The 2020–21 Liga Primera de Nicaragua season was divided into two tournaments, Apertura and Clausura. The season determined the 75th and 76th 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 2020, while the Clausura was played in the first half of 2021.
Format The Apertura playoff format was changed from previous years, while the Clausura used 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
Champions: Junior de Managua
Relegated to Segunda División
Last Place: Deportivo Las Sabanas
Other news New ball provider VOIT will be providing and major ball sponsor for 2020-2021
Managerial changes Pre-season Apertura 2020
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyReplaced byDate of appointmentPosition 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
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureReplaced byPosition in table Deportivo Ocotal Elvin Diaz TBD Oct 2020 Marcos Rivera Oct 2020 TBD (Apertura 2020)
Pre-season Apertura 2020
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyReplaced byDate of appointmentPosition 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)
Clausura 2021 TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyReplaced byDate of appointmentPosition in table Real Madriz Ronaldo Alvarado Contract finished March 2021 Hector Medina March 2021 TBD (Clausura 2021)
Apertura
Personnel and sponsoring Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Kit sponsors Carlos Javier Martino Joma Alcadia de Jalapa Reyna Espinoza Lester Espinoza Nil Nil Flavio da Silva Ereck Tellez Joma Claro, Victoria frost,Cafe Ox, Flor de Cana, Electrolit Tyrone Acevedo Carlos Membreno Joma Oceanica, MT-MultiTrans Oscar Blanco Nil Nil Emilio Aburto Nahum Peralta Joma Alcadia de Managua, Ravoline Elvin Díaz Guillermo Espino Nil Alcadia de Ocotal Holver Flores Manual Rosas Kappa Beco, Movi star, La Curaçao, Banpro, Vitalsis Carlos Matamoros Joma Alcadia de Somoto Henry Urbina Denis Espinoza Joma Claro, MC
Standings
Results
Finals Quarterfinals
Chinandega progressed.
Diriangen progressed.
Semi-finals
Diriagen won 6-3 on aggregate.
Real Esteli won 3–2 on aggregate.
Final
Clausura Standings
Finals Quarterfinals
Walter Ferretti progressed 3-0.
Managua progressed 1-0.
Semi-finals
Diriagen won 3-1 on aggregate.
5-5. Managua won 5-5 on aggregate away goal(s).
Final
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 Gabriel Coelho Ronaldo Pabon Juan Daniel González Edder Mondragón (*) Eder García Brayan Zúñiga (*) Yeiner Marcelo Vivas (*)
Chinandega Brayan Cañate Marlon Barrios Duver Quinonez Esteban Lozada Cristhian Izaguirre
Diriangén Jonathan Pacheco Marel Álvarez Pedro Dos Santos Maycon Santana Bernando Laureiro Jhon Mosquera
Juventus Managua Rafael Vieira Alexander Moreno Cristhian Euseda Carlos Felix
Managua Lucas Dos Santos Edward Morillo Pablo Gállego Diego Pelaez Marcos González Brayan Castillo Leandro Figueroa
Ocotal Allan Gutiérrez Kenverlen López Brayan Cantillo Lucumi Jerney Vente
Real Estelí Lucio Barroca Alvaro Rezzano Luis Acuna Rodrigo Bronzatti Vitor Faiska Niko Kato Jhon Mosquera
Real Madriz Jamilton Moreno Nicolas Quinonez Bryan Mojica Jorge Moreno
Junior de Managua Carlos Mosquera Edson Contreras Luis Carbajal Rogelio Espinoza
Walter Ferretti Taufic Guarch Christiano Fernandes de Lima Fernando Villalpando Sergio Napoles
(player released during the Apertura season) (player released between the Apertura and Clausura seasons) (player released during the Clausura season)
References
External links Fútbol de Primera – Futbol Nica