The Extraordinary Assembly of the AFA He decided before the end of the championship to change the rules of the game and instead of three relegations there will be two at the end of the year. One more stain on the tiger, what does it do. So, in 2024 there will be 28 teams in the First Division again, the last one in the annual table and the last one in the average table will drop to the First National.
The announcement of the restructuring made by the AFA in 1966.
It is not the first time that it happens in the middle of the competition. The most similar case happened in 1966, when the descents were suspended missing a date. In 1964 and 1965 there were no relegations, but from 1966 the loss of category by average was restored, as it was used between 1958 and 1963: the last one would go down.
The table of the penultimate date of the 1966 tournament with the averages.
Quilmes and Colón had the two worst averages of the year. And they met on the penultimate date, November 27, 1966. The 1-0 victory of the Brewer almost condemned the Santa Fe team. On the last date, Colón received Banfield and Quilmes visited Lanús. If he Brewer he won, he was saved. If he won sabalero and Quilmes lost, the Santa Fe team was saved. With a tie for Colón and a defeat for Quilmes, they should play a tiebreaker. None of that mattered on December 4th.
Speculation published by Clarín for the last date of the 1966 tournament.
On November 30, the AFA, led by Valentín Suárez, announced the restructuring for 1967, with 22 teams in the First Division. Therefore, in this case, the only descent would be suspended. Everything was confirmed in the assembly on December 1st. There were festivities in Santa Fe, as he told Clarion: “Shock in Santa Fe due to the suspension of the descents ”. At 9:30 p.m., the president of Colón Italo Giménez called the club headquarters and announced the resolution. “From that moment on, the whole city began to live at a fast pace. The radio stations repeated over and over again the news that made ‘half plus one’ of its inhabitants happy. In a few minutes, a crowd joined those who were already present, in front of the red and black headquarters, and then toured the streets of the city.”says the chronicle.
The celebrations of the fans of Colón for the suspension of the descents.
Of course, There was no shortage of incidents at the door of the Union headquarters due to police repression. When the fans of Colón passed by, the cavalry guard unexpectedly ran over the demonstrators and there were “considerable injuries due to saber blows applied by the police in an inhumane way.”
Promotions and relegations in Argentine soccer began in 1907. And in the founding stage, before the mergers of the Buenos Aires entities after years of divisions, there were changes in the number of decreases. For example, the 1915 tournament had 25 teams and for the first time 4 relegations were implemented, to gradually decrease the number of teams. Does it ring a bell? Well, in 1916, it was two relegations and one promotion. But in 1919 there was a new split and by the time they were fixed, starting in 1927, 34 clubs remained in the First Division.
To go down the number of teams, again there were four promotions and two promotions. But with one exception. The clubs that were considered “founders” -almost all- would have a double chance. That is, if they occupied one of the last four positions that year, they did not fall, but the following. Ergo, the 4 were founders and the 1928 season was played with 36 teams.
Professionalism tried to bring some prolixity in the regulations but it was not like that. It started in 1931 but it was not until 1937 that the promotions and relegations between First and Second returned. Thus, by 1940 there were only 16 teams left in the A. However, after the professional players’ strike in 1948, whose tournament ended with inferior players, the AFA decided to suspend relegations. Gymnastics was saved, which had been the last. Argentinos, who led the final round of Primera B, lost. Ferro (relegated in 1946) and Atlanta (1947) benefited, as they were promoted to A. Again 18 teams.
After the first rehearsal with relegation averages from the late 50s and early 60s, in 1963 Estudiantes had to descend. But by 1964 there was a great restructuring, the Pinch and the descents were suspended for two years. Then, 1966 happened.
Something similar happened in 1974. “All Boys said goodbye to the First Division”He said Clarion in September 1973. He had descended together with Ferro. But in December, the AFA suspended the relegations of 1973 and 1974. And he projected averages for 1975, something that didn’t happen. In 1973 there were 17 teams in the First Division and in 1976, 22. That year there was only one relegation, but in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980, three. Thus, the 1981 tournament, the one Boca won with Diego Maradona, began with 18 teams. Two descended, Colón and San Lorenzo. The fall of a large had an immediate effect: in December the implementation of averages of the decline from 1983 was approved. They still continue.
Ferro and All Boys had been relegated in September 1973. On December 4 they were saved.
“We are on our way to an agreement of three relegations per season to reach 20 teams in 2023”, announced Mariano Elizondo, president of the Super League, in July 2019. A few days later, the decision was ratified by the Executive Committee. Then the coronavirus pandemic disrupted everything. The 2019/20 Super League had been played and the 2019/20 Super League Cup was starting, which also added up for the averages, but only one date was played and the AFA decided to end the season and suspend the relegations: Gimnasia, Patronato and Colón were saved. In addition, relegations were suspended for another two seasons.
In 2023, instead of 20 teams as Elizondo said, the season began with 28 and with the promise of gradually decreasing the number. But not two, but one, with three relegations and two promotions. But in the AFA they always erase with their elbow what they write with their hand. In 2024 there will be 28 teams again. And let’s go….
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2023-06-22 20:07:51
#change #relegation #rules
