The 2022 Primera División season, officially Liga de Fútbol Profesional Venezolano or Liga FUTVE, was the 66th season of the Venezuelan Primera División, the top-flight football league in Venezuela, and the 41st season since the start of the professional era. The season began on 24 February and ended with the final match on 30 October 2022.
Metropolitanos won their first title in the competition, beating Monagas on penalty kicks after drawing 1–1 after extra time in the final. Deportivo Táchira were the defending champions.
Format changes On 6 October 2021, the Liga FUTVE initially announced the return of the Apertura and Clausura format for the 2022 season, with the top eight clubs advancing to a play-off stage in which international berths would be decided. It was also announced that clubs would be required to fully meet club licensing requirements in order to be allowed to take part in the competition.
The competition format was eventually confirmed by the Liga FUTVE on 12 January 2022 after a meeting with representatives from the 16 participating clubs. Instead of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments originally announced, the 16 clubs took part in a round-robin first stage in which they played each other twice (once at home and once away) for a total of 30 games, with the top 12 clubs advancing to the next round of the competition. The top four clubs, which qualified for the 2023 Copa Libertadores, advanced to a final stage (Fase Final Libertadores) where they played each other twice with the top two teams playing a single-legged final to decide the league champions. The teams placed 5th to 12th advanced to the Fase Final Sudamericana where they were divided into two groups of four, in which the top two of each group qualified for the 2023 Copa Sudamericana. The last-placed team in the first stage was relegated to Segunda División.
Teams On 30 December 2021, the Venezuelan Football Federation announced the results of the club licensing process for the 2022 season. Atlético Venezuela and Gran Valencia had their license applications denied, as well as the 2021 Segunda División champions Titanes, and were unable to take part in the competition. As a result, no teams were promoted and the 2022 Primera División season was played by 16 teams.
Relegated to 2022 Segunda División7Trujillanos (Occidental Group)7Yaracuyanos (Central Group)7LALA (Oriental Group)
Failed club licensing processAtlético VenezuelaGran Valencia
Promoted to 2022 Primera DivisiónNone (Titanes were denied a license)
Stadia and locations
Team Manager City Stadium Capacity Academia Puerto Cabello Juan Tolisano Puerto Cabello La Bombonerita 7,500 Aragua Leonel Vielma Maracay Olímpico Hermanos Ghersi Páez 14,000 Carabobo Enrique Maggiolo Valencia Misael Delgado 10,400 Caracas Henry Meléndez (caretaker) Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940 Deportivo La Guaira Daniel Farías Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940Deportivo Lara Jesús Ortiz Barquisimeto Farid Richa 12,480 Deportivo Táchira Eduardo Saragó San Cristóbal Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo 38,755 Estudiantes de Mérida Leonardo González Mérida Metropolitano de Mérida 42,200 Hermanos Colmenarez Horacio Matuszyczk Barinas Agustín Tovar 29,800 Metropolitanos José María Morr Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940 Mineros de Guayana Elías Emmons (caretaker) Ciudad Guayana Polideportivo Cachamay 41,600 Monagas Jhonny Ferreira Maturín Monumental de Maturín 51,796 Portuguesa Martín Brignani Acarigua General José Antonio Páez 18,000 Universidad Central Edson Rodríguez Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940 Zamora Noel Sanvicente Barinas Agustín Tovar 29,800 Zulia Adolfo Monsalve Maracaibo Sede Deportiva Lino Alonso 500
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentFirst stageZamora Alfarabi RomeroEnd of caretaker spell21 October 2021Pre-season Noel Sanvicente29 December 2021Academia Puerto Cabello Jeremy Nowak30 November 2021 Francisco Perlo17 December 2021Deportivo Lara Leonardo GonzálezResigned9 December 2021 Jorge Durán29 December 2021Mineros Pastor MárquezMutual agreement11 December 2021 Gabriel Martínez Poch5 January 2022Carabobo Enrique MaggioloEnd of contract15 December 2021 Enrique García2 January 2022Caracas Noel Sanvicente15 December 2021 Francesco Stifano27 December 2021Deportivo Táchira Juan TolisanoSigned by Deportes Antofagasta21 December 2021 Alex Pallarés24 December 2021Estudiantes de Mérida Leonel VielmaMutual agreement9 March 202215th Ildemaro Fernández9 March 2022 Ildemaro FernándezEnd of caretaker spell21 March 202212th Leonardo González21 March 2022Deportivo Lara Jorge DuránMutual agreement27 March 202212th Eder Mancilla28 March 2022Mineros de Guayana Gabriel Martínez PochResigned7 April 202212th Kelvin Salazar7 April 2022Academia Puerto Cabello Francisco PerloMutual agreement13 April 202215th Bladimir Morales14 April 2022Zulia Henry MeléndezSacked15 April 202216th Francisco Perlo19 April 2022Mineros de Guayana Kelvin SalazarEnd of caretaker spell21 April 202213th Jorge Durán21 April 2022Universidad Central Daniel SassoMutual agreement4 May 202215th Enrique Maggiolo6 May 2022Academia Puerto Cabello Bladimir MoralesEnd of caretaker spell13 May 202213th Juan Tolisano13 May 2022Aragua Edson RodríguezMutual agreement17 May 20229th Leonel Vielma18 May 2022Carabobo Enrique GarcíaSacked4 July 20226th Antonio Franco4 July 2022Deportivo Lara Eder MancillaResigned14 July 202216th Eduardo Saragó19 July 2022Hermanos Colmenarez Luis Alberto PachecoSacked25 July 202212th Horacio Matuszyczk26 July 2022Deportivo Lara Eduardo SaragóResigned27 July 202215th Jesús Ortiz28 July 2022Portuguesa Alí CañasMutual agreement2 August 202210th Martín Brignani10 August 2022Zulia Francisco PerloResigned12 August 202211th Adolfo Monsalve13 August 2022Universidad Central Enrique Maggiolo16 August 202216th Edson Rodríguez16 August 2022Deportivo Táchira Alex PallarésMutual agreement19 August 20225th Eduardo Saragó20 August 2022Mineros de Guayana Jorge Durán28 August 202214th Elías Emmons31 August 2022Caracas Francesco StifanoSacked19 September 202211th Henry Meléndez19 September 2022Final stagesCarabobo Antonio FrancoSacked7 October 20224th, Fase Final Libertadores Enrique Maggiolo7 October 2022 Notes
First stage The first stage started on 24 February 2022 and ended on 18 September 2022.
Standings
Results
Fase Final Libertadores The top four teams in the first stage contested Fase Final Libertadores, playing each other twice. The top two teams advanced to the final and also qualified for the group stage of the 2023 Copa Libertadores, whilst the third- and fourth-placed teams qualified for the preliminary stages of the same competition.
Standings
Results
Fase Final Sudamericana Fase Final Sudamericana was contested by the teams ranked 5th to 12th in the first stage, which were drawn into two groups with the teams placed fifth and sixth in the previous stage being seeded into each group and played each other team in their group twice. The top two teams of each group qualified for the 2023 Copa Sudamericana.
Group A Standings
Results
Group B Standings
Results
Final The final match was hosted by the team with the best performance in the first stage of the season.
Top goalscorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Kevin ViverosCarabobo212 Juan Camilo ZapataHermanos Colmenarez193 Jovanny BolívarDeportivo La Guaira174 Richard BlancoMineros de Guayana13 Aquiles OcantoMonagas6 Antonio RomeroZamora11 Guido RouseZulia8 Erickson GallardoZamora10 Charlis OrtizMetropolitanos10 Samuel SosaAcademia Puerto Cabello9 Source: Liga FUTVE
References
External links of the Venezuelan Football Federation Liga FUTVE