The 2015 Argentine Primera División or Torneo de Primera División 2015 "Julio H. Grondona" was the 125th season of top-flight professional football in Argentina. The season began on February 13 and ended on December 6. Thirty teams competed in the league, twenty returning from the 2014 Torneo de Transición and ten promoted from the 2014 Primera B Nacional (Aldosivi, Argentinos Juniors, Colón, Crucero del Norte, Huracán, Nueva Chicago, San Martín (SJ), Sarmiento, Temperley and Unión). No teams were relegated to the Primera B Nacional Championship in the previous tournament.

Competition format

Each of the 30 teams plays the other sides once, along with an extra derby game, for a total of 30 matches for each side.

The winners and runners-up of the first division qualified for the 2016 Copa Libertadores. Additionally, the winner of the 2015 Copa Argentina earned the Argentina 3 berth to the Copa Libertadores. The teams that place third to sixth in the league table advanced to the Liguilla Pre-Libertadores. The winner of this Liguilla earned the fourth berth to the Copa Libertadores, with the runner-up entering the 2016 Copa Sudamericana. The teams that place seventh to eighteenth in addition to the losing semifinalists of the Liguilla Pre-Libertadores advanced to the Liguilla Pre-Sudamericana, to determine the six berths for the 2016 Copa Sudamericana.

Club information Stadia and locations

ClubCityStadiumAldosivi Mar del Plata José María MinellaArgentinos Juniors Buenos Aires Diego Armando MaradonaArsenal Sarandí Julio Humberto GrondonaAtlético de Rafaela Rafaela Nuevo Monumental Banfield Banfield Florencio Sola Belgrano Córdoba Mario Alberto KempesBoca Juniors Buenos Aires Alberto J. ArmandoColón Santa Fe Brigadier Estanislao López Crucero del Norte Garupá Comandante Andrés Guacurarí Defensa y Justicia Florencio Varela Tito TomaghelloEstudiantes (LP) La Plata Único Ciudad de La Plata Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) La Plata Juan Carmelo ZerilloGodoy Cruz Godoy Cruz Malvinas Argentinas Huracán Buenos Aires Tomás Adolfo Ducó Independiente Avellaneda Libertadores de AméricaLanús Lanús Ciudad de Lanús - Néstor Díaz PérezNewell's Old Boys Rosario Marcelo BielsaNueva Chicago Buenos Aires República de Mataderos Olimpo Bahía Blanca Roberto CarminattiQuilmes Quilmes Centenario Dr. José Luis MeisznerRacing Avellaneda Presidente PerónRiver Plate Buenos Aires Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti Rosario Central Rosario Gigante de ArroyitoSan Lorenzo Buenos Aires Pedro Bidegain San Martín (SJ) San Juan Ingeniero Hilario Sánchez Sarmiento Junín Eva PerónTemperley Temperley Alfredo Martín BerangerTigre Victoria Don José DellagiovannaUnión Santa Fe 15 de AbrilVélez Sarsfield Buenos Aires José Amalfitani

Personnel and kits ClubManagerKit manufacturerMain sponsorAldosivi Fernando QuirozKappaMar del PlataArgentinos Juniors Néstor GorositoJomaProvincia NETArsenal Ricardo Caruso LombardiTBSLa Nueva SegurosAtlético de Rafaela Leonardo AstradaReuschSanCorBanfield Claudio VivasPenaltyBanco ProvinciaBelgrano Ricardo ZielinskiLottoTersuaveBoca Juniors Rodolfo ArruabarrenaNikeBBVAColón Darío FrancoUmbroOSPATCrucero del Norte Sebastián RambertSport 2000RosamonteDefensa y Justicia Ariel HolanLyonRápido TataEstudiantes (LP) Gabriel MilitoAdidasDirecTVGimnasia y Esgrima (LP) Pedro TroglioPenaltyLotería de la ProvinciaGodoy Cruz Daniel OldráLottoMendoza Espíritu GrandeHuracán Eduardo DomínguezTBSLa Nueva SegurosIndependiente Mauricio PellegrinoPumaCorreo OCALanús Guillermo Barros SchelottoKDYYamahaNewell's Old Boys Lucas BernardiAdidasBanco CiudadNueva Chicago Rubén ForestelloJomaLa Nueva SegurosOlimpo Diego OsellaKappaBingo BahíaQuilmes Facundo SavaLottoQuilmesRacing Diego CoccaTopperBanco HipotecarioRiver Plate Marcelo GallardoAdidasBBVARosario Central Eduardo CoudetNikeBanco MunicipalSan Lorenzo Edgardo BauzaNikeBanco CiudadSan Martín (SJ) Carlos MayorMitreSan JuanSarmiento Sergio LippiPenaltyNaldoTemperley Ricardo RezzaOhCanSecco / Cetec SudamericanaTigre Gustavo AlfaroKappaBanco MacroUnión Leonardo MadelónTBSFlecha BusVélez Sarsfield Miguel Ángel RussoUmbroHitachi

Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment Position in table Pre-season changes Vélez Sarsfield José Oscar Flores End of contract December 6, 2014 Miguel Ángel Russo December 9, 2014 N/A Newell's Old Boys Gustavo Raggio Mutual agreement December 7, 2014 Américo Gallego December 8, 2014 N/A Rosario Central Hugo Galloni Replaced December 12, 2014 Eduardo Coudet December 12, 2014 N/A San Martín (SJ) Rubén Forestello Resigned December 15, 2014 Carlos Mayor December 31, 2014 N/AQuilmes Marcelo Pontiroli Replaced December 20, 2014 Julio César Falcioni December 20, 2014 N/A Tournament changes Colón Reinaldo Merlo Sacked February 16, 2015 Javier Oscar López February 16, 2015 29th Nueva Chicago Omar Labruna Sacked March 31, 2015 Alejandro Nanía March 31, 2015 28th Atlético de Rafaela Roberto Sensini Sacked April 4, 2015 Leonardo Astrada April 13, 2015 28th Olimpo Walter Perazzo Resigned April 12, 2015 Diego Osella April 17, 2015 27th Estudiantes (LP) Mauricio Pellegrino Sacked April 14, 2015 Gabriel Milito April 15, 2015 16th Defensa y Justicia Darío Franco Resigned April 18, 2015 José Oscar Flores April 20, 2015 21st Arsenal Martín Palermo Resigned April 19, 2015 Ricardo Caruso Lombardi May 9, 2015 26th Crucero del Norte Gabriel Schürrer Resigned April 22, 2015 Sebastián Rambert April 27, 2015 27th Nueva Chicago Alejandro Nanía Resigned May 9, 2015 Rubén Forestello May 15, 2015 30th Independiente Jorge Almirón Resigned May 25, 2015 Mauricio Pellegrino June 4, 2015 17th Newell's Old Boys Américo Gallego Sacked June 1, 2015 Lucas Bernardi June 10, 2015 7th Colón Javier Oscar López Resigned June 6, 2015 Darío Franco June 10, 2015 21st Godoy Cruz Daniel Oldrá Resigned June 7, 2015 Gabriel Heinze June 10, 2015 22nd Defensa y Justicia José Oscar Flores Mutual agreement June 10, 2015 Ariel Holan June 11, 2015 27thQuilmes Julio César Falcioni Mutual agreement July 20, 2015 Facundo Sava July 21, 2015 23rdBanfield Matías Almeyda Resigned August 3, 2015 Claudio Vivas August 4, 2015 12thHuracán Néstor Apuzzo Resigned August 15, 2015 Eduardo Domínguez August 18, 2015 26th Godoy Cruz Gabriel Heinze Sacked September 26, 2015 Daniel Oldrá September 26, 2015 25th

Interim Managers 1. Interim manager, but later promoted to full-time manager. 2. Interim manager, but later promoted to full-time manager. 3. Gustavo Tognarelli was interim manager in the 9th round. 4. Alejandro Giuntini was interim manager in the 10th. 5. Nelson Vivas was interim manager in the 10th round. 6. Roberto Santiago González was interim manager in the suspended 7th round and 11th–12th rounds. 7. Miguel Ángel Salinas was interim manager in the 11th round. 8. Fernando Berón was interim manager in the 14th and 15th rounds. 9. Carlos Picerni was interim manager in the 15th round. 10. Interim manager. 11. Interim manager in the suspended 22nd round and 27th–30th rounds.

Notable occurrences On January 25, Juan Román Riquelme announced his retirement from professional football, just one month after leading first club Argentinos Juniors back to the Primera División. Riquelme made his debut in 1996 and until his retirement played for Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Villarreal and Argentinos Juniors. On March 15, A San Lorenzo supporter died from injuries sustained at the end of the derby against Huracán (3–1, 5th round) after he lost his balance and fell from the highest point of the uncovered home stand behind the goal. On March 22, during the match San Martín (SJ)–Boca Juniors a tackle by Boca Juniors goalkeeper Agustín Orión resulted in a broken tibia and fibula in the right leg (from six to eight-month recovery) for San Martin's Carlos Bueno. Orión received a straight red card and got four-match ban. On March 30, the referee Ariel Penel suspended after 30 minutes the match between Arsenal and Aldosivi (0–1) due to disturbances outside the Estadio Julio Humberto Grondona. The match was finished on April 25 with final score 0–3. On April 4, the referee Germán Delfino awarded a penalty to Vélez Sarsfield after Daniel Rosero (Arsenal) was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area and showed his second booking of the game. As the penalty was about to be taken Delfino was told over his intercom that the handball was by Vélez Sarsfield striker Mariano Pavone and proceeded to overturn his decision and call Rosero back onto the field. Apparently the decision was overturned after linesman Iván Núñez caught a replay of the incident on a nearby cameraman's monitor and informed Delfino via his earpiece. Despite the correct decision was awarded by the referee, the video technology is not allowed in Argentine football and Delfino was banned one round. On May 21, The AFA's Disciplinary Tribunal gave the victory to Newell's Old Boys over Arsenal (0−1) for fielding an ineligible player. Arsenal were charged after they played the suspended midfielder Leandro Godoy in their 3−0 win over Newell's Old Boys on April 13 (9th round). On May 24, AFA suspended the match between Tigre and River Plate because of the death of Cristian Gómez, a player of second division football club Paraná, who died after collapsing on the pitch during a game.

League table

Results Teams play every other team once (either at home or away), and play one additional round against their local derby rival (or assigned match by AFA if a club doesn't have derby), completing a total of 30 rounds.

Liguilla Pre Libertadores The Liguilla Pre Libertadores is contested by the four best placed teams from the league that have not already qualified for the Copa Libertadores, with the winners gaining a place in the 2016 tournament and the runners-up playing in the Copa Sudamericana. The losing semi-finalists play in the Liguilla Pre Sudamericana.

Semi-finals

Final First leg

Second leg

Racing won 3–2 on aggregate and qualified to 2016 Copa Libertadores. Independiente qualified to 2016 Copa Sudamericana.

Liguilla Pre Sudamericana The Liguilla Pre Sudamericana is contested by the twelve best placed teams from the league that have not already qualified for the Copa Libertadores, plus the two losing semi-finalists from the Liguilla Pre Libertadores. The four winners of the finals qualify for the 2016 Copa Sudamericana.

Semi-finals

Finals

Match 1

Match 2

Match 3

Match 4

The four sides who won their ties on aggregate qualified for 2016 Copa Sudamericana.

Season statistics

Top goalscorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Marco Ruben Rosario Central 21 2 Leandro Fernández Godoy Cruz 15 3 Claudio Bieler Quilmes 14 4 José Sand Aldosivi 12 5 Fernando Cavenaghi River Plate 11 Alejandro Gagliardi Nueva Chicago 11 7 Ramón Ábila Huracán 10 Jonathan Calleri Boca Juniors 10 Martín Cauteruccio San Lorenzo 10 Maxi Rodríguez Newell's Old Boys 10

Top assists RankPlayerClubAssists 1 Víctor Malcorra Unión 9 2 Marcos Acuña Racing 8 3 Mauricio Carrasco Nueva Chicago 7 Ezequiel Cerutti Estudiantes (LP) 7 Hernán Encina Olimpo 7 Jesús Méndez Independiente 7 Matías Pisano Independiente 7 8 Fabrizio Angileri Godoy Cruz 6 Rodrigo Gómez Quilmes 6 Roger Martínez Aldosivi 6 Maximiliano Meza Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) 6 Jorge Ortiz Lanús/Independiente 6 Source: AFA

Relegation