The 2021 Chilean Primera División, known as Campeonato PlanVital 2021 for sponsorship purposes, was the 91st season of the Chilean Primera División, Chile's top-flight football league. The season began on 27 March and ended on 5 December 2021. Universidad Católica were the defending champions, and won their fourth straight title in the competition, and sixteenth overall, after a 3–0 away win over Everton on 4 December 2021, the last matchday of the season.

Format

In early February 2021, several bodies floated format proposals for the 2021 season, considering that the 2020 and 2021 editions of both the Copa Chile and Supercopa de Chile still needed to be played. ANFP considered playing a tournament with two stages, starting from late March. In the first stage, the 17 teams would play each other in a single round-robin tournament with the teams being split for the second stage in two groups: the top eight teams would play against each other for the championship, four Copa Libertadores berths and two Copa Sudamericana ones, while the remaining nine teams would play to avoid relegation, with the top team of that group also qualifying for the Copa Sudamericana. Three teams would be relegated: two teams directly and another one in a play-off. Meanwhile, the players union Sifup proposed to play a double round-robin tournament from April to December with two relegations, the 2020 Copa Chile in the first semester of 2021 and a league cup involving the Primera División teams in the second semester, with league broadcaster TNT Sports supporting a double round-robin tournament, or two short tournaments with play-offs in case the long tournament proposal was not feasible.

On 2 March 2021, ANFP's Council of Presidents voted to approve the format for the season. It was eventually decided to play a double round-robin tournament with the top three teams after 34 rounds qualifying for the Copa Libertadores, with a fourth berth being awarded to the 2021 Copa Chile champions. The teams placed from fourth to seventh place will qualify for the Copa Sudamericana, while the bottom two teams were relegated to Primera B, with the team placed third-from-bottom playing a double-legged play-off against the winners of the Primera B play-offs.

Teams

17 teams took part in the league in this season, down by one from the previous season: 15 teams from the 2020 tournament, plus the 2020 Primera B champions Ñublense and Deportes Melipilla, winners of the Primera B promotion play-offs. Ñublense returned to the top flight after five and a half years, while Deportes Melipilla played in Primera División after 13 years. Both promoted teams replaced Coquimbo Unido, Deportes Iquique, and Universidad de Concepción, who were relegated to Primera B at the end of the 2020 season.

Stadia and locations

2021 Campeonato Nacional Primera División is located in Chile
Locations of the 2021 Chilean Primera División teams.
TeamCityStadiumCapacity
Audax ItalianoSantiago (La Florida)Bicentenario de La Florida12,000
CobresalEl SalvadorEl Cobre12,000
Colo-ColoSantiago (Macul)Monumental David Arellano47,347
Curicó UnidoCuricóLa Granja8,278
Deportes AntofagastaAntofagastaCalvo y Bascuñán21,178
Deportes La SerenaLa SerenaLa Portada18,243
Deportes MelipillaMelipillaRoberto Bravo Santibáñez6,000
EvertonViña del MarSausalito22,360
HuachipatoTalcahuanoHuachipato-CAP Acero10,500
ÑublenseChillánNelson Oyarzún Arenas12,000
O'HigginsRancaguaEl Teniente13,849
PalestinoSantiago (La Cisterna)Municipal de La Cisterna8,000
Santiago WanderersValparaísoElías Figueroa Brander20,575
Unión EspañolaSantiago (Independencia)Santa Laura-Universidad SEK19,000
Unión La CaleraLa CaleraNicolás Chahuán Nazar9,200
Universidad CatólicaSantiago (Las Condes)San Carlos de Apoquindo14,118
Universidad de ChileSantiago (Ñuñoa)Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos48,665

Notes

Personnel and kits

TeamHead coachKit manufacturerSponsors
Audax ItalianoArgentina Pablo SánchezMacronTraverso
CobresalChile Gustavo HuertaKS7PF
Colo-ColoArgentina Gustavo QuinterosAdidasPilsen del Sur
Curicó UnidoChile Damián MuñozOneFitMultihogar
Deportes AntofagastaChile Diego Reveco (caretaker)Claus-7Minera Escondida
Deportes La SerenaChile Ivo BasayMacronBetano
Deportes MelipillaArgentina Cristián AránTrainingAriztía
EvertonArgentina Roberto SensiniCharlyClaro
HuachipatoChile Mario SalasOneFitPF
ÑublenseChile Jaime GarcíaOneFitFanaloza
O'HigginsChile Miguel RamírezAdidasSun Monticello
PalestinoArgentina Patricio GraffCapelli SportBank of Palestine
Santiago WanderersChile Jorge GarcésMacronTCL
Unión EspañolaChile César BravoKappaUniversidad SEK
Unión La CaleraArgentina Francisco MeneghiniSikerPF
Universidad CatólicaArgentina Cristian PaulucciUnder ArmourBICE
Universidad de ChileChile Cristián Romero (caretaker)AdidasPetrobras

Managerial changes

TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment
Deportes AntofagastaChile Héctor TapiaEnd of contract14 February 2021Pre-seasonChile Juan José Ribera22 February 2021
Santiago WanderersChile Miguel Ramírez16 February 2021Chile Ronald Fuentes18 February 2021
Unión La CaleraArgentina Juan Pablo VojvodaMutual consent18 February 2021Argentina Luca Marcogiuseppe1 March 2021
Universidad CatólicaArgentina Ariel HolanUse of exit clause18 February 2021Uruguay Gustavo Poyet28 February 2021
Unión EspañolaChile Jorge PellicerSacked3 May 202114thChile César Bravo3 May 2021
Santiago WanderersChile Ronald FuentesResigned8 May 202117thChile Víctor Rivero13 May 2021
Universidad de ChileVenezuela Rafael DudamelMutual consent5 June 202110thChile Esteban Valencia6 June 2021
Santiago WanderersChile Víctor Rivero25 June 202117thChile Emiliano Astorga6 July 2021
Unión La CaleraArgentina Luca Marcogiuseppe1 July 20213rdArgentina Francisco Meneghini1 July 2021
Curicó UnidoArgentina Martín PalermoResigned25 July 202116thChile Damián Muñoz25 July 2021
O'HigginsArgentina Dalcio GiovagnoliMutual consent8 August 202111thChile Miguel Ramírez9 August 2021
PalestinoChile José Luis Sierra16 August 202114thArgentina Patricio Graff19 August 2021
Universidad CatólicaUruguay Gustavo Poyet30 August 20215thArgentina Cristian Paulucci31 August 2021
Deportes MelipillaChile John ArmijoSacked30 August 202115thArgentina Cristián Arán1 September 2021
Deportes La SerenaChile Miguel Ponce31 August 202112thChile Óscar Correa (caretaker)1 September 2021
Chile Óscar CorreaEnd of caretaker spell7 September 202111thChile Ivo Basay7 September 2021
Deportes AntofagastaChile Juan José RiberaMutual consent29 September 20219thChile Diego Reveco (caretaker)29 September 2021
HuachipatoArgentina Juan Luvera17 October 202115thChile Mario Salas18 October 2021
Universidad de ChileChile Esteban ValenciaResigned31 October 202112thChile Cristián Romero (caretaker)31 October 2021
Santiago WanderersChile Emiliano AstorgaMutual consent8 November 202117thChile Jorge Garcés8 November 2021

Notes

Standings

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification or relegation
1Universidad Católica (C)3222286534+3168Qualification for Copa Libertadores group stage
2Colo-Colo3219584926+2362
3Audax Italiano32141263931+854Qualification for Copa Libertadores second stage
4Unión La Calera32156114140+151Qualification for Copa Sudamericana first stage
5Unión Española32153144850−248
6Deportes Antofagasta32121193436−247
7Ñublense321111104937+1244
8Palestino32118134850−241
9Cobresal32117144039+140
10Deportes La Serena32912114042−239
11Universidad de Chile32109133437−339
12Everton32109132935−639Qualification for Copa Libertadores second stage
13O'Higgins32911123141−1038
14Curicó Unido32813113739−237
15Huachipato (O)32813113641−537Qualification for Relegation play-off
16Deportes Melipilla (R)32108143951−1232Relegation to Primera B
17Santiago Wanderers (R)3256212454−3021

Results

Home \ AwayAUDCSLCCCURANTDLSMELEVEHUAÑUBOHIPALSWUEULCUCUCH
Audax Italiano—0–02–01–10–02–11–00–23–30–31–02–31–02–02–31–02–1
Cobresal1–2—1–22–02–02–01–12–21–14–12–33–12–12–00–11–30–0
Colo-Colo1–10–1—2–02–02–01–02–02–00–11–21–23–00–10–02–11–0
Curicó Unido2–21–00–0—1–12–02–01–12–20–00–21–12–11–21–12–41–2
Deportes Antofagasta0–12–11–01–1—0–01–01–21–02–12–12–11–01–21–33–21–2
Deportes La Serena0–22–11–42–01–1—5–10–22–21–02–04–30–00–01–20–20–0
Deportes Melipilla1–12–12–41–11–11–1—1–01–21–13–10–11–10–33–32–03–0
Everton1–23–00–20–01–10–41–2—1–00–01–11–01–02–01–20–31–0
Huachipato0–00–00–21–40–10–03–10–0—5–30–11–12–01–00–02–11–1
Ñublense1–03–15–12–00–00–13–01–12–2—0–02–21–26–10–20–11–0
O'Higgins0–01–12–32–20–00–01–21–02–01–1—1–01–01–41–01–31–3
Palestino0–22–11–20–22–43–33–11–12–01–42–2—2–03–21–23–00–0
Santiago Wanderers2–22–10–40–30–12–20–32–11–41–20–01–1—1–21–20–12–1
Unión Española1–10–10–12–11–12–10–23–23–13–23–21–33–1—2–13–22–3
Unión La Calera1–11–21–11–02–11–22–31–00–21–02–02–10–11–0—0–21–4
Universidad Católica3–12–10–02–14–04–34–02–02–02–23–02–13–22–13–0—1–0
Universidad de Chile0–10–21–31–22–21–12–00–11–11–10–00–11–02–13–22–1—

Top scorers

RankNameClubGoals
1Argentina Gonzalo SosaDeportes Melipilla23
Argentina Fernando ZampedriUniversidad Católica
3Argentina Joaquín LarriveyUniversidad de Chile20
4Uruguay Cristian PalaciosUnión Española16
5Chile Diego ValenciaUniversidad Católica14
6Chile Bryan CarrascoPalestino13
7Venezuela Brayan HurtadoCobresal12
8Chile Leandro BenegasCuricó Unido11
Chile Nicolás GuerraÑublense
Chile Iván MoralesColo-Colo
Argentina Lautaro PalaciosAudax Italiano

Source:

Promotion/relegation play-off

The team placed 15th in the season table (Huachipato) played the winners of the Primera B play-offs (Deportes Copiapó) in a double-legged series, with the winner earning the right to play in the top flight for the following season.

Deportes Copiapó2–3Huachipato
Jaime 32' López 82'Nequecaur 13', 28' García 59' (o.g.)
Huachipato1–0Deportes Copiapó
Martínez 74' (pen.)

Huachipato won 4–2 on aggregate and remained in Primera División.

See also

External links

  • (in Spanish)