The 2023 FBF División Profesional, known as the 2023 Liga Tigo for sponsorship reasons, was the 46th season of the División Profesional del Fútbol Boliviano, Bolivia's top-flight football league and the sixth season under División de Fútbol Profesional management. The season started on 4 February and ended on 6 December 2023.
The competition was suspended at a meeting of the División Profesional's Council on 5 September 2023, along with the 2023 Copa de la División Profesional, after the Bolivian Football Federation president Fernando Costa denounced suspicions of match-fixing, bribery, illegal betting and alterations to VAR. However, the suspension was lifted per suggestion from Costa on 27 September after reforms to the referee commission were performed and an agreement with CONMEBOL for monitoring was reached, as well as to allow the FBF's Sports Disciplinary Court to finish the investigations on the matter.
The Strongest were the champions, clinching their sixteenth league title with two games in hand and a 1–1 draw against Always Ready on 26 November 2023. Bolívar were the defending champions.
Format On 11 November 2022, the Bolivian Football Federation announced that the 2023 season of the División Profesional would have 17 teams, as the division's Higher Council decided that no club would be directly relegated to the Bolivian Football Regional Leagues. With this, the 2022 Copa Simón Bolívar earned a direct spot in the top tier, while the runners-up played a promotion/relegation play-off against the last-placed team in the aggregate table, Universitario de Sucre.
The format for the season was confirmed after a meeting of the División Profesional's Council held on 13 January 2023. Teams played two parallel tournaments in the season: a double round-robin league tournament which was played on weekends and crowned the season's only champion and a league cup tournament which was played on weekdays with a group stage and an eight-team knockout stage. The champions of both tournaments qualified for the 2024 Copa Libertadores, whilst the league cup runners-up qualified for the 2024 Copa Sudamericana. The remaining international berths as well as relegation were decided by an aggregate table which considered the performance of teams in both the league tournament and the group stage of the División Profesional cup. The two teams with the lowest average at the end of the season were directly relegated to the regional leagues, while the team with the next lowest average played a relegation play-off series, this in order to return to 16 teams in the league for the following season.
Teams 17 teams competed in the league for the 2023 season, 15 of which took part in 2022. Vaca Díez took part in the top flight for the first time ever, ensuring their promotion on 24 November 2022 after winning the 2022 Copa Simón Bolívar, whilst Libertad Gran Mamoré were also promoted after winning the promotion/relegation play-off against Universitario de Sucre, who were relegated after one season in the top flight.
Stadia and locations
TeamCityStadiumCapacityAlways ReadyEl AltoMunicipal de Villa Ingenio25,000AuroraCochabambaFélix Capriles32,000BloomingSanta Cruz de la SierraRamón Tahuichi Aguilera38,000BolívarLa PazHernando Siles42,000GuabiráMonteroGilberto Parada13,000Independiente PetroleroSucreOlímpico Patria30,700Jorge WilstermannCochabambaFélix Capriles32,000Libertad Gran MamoréTrinidadGran Mamoré12,000Nacional PotosíPotosíVíctor Agustín Ugarte32,105Oriente PetroleroSanta Cruz de la SierraRamón Tahuichi Aguilera38,000Palmaflor del TrópicoVilla TunariBicentenario25,000Real Santa CruzSanta Cruz de la SierraReal Santa Cruz14,000Real TomayapoTarijaIV Centenario15,000Royal PariSanta Cruz de la SierraRamón Tahuichi Aguilera38,000The StrongestLa PazHernando Siles42,000Universitario de VintoCochabambaFélix Capriles32,000Vaca DíezCobijaRoberto Jordán Cuéllar24,000 Notes
Personnel and kits Team Manager Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Always Ready Óscar Villegas (caretaker) Marathon UTB, Suzuki Aurora Mauricio Soria Marathon Tigo Blooming Carlos Bustos Marathon Kia Bolívar Vladimir Soria Wálter Flores(caretakers) Puma Suzuki Guabirá Humberto Viviani Forte Celina, Ingenio Guabirá, Grupo Paz Independiente Petrolero Marcelo Robledo Forte Tigo, Fancesa, UTB Jorge Wilstermann Christian Díaz Forte Campero, BC Towers, BoA Libertad Gran Mamoré Marcelo Straccia Parabero Sport Aqua Level, UTB, Coca-Cola Nacional Potosí Flavio Robatto Forte BCP Oriente Petrolero Rodrigo Venegas Marathon Chevrolet Palmaflor del Trópico Joaquín Pérez Forte Maxus, Centro Comercial Privado Av. G77 Real Santa Cruz Miguel Ángel Zahzú Arce GAC Motor Real Tomayapo Martín Brignani LEA Altavida Royal Pari David de la Torre Marathon Grupo SION The Strongest Pablo Cabanillas Marathon Universitario de Vinto Pablo Godoy Oxígeno Wear Lucana, UTB Vaca Díez Rodrigo Santana IAN Raulino y Nolvia
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentPalmaflor del Trópico VacantPre-season Daniel Brizuela5 December 2022Bolívar Antônio Carlos ZagoEnd of contract12 November 2022 Beñat San José12 November 2022Nacional Potosí Flavio RobattoMutual agreement13 November 2022 Víctor Hugo Andrada17 November 2022The Strongest Claudio BiaggioEnd of contract18 November 2022 Ismael Rescalvo8 December 2022Blooming Víctor Hugo AnteloMutual agreement20 November 2022 Thiago Leitão16 December 2022Real Santa Cruz Andrés Marinangeli21 November 2022 Miguel Abrigo3 January 2023Independiente Petrolero Rodrigo VenegasEnd of contract22 November 2022 Juan Pablo Grass22 November 2022Vaca Díez Carlos HurtadoResigned25 November 2022 José Aurelio Gay24 December 2022Universitario de Vinto Pablo Godoy27 December 2022 Alberto Illanes5 January 2023Always Ready Óscar VillegasEnd of caretaker spell28 December 2022 Pablo Godoy28 December 2022Jorge Wilstermann Alberto IllanesResigned31 December 2022 Christian Díaz23 January 2023Independiente Petrolero Juan Pablo GrassSacked16 February 202316th Álvaro Peña16 February 2023Libertad Gran Mamoré Cristian Reynaldo16 February 202311th Andrés Marinangeli17 February 2023Blooming Thiago Leitão18 February 202313th Carlos Bustos19 February 2023Always Ready Pablo Godoy6 March 20239th Claudio Biaggio10 March 2023Libertad Gran Mamoré Andrés Marinangeli13 March 202313th José Peña13 March 2023Nacional Potosí Víctor Hugo Andrada13 March 20235th Flavio Robatto14 March 2023Real Tomayapo Richard Rojas14 March 202314th Juan Vita15 March 2023Royal Pari Luis Marín CamachoEnd of caretaker spell15 March 202310th Roberto Mosquera15 March 2023Oriente Petrolero Erwin SánchezResigned15 April 20237th Leonardo Eguez20 April 2023Guabirá Mauricio SoriaMutual agreement17 April 202314th Miguel Ángel Portugal21 April 2023Vaca Díez José Aurelio GayResigned1 May 202313th Marcos Pastor2 May 2023Oriente Petrolero Leonardo EguezEnd of caretaker spell7 May 202310th Ángel Guillermo Hoyos4 May 2023Always Ready Claudio BiaggioMutual agreement4 May 20236th Óscar Villegas5 May 2023Vaca Díez Marcos PastorEnd of caretaker spell6 May 202314th Carlos Fonseca6 May 2023Palmaflor del Trópico Daniel BrizuelaResigned7 May 20236th Joaquín Pérez8 May 2023The Strongest Ismael Rescalvo8 May 20231st Claudio Biaggio8 May 2023Royal Pari Roberto MosqueraMutual agreement22 May 202313th David de la Torre23 May 2023Guabirá Miguel Ángel Portugal22 May 202310th Gualberto Mojica23 May 2023 Gualberto MojicaEnd of caretaker spell1 June 202313th José Aurelio Gay1 June 2023The Strongest Claudio BiaggioMutual agreement12 June 20231st Ricardo Formosinho17 June 2023Real Tomayapo Juan VitaResigned22 June 20239th Pablo Rubinich22 June 2023 Pablo RubinichEnd of caretaker spell24 June 20238th David González24 June 2023Universitario de Vinto Alberto IllanesSacked13 July 202310th Pablo Godoy14 July 2023Oriente Petrolero Ángel Guillermo HoyosResigned18 July 202313th Antonio Puche19 July 2023Libertad Gran Mamoré José PeñaSacked20 July 202317th Humberto Viviani20 July 2023Vaca Díez Carlos Fonseca21 July 202315th Rodrigo Santana27 July 2023The Strongest Ricardo FormosinhoResigned10 August 20231st Pablo Cabanillas11 August 2023Guabirá José Aurelio GayMutual agreement14 August 202316th Andrés Marinangeli15 August 2023Real Santa Cruz Claudio Rodríguez and Miguel AbrigoResigned21 August 20236th Miguel Ángel Zahzú23 August 2023Independiente Petrolero Álvaro Peña21 August 20237th Marcelo Robledo23 August 2023Always Ready Óscar VillegasDemoted to the reserve squad30 August 20234th Rodrigo Venegas30 August 2023Real Tomayapo David GonzálezResigned29 September 202310th Pablo Rubinich1 October 2023 Pablo RubinichEnd of caretaker spell11 October 20237th Martín Brignani11 October 2023Always Ready Rodrigo VenegasMutual agreement30 October 20234th Óscar Villegas30 October 2023Libertad Gran Mamoré Humberto VivianiResigned6 November 202316th Marcelo Straccia9 November 2023Oriente Petrolero Antonio PucheSacked6 November 202310th Rodrigo Venegas8 November 2023Guabirá Andrés Marinangeli8 November 202315th Humberto Viviani8 November 2023Aurora Roberto Pérez14 November 20235th Mauricio Soria15 November 2023Bolívar Beñat San JoséResigned19 November 20232nd Vladimir Soria and Wálter Flores19 November 2023 Notes
Standings
Results
Top scorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Dorny RomeroAlways Ready 25 2 Martín ProstNacional Potosí 22 Enrique TriverioThe Strongest 4 Tommy TobarNacional Potosí 21 5 Ronnie FernándezBolívar 18 Jair ReinosoAurora 7 José Erick CorreaRoyal Pari 10 Gastón RodríguezBlooming Thomaz SantosIndependiente Petrolero 10 Junior AriasThe Strongest 9 Diego CuadrosVaca Díez RafinhaBlooming
Source: Soccerway
Aggregate table For this season, the aggregate table considered the performance of teams in the 2023 División Profesional league tournament as well as the group stage of the 2023 Copa de la División Profesional. Given the odd number of teams in the league for the season and the uneven size of groups in the Copa de la División Profesional, this table was based on averages, dividing the sum of points in both tournaments by the total number of games played in both tournaments for each team.
Team Qualification or relegation 1Bolívar 42 25 6 11 108 49 +59 81 Qualification for Copa Libertadores group stage 2The Strongest (C) 40 22 11 7 75 40 +35 77 3Always Ready 42 20 12 10 74 53 +21 72 4Aurora 40 17 13 10 50 35 +15 64 Qualification for Copa Libertadores first stage 5Nacional Potosí 42 19 9 14 92 63 +29 66 Qualification for Copa Sudamericana first stage 6Real Tomayapo 42 16 13 13 44 48 −4 61 7Jorge Wilstermann 42 17 15 10 59 38 +21 60 8Universitario de Vinto 42 13 17 12 47 45 +2 56 9Blooming 42 16 7 19 53 64 −11 55 10Real Santa Cruz 40 14 10 16 35 53 −18 52 11Oriente Petrolero 42 12 13 17 51 61 −10 49 12Guabirá 40 13 7 20 43 56 −13 46 13Royal Pari 42 12 12 18 54 68 −14 48 14 42 15 3 24 43 62 −19 48 15 42 13 7 22 42 82 −40 46 Qualification for Promotion/relegation play-off 16Vaca Díez (R) 42 12 8 22 56 82 −26 44 Relegation to Bolivian Football Regional Leagues 17Palmaflor del Trópico (R) 40 10 9 21 37 64 −27 39 Source: Paraelfutbol.comRules for classification: 1) Average, 2) Average goal difference, 4) Average goals for, 5) Average away goals for, 6) Average yellow cards, 7) Average red cards, 8) Drawing of lots.(C) Champion; (R) Relegated Notes
Promotion/relegation play-off The relegation play-off was played by: Libertad Gran Mamoré (2023 División Profesional aggregate table 15th place) San Antonio Bulo Bulo (2023 Copa Simón Bolívar runners-up)
Tied 2–2 on aggregate, San Antonio Bulo Bulo won on penalties and promoted to the División Profesional.
See also 2023 Copa de la División Profesional
References
External links División Profesional on the FBF's official website