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Argentina Football Association confirms return to 38-game seasons
May 9, 2012 10:09:00 PM
The 2012 Clausura will be the last short tournament in the South American nation, as from August only one team per year will be crowned champions
Argentina's Primera Division will no longer crown two champions per season, as the nation's football governing body announced that from 2012-13 teams in the top flight will play a single 38-game season.The Primera has been split into Apertura and Clausura campaigns since the 1991-92 edition, with the former taking place from August to December and the latter from February to June. Supporters argued that the format allowed teams outside the traditional giants of the game, such as Lanus, Banfield and Argentinos Juniors, a greater chance of glory; while critics believed that splitting the year into two encouraged instability and a high turnover of both coaches and players.
After months of discussions, the Argentina Football Association (AFA) confirmed that the Apertura and Clausura will be abolished in August 2012, in favour of a single tournament. The year will thus be split into Inicial and Final stages, although neither will be a stand-alone championship.
Under AFA plans, the winners of each tournament will face each other in a final to be played at the culmination of the Final, and the victor of that match will be crowned 2012-13 champion. This mirrors the 1991 season, when Boca Juniors lost to Newell's Old Boys in the last tournament before the introduction of the Apertura and Clausura.
The governing body also announced the end of the promocion play-offs to decide relegation. The drop zone will still be determined by the average points system, with the three lowest sides automatically descending to the B Nacional.
Boca won the 2011 Apertura, and in the Clausura tournament are currently level on points with Newell's with six games remaining of the season.
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