The 2021 FBF División Profesional, known as the 2021 Copa Tigo for sponsorship reasons, was the 44th season of the División Profesional del Fútbol Boliviano, Bolivia's top-flight football league and the fourth season under División de Fútbol Profesional management. The season began on 9 March and ended on 12 December 2021.
Independiente Petrolero won their first league title following a 3–2 win over Guabirá and a 1–0 loss for The Strongest against Real Santa Cruz on the last day of the season. Always Ready were the defending champions, having won the 2020 Apertura tournament.
Format The format for the 2021 season was approved by the 16 División Profesional clubs on 17 February 2021. Given the need to allow clubs qualified for the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana as well as the national team to fulfill their international commitments, and concerns by the development of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided to play a single tournament in the year instead of the usual Apertura and Clausura system. The 16 teams played each other twice in a double round-robin tournament for a total of 30 rounds. The Bolivian Football Federation originally proposed 13 March 2021 as the date to start the competition, but per request from the four clubs that took part in the Copa Sudamericana the date was moved forward to 10 March 2021. The top four clubs at the end of the season qualified for the 2022 Copa Libertadores, with the champions and runners-up entering the group stage, while the next four best-placed teams qualified for the 2022 Copa Sudamericana.
Teams 16 teams competed in the league for the 2021 season, increasing from 14 since no clubs were relegated at the end of the previous season. Real Tomayapo and Independiente Petrolero, the 2020 Copa Simón Bolívar champions and runners-up, were both promoted for this season. The former competed for the first time in the top tier, while the latter returned after a 17-year absence.
Stadia and locations
TeamManagerCityStadiumCapacityAlways Ready Pablo GodoyEl AltoMunicipal de Villa Ingenio25,000Atlético Palmaflor Humberto VivianiQuillacolloMunicipal de Quillacollo6,000Aurora Sergio Zeballos (caretaker)CochabambaFélix Capriles32,000Blooming Rodrigo VenegasSanta CruzRamón Tahuichi Aguilera38,000Bolívar Antônio Carlos ZagoLa PazHernando Siles42,000Guabirá Víctor Hugo AnteloMonteroGilberto Parada13,000Independiente Petrolero Marcelo RobledoSucreOlímpico Patria30,700Jorge Wilstermann Sergio MigliaccioCochabambaFélix Capriles32,000Nacional Potosí Roberto Mancilla (caretaker)PotosíVíctor Agustín Ugarte32,105Oriente Petrolero Erwin SánchezSanta CruzRamón Tahuichi Aguilera38,000Real Potosí Sebastián NúñezPotosíVíctor Agustín Ugarte32,105Real Santa Cruz David PerdigueroSanta CruzReal Santa Cruz14,000Real Tomayapo Álvaro PeñaTarijaIV Centenario15,000Royal Pari Miguel Ángel PortugalSanta CruzRamón Tahuichi Aguilera38,000San José Luis Choque (caretaker)OruroJesús Bermúdez33,795The Strongest Christian DíazLa PazHernando Siles42,000
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentAlways Ready Omar AsadNo contract signed31 December 2020Pre-season Sebastián Núñez18 January 2021Atlético Palmaflor Xabier AzkargortaEnd of contract31 December 2020 Julio César Baldivieso7 January 2021Real Potosí Cristian Aldirico31 December 2020 Alex Pallarés5 January 2021Real Santa Cruz José Peña31 December 2020 Néstor Clausen6 January 2021Aurora Sergio ZeballosEnd of caretaker spell31 December 2020 Humberto Viviani1 January 2021Royal Pari Miguel Ángel Abrigo31 December 2020 Christian Díaz10 January 2021San José Arnaldo MancillaReplaced31 December 2020 Domingo Sánchez18 January 2021Jorge Wilstermann Christian DíazSacked1 January 2021 Mauricio Soria4 January 2021Blooming Gabriel Schürrer4 January 2021 Eduardo Villegas5 January 2021Nacional Potosí Sebastián NúñezSigned by Always Ready8 January 2021 Álvaro Peña11 January 2021Real Potosí Alex PallarésHealth issues8 February 2021 Carlos Fonseca9 February 2021San José Domingo SánchezSacked1 March 2021 Thiago Leitão2 March 2021 Thiago LeitãoResigned29 March 202116th Manuel Luizaga (caretaker)30 March 2021Atlético Palmaflor Julio César BaldiviesoSacked29 March 20214th Thiago Leitão30 March 2021San José Manuel LuizagaEnd of caretaker spell6 April 202116th Marcos Ferrufino6 April 2021Nacional Potosí Álvaro PeñaSacked8 April 20216th Flavio Robatto13 April 2021Always Ready Sebastián Núñez10 April 20213rd Omar Asad13 April 2021The Strongest Alberto Illanes22 April 20212nd Luis Orozco (caretaker)22 April 2021Jorge Wilstermann Mauricio SoriaResigned25 April 202114th Marco Sandy (caretaker)26 April 2021The Strongest Luis OrozcoEnd of caretaker spell26 April 20211st Gustavo Florentín26 April 2021Jorge Wilstermann Marco Sandy29 April 202114th Diego Cagna28 April 2021Real Potosí Carlos FonsecaSacked12 May 202115th Armando Ibáñez13 May 2021San José Marcos Ferrufino16 May 202116th Domingo Sánchez17 May 2021Bolívar Natxo González23 May 20212nd Vladimir Soria (caretaker)23 May 2021 Vladimir SoriaEnd of caretaker spell14 July 20212nd Antônio Carlos Zago14 July 2021Real Santa Cruz Néstor ClausenResigned21 July 202114th David Perdiguero22 July 2021Always Ready Omar AsadSacked27 July 20218th Pablo Godoy29 July 2021Royal Pari Christian Díaz27 July 20215th Luis Marín Camacho (caretaker)28 July 2021Real Potosí Armando Ibáñez30 July 202115th Marco Sandy2 August 2021Royal Pari Luis Marín CamachoEnd of caretaker spell3 August 20215th Miguel Ángel Portugal3 August 2021Nacional Potosí Flavio RobattoSacked4 August 20216th Alberto Illanes6 August 2021Real Tomayapo Horacio PachecoResigned8 August 202112th Álvaro Peña10 August 2021The Strongest Gustavo Florentín15 August 20211st Pablo Cabanillas (caretaker)15 August 2021Blooming Eduardo VillegasMutual consent19 August 202114th Hernán Meske19 August 2021San José Domingo SánchezResigned21 August 202116th Óscar Daza26 August 2021The Strongest Pablo CabanillasEnd of caretaker spell21 August 20211st Christian Díaz19 August 2021Guabirá Víctor Hugo AndradaSacked23 August 202110th Víctor Hugo Antelo25 August 2021San José Óscar Daza14 September 202116th Luis Choque (caretaker)16 September 2021Atlético Palmaflor Thiago Leitão15 September 20217th Víctor Hugo Andrada15 September 2021Real Potosí Marco Sandy18 September 202115th Ronald Villafuerte (caretaker)18 September 2021Jorge Wilstermann Diego CagnaResigned23 September 20219th Sergio Migliaccio24 September 2021Real Potosí Ronald VillafuerteEnd of caretaker spell29 September 202115th Sebastián Núñez29 September 2021Aurora Humberto VivianiResigned17 October 202112th Sergio Zeballos18 October 2021Atlético Palmaflor Víctor Hugo Andrada1 November 20219th Humberto Viviani3 November 2021Nacional Potosí Alberto Illanes23 November 202111th Roberto Mancilla23 November 2021Blooming Hernán Meske27 November 202115th Rodrigo Venegas28 November 2021 Notes
Standings
Results
Top scorers Rank Name Club Goals 1 Martín ProstIndependiente Petrolero 18 2 Carmelo AlgarañazAlways Ready 17 3 Kevin MinaGuabirá 16 4 Leonardo RamosBolívar 15 Jefferson TavaresRoyal Pari 6 Edarlyn ReyesReal Santa Cruz 14 7 Jair ReinosoThe Strongest 13 8 Juan GodoyIndependiente Petrolero 12 Sebastián GularteNacional Potosí WillieThe Strongest
Source: Soccerway
Relegation/promotion play-off The relegation play-off was played by: Real Potosí (2021 División Profesional 15th place) Universitario de Sucre (2021 Copa Simón Bolívar runners-up)
The winners played in the top flight for the 2022 season.
Universitario de Sucre won 6–0 on points and were promoted to Primera División.
References
External links División Profesional on the FBF's official website