Liga Nacional de Guatemala
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{| class="infobox football" style="width: 16em; text-align: center;"
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! style="font-size: 16px;" | ''Liga Nacional de Guatemala''
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| style="font-size: 10px;" | [[Image:Current sport.svg|40px|]] ''[[Guatemala Clausura 2008]]''
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| style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;" |
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| style="font-size: 12px; background: #BFD7FF;" | '''Founded'''
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| style="font-size: 12px;" | [[1919]]
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| style="font-size: 12px; background: #BFD7FF;" | '''Nation'''
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| style="font-size: 12px;" | {{GUA}}
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| style="font-size: 12px; background: #BFD7FF;" | '''Relegation To'''
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| style="font-size: 12px;" | [[Primera División de Ascenso]]
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| style="font-size: 12px; background: #BFD7FF;" | '''Number of Teams'''
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| style="font-size: 12px;" | 10
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| style="font-size: 12px; background: #BFD7FF;" | '''International Qualification'''
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| style="font-size: 12px;" | [[Copa Interclubes UNCAF]]
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| style="font-size: 12px; background: #BFD7FF;" | '''Current Champions ([[2007]]/[[2008|08]] Apertura)'''
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| style="font-size: 12px;" | [[Image:Municipal gua.jpg|20px]] [[CSD Municipal| CSD Municipal]]
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| style="font-size: 12px; background: #BFD7FF;" | '''Website'''
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| style="font-size: 12px;" | [http://www.guatefutbol.com]
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|}
'''''Liga Nacional de Fútbol de [[Guatemala]]''''' (National [[football (soccer)|Football]] League of Guatemala), formerly known as '''''Liga Mayor "A" ''''' (Major League "A") is a professional football division in [[Guatemala]], the highest one in the country. It is sanctioned by the ''[[Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala]]''. The champion and runner-up teams of the Liga Nacional's official [[tournament]]s qualify to participate in international competitions within the [[UNCAF]] and the [[CONCACAF]]. Ten teams currently compose the league and compete for the national title. [[CSD Municipal|Municipal]], with 25 national titles, is the most successful club in the league to date.
==History==
Its first official tournament took place in [[1942 in football (soccer)|1942]], and succeeded what was known as the '''''Liga Capitalina''''' (League of the Capital), which started in [[1919 in football (soccer)|1919]]. The 1942-43 tournament was played by seven teams in a double [[round-robin tournament]]. Three teams – [[CSD Municipal|Municipal]], [[Tipografía Nacional (football club)|Tipografía Nacional]], and ''Guatemala FC'' – finished tied for the first place after the two rounds. A [[playoff]] between the three teams was conducted to determine the winner, with Municipal earning their first national title.<ref>[http://www.prensalibre.com/especiales/ME/guatefut/10.html "Guatemala, 100 años de fútbol - Municipal"] - prensalibre.com - ''Prensa Libre'' newspaper, Guatemala</ref>
{{Expand-section|date=June 2008}}
==Competition Format==
The league has had several different formats throughout its history; currently, the league season is divided into two tournaments. The [[Apertura]], which is played in the fall, and the [[Clausura]], which is played in the spring. The first 6 clubs in the standings at the end of each competition participate in the playoffs to determine the champion, 1st and 2nd place teams qualify directly to semi-finals, while the others have to play in the quarter-finals. The winners of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments participate in the [[UNCAF Club Tournament]].
At the end of the season, the 10th placed team (the team with the least number of points) in the final table standings (the combined standings of both, the [[Apertura]] and [[Clausura]] tournaments) is [[relegation|relegated]] to the [[Primera División de Ascenso]] (2nd division of the league) automatically at the end of the [[Clausura]] tournament in late May. The teams finishing 8th and 9th in the final standings enter into a two-legged playoff with the second- and third-placed clubs of the [[Primera División de Guatemala|Primera División]], respectively. The playoff winners play in the top division while the losers spend the next season in the second division.
==Teams in the league 2008-2009==
* '''[[Comunicaciones]]''' [[Guatemala City]]
* '''[[Deportivo Heredia|Heredia]]''' [[Morales, Guatemala|Morales]]
* '''[[Deportivo Jalapa|Jalapa]]''' [[Jalapa, Jalapa|Jalapa]]
* '''[[Marquense]]''' [[San Marcos, Guatemala|San Marcos]]
* '''[[CSD Municipal|Municipal]]''' [[Guatemala City]]
* '''[[Deportivo Petapa|Petapa]]''' [[San Miguel Petapa]]
* '''[[CD Suchitepéquez|Suchitepéquez]]''' [[Mazatenango]]
* '''[[Club Xelajú MC|Xelajú]]''' [[Quetzaltenango]]
* '''[[Deportivo Xinabajul|Xinabajul]]''' [[Huehuetenango]]
* '''[[Deportivo Zacapa|Zacapa]]''' [[Zacapa]]
==See also==
*[[Guatemala national football team]]
==References and notes==
{{reflist}}
==Further reading==
*[http://www.prensalibre.com/especiales/ME/guatefut/index.html Guatemala, 100 años de fútbol] - prensalibre.com - ''Prensa Libre'' newspaper, Guatemala
==External links==
*[http://www.rsssf.com/tablesg/guatchamp.html "Guatemala - List of Champions"] (all national champions since 1919)
*[http://guatefutbol.com] - guatefutbol.com
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[[Category:Football in Guatemala]]
[[Category:National football (soccer) premier leagues|Guatemala]]
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[[es:Liga Nacional de Guatemala]]
[[fr:Championnat du Guatemala de football]]
[[nl:Liga Nacional de Guatemala]]