from the regular stage advanced to a "quadrangular" double-round robin instead of a play-off stage. The regular stage and quadrangular winners would have 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 2018–19 Primera División, and one side from the 2018–19 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, Chinandega FC, faced the second place team from the Segunda División, FC Gutiérrez, in a playoff for a spot in the Primera División. Chinandega won 4–3 over two legs, meaning Chinandega remained in Primera División.

Promotion and relegation

Promoted from Segunda División as of July, 2019.

* Champions: Deportivo Las Sabanas

Relegated to Segunda División as of July, 2019.

* Last Place: UNAN Managua

Stadia and locations

Managerial changes

During the Apertura season

Between the Aperutra and Clasura season

Apertura

Personnel and sponsoring

Standings

Results

Finals

Bracket

Key: (a) = Wins because of away goals rule, (a.e.t.) = Wins after extra time in second leg, (p) = Wins after penalty shoot-out.

Quarterfinals

''Managua progressed.''
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''Real Estelí progressed.''

Semi-finals

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'' 1–1, Real Estelí won on away goals.''

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'' 4–4, Managua won 5–3 on penalties.''

Final

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'' Real Estelí won 2–1 on aggregate.''

Statistics

Top scorers

Records

* Top goalscorer: Mexican Carlos Felix (10 goals)
* Most goals scored: Managua FC (35 goals)
* Fewest goals scored: ART Jalapa (12 goals)
* Fewest goals conceded : Walter Ferretti and Real Esteli (14 goals)
* Most goals conceded : Chinandega (30 goals)

Clausura

Personnel and sponsoring

Standings

Results

Finals

Bracket

Key: (a) = Wins because of away goals rule, (a.e.t.) = Wins after extra time in second leg, (p) = Wins after penalty shoot-out.

Quarterfinals

''Diriangén progressed.''
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'' Walter Ferretti progressed.''

Semi-finals

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'' Real Estelí won 1–0 on aggregate.''

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''Managua won 4–2 on aggregate.''

Final

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''Real Estelí won 4–2 on aggregate.''

Statistics

Top scorers

Discipline

* Most yellow cards: 8
** Daniel Rodríguez (Chinandega)

* Most red cards: 2
** Jonathan Moncada (Deportivo Ocotal)

Aggregate table

Relegation play-offs

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List of foreign players in the league

This is a list of foreign players in the 2019–20 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 close of the season transfer window.

ART Jalapa
* Gabriel Coelho
* Ronaldo Pabon
* Juan Daniel González
* Edder Mondragón
* Eder García

Chinandega
* Brayan Cañate
* Marlon Barrios
* Esteban Lozada
* Duver Quinonez
* Cristhian Izaguirre

Diriangén
* Carlos Tórres
* Miguel Angel Pucharella
* Yeison Esquivel
* Bernardo Gradilla
* Jorge Vargas Palacio
* Bernando Laureiro

Juventus Managua
* Lucas Reynoso
* Rafael de Almeida
* Robinson Luiz
* Rafael Vieira
* Armando Valdez
* Alexander Moreno
* Héctor "El Tanque"Vega
* Fernando Insaurralde

Managua
* Cristiano Fernández da Lima
* Marel Álvarez
* Carlos Felix Gámez
* Rodolfo Forbes
* Pablo Gállego
* Sandro Cutino

Ocotal
* Allan Gutiérrez
* Kenverlen López
* Brayan Cantillo Lucumi
* Diego Arismendi
* Jerney Vente
* Miguel Batalla
* Kevin Meraz

Real Estelí
* Lucio Barroca
* Vinicius da Souza
* Jesús Leal
* Marco Granados
* Jaime Ayala
* Taufic Guarch
* Fabrizio Tavano

Real Madriz
* Daniel Suazo Guerrero
* Pedro Aguirre
* Josué Ramírez Asprilla
* Fernando Ramírez Pahua
* Andres Garzon
* Bryan Viveros

Deportivo Las Sabanas
* Carlos Mosquera
* Edson Contreras
* Luis Carbajal
* Rogelio Espinoza

Walter Ferretti
* Rodrigo Hernández
* Jefferson de Araujo
* Leandro Figueroa
* Pedro Dos Santos
* Fernando Villalpando
* Nikita Solodchenko
* Juan Camilio Rodriguez

''(player released during the Apertura season)''
''(player released between the Apertura and Clausura seasons)''
''(player released during the Clausura season)''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2019-20 Liga Primera de Nicaragua
Nicaraguan Primera División seasons
1
Nicaragua