The 2018–19 Superliga Argentina (officially the Superliga Quilmes Clásica for sponsorship reasons) was the 129 season of top-flight professional football in Argentina. The season began on 10 August 2018 and ended on 7 April 2019. Boca Juniors were the defending champions.
Twenty-six teams competed in the league, twenty-four returning from the 2017–18 season and two promoted from the 2017–18 Primera B Nacional (Aldosivi and San Martín (T)). Four teams (Temperley, Olimpo, Arsenal, and Chacarita Juniors) were relegated to the Primera B Nacional championship in the previous tournament.
Racing won their eighteenth national league championship with one match to spare after a 1–1 draw against Tigre on 31 March 2019.
Competition format The tournament was contested by 26 teams. It began on 10 August 2018 and ended on 7 April 2019. Each team played the other 25 teams in a single round-robin tournament. The additional match against the main rival team in the so-called "Fecha de Clásicos" was once again omitted in this season. From 14 April to 2 June 2019, the Primera División played a new competition named "Copa de la Superliga".
Club information Stadia and locations
ClubCityStadiumCapacity Aldosivi Mar del Plata José María Minella 35,354 Argentinos Juniors Buenos Aires Diego Armando Maradona 25,000 Atlético Tucumán Tucumán Monumental José Fierro 32,700 Banfield Banfield Florencio Sola 34,901 Belgrano Córdoba Julio César Villagra 28,000 Mario Alberto Kempes 57,000 Boca Juniors Buenos Aires Alberto J. Armando 49,000 Colón Santa Fe Brigadier General Estanislao López 40,000 Defensa y Justicia Florencio Varela Norberto "Tito" Tomaghello 12,000 Estudiantes (LP) La Plata Ciudad de La Plata 53,000 Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) La Plata Juan Carmelo Zerillo 24,544 Godoy Cruz Godoy Cruz Malvinas Argentinas 40,268 Huracán Buenos Aires Tomás Adolfo Ducó 48,314 Independiente Avellaneda Libertadores de América 52,853 Lanús Lanús Ciudad de Lanús - Néstor Díaz Pérez 46,619 Newell's Old Boys Rosario Marcelo Bielsa 38,095 Patronato Paraná Presbítero Bartolomé Grella 22,000 Racing Avellaneda Presidente Perón 55,389 River Plate Buenos Aires Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti 61,321 Rosario Central Rosario Dr. Lisandro de la Torre 41,654 San Lorenzo Buenos Aires Pedro Bidegain 39,494 San Martín (SJ) San Juan Ingeniero Hilario Sánchez 19,000 Estadio del Bicentenario 25,286 San Martín (T) Tucumán La Ciudadela 28,000 Talleres (C) Córdoba Mario Alberto Kempes 57,000 Tigre Victoria José Dellagiovanna 26,282 Unión Santa Fe 15 de Abril 22,852 Vélez Sarsfield Buenos Aires José Amalfitani 45,540
Personnel ClubManagerKit manufacturerMain sponsor Aldosivi Gustavo ÁlvarezKappaNone Argentinos Juniors Diego DaboveReuschAutocrédito Atlético Tucumán Ricardo ZielinskiUmbroSecco Banfield Hernán CrespoHummelSeguros Orbis Belgrano Diego OsellaKappaTersuave Boca Juniors Gustavo AlfaroNikeQatar Airways Colón Pablo LavallénBurrda SportPROF Grupo Asegurador Defensa y Justicia Sebastián BeccaceceLyonPlanes ESCO Estudiantes (LP) Gabriel MilitoUmbroDirecTV Sports Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) Darío OrtizLe Coq SportifEscudo Seguros Godoy Cruz Lucas BernardiKelmeCATA Internacional Huracán Antonio MohamedTBSBanco Ciudad Independiente Ariel HolanPumaCaminos Protegidos Comapañía de Seguros Lanús Luis ZubeldíaMacron / PeakYamaha Newell's Old Boys Héctor BidoglioUmbroGrupo Márquez Patronato Mario SciacquaLyonBanco Entre Ríos Racing Eduardo CoudetKappaRCA River Plate Marcelo GallardoAdidasNone Rosario Central Diego CoccaNikeTCL San Lorenzo Jorge AlmirónNikeBanco Ciudad San Martín (SJ) Rubén ForestelloMitreSan Juan San Martín (T) Ricardo Caruso LombardiKDYSecco Talleres (C) Juan Pablo VojvodaPenaltyBBVA Tigre Néstor GorositoJomaBanco Macro Unión Leonardo MadelónTBSOSPAT Vélez Sarsfield Gabriel HeinzeKappaHitachi
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Positionin table Replaced by Date of appointment Belgrano Pablo Lavallén Resigned 12 May 2018Pre-season Lucas Bernardi 31 May 2018 Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) Darío Ortiz Replaced 14 May 2018 Pedro Troglio 15 May 2018 Rosario Central José Chamot 14 May 2018 Edgardo Bauza 17 May 2018 Talleres (C) Frank Darío Kudelka End of contract 19 May 2018 Juan Pablo Vojvoda 30 May 2018 Defensa y Justicia Juan Pablo Vojvoda Signed by Talleres (C) 28 May 2018 Sebastián Beccacece 6 July 2018 Lanús Ezequiel Carboni Resigned 26 August 2018 19th Luis Zubeldía 31 August 2018 Patronato Juan Pablo Pumpido 16 September 2018 26th Mario Sciacqua 23 September 2018 Argentinos Juniors Alfredo Berti 16 September 2018 18th Ezequiel Carboni 18 September 2018 San Martín (T) Rubén Forestello Sacked 17 September 2018 23rd Walter Coyette 25 September 2018 San Martín (SJ) Walter Coyette 23 September 2018 22nd Rubén Forestello 25 September 2018 Tigre Cristian Ledesma 24 September 2018 20th Mariano Echeverría 3 October 2018 Belgrano Lucas Bernardi 9 October 2018 20th Diego Osella 11 October 2018 San Lorenzo Claudio Biaggio Resigned 31 October 2018 20th Jorge Almirón 5 November 2018 Colón Eduardo Domínguez 11 November 2018 15th Julio Comesaña 20 December 2018 Argentinos Juniors Ezequiel Carboni Mutual agreement 12 November 2018 26th Diego Dabove 14 December 2018 Newell's Old Boys Omar De Felippe Resigned 25 November 2018 20th Héctor Bidoglio 26 November 2018 Banfield Julio César Falcioni End of contract 8 December 2018 9th Hernán Crespo 14 December 2018 Godoy Cruz Diego Dabove 8 December 2018 8th Marcelo Gómez 28 December 2018 Boca Juniors Guillermo Barros Schelotto 9 December 2018 5th Gustavo Alfaro 21 December 2018 Huracán Gustavo Alfaro Signed by Boca Juniors 21 December 2018 4th Antonio Mohamed 27 December 2018 Tigre Mariano Echeverría Resigned 11 February 2019 19th Néstor Gorosito 12 February 2019 San Martín (T) Walter Coyette Mutual agreement 16 February 2019 21st Ricardo Caruso Lombardi 26 February 2019 Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) Pedro Troglio Sacked 17 February 2019 22nd Darío Ortiz 18 February 2019 Rosario Central Edgardo Bauza 23 February 2019 18th Paulo Ferrari 24 February 2019 Godoy Cruz Marcelo Gómez 24 February 2019 14th Lucas Bernardi 2 March 2019 Estudiantes (LP) Leandro Benítez Resigned 24 February 2019 17th Gabriel Milito 12 March 2019 Colón Julio Comesaña 6 March 2019 21st Pablo Lavallén 11 March 2019 Rosario Central Paulo Ferrari Sacked 17 March 2019 20th Diego Cocca 18 March 2019
Interim managers 1. Darío Cavallo was interim manager in the 2017–18 Copa Argentina round of 64. 2. Rodrigo Acosta was interim manager in the 4th round. 3. Martín De León was interim manager in the 6th round. 4. Ariel Martos was interim manager in the 6th round. 5. Juan Carlos Blengio was interim manager in the 7th round. 6. Diego Monarriz was interim manager in the 11th round. 7. Esteban Fuertes was interim manager until the end of 2018. 8. Raúl Sanzotti was interim manager until the end of 2018. 9. Interim manager, but later promoted to manager. 10. Floreal García was interim manager in the 20th round. 11. Daniel Oldrá was interim manager in the 21st round. 12. Pablo Quatrocchi was interim manager in the 21st and 22nd rounds. 13. Marcelo Goux was interim manager in the 22nd round.
Foreign players Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6 Aldosivi Federico Gino Jefferson Mena Argentinos Juniors Enrique Borja Adrián Colombino Leandro Paiva Jonathan Sandoval Atlético Tucumán Mathías Abero Andrés Lamas Tomás Rojas Banfield Iván Arboleda Reinaldo Lenis Belgrano Christian Almeida Mauricio Cuero Juan Patiño Cristian Techera Anthony Uribe Boca Juniors Júnior Alonso Jorman Campuzano Frank Fabra Nahitan Nández Sebastián Villa Colón Gonzalo Bueno Leonardo Burián Andrés Cadavid Guillermo Celis Marcelo Estigarribia Wilson Morelo Defensa y Justicia Ignacio González Julio González Matías Rojas Estudiantes (LP) Manuel Castro Gonzalo Jara Edwar López Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) Víctor Ayala Alexi Gómez Jan Carlos Hurtado Santiago Silva Jesús Vargas Godoy Cruz Santiago García Miguel Merentiel Richard Prieto Diego Viera Huracán Omar Alderete Daniel Hernández Andrés Felipe Roa Saúl Salcedo Antony Silva Independiente Renzo Bacchia Martín Campaña Cecilio Domínguez Fernando Gaibor Francisco Silva Gastón Silva Lanús Darío Cáceres Rolando García Guerreño Pablo Martínez Sebastián Ribas José Luis Sinisterra Tiago Pagnussat Newell's Old Boys Ángelo Gabrielli Luís Leal Alfio Oviedo Teodoro Paredes Ribair Rodríguez Patronato Gabriel Ávalos Racing Mateo Cassierra Marcelo Díaz Fabricio Domínguez Eugenio Mena River Plate Rafael Santos Borré Jorge Carrascal Nicolás de la Cruz Juan Fernando Quintero Robert Rojas Rosario Central Jarlan Barrera Óscar Cabezas Washington Camacho Alfonso Parot Duván Vergara San Lorenzo Raúl Loaiza Andrés Rentería Juan Camilo Salazar Gustavo Torres San Martín (SJ) Humberto Osorio Pablo Palacios Alvarenga Gianni Rodríguez Alex Silva San Martín (T) Hernán Petryk Talleres (C) Miguel Araujo Junior Arias Dayro Moreno Samuel Sosa Diego Valoyes Tigre Gerardo Alcoba Gastón Guruceaga Hugo Silveira Diego Vera Unión Yeimar Gómez Javier Méndez Diego Zabala Vélez Sarsfield Luis Abram Alexander Domínguez Pablo Galdames Cristian Núñez Jonathan Ramis
Players holding Argentinian dual nationality They do not take foreign slot.
Raúl Bobadilla (Argentinos Juniors) Lucas Barrios (Huracán) Norberto Briasco-Balekian (Huracán) Pablo Hernández (Independiente) Dylan Gissi (Patronato) Gabriel Arias (Racing) Carlos Olses (Racing) Camilo Mayada (River Plate) Néstor Ortigoza (Rosario Central) Joel Soñora (Talleres (C)) Mauricio Toni (Talleres (C))
Source: AFA
League table
Results Teams played every other team once (either at home or away) completing a total of 25 rounds.
Season statistics
Top goalscorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Lisandro LópezRacing172 Emmanuel GigliottiIndependiente123 Luis Miguel RodríguezAtlético Tucumán / Colón11 Federico GonzálezTigre5 Matías RojasDefensa y Justicia106 Cristian ChávezAldosivi8 Darío CvitanichBanfield / Racing Nicolás FernándezDefensa y Justicia9 Santiago GarcíaGodoy Cruz7 José SandLanús Nicolás BlandiSan Lorenzo Franco FragapaneUnión Source: AFA
Top assists RankPlayerClubAssists1 Walter MontilloTigre92 Mauro ZárateBoca Juniors73 Gabriel CarabajalPatronato64 Luis Miguel RodríguezAtlético Tucumán / Colón5 Ramón ÁbilaBoca Juniors Lucas PrattoRiver Plate Leonardo GilRosario Central Source: AFA
Relegation Relegation at the end of the season is based on coefficients, which take into consideration the points obtained by the clubs during the present season and the two previous seasons (only seasons at the top flight are counted). The total tally is then divided by the number of games played in the top flight over those three seasons and an average is calculated. The four teams with the worst average at the end of the season were relegated to Primera B Nacional.
Team Relegation 1Boca Juniors 63 58 51 172 82 2Racing 55 45 57 157 82 3Defensa y Justicia 49 44 53 146 82 4River Plate 56 45 45 146 82 5Independiente 53 46 38 137 82 6Godoy Cruz 43 56 32 131 82 7San Lorenzo 53 50 23 126 82 8Talleres (C) 42 46 33 121 82 9Estudiantes (LP) 56 36 29 121 82 10Banfield 54 35 29 118 82 11Vélez Sarsfield 37 38 40 115 82 12Lanús 50 29 34 113 82 13Colón 49 41 23 113 82 14Huracán 29 48 35 112 82 15Atlético Tucumán 33 36 42 111 82 16Unión 32 43 36 111 82 17Aldosivi — — 33 33 25 18Newell's Old Boys 49 29 29 107 82 19Rosario Central 44 32 26 102 82 20Argentinos Juniors — 41 22 63 52 21 43 27 29 99 82 22Patronato 34 33 26 93 82 23Tigre (R) 31 24 36 91 82 24San Martín (SJ) (R) 33 33 25 91 82 25Belgrano (R) 26 40 24 90 82 26San Martín (T) (R) — — 23 23 25 Source: AFA
Awards The following players were rewarded for their performances during the season.
Best goalkeeper: Esteban Andrada (Boca Juniors) Best defender: Javier Pinola (River Plate) Best midfielder: Nicolás Domínguez (Vélez Sarsfield) Best forward: Lisandro López (Racing) Best save: Alan Aguerre (Newell's Old Boys) against San Lorenzo