League - Liga

LEAGUE - LIGA 

Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras (English: Honduran Professional National Football League) is the first and highest division of football in Honduras. The league season is divided into Opening (autumn) and Closing (spring).


One team is relegated to the Liga de Ascenso (the team with fewest points in Opening and Closing) and one team is promoted from Liga de Ascenso. The first 4 clubs participate in play-offs to decide the champion. The winners of the Opening and Closing competitions participate in the CONCACAF Champions League.

History of the League

In the 1930s, soccer experienced a surge in popularity in the country. In 1948 with the birth of the Francisco Morazán Major Football League, the idea to organize football began to take shape.

C.D. Olimpia, C.D. Federal, C.D. Motagua, C.D. Argentina and Real C.D. España are the pioneers of the Liga Mayor. In 1948 the first championship began in the recently inaugurated Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino as C.D. Victoria were made champions by beating Motagua; and three years later, in 1951, they repeated the trick. Due to the high support the League received at this time, the Confederacy Sports School Extra of Honduras (F.N.D.E.H.) was founded.

The cancellation of the court of the Francisco Morazán Stadium of San Pedro Sula was the catalyst that caused the sport's leaders of the northern and central parts of Honduras to join forces and caused the disappearance of the F.N.D.E.H.

On 8 March 1951, Juan Manuel Galvez gave life to the F.N.D.E.H. when he signed the presidential decree I number 97 and he vouched for the execution of the first Sports Congress that was carried out in the installations of the abandoned "National Gymnasium Rubén Callejas Valentine".

A decade after the creation of the F.N.D.E.H. and under the leadership of Hémerito F. Hernández, and also under Féderico Bunker Aguilar who had pioneered CONCACAF's creation at the same time, the idea to create the First National League of Soccer took shape between 1962 and 1963. Thanks in part to the aid of executives such as Alejandro Talbott that had studied in Mexico, the structure of that country's league was copied.
 



On Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 April 1964 the 15th National Congress created the league. The 15th National Congress also started the National Non Amateur Football League of Honduras, LINAFUTH, which was founded 10 May, that year.

The president of the Sports Confederacy was Oscar Kafati and the secretary was journalist Andrés Torres Jr. Several teams sent delegates. These included Olimpia, Troya, España, Honduras de El Progreso, Vida, Marathón, Motagua, La Salle, and Atlético Español Glidden.

Those delegates were chosen to be to the first Provisional Board of Directors that remained headed by: President Oscar Lara Mejía, Secretary: José T. Castañeda, Treasurer: Jesus J. Handal, Fiscal: Humberto Soriano Aguilar and vocal: Oscar Kirckonell, Alfredo Bueso, and René Bendeck.

The first round of the first professional national championship was on 18 July 1965, with the following results: Olimpia 3–0 Marathón; España 1–0 Troya; Honduras 3–0 Atlético Español; Vida 4–1 Motagua; and Platense 6–2 La Salle. Pedro Deras of C.D. Honduras was the first scorer of the league in the 5th minute against C.D. Atlético Español. C.D. Platense was the first professional champion of Honduras winning the two rounds; and Atlético Español finished last, but there was no relegation. Enrique Fúnez was the first top-scorer with 14 goals.

2011–12 teams

 

Relegation-Promotion

Main article: Promotion and relegation in Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras

The current relegation-promotion format is the following. The winner of Liga de Ascenso de Honduras Apertura plays the winner of Liga de Ascenso de Honduras Clausura and whoever wins the two legged match wins promotion. Apertura and Clausura tournaments are added up to see who is last who gets relegated.

Historic All Time Scorers

Champions by year