| Competition: | Copa Credife Serie A |
| Season: | 2010 |
| Winners: | LDU Quito (10th title) |
| Relegated: | Universidad Católica Macará |
| Continentalcup1: | 2011 Copa Libertadores |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | LDU Quito Emelec Deportivo Quito |
| Continentalcup2: | 2010 Copa Sudamericana |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | Emelec Barcelona Deportivo Quito |
| Continentalcup3: | 2011 Copa Sudamericana |
| Continentalcup3 Qualifiers: | LDU Quito |
| League Topscorer: | Jaime Ayoví (23 goals) |
| Biggest Home Win: | LDU Quito 5–0 Emelec (February 28) El Nacional 5–0 Emelec (April 20) LDU Quito 5–0 Olmedo (June 20) Deportivo Quito 5–0 Universidad Católica (November 20) |
| Biggest Away Win: | ESPOLI 0–4 Independiente José Terán (April 20) Independiente José Terán 0–4 LDU Quito (October 29) |
| Highest Scoring: | ESPOLI 5–3 El Nacional (February 27) |
| Matches: | 268 |
| Total Goals: | 644 |
| Prevseason: | 2009 |
| Nextseason: | 2011 |
The 2010 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol de la Serie A (known as the 2010 Copa Credife Serie A for sponsorship reasons) was the 52nd season of the Serie A, Ecuador's premier football league. It ran from February 7 to December 12.
Emelec and LDU Quito each won the First and Second Stage, respectively, and played each other in the championship finals. LDU Quito won the first leg at home by a score of 2–0. Emelec could not overturn the deficit with a 1–0 win at home in the second leg. LDU Quito won their tenth national title, tying them for third overall with Emelec.
A new format for the 2010 season was announced by the Ecuadorian Football Federation on December 15, 2009.[1] [2] The season was divided into three stages. The First and Second Stages were identical stages with a double round-robin format. Each team played the others twice, once at home and once away. The winners of each stage qualified to play a two-legged tie in the Third Stage for the title. The two highest non-stage winners in the aggregate table of the First and Second Stages played each in another two-legged tie in a Third Stage playoff for third place. Had the same team won both stages, they would have been automatically be crowned the champion. In that case, a two-legged tie would have been held in the Third Stage between the two best-placed teams in the aggregate table to determine who is the runner-up and who finished in third place. The two teams at the bottom of the aggregate table of the first two stages were relegated to the Serie B for the following season.
The two stage winners earned a berth to the 2011 Copa Libertadores. The berth Ecuador 1 went to the champion, Ecuador 2 went to the runner-up, and Ecuador 3 went to the third-place finisher. Teams also qualified to two Copa Sudamericanas. The top-three teams in the First Stage qualified to the 2010 Copa Sudamericana (except LDU Quito, who had a berth as the defending Copa Sudamericana champion). The winner of the Second Stage earned the Ecuador 1 berth for the 2011 Copa Sudamericana.
Twelve teams competed in the 2010 Serie A season, ten of whom remained from the 2009 season. LDU Portoviejo and Técnico Universitario were relegated last season to the Serie B after accumulating the fewest points in the First and Second Stage aggregate table. They were replaced by Independiente José Terán[3] and Universidad Católica,[4] the 2009 Serie B winner and runner-up, respectively.[5] This was Universidad Católica's 27th season in the Serie A, having last played in the league in 2008. This was Independiente José Terán's first season in the Serie A.
One team used a different stadium this season. ESPOLI chose to move from Estadio La Cocha in Latacunga to Estadio Olímpico Municipal Etho Vega in Santo Domingo de Los Colorados.
| Team | Home city | Home ground | Manager | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LDU Quito (details) | ||||
| Vacant | ||||
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-season changes | |||||||
| ESPOLI | Homero Valencia | Replaced | November 22, 2009 | Carlos Calderón | November 23, 2009[6] | N/A | |
| El Nacional | Julio Asad | End of contract | November 21, 2009[7] | Jorge Luis Pinto | December 4, 2009[8] | N/A | |
| LDU Quito | Jorge Fossati | Resigned | December 7, 2009 | Edgardo Bauza | December 8, 2009[9] | N/A | |
| Emelec | Gabriel Perrone | Resigned | December 16, 2009[10] | Jorge Sampaoli | December 18, 2009[11] | N/A | |
| Olmedo | Héctor González | Replaced | December 16, 2009 | Claudio Otermín | December 16, 2009[12] | N/A | |
| First Stage changes | |||||||
| Universidad Católica | Renato Salas | Sacked | March 1, 2010[13] | Hans Ortega (IM) | March 1, 2010 | 11th | |
| Universidad Católica | Hans Ortega (IM) | Replaced | March 3, 2010[14] | Fernando Díaz | March 3, 2010 | 11th | |
| Olmedo | Claudio Otermín | Sacked | March 13, 2010[15] | Héctor González (IM) | March 16, 2010[16] | 12th | |
| Macará | Víctor Marchesini | Sacked | March 15, 2010[17] | Carlos Sevilla | March 16, 2010 | 6th | |
| Independiente José Terán | Janio Pinto | Resigned | April 27, 2010[18] | Guillermo Duró | May 12, 2010[19] | 7th | |
| Olmedo | Héctor González (IM) | Replaced | April 28, 2010 | Ariel Graziani | April 29, 2010[20] | 12th | |
| Universidad Católica | Fernando Díaz | Replaced | June 7, 2010[21] | Patricio Lara | June 7, 2010 | 12th | |
| El Nacional | Jorge Luis Pinto | Sacked | June 9, 2010[22] | June 9, 2010 | 9th | ||
| Deportivo Cuenca | Paúl Vélez | Resigned | June 22, 2010[23] | Juan Carlos Benítez (IM) | June 23, 2010[24] | 5th | |
| Macará | Carlos Sevilla | Sacked | June 29, 2010[25] | Boris Fiallos (IM) | July 7, 2010[26] | 12th | |
| Inter-stage changes | |||||||
| Macará | Boris Fiallos (IM) | Replaced | July 6, 2010 | Víctor Riggio | July 6, 2010[27] | N/A | |
| Deportivo Cuenca | Juan Carlos Benítez (IM) | Replaced | July 8, 2010 | Luis Soler | July 8, 2010[28] | N/A | |
| Second Stage changes | |||||||
| Deportivo Quito | Rubén Darío Insúa | Mutual agreement | August 12, 2010[29] | Carlos Sevilla | August 13, 2010[30] | 8th | |
| El Nacional | Perdomo Véliz Jare | Sacked | August 23, 2010[31] | Mario Saralegui | August 23, 2010 | 10th | |
| Macará | Víctor Riggio | Sacked | September 13, 2010[32] | Janio Pinto | September 14, 2010[33] | 8th | |
| Universidad Católica | Patricio Lara | Resigned | September 19, 2010[34] | Hans Ortega (IM) | September 21, 2010[35] | 10th | |
| Independiente José Terán | Guillermo Duró | Promoted to Sporting Director | September 21, 2010[36] | Julio Asad | September 21, 2010 | 12th | |
| Universidad Católica | Hans Ortega (IM) | Replaced | September 21, 2010 | Jorge Célico | September 21, 2010[37] | 10th | |
| Barcelona | Juan Manuel Llop | Resigned | September 27, 2010[38] | Carlos Gruezo (IM) Walter Guerrero (IM) | September 27, 2010[39] | 3rd | |
| Barcelona | Carlos Gruezo (IM) Walter Guerrero (IM) | Replaced | October 2, 2010 | Rubén Darío Insúa | October 2, 2010[40] | 5th | |
| Olmedo | Ariel Graziani | Resigned | November 13, 2010[41] | TBD | TBD | 8th | |
The first stage (Spanish; Castilian: Primera Etapa) began on February 7 and ended on July 4. Emelec won the stage and qualified to the championship playoff.
The second stage (Spanish; Castilian: Segunda Etapa) began July 9 and ended on November 27. LDU Quito won the stage and qualified to the championship playoff.
The Third Stage began on December 4 and ended on December 12. Both ties in the Third Stage were determined by points. If there was a tie in points, the tie-breakers to be used in order were goal difference, away goals, and a penalty shoot-out.[42]
Deportivo Quito and Barcelona qualified to the Third-place Playoff by being the two best non-stage winners in the aggregate table. The winner of the playoff earned the Ecuador 3 berth in the 2011 Copa Libertadores. By having the greater number of points in the aggregate table, Barcelona played the second leg as the home team.
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Emelec and LDU Quito qualified to the Finals by being the First Stage and Second Stage winners, respectively. The winner was the Serie A champion and earned the Ecuador 1 berth in the 2011 Copa Libertadores. By having the greater number of points in the aggregate table, Emelec played the second leg as the home team.
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| LDU QUITO: | ||||
| width=25 | ! | width=25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | José Francisco Cevallos | ||
| DF | 2 | Norberto Araujo | ||
| DF | 14 | |||
| DF | 6 | Jorge Guagua | ||
| MF | 15 | |||
| MF | 7 | |||
| MF | 4 | |||
| MF | 54 | |||
| MF | 13 | Néicer Reasco (c) | ||
| FW | 15 | |||
| FW | 19 | |||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| GK | 22 | Alexander Domínguez | ||
| MF | 9 | |||
| MF | 24 | |||
| FW | 10 | |||
| FW | 10 | Christian Lara | ||
| FW | 53 | Joao Plata | ||
| Manager: | ||||
| Edgardo Bauza | ||||
| EMELEC: | ||||
| width=25 | ! | width=25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 22 | |||
| DF | 29 | |||
| DF | 25 | Eduardo Morante | ||
| DF | 6 | Carlos Andrés Quiñónez | ||
| DF | 9 | |||
| MF | 51 | |||
| MF | 24 | Fernando Giménez | ||
| MF | 15 | |||
| MF | 7 | David Quiroz (c) | ||
| FW | 17 | Jaime Ayoví | ||
| FW | 10 | |||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| GK | 1 | Marcelo Elizaga | ||
| DF | 27 | Mariano Mina | ||
| MF | 52 | Byron Mina | ||
| MF | 14 | |||
| MF | 8 | Polo Wila | ||
| FW | 50 | Marco Caicedo | ||
| FW | 40 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Jorge Sampaoli | ||||
| Assistant referees: Carlos Herrera Marco Muzo Fourth official: Miguel Hidalgo |
----
| EMELEC: | ||||
| width=25 | ! | width=25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 22 | |||
| DF | 29 | |||
| DF | 19 | Marcelo Fleitas (c) | ||
| DF | 25 | Eduardo Morante | ||
| MF | 51 | |||
| MF | 24 | |||
| MF | 15 | |||
| MF | 7 | David Quiroz | ||
| MF | 10 | |||
| FW | 17 | Jaime Ayoví | ||
| FW | 23 | Cristian Menéndez | ||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| GK | 1 | Marcelo Elizaga | ||
| DF | 6 | |||
| MF | 9 | José Luis Quiñónez | ||
| MF | 40 | |||
| FW | 16 | |||
| FW | 50 | Marco Caicedo | ||
| Manager: | ||||
| LDU QUITO: | ||||
| width=25 | ! | width=25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | |||
| DF | 2 | Norberto Araujo | ||
| DF | 14 | Diego Calderón | ||
| DF | 6 | |||
| MF | 15 | |||
| MF | 4 | Ulises de la Cruz | ||
| MF | 54 | |||
| MF | 13 | Néicer Reasco (c) | ||
| MF | 8 | Patricio Urrutia | ||
| FW | 15 | |||
| FW | 19 | |||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| GK | 22 | Alexander Domínguez | ||
| DF | 5 | Paúl Ambrosi | ||
| DF | 24 | |||
| MF | 7 | |||
| MF | 53 | Joao Plata | ||
| FW | 10 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Edgardo Bauza | ||||
| Assistant referees: Juan Cedeño Luis Alvarado Fourth official: Alfredo Intriago |
The awards were selected by the Asociación Ecuatoriana de Radiodifusión.[44]
Ecuador
Argentina
Colombia