The 2023–24 Liga Primera de Nicaragua football season was to be divided into two tournaments, Apertura and Clausura. The season will determine the 81st and 82nd champions in the history of the Liga Primera de Nicaragua, the top division of football in Nicaragua. The Apertura tournament is to be played in the second half of 2023, while the Clausura is to be played in the first half of 2024.
| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Apertura: Diriangén Clausura: TBD |
| Relegated | Masachapa FC |
| CONCACAF Central American Cup | Diriangén TBD TBD |
| Top goalscorer | Apertura: Lucas dos Santos (17 goals) Clausura:  Luis Coronel (00 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Apertura: TBD 9–0 TBD (1 December 2023) Clausura: TBD 5–1 TBD (2024) |
| Biggest away win | Apertura: TBD 3-5 TBD Clausura: TBD 0–7 TBD (2024) |
| Highest scoring | Apertura: TBD 4-8 TBD Clausura: TBD 0–7 TBD (2024) |
← 2022–23 2024–25 →
All statistics correct as of 14 June 2023. | |
Teams edit
Team information edit
A total of ten teams contested the league, including nine sides from the 2022–23 Primera División, and one side from the 2022–23 Segunda División.
Juventus Managua finished last in the aggregate table and were relegated to the Segunda División. [1] The champions from the Segunda División, FC San Francisco Masachapa, were promoted in their place.
The 9th place team in the aggregate table, UNAN Managua, faced the second-place team from the Segunda División, Chinandega FC, in a playoff for a spot in the Primera División. UNAN Managua won 14–3 over two legs, meaning UNAN Managua remained in the Primera División.[2]
Promotion and relegation edit
Promoted from Segunda División as of June, 2023.
- Champions: FC San Francisco Masachapa
Relegated to Segunda División as of June, 2023.
- Last Place: Juventus Managua
Personnel and kits edit
| Team | Chairman | Head Coach | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ART Jalapa | TBD | Leonidas Rodriguez
|
 TBD
|
Keuka | Ferreter Noelito |
| Diriangén | TBD |  José Giancone
|
Jason Coronel
|
Macron | Credifacil, Doradobet, Claro, Proplisa |
| CS Sebaco | TBD | Sergio Ivan Rodriguez
|
Luis Manuel Galeano
|
Keuka | Cafe OX, Siles, Transporte Tovel |
| Managua | TBD | Flavio Da Silva
|
Vinicius de Souza
|
Keuka | Claro, Chevron, Fetesa |
| Masachapa F.C. | TBD | Ricardo Arévalo
|
Ronald Palacios
|
Keuka | Havoline 2T, Electrolit, Green power |
| Matagalpa FC | TBD |  Glen Blanco
|
 Rodolfo Forbes
|
Keuka | Standard Chontal Central Gas Segruidad Aguila La Bodeguita Distarija |
| Ocotal | TBD | Juan Pastrana
|
Leonardo Tercero
|
Keuka | Nil |
| Real Esteli | TBD | Otoniel Olivas
|
Josue Quijano
|
Keuka | Tigo, Cafe Ox |
| UNAN Managua | TBD | Daniel Garcia
|
Anderson Treminio
|
Joma | Universided de Managua |
| Walter Ferretti | TBD | Luis Diaz
|
Denis Espinoza
|
Keuka | Claro Nica Logistics INiser |
Managerial changes edit
Before the start of the season edit
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diriangén FC | Roberto Armando Chanampe
|
Mutual Consent | May 27, 2023 | José Giancone [3]
|
June 9, 2023 | th (2023 Clausura) |
| UNAM Managua | Eduardo Urroz
|
Mutual Consent | June, 2023 | Daniel Garcia
|
July, 2023 | th (2023 Clausura) |
During the Apertura season edit
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matagalpa FC | Glen Blanco
|
Mutual Consent | September, 2023 | Roberto Armando Chanampe
|
September 28, 2023 | th (2023 Apertura) |
Between the Apertura and Clausura season edit
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Ferretti | Luis Diaz
|
Mutual consent | November 26, 2023 | Glen Blanco
|
November 27, 2023 | 9th (2023 Apertura) |
| Masachapa FC | Ricardo Arévalo
|
Mutual consent | December , 2023 | Henry Urbina
|
December 23, 2023 | 7th (2023 Apertura) |
| ART Jalapa | Leonidas Rodriguez
|
Mutual consent | December , 2023 | Tyrone Acevedo
|
December 24, 2023 | th (2023 Apertura) |
| Ocotal | TBD
|
Mutual consent | TBD, 2023 |  Nelson Vasquez
|
TBD, 2024 | th (2023 Apertura) |
Clausura seasons edit
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | TBD
|
Sacked | TBD 4, 2024 | TBD
|
TBD 5, 2024 | th (2024 Clausura) |
| Masachapa FC | Henry Urbina
|
Sacked | April 16, 2024 | Luis Lopez
|
April 19, 2024 | th (2024 Clausura) |
Apertura 2023 edit
Standings edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Estelí (S, F) | 18 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 37 | 9 | +28 | 42 | Advance to Playoffs (Semifinals) |
| 2 | Diriangén (S, F) | 18 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 24 | 18 | +6 | 33 | |
| 3 | Club Sébaco FC (Q) | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 29 | 32 | −3 | 30 | Advance to Playoffs (Quarterfinals) |
| 4 | Managua (Q) | 18 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 33 | 26 | +7 | 25 | |
| 5 | UNAN Managua (Q) | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 29 | 29 | 0 | 25 | |
| 6 | Municipal Jalapa (Q) | 18 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 22 | 25 | −3 | 22 | |
| 7 | Masachapa FC | 18 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 32 | −14 | 21 | |
| 8 | Matagalpa | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 23 | 27 | −4 | 17 | |
| 9 | Walter Ferretti | 18 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 24 | −7 | 17 | |
| 10 | Deportivo Ocotal | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 21 | 31 | −10 | 15 |
Updated to match(es) played on 2 May 2023. Source: [4]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) head-to-head points; 5) head-to-head goal difference; 6) head-to-head goals scored; 7) draw.
(F) ?; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (S) ?
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) head-to-head points; 5) head-to-head goal difference; 6) head-to-head goals scored; 7) draw.
(F) ?; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (S) ?
Semi-finals edit
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diriangén | 5-1 | Sport Sebaco | 2–1 | 3-0 |
| Real Estelí | 1-0 | Managua | 1-0 | 0–0 |
| Sport Sebaco | 1-2 | Diriangén |
|---|---|---|
Brayan Zuniga  71' |
Renzo Carballo 38' 42' |
Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador, Matagalpa
Referee: Miller Lopez
| Diriangén | 3-0 | Sport Sebaco |
|---|---|---|
| Renzo Carballo 26' Matias Galvaliz 45' Luis Copete 50' |
Nil |
Estadio Cacique, Diriamba
Diriangén won 5-1 on aggregate.
| Managua | 0-1 | Real Estelí |
|---|---|---|
| Nil | Arley Bonilla 56' |
Estadio Cacique, Diriamba
| Real Estelí | 0-0 | Managua |
|---|---|---|
| Nil | Nil |
Estadio Independencia, Esteli
Real Estelí won 1-0 on aggregate.
Final edit
First leg edit
| Diriangen | 1-0 | Real Estelí |
|---|---|---|
| Luis Carlos Torres 49' |
Nil |
Estadio Cacique Diriangén, Diriamba
Referee: Nitzar Sandoval
Second leg edit
| Real Estelí | 1-1 | Diriangen |
|---|---|---|
| Byron Bonilla 45' |
Luis Coronal 95' |
Estadio Independencia, Esteli
Referee: Ricardo Hernandez
Diriangen FC won 2-1 on Aggregate.
| Apertura 2023 champions |
|---|
| Diriangen 31st title |
Top Goalscorer (Apertura 2023) edit
| No. | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucas Dos Santos
|
Managua | 17 |
| 2 | Anderson Treminio
|
UNAN Managua | 13 |
| 3 | Dshon Forbes
|
Diriangen | 8 |
| 4 | Luis Galeano
|
Sport Sebaco | 8 |
| 5 | Abner Acuña
|
UNAN Managua | 6 |
| 6 | Matias Veron
|
Matagalpa | 6 |
| 7 | Byron Bonilla
|
Real Esteli | 5 |
| 8 |  Erick Alcazar
|
Jalapa | 4 |
| 9 | Arley Bonilla
|
Real Esteli | 4 |
| 10 | Leonel Buter
|
Diriangen | 4 |
Clausura 2024 edit
Standings edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diriangén (S, F) | 18 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 43 | 12 | +31 | 44 | Advance to Playoffs (Semifinals) |
| 2 | Real Estelí (S, F) | 18 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 33 | 13 | +20 | 35 | |
| 3 | Managua (Q) | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 32 | 20 | +12 | 30 | Advance to Playoffs (Quarterfinals) |
| 4 | Deportivo Ocotal (Q) | 18 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 23 | 29 | −6 | 27 | |
| 5 | Walter Ferretti (Q) | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 20 | 14 | +6 | 25 | |
| 6 | Municipal Jalapa (Q) | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 20 | 25 | −5 | 25 | |
| 7 | Matagalpa | 18 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 27 | 32 | −5 | 21 | |
| 8 | UNAN Managua | 18 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 25 | 32 | −7 | 21 | |
| 9 | Club Sébaco FC | 18 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 25 | 40 | −15 | 18 | |
| 10 | Masachapa FC | 18 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 19 | 50 | −31 | 5 |
Updated to match(es) played on 2 May 2023. Source: [5]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) head-to-head points; 5) head-to-head goal difference; 6) head-to-head goals scored; 7) draw.
(F) ?; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (S) ?
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) head-to-head points; 5) head-to-head goal difference; 6) head-to-head goals scored; 7) draw.
(F) ?; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (S) ?
Quarterfinals edit
| Managua | 2-3 | ART Jalapa |
|---|---|---|
| Lucas dos Santos 58' 67' |
L Borge Erick Alcazar 93' M Reyes 96' |
Estadio
ART Jalapa progressed.
| Deportivo Walter Ferretti | 5-1 | Juventus Managua |
|---|---|---|
| Francisco Ramos 9' 56' Luciano Sanhueza 68' 80' Alexis Somarriba 90' |
Lucas Dos Santos 75' |
Estadio Cacique Diriangén, Diriamba
Walter Ferretti progressed.
Semi-finals edit
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diriangén | 3-0 | ART Jalapa | 2–0 | 1-0 |
| Real Estelí | 7-1 | Ocotal | 2-0 | 5-1 |
| ART Jalapa | 0-2 | Diriangén |
|---|---|---|
| Nil | Luis Copete Renzo Carballo |
Estadio Alejandro Ramos
| Diriangén | 1-0 | ART Jalapa |
|---|---|---|
| Renzo Carballo 20' |
Nil |
Estadio Cacique, Diriamba
Diriangén won 5-1 on aggregate.
| Ocotal | 0-2 | Real Estelí |
|---|---|---|
| Nil | Marvin Fletes 12' Harold Medina 59' |
Estadio Roy Fernando Bermudez
| Real Estelí | 5-1 | Ocotal |
|---|---|---|
| Bancy Hernandez 32' 69' Harold Medina 48' Bryan Ordonez 64' Byron Bonilla 71' |
Oscar Rosales 62' |
Estadio Independencia, Esteli
Real Estelí won 7-1 on aggregate.
Final edit
First leg edit
| Real Estelí | v | Diriangen |
|---|---|---|
| TBD |
TBD |
Estadio Independencia, Esteli
Referee: TBD
Second leg edit
| Diriangen | v | Real Estelí |
|---|---|---|
| TBD |
TBD |
Estadio Cacique Diriangén, Diriamba
Referee: TBD
TBD won 2-1 on Aggregate.
| Clausura 2024 champions |
|---|
| TBD th title |
Top Goalscorer (Clausura 2024) edit
| No. | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Coronel [6]
|
Diriangén | 11 |
| 2 | Brayan Zúniga
|
Club Sébaco FC | 10 |
| 3 | Lucas Dos Santos
|
Managua | 9 |
| 4 | Edwin Castro
|
Ocotal | 7 |
| 5 | Leandro Figueroa
|
Walter Ferretti | 7 |
| 6 | Erick Alcázar
|
ART Jalapa | 5 |
| 7 | Junior Arteaga
|
Diriangén | 5 |
| 8 | Edry Centeno
|
Ocotal | 5 |
| 9 | Sergio Cunningham
|
Real Esteli | 5 |
| 10 | Christian Durón
|
Masachapa FC | 5 |
List of foreign players in the league edit
This is a list of foreign players in the 2023–24 season. The following players:
- Have played at least one game for the respective club.
- Have not been capped for the Nicaragua national football team on any level, independently from the birthplace
A new rule was introduced this season, that clubs can have four foreign players per club and can only add a new player if there is an injury or a player/s is released, and it is before the closing of the season transfer window.
|
ART Jalapa
Diriangén
CS Sebaco
Managua
Masachapa FC
|
Matagalpa FC
Ocotal
UNAM Managua
Walter Ferretti
|
(player released during the Apertura season)
(player released between the Apertura and Clausura seasons)
(player released during the Clausura season)