Photo by guille rusconi on the HEGS Flickr pool
It’s a bit late this year, but with the pre-seasons well and truly underway it’s about time HEGS explained the teams who will be changing divisions this year. We’ve got the Copa Sudamericana participants, and every promotion and relegation through the Argentine league, down to and including Primera D and the Torneo del Interior (as far as I’m aware, HEGS is the only place you’ll find all this information without going through the league tables and working it out yourself). Read on…
First, I’ll put up the same guide to the ‘tiers’ as I used last year. The Primera División is the first division, followed by Primera B Nacional. Below that there are two third divisions: Primera B and Torneo Argentino A (the latter for sides not directly affiliated to the AFA). Then two fourth divisions: Primera C and Argentino B. Finally, two fifth divisions: Primera D and the Torneo del Interior. Movement up and down divisions is from Torneo del Interior to the two Torneos Argentinos, and from Primera D to C, up to Primera B. I’ve placed dividers between ‘tiers’ to try and make this clearer. Finally a reminder that the divisions below the top flight all operated a season-long single championship this year, so that whilst Primera A has two champions, the other divisions all have just the one.
— 1st tier —
Primera División:
Champions: Boca Juniors (Apertura 2008); Vélez Sársfield (Clausura 2009) (these two will play each other in the Copa Sudamericana preliminary round)
Also playing in the 2009 Copa Sudamericana: River Plate (invited) will play Lanús in the preliminaries; Tigre will play San Lorenzo
Relegated: Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy; San Martín de Tucumán
— 2nd tier —
Primera B Nacional:
Champions: Atlético Tucumán
Also promoted: Chacarita Juniors
Relegated: Talleres de Córdoba (to Argentino A); Almagro, Los Andes (both to Primera B ‘Metropolitano’)
— 3rd tier —
Primera B ‘Metropolitano’:
Champions: Sportivo Italiano
Also promoted to B Nacional: Nueva Chicago
Relegated to Primera C: Talleres de Remedios de Escalada
Torneo Argentino A:
Champions: Boca Unidos (Corrientes) (promoted to Primera B Nacional)
Relegated to Argentino B: Real Arroyo Seco; Alvarado de Mar Del Plata; Gimnasia y Esgrima de Mendoza
— 4th tier —
Primera C:
Champions: Villa San Carlos (promoted to Primera B ‘Metropolitano’)
Relegated to Primera D: Cañuelas
Torneo Argentino B:
Promoted to Argentino A: Estudiantes (Río IV); Unión de Mar Del Plata; Cruzero del Norte de Mendoza; Sportivo Belgrano
Relegated to Torneo del Interior: Deportivo Coreano; Sportivo 9 de Julio; Sol de América; Racing de Trelew
— 5th tier —
Primera D:
Champions: Midland
De-affiliated from the AFA for one year: Puerto Nuevo
Re-affiliated: Deportivo Muñiz
Torneo del Interior:
Promoted to Argentino B: Independiente de Tandil; Ferrocarril Sud; Atlético Unión; Boca de Río Gallegos
Hasta El Gol Siempre 