Competition: | Liga BetPlay Dimayor |
Season: | 2021 |
Dates: | 16 January – 22 December 2021 |
Winners: | Apertura: Deportes Tolima (3rd title) Finalización: Deportivo Cali (10th title) |
Relegated: | Boyacá Chicó Deportes Quindío Atlético Huila |
Continentalcup1: | Copa Libertadores |
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Deportes Tolima Deportivo Cali Millonarios Atlético Nacional (via 2021 Copa Colombia) |
Continentalcup2: | Copa Sudamericana |
Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | Junior América de Cali La Equidad Independiente Medellín (via 2020 Copa Colombia) |
League Topscorer: | Finalización: Harold Preciado (13 goals) |
Matches: | 411 |
Total Goals: | 928 |
Biggest Home Win: | Atlético Nacional 7–1 Patriotas (18 April) |
Biggest Away Win: | A. Petrolera 0–5 Dep. Tolima (25 February) Atlético Huila 0–5 Deportivo Cali (1 November) |
Highest Scoring: | Atlético Nacional 7–1 Patriotas (18 April) |
Prevseason: | 2020 |
Nextseason: | 2022 |
The 2021 Categoría Primera A season (officially known as the 2021 Liga BetPlay Dimayor season for sponsorship reasons) was the 74th season of the Categoría Primera A, Colombia's top-flight football league. The season began on 16 January and ended on 22 December 2021. América de Cali entered the season as defending champions having won back-to-back titles in the 2019 Finalización and 2020 tournaments.[1]
The Torneo Apertura was won by Deportes Tolima, who claimed their third league title on 20 June after beating Millonarios by a 2–1 score in the second leg of the finals and a 3–2 score on aggregate,[2] whilst the Torneo Finalización was won by Deportivo Cali, who beat the defending champions Deportes Tolima by a 3–2 aggregate score in the finals to claim their tenth league title.[3]
The competition format for this season was approved by the General Assembly of DIMAYOR on 17 December 2020:[4] [5]
On 12 July 2021, DIMAYOR announced changes to the format of the Torneo Finalización, including the extra match against a regional rival for a total of 20 first stage games and replacing the knockout stage for a semi-final stage in which the eight qualified teams were split into two groups of four where they will play each other team in their group twice. The group winners advanced to the double-legged final series.[7]
21 teams took part in the season, 19 of them returning from last season plus Atlético Huila and Deportes Quindío, who were promoted from the 2021 Primera B. Cúcuta Deportivo, who also competed in the top flight in 2020, did not take part in the competition this season as they entered liquidation, were forced to forfeit their final two games of the previous tournament, and were ultimately disaffiliated from DIMAYOR on 25 November 2020.[8] [9] [10]
The following two teams competed in the 2021 Finalización tournament, replacing Boyacá Chicó who were relegated to Primera B at the end of the Apertura tournament:
Team | Manager | City | Stadium | Capacity | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlético Huila | ![]() | Neiva | Guillermo Plazas Alcid | 22,000 | |
Deportes Quindío | ![]() | Armenia | Centenario | 20,716 |
Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Torneo Apertura | |||||||
Atlético Nacional | ![]() | End of caretaker spell | 28 November 2020 | Pre-season | Alexandre Guimarães | 30 November 2020[11] | |
Alianza Petrolera | ![]() | 9 December 2020 | ![]() | 23 November 2020[12] | |||
Independiente Medellín | ![]() | 10 December 2020[13] | ![]() | 11 December 2020[14] | |||
Águilas Doradas | ![]() | End of contract | 12 December 2020[15] | ![]() | 4 January 2021[16] | ||
Deportivo Pereira | ![]() | End of caretaker spell | 22 December 2020 | Jorge Artigas | 30 December 2020[17] | ||
Once Caldas | ![]() | Resigned | 1 January 2021[18] | ![]() | 3 January 2021[19] | ||
Boyacá Chicó | ![]() | Sacked | 14 January 2021[20] | ![]() | 14 January 2021 | ||
Atlético Bucaramanga | Guillermo Sanguinetti | Mutual consent | 15 February 2021[21] | 14th | ![]() | 15 February 2021 | |
![]() | End of caretaker spell | 23 February 2021 | 10th | ![]() | 23 February 2021[22] | ||
Alianza Petrolera | ![]() | Mutual consent | 26 February 2021[23] | 19th | ![]() | 26 February 2021 | |
Deportivo Pereira | Jorge Artigas | 26 February 2021[24] | 18th | ![]() | 26 February 2021 | ||
Águilas Doradas | ![]() | Resigned | 2 March 2021[25] | 15th | ![]() | 3 March 2021[26] | |
Alianza Petrolera | ![]() | End of caretaker spell | 7 March 2021 | 19th | ![]() | 7 March 2021[27] | |
Envigado | ![]() | Sacked | 24 March 2021[28] | 13th | ![]() | 25 March 2021 | |
Deportivo Pasto | ![]() | 9 April 2021[29] | 11th | ![]() | 9 April 2021 | ||
Envigado | ![]() | End of caretaker spell | 16 April 2021 | 15th | ![]() | 18 May 2021[30] | |
Patriotas | ![]() | Sacked | 27 April 2021[31] | 17th | ![]() | 10 May 2021[32] | |
América de Cali | ![]() | Mutual consent | 28 April 2021[33] | 8th, quarter-finals | ![]() | 28 April 2021 | |
Jaguares | ![]() | Signed by Envigado | 11 May 2021[34] | 10th | ![]() | 25 May 2021[35] | |
Atlético Nacional | Alexandre Guimarães | Mutual consent | 5 June 2021[36] | 1st, quarter-finals | ![]() | 9 June 2021[37] | |
América de Cali | ![]() | End of caretaker spell | 16 June 2021 | 8th, quarter-finals | ![]() | 16 June 2021[38] | |
Torneo Finalización | |||||||
Atlético Bucaramanga | ![]() | Signed by Costa Rica | 21 June 2021[39] | Pre-tournament | ![]() | 8 July 2021[40] | |
Patriotas | ![]() | Deceased | 26 June 2021[41] | ![]() | 22 June 2021[42] | ||
Deportivo Pasto | ![]() | Demoted | 10 August 2021[43] | 20th | ![]() | 10 August 2021 | |
Once Caldas | ![]() | Sacked | 15 August 2021[44] | 15th | ![]() | 15 August 2021 | |
Atlético Huila | ![]() | Resigned | 17 August 2021[45] | 19th | ![]() | 18 August 2021[46] | |
Junior | ![]() | Mutual consent | 17 August 2021[47] | 12th | ![]() | 17 August 2021[48] | |
Patriotas | ![]() | Change of role | 17 August 2021[49] | 17th | ![]() | 17 August 2021[50] | |
Santa Fe | ![]() | Mutual consent | 22 August 2021[51] | 17th | ![]() | 22 August 2021[52] | |
Once Caldas | ![]() | End of caretaker spell | 27 August 2021 | 18th | ![]() | 26 August 2021[53] | |
Atlético Bucaramanga | ![]() | Sacked | 30 August 2021[54] | 5th | ![]() | 1 September 2021[55] | |
Deportivo Cali | Alfredo Arias | Mutual consent | 6 September 2021[56] | 13th | ![]() | 8 September 2021[57] | |
Independiente Medellín | ![]() | Resigned | 6 September 2021[58] | 14th | Julio Comesaña | 7 September 2021[59] | |
Atlético Bucaramanga | ![]() | End of caretaker spell | 13 September 2021 | 5th | ![]() | 13 September 2021[60] | |
Atlético Huila | ![]() | Resigned | 25 October 2021[61] | 20th | ![]() | 25 October 2021 | |
Águilas Doradas | ![]() | Sacked | 16 November 2021[62] | 14th | ![]() | 16 November 2021 |
|}
|}
----
Deportes Tolima won 3–2 on aggregate.
Rank | Name | Club | Goals | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Atlético Nacional | 11 | ||
![]() | La Equidad | ||||
![]() | Millonarios | ||||
align=center | 4 | ![]() | Millonarios | align=center | 9 |
align=center | 5 | ![]() | Junior | align=center | 8 |
align=center | 6 | ![]() | Independiente Medellín | align=center | 7 |
7 | ![]() | Atlético Nacional | 6 | ||
![]() | Once Caldas | ||||
![]() | Boyacá Chicó | ||||
![]() | Santa Fe | ||||
![]() | Jaguares |
Source: Soccerway
A separate table is kept to determine the teams that are relegated to the Categoría Primera B for the next season. This table is elaborated from a sum of all first stage games played for the current season and the previous two seasons (six tournaments). For purposes of elaborating the table, promoted teams are given the same point and goal tallies as the team in the 18th position at the start of the season.
Due to the postponement of promotion and relegation from the previous season to the end of the first semester of 2021 and the disaffiliation of Cúcuta Deportivo, one team was relegated to Primera B at the end of the Torneo Apertura.
width=28 | width=185 | Team | width=50 | width=50 | width=50 | width=50 | width=50 | width=50 | width=50 | width=50 | width=50 | Relegation | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Atlético Nacional | 71 | 66 | 35 | 34 | 116 | 180 | 112 | 67 | 206 | ||||||||||||
2 | Deportes Tolima | 72 | 64 | 37 | 30 | 116 | 159 | 98 | 61 | 203 | ||||||||||||
3 | Deportivo Cali | 58 | 67 | 34 | 31 | 116 | 152 | 111 | 41 | 190 | ||||||||||||
4 | Junior | 62 | 63 | 33 | 29 | 116 | 139 | 90 | 49 | 187 | ||||||||||||
5 | Millonarios | 51 | 67 | 30 | 33 | 116 | 150 | 122 | 28 | 181 | ||||||||||||
6 | América de Cali | 47 | 67 | 33 | 29 | 116 | 146 | 131 | 15 | 176 | ||||||||||||
7 | Santa Fe | 56 | 46 | 40 | 33 | 116 | 145 | 99 | 46 | 175 | ||||||||||||
8 | 69 | 59 | 20 | 26 | 116 | 162 | 135 | 27 | 174 | |||||||||||||
9 | Once Caldas | 63 | 56 | 29 | 17 | 116 | 140 | 121 | 19 | 165 | ||||||||||||
10 | La Equidad | 61 | 42 | 32 | 30 | 116 | 132 | 117 | 15 | 165 | ||||||||||||
11 | Atlético Bucaramanga | 58 | 46 | 21 | 24 | 116 | 123 | 135 | –12 | 149 | ||||||||||||
12 | Deportivo Pasto | 35 | 54 | 34 | 23 | 116 | 115 | 118 | –3 | 146 | ||||||||||||
13 | Águilas Doradas | 57 | 40 | 31 | 14 | 116 | 121 | 143 | –22 | 142 | ||||||||||||
14 | Envigado | 46 | 47 | 23 | 17 | 116 | 121 | 143 | –22 | 133 | ||||||||||||
15 | Patriotas | 49 | 50 | 17 | 16 | 116 | 100 | 147 | –47 | 132 | ||||||||||||
16 | 42 | 55 | 19 | 6 | 116 | 112 | 166 | –54 | 122 | |||||||||||||
17 | Jaguares | 39 | 38 | 17 | 25 | 116 | 102 | 164 | –62 | 119 | ||||||||||||
18 | Deportivo Pereira | 39 | 38 | 18 | 18 | 116 | 93 | 161 | –68 | 113 | ||||||||||||
19 | Boyacá Chicó (R) | 39 | 38 | 15 | 19 | 116 | 90 | 166 | –76 | 111 |
The eight teams that advanced to the semi-finals were drawn into two groups of four teams, with the top two teams of the first stage being seeded in each group. The group winners advanced to the finals.
----
Deportivo Cali won 3–2 on aggregate.
Rank | Name | Club | Goals | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
align=center | 1 | ![]() | Deportivo Cali | align=center | 13 | |
align=center | 2 | ![]() | Millonarios | align=center | 12 | |
align=center | 3 | ![]() | Atlético Nacional | align=center | 10 | |
align=center | 4 | ![]() | Alianza Petrolera | align=center | 9 | |
5 | ![]() | Deportes Tolima | 7 | |||
![]() | Junior | |||||
![]() | América de Cali | |||||
8 | ![]() | América de Cali | 6 | |||
![]() | Junior | |||||
![]() | Deportivo Pereira | |||||
![]() | Deportivo Cali | |||||
Pablo Lima | La Equidad | |||||
![]() | Once Caldas | |||||
Gustavo Ramírez | Deportes Tolima | |||||
![]() | Jaguares | - | 15 | ![]() | Deportivo Pereira | 5 |
![]() | Atlético Nacional | |||||
![]() | Deportivo Cali --> |
Source: Soccerway
The bottom two teams of the relegation table were relegated to Categoría Primera B for the 2022 season at the end of the Torneo Finalización, with this table taking into consideration the six most recent tournaments (2018–II, 2019–I, 2019–II, 2020, 2021–I and 2021–II). For purposes of elaborating the table, Atlético Huila and Deportes Quindío, who were promoted from Primera B at the end of the first half of the season, were given the same point and goal tallies as the team in the 18th position at the start of the Finalización tournament (Deportivo Pereira).
width=28 | width=185 | Team | width=50 | width=50 | width=50 | width=50 | width=50 | width=50 | width=50 | width=50 | width=50 | Relegation | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Atlético Nacional | 30 | 66 | 35 | 76 | 117 | 189 | 115 | 74 | 207 | ||||||||||||
2 | Deportes Tolima | 39 | 64 | 37 | 66 | 117 | 162 | 97 | 65 | 206 | ||||||||||||
3 | Deportivo Cali | 29 | 67 | 34 | 62 | 117 | 153 | 115 | 38 | 192 | ||||||||||||
4 | Millonarios | 25 | 67 | 30 | 69 | 117 | 167 | 127 | 40 | 191 | ||||||||||||
5 | Junior | 32 | 63 | 33 | 62 | 117 | 145 | 95 | 50 | 190 | ||||||||||||
6 | América de Cali | 25 | 67 | 33 | 58 | 117 | 149 | 119 | 30 | 183 | ||||||||||||
7 | Santa Fe | 31 | 46 | 40 | 58 | 117 | 146 | 102 | 44 | 175 | ||||||||||||
8 | 34 | 59 | 20 | 52 | 117 | 144 | 127 | 17 | 165 | |||||||||||||
9 | La Equidad | 36 | 42 | 32 | 55 | 117 | 133 | 122 | 11 | 165 | ||||||||||||
10 | Once Caldas | 36 | 56 | 29 | 37 | 117 | 132 | 125 | 7 | 158 | ||||||||||||
11 | Atlético Bucaramanga | 35 | 46 | 21 | 51 | 117 | 127 | 140 | –13 | 153 | ||||||||||||
12 | Deportivo Pasto | 15 | 54 | 34 | 39 | 117 | 113 | 127 | –14 | 142 | ||||||||||||
13 | Águilas Doradas | 32 | 40 | 31 | 39 | 117 | 127 | 146 | –19 | 142 | ||||||||||||
14 | Envigado | 20 | 47 | 23 | 44 | 117 | 126 | 147 | –21 | 134 | ||||||||||||
15 | 19 | 55 | 19 | 37 | 117 | 115 | 158 | –43 | 127 | |||||||||||||
16 | Patriotas | 20 | 50 | 17 | 35 | 117 | 97 | 150 | –53 | 122 | ||||||||||||
17 | Jaguares | 14 | 38 | 17 | 53 | 117 | 109 | 167 | –58 | 121 | ||||||||||||
18 | Deportivo Pereira | 14 | 38 | 18 | 51 | 117 | 101 | 159 | –58 | 121 | ||||||||||||
19 | Deportes Quindío (R) | 14 | 38 | 18 | 40 | 117 | 95 | 162 | –67 | 110 | ||||||||||||
20 | Atlético Huila (R) | 14 | 38 | 18 | 28 | 117 | 89 | 172 | –83 | 98 |
The aggregate table includes the results of teams in all stages in the Torneo Apertura and Torneo Finalización, and awards one berth to the Copa Libertadores and three berths to the Copa Sudamericana. As an exceptional measure for this season, and due to promotion and relegation being implemented halfway into the season, the two teams promoted for the Torneo Finalización (Atlético Huila and Deportes Quindío) entered with the same matches, points, and goals as the team in 19th place in this table at the end of the Apertura tournament (Alianza Petrolera).[63]