Honduran Liga Nacional de Ascenso explained

Liga Nacional de Ascenso de Honduras
Pixels:	170
Country:	Honduras
Confed:	CONCACAF
First Season:	1980
Teams:	32
Levels:	2
Promotion:	Liga Nacional
Relegation:	Liga Mayor
Champions:	Genesis (Clausura 2023)
Most Successful Club:	Deportes Savio (3)
Current:	2024–25 Liga de Ascenso

Liga de Ascenso (Promotion League) is the second division of Honduran football; it was founded on 17 December 1979 as Segunda División (Second Division) and renamed Liga de Ascenso (Promotion League) on 21 July 2002.^[1] The league is divided into 4 groups: Zona Norte y Atlántica (North and Atlantic Zone), Zona Norte y Occidente (North and West Zone), Zona Centro y Sur (Central and South Zone), Zona Sur y Oriente (South and East Zone). The top 2 teams of each group qualifies for the liguilla (play-offs). Each season is divided into two tournaments, Apertura (opening) and Clausura (closing). The champions of the opening and closing tournament compete for the promotion to Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras in a two-legged match.

Two teams are relegated to Liga Mayor de Futbol de Honduras. The last team of each group face off in a playoff (North vs North and South vs South).

History

From 1965 to 1979 the system of promotion to the Liga Nacional was ruled by the Extra-scholastic Sporting Federation of Honduras(Federación Deportiva Extraescolar de Honduras).^[2] It was played in amateur form and the champion of the Central, Southern, and Oriental zone would play against the champion of the North Western zone. The Winner was promoted to the Liga Nacional. In the first tournament of the Liga Nacional there wasn't any promoted or relegated since it was a draft tournament.

It was until 1980 when the second division was founded which nowadays it's called Liga Nacional de Ascenso de Honduras (National Promotion League of Honduras).

In that season, the league didn't have any relegated team since the players of the Honduras national football team needed to be in training at full-time. From the year on, the rules have been applied and there have been many promoted and relegated teams.

From 2004 on the league was split into two seasons, apertura (opening) and clausura (closing). Promotion is decided by a two-legged match between apertura and clausura champion. In the case of the same team being champion in both tournaments, promotion is automatic.

In 2006 Hispano was relegated from first division but they bought Valencia's category in the league; this situation has occurred with other teams. In 2002 Victoria were relegated but acquired Honduras Salzburg's spot.

In 2009 Atletico Gualala earned promotion but decided to merge with that year's relegated club, Real Juventud and kept their history. In 2003 Real Maya merged with Patepluma to form Real Patepluma.

2024-25 clubs

Clubs from Zona Litoral Atlántica

• Arsenal (Coxen Hole, Islas de la Bahia)
• Atlético Boca Junior (Tocoa, Colón)
• CARVA (Coyoles Central, Olanchito, Yoro)
• Discua Nicolás (El Progreso, Yoro)
• Tela F.C. (Tela, Atlántida)
• Trujillo FC (Trujillo, Colón)
• Victoria (La Ceiba, Atlántida)
• Yoro FC (Yoro, Yoro)

Clubs from Zona Occidental

• Atlético Esperanzano (La Esperanza, Intibucá)
• Atlético Pinares (Nueva Ocotepeque, Ocotepeque)
• Deportes Savio (Santa Rosa de Copán, Copán)
• Lepaera FC (Lepaera, Lempira)
• Olimpia Occidental (La Entrada, Copán)
• Real Juventud (Santa Bárbara, Santa Bárbara)
• San Juan (Quimistán, Santa Bárbara)
• Trinidad FC (Trinidad, Santa Bárbara)

Teams from Zona Norte y Valle de Sula

• Atlético Choloma (Choloma, Cortés)
• Atlético Limeño (La Lima, Cortés)
• Atlético Independiente (Siguatepeque, Comayagua)
• Brasilia FC (Río Lindo, Cortés)
• Comayagua FC (Comayagua, Comayagua)
• Municipal Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz de Yojoa, Cortés)
• Parrillas One (San Pedro Sula, Cortés)
• Villanueva FC (Villanueva, Cortés)

Teams from Zona Centro, Sur y Oriente

• Estrella Roja (Danlí, El Paraiso)
• Gimnástico (Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán)
• Lobos UPN (Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán)
• Olancho FC (Juticalpa, Olancho)
• Valencia (Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazan)
• Valle FC (Nacaome, Valle)
• Atlético Olanchano from (Catacamas, Olancho) were excluded due to failing to register in time

Winners

• From 1966 to present.^[3]
• Segunda División (1966–2002). Liga de Ascenso (2002–).
• Up until 2004, champions were awarded automatic promotion.
• Apertura and Clausura format established since 2004.

Season	Champion	Runner-up	Semifinalists
1966–67	Atlético Indio	Victoria
1967–68	Victoria	Federal
1968–69	Lempira	Broncos
1969–70	Verdún	San Pedro
1970–71	Troya	Lenca
1971–72	Universidad	Victoria
1972–73	Cancelled
1973	Federal	San Pedro
1974	Atlántida	Salamar
1975	Campamento	Lenca
1976	Victoria	Curacao
1977	Tiburones	Alianza
1978–79	Portuario	Federal
1979	Atlético Fusep	Juventud Ribereña
1980	Independiente	Curacao
1981	Dandy	Súper Estrella
1982	Platense	Curacao
1983	Sula	Independiente
1984	Tela Timsa	Atlético Independiente
1985	Curacao	Tela Timsa
1986	Universidad	Lempira Hermacasa
1987–88	Súper Estrella	Tela Timsa
1988	Broncos	Modernic
1989–90	Tela Timsa	Universidad
1990–91	E.A.C.I.	Palestino
1991–92	Real Maya	Sitra Acensa
1992–93	Deportes Progreseño	Palestino
1993–94	Atlético Indio	Universidad
1994–95	Independiente	Nacional
1995–96	Universidad	Atlético Independiente	Atlético Nacional	Halcón Terrazos
1996–97	Atlético Indio	Halcón Terrazos
1997–98	Alianza	Real Sociedad
1998–99	Federal	Atlético Melgar
1999–2000	Deportes Savio	Palestino
2000–01	Real Maya	Real Comayagua	Atlético Independiente	Real Sociedad
2001–02	Honduras Salzburg	Parrillas One	Atlético Olanchano	Real Sociedad
2002–03	Atlético Olanchano	Deportes Savio	Social Sol	Municipal Valencia
2003–04	Municipal Valencia	Hispano	Atlético Independiente	Atlético Esperanzano
2004–05 A	Deportes Savio	Social Sol	Arsenal	Deportes Concepción
2004–05 C	Hispano	Deportes Savio
2005–06 A	Atlético Olanchano	Juticalpa Tulín
2005–06 C	Lenca	Real Juventud	Olimpia B	Atlético Olanchano
2006–07 A	Deportes Savio	Arsenal	Real Juventud	Lenca
2006–07 C	Arsenal	Cruz Azul	Atlético Esperanzano	Deportes Savio
2007–08 A	Real Juventud	Arsenal	Unión Ájax	Olimpia Occidental
2007–08 C	Real Juventud	Social Sol	Motagua B	Olimpia B
2008–09 A	Atlético Gualala	Municipal Silca	Unión Ájax	Necaxa
2008–09 C	Necaxa	Social Sol	Olimpia Occidental	Atlético Olanchano
2009–10 A	Necaxa	Atlético Choloma	Social Sol	Olimpia Occidental
2009–10 C	Necaxa	Atlético Independiente	Atlético Choloma	Real Juventud
2010–11 A	Parrillas One	Yoro	Atlético Municipal	Atlético Esperanzano
2010–11 C	Atlético Choloma	Real Sociedad	Yoro	Atlético Municipal
2011–12 A	Real Sociedad	Atlético Municipal	Hispano	Parrillas One
2011–12 C	Parrillas One	Real Sociedad	Juticalpa	Jaguares UPNFM
2012–13 A	Juticalpa	Atlético Municipal	Yoro	Honduras Progreso
2012–13 C	Parrillas One	Yoro	Jaguares UPNFM	Juticalpa
2013–14 A	Honduras Progreso	Atlético Choloma
2013–14 C	Honduras Progreso	Juticalpa
2014–15 A	Juticalpa	Jaguares UPNFM	Atlético Municipal	Villanueva or Social Sol
2014–15 C	Juticalpa	Atlético Independiente	Atlético Limeño
2015–16 A	Social Sol	Deportes Savio
2015–16 C	Alianza Becerra	Parrillas One	Social Sol	Lepaera
2016–17 A	Lepaera	Yoro	Gimnástico	Tela
2016–17 C	UPNFM	Villanueva	Lepaera	Olancho
2017–18 A	Infop RNP	Villanueva	Social Sol	Parrillas One
2017–18 C	Infop RNP	Villanueva	Yoro	Parrillas One
2018–19 A	Real Sociedad	San Juan	Pinares	Gimnástico
2018–19 C	Olancho	Santos	Pinares	Boca Juniors
2019–20 A	Pinares	Santos	San Juan	Atlético Independiente
2019–20 C	Delicias	Santos	Paris F.C.	Olancho

Wins by club

Club	Winners	Runners-up	Winning years
	align=center	3	align=center	3	1999–2000, 2004–05 A, 2006–07 A
	align=center	3	align=center	2	1971–72, 1986, 1995–96
	align=center	3	align=center	2	2012–13 A, 2014–15 A, 2014–15 C
	align=center	3	align=center	2	2010–11 A, 2011–12 C, 2012–13 C
	align=center	3	align=center	0	1966–67, 1990–91, 1996–97
	align=center	3	align=center	0	2008–09 C, 2009–10 A, 2009–10 C
	align=center	3	align=center	0	1975, 2002–03, 2005–06 A
	align=center	2	align=center	3	2011–12 A, 2018–19 A
	align=center	2	align=center	2	1967–68, 1976
	align=center	2	align=center	2	1973, 1998–99
	align=center	2	align=center	1	1980, 1994–95
	align=center	2	align=center	1	1984, 1989–90
	align=center	2	align=center	1	2007–08 A, 2007–08 C
	align=center	2	align=center	0	1991–92, 2000–01
	align=center	2	align=center	0	2013–14 A, 2013–14 C
	align=center	2	align=center	0	2017–18 A, 2017–18 C
	align=center	2	align=center	0	2015–16 C, 2018–19 C
	align=center	1	align=center	4	1987–88
	align=center	1	align=center	3	2015–16 A
	align=center	1	align=center	2	2005–06 C
	align=center	1	align=center	2	2006–07 C
	align=center	1	align=center	2	2010–11 C
	align=center	1	align=center	1	1988
	align=center	1	align=center	1	1993–94
	align=center	1	align=center	1	1997–98
	align=center	1	align=center	1	2004–05 C
	align=center	1	align=center	1	2016–17 C
	align=center	1	align=center	0	1968–69
	align=center	1	align=center	0	1969–70
	align=center	1	align=center	0	1970–71
	align=center	1	align=center	0	1974
	align=center	1	align=center	0	1977
	align=center	1	align=center	0	1978–79
	align=center	1	align=center	0	1979
	align=center	1	align=center	0	1981
	align=center	1	align=center	0	1982
	align=center	1	align=center	0	1983
	align=center	1	align=center	0	1985
	align=center	1	align=center	0	1992–93
	align=center	1	align=center	0	2001–02
	align=center	1	align=center	0	2003–04
	align=center	1	align=center	0	2008–09 A
	align=center	1	align=center	0	2016–17 A
	align=center	1	align=center	0	2019–20 A
	align=center	0	align=center	4	—
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Promotion

In 2004 the league format was changed into short tournaments splitting the season into two separate tournaments, apertura (opening) and clausura (closing). Promotion was decided by a two-legged final until 2012, and is now contested in a single match between apertura champion and clausura champion. In the case that a same team is crowned champion both apertura and clausura, promotion is awarded automatically to said team.

Season	Promoted team		Opponent	Observations
2004–05	align=right		align=center	0–0		Hispano won 3–2 on penalty shootouts.
2005–06	align=right		align=center	3–2
2006–07	align=right		align=center	1–0
2007–08	align=right		align=center	–	none	Real Juventud automatically promoted as winners of both Apertura and Clausura.
2008–09	align=right		align=center	2–1		Real Juventud purchased Atlético Gualala's franchise.
2009–10	align=right		align=center	–	none	Necaxa automatically promoted as winners of both Apertura and Clausura.
2010–11	align=right		align=center	2–1
2011–12	align=right		align=center	2–0
2012–13	align=right		align=center	1–1		Parrillas One won 5–4 on penalty shootouts.
2013–14	align=right		align=center	–	none	Honduras Progreso automatically promoted as winners of both Apertura and Clausura.
2014–15	align=right		align=center	–	none	Juticalpa automatically promoted as winners of both Apertura and Clausura.
2015–16	align=right		align=center	1–1		Social Sol won 7–6 on penalty shootouts.
2016–17	align=right		align=center	1–0
2017–18	align=right		align=center	–	none	Infop RNP automatically promoted as winners of both Apertura and Clausura.
2018–19	align=right		align=center	1–1		Real Sociedad won 4–3 on penalty shootouts.

Relegation

In the current system, the last team of each group of the region play on a playoff.

External links

• Latribunadeportiva.hn – Liga de Ascenso
• La Prensa.hn

Notes and References

1. Web site: FENAFUTH.org – ESTATUTO LIGA NACIONAL DE FUTBOL DE ASCENSO . 2011-11-09 . 2012-05-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120526091810/http://fenafuth.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/REGLAMENTACION-ORGANICA-LIGA-NACIONAL-DE-ASCENSO.pdf . live .
2. http://www.laprensahn.com/deportes_nota.php?id04962=13434&t=1150956000 Cupo para uno
3. http://www.diez.hn/liganacionaldehonduras/1079607-498/ascendidos-historia-liga_nacional-honduras Diez.hn – ¡Conocé a todos los ascendidos a la Liga Nacional de Honduras!