The 2022–23 Primera División de El Salvador, also known as the Liga Pepsi, was the 24th season and 46th and 47th Primera División tournament, El Salvador's top football division, since its establishment of an Apertura and Clausura format. C.D. FAS and TBD are the defending champions of both Apertura and Clausura tournaments respectively. The league will consist of 12 teams. There will be two seasons conducted under identical rules, with each team playing a home and away game against the other clubs for a total of 22 games per tournament. At the end of each half-season tournament, the top six teams in that tournament's regular season standings will take part in the playoffs.
Originally, the Apertura 2022 tournament was scheduled to begin on June 9, but a crisis ensued within the Salvadoran Football Federation that lasted a month and a half, forcing the tournament to be reduced to 16 due to the World Cup in Qatar, which kicked off on November 20.
The champions of Apertura or Clausura with the better aggregate record will qualify for the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League. The other champion, and the runner-up with the better aggregate record will qualify for the 2023 CONCACAF League. Should the same team win both tournaments, both runners-up will qualify for CONCACAF League. Should the final of both tournaments features the same two teams, the semi-finalist with the better aggregate record will qualify for CONCACAF League.
Teams
Promotion and relegation
A total of 12 teams will contest the league, including 11 sides from the 2021–22 Primera División and 1 promoted from the 2021–22 Segunda División.
Dragon was promoted to the Primera División in June 2022 after defeating A.D. Municipal in a playoff match by a score of 0–0.
C.D. Municipal Limeño was relegated to the 2022–23 Segunda División.
Stadiums and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity A.D. Chalatenango Chalatenango Estadio José Gregorio Martínez 15,000 A.D. Isidro Metapán Metapán Estadio Jorge Calero Suárez 10,000 Alianza F.C. San Salvador Estadio Cuscatlán 53,400 C.D. Águila San Miguel Estadio Juan Francisco Barraza 10,000 C.D. Atlético Marte San Salvador Estadio Cuscatlán 53,400 Dragon San Miguel Estadio Juan Francisco Barraza 10,000 C.D. FAS Santa Ana Estadio Óscar Quiteño 17,500 C.D. Luis Ángel Firpo Usulután Estadio Sergio Torres 5,000 Platense Zacatecoluca Estadio Antonio Toledo Valle 10,000 Once Deportivo Ahuachapán Estadio Simeón Magaña 5,000 Jocoro F.C. Jocoro Complejo Deportivo Tierra de Fuego 3,000 Santa Tecla F.C. Santa Tecla Estadio Las Delicias 10,000
Notable events
Notable death from Apertura 2022 season and 2023 Clausura season The following people associated with the Primera Division have died between the middle of 2022 and middle of 2023.
Saul Lorenzo Rivero (Uruguayan ex coach of FAS, Aguila, Isidro Metapan) Nahún Corro Bazan (Mexican, ex Aguila player) Kiril Dojčinovski (Macedonian ex coach of LA Firpo, Limeno) Romeo Blanco (ex Alianza and Atletico Marte) Italo Maldonado (ex ANTEL player) Julio César Madrid (ex Dragon player) Raúl Corcio Zavaleta (ex Aguila, Santa Anita, Aguila, Sonsonate, Atletico Marte, Limeno) Genaro Sermeño (Ex FAS player) Remberto Santillana (Ex FAS, Once Lobos and Metapan FC coach) Antonio “Chueño” Landaverde (Ex FAS player) Francisco Osorto (ex Santiagueno, Limeno player) José Angel Guerra "Gallito Guerra" (ex Platense player) Ricardo Gambeta Sosa (ex Dragon, ADLER, Fuerte Aguilares and Juventud Olimpica player) Nestor Matamala (ex Chilean coach, CD Aguila coach) Muere entrenador chileno y finalista con CD Águila Paulo Damasco (ex Brazilian, Santiagueño player ) Falleció en Río de Janeiro el recordado ex futbolista del Santiagueño, Paulo Damasco – Diario El Salvador
Change of ownership On 15 April 2022, FAS announced that they had been acquired by American ownership group AMG Sports
FESFUT removal and Games suspensions On the 20th of July, The Governmental National Sports Institute (INDES) in association with the Attorney general raided Salvadoran Football Federation (FESFUT) in relation to money laundering and fraudulent administration. INDES issued an administrative resolution ordering the dismissal of FESFUT directors and the creation of a Normalizing Commission.
As a result of this internal crisis, All three main divisions games from round 2 to 4 were suspended due to referees not showing up.
FIFA said that it could suspend El Salvador if its state-led sports institute removes the heads of the Salvadoran Football Federation (FESFUT) in favor of hand-picked officials, according to a letter shared by the federation online.
After a month and a half and with the imposition of a FIFA Regulation Committee in the FESFUT, plus the delivery of credentials by INDES, the first division (as well as the second and third) obtained the green light to be able to resume their tournament, which was interrupted after a disputed date.
The Primera Division announced August 31, 2022, that the season will resume the Apertura 2022 tournament on September 17, 2022.
New main sponsor for the league Instituto Nacional de los Deportes (INDES) signed a five-year contract with Primera División de El Salvador for five year, worth 7 millions USD (1.4 million per year). The league will be named as Liga INDES Apertura / Clausura”.
Estadio Cuscatlan Tragedy On the 25th May 2023, during the quarter final game between Alianza and FAS an incident occurred which resulted in a crowd crush of fans in the stadium.
According to reports, fans had been sold fake tickets for the game and angry fans attempted to pull down the barricades at the stadiums at the entrance. Twelve people were killed and dozens of others injured.
Authorities were looking at pressing charges against those responsible for the event and the Salvadoran Soccer Federation suspended all the following day's matches in the count.
Suspension 2023 Clausura season After the tragedy that occurred on the 25th of May, A reunion was called with FESFUT and members of the Primera División, the decision was made to cancel the 2023 Clausura season, no champion will be crowned and Chalatenango will be relegated.
Alianza will be punished by playing Apertura 2023 and Clausura 2024 seasons behind closed doors, Fined $30,000 United States dollars.
It was announced that FAS (Apertura 2022 Champion), Aguila (Club with the most Accumulated points in the Apertura 2022 and Clausura 2023 season) and Jocoro (Apertura 2022 Runner-up) will be the club representatives at the CONCACAF Central American Cup.
Fiscalía General de la República (El Salvador Police force) arrested the five people responsible for the poor security and issues that contributed to the tragedy, the five arrested included are President of Alianza Pedro Hernández, general manager of Alianza Edwin Abarca, Treasurer of Alianza Zoila Córdova, General manager of EDESSA the ownership group of Estadio Cuscatlán Reynaldo Contreras, and Head of security of EDESSA Samuel Montano.
Managerial changes
Before the start of the season
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyReplaced byDate of appointmentPosition in table Jocoro Edgar Henriquez Resigned due to Contract dispute May 2022 Carlos Estrada May 2022 th (2022 Apertura) Santa Tecla Leonel Carcamo Mutual Consent May 22, 2022 Ernesto Corti May 22, 2022 12th (2022 Apertura) Alianza Milton Melendez Resigned May 2022 Adonay Martinez June 27, 2022 th (2022 Apertura) Platense Ivan Ruiz Ended Intermship and Returned as assistant coach June 2022 Erick Prado June 2022 th (2022 Apertura) Chalatenango Erick Prado Mutual Consent June 2022 Edgar Henriquez June 2022 th (2022 Apertura) Atletico Marte Nelson Mauricio Ancheta Sacked June 2022 Osvaldo Escudero June 21, 2022 th (2022 Apertura) Luis Angel Firpo Eraldo Correia Mutual Consent June 2022 Carlos Romero June 2022 th (2022 Apertura) Once Deportivo de Ahuachapan Ruben da Silva Mutual Consent June 2022 Rodolfo Gochez June 2022 th (2022 Apertura) FAS Jorge Humberto Rodriguez Mutual Consent, Moved to be sporting director June 10, 2022 Octavio Zambrano June 2022 th (2022 Apertura)
During the Apertura season
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyReplaced byDate of appointmentPosition in table Aguila Agustin Castillo Mutual Consent August 2022 Sebastian Bini August 2022 9th (2022 Apertura) Jocoro Carlos Estrada Resigned due to family issues September 6, 2022 Jorge Pineda September 6, 2022 th (2023 Clausura) Jocoro Jorge Pineda Mutual Consent October, 2022 Jose Romero October, 2022 1st (2023 Clausura)
Between the Apertura and Clausura season
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyReplaced byDate of appointmentPosition in table Once Deportivo Rodolfo Gochez Sacked October 28, 2022 Erick Dowson Prado December, 2022 6th Group B (2022 Apertura) Alianza Adonay Martinez Sacked November 16, 2022 Eduardo Lara November 17, 2022 th (2023 Clausura) Platense Erick Dowson Prado Sacked November 30, 2022 Ruben Da Silva December, 2022 th (2023 Clausura) Jocoro Jose Romero Sacked November 30, 2022 Guillermo Bernardez December 27, 2022 th (2023 Clausura) Isidro Metapan Hector Omar Mejia Sacked December 12, 2022 Jorge Rodriguez December 13, 2022 th (2023 Clausura) LA Firpo Carlos Romero Sacked December, 2022 Guillermo Rivera December 21, 2022 th (2023 Clausura) Chalatenango Edgar Henriquez Mutual consent December 31, 2022 Ricardo Serrano January, 2023 th (2023 Clausura)
Clausura seasons
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyReplaced byDate of appointmentPosition in table Jocoro Guillermo Bernárdez Resigned due to poor results February 28, 2023 Victor Coreas February 28, 2023 10th (2023 Clausura) Atletico Marte Osvaldo Escudero Mutual Consent March 4, 2023 Omar Sevilla March 4, 2023 11th (2023 Clausura) Platense Ruben Da Silva Sacked March 28, 2023 Juan Cortés Diéguez March 29, 2023 10th (2023 Clausura) FAS Octavio Zambrano Sacked April 4, 2023 Efren Mercano (Interim) April 5, 2023 6th (2023 Clausura)
Apertura Phase 1 Group A
Group B
Playoffs Quarterfinals First legs
Second legs
FAS won 5–4 on Aggregate
Aguila won 1–0 on Aggregate
Jocoro won 4–3 on penalties, after tying 1–1 aggregate
Platense won 2–1 on aggregate
Semifinals First legs
Second legs
4–4. FAS won 4–3 on penalties
4–4. Jocoro won 4–2 on penalties
Final
FAS GK 1 Kevin CarabantesDF 20 Ibsen Castro DF 17 Roberto DomínguezDF 28 Rudy Clavel DF 12 Rubén Marroquín MF 22 Guillermo Stradella MF 5 Jose Portillo MF 29 Rodrigo Rivera MF 7 Juan Camilo Salazar FW 9 Luis Ángel Mendoza FW 27 Marvin Marquez Substitutes:MF 8 Bryan Landaverde MF 11 Denis Pineda DF 16 Andrés Flores MF 21 Wilma Torres FW 15 Yílmar Filigrana Manager: Octavio Zambrano
{| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center |colspan="5" style="padding-top: 0.6em; text-align:center"|Jocoro |- !width="25"| !!width="25"| |- |GK ||22|| Hector Ramirez |- |DF ||4|| Salvador Galindo || |- |DF ||2|| Carlos Arevalo |- |DF ||19|| Elvis Claros |- |DF ||23|| Nelson Moreno || |- |MF ||5|| Henry Maldonado |- |MF ||10|| Yuvini Salamanca |- |MF ||11|| Ronald Aparicio || |- |MF ||16|| Juan Carlos Argueta |- |MF ||17|| Junior Padilla || |- |FW ||23|| Henry Romero || |- |colspan=5|Substitutes: |- |MF ||12|| Enmanuel Hernandez || || |- |MF ||27|| Carlos Garcia || || |- |MF ||29|| Joel Turcios || || |- |MF ||20|| Roque Caballero || || |- |MF ||'''24|| Oscar Franco || || |- |colspan=5|Manager:|- |colspan=5| Jose Romero
Apertura 2022 Records Records Best home records: TBD (00 points out of 33 points) Worst home records: TBD (0 points out of 33 points) Best away records : TBD (00 points out of 33 points) Worst away records : TBD (0 points out of 33 points) Most goals scored: Aguila (23 goals) Fewest goals scored: Firpo (6 goals) Fewest goals conceded : Dragon (7 goals) Most goals conceded : Chalatenango (18 goals)