2016–17 Primera División de Nicaragua

Primera División
Season	2016–17
Champions	Apertura:; Real Estelí; Clausura:Real Estelí
Relegated	Nandasmo
Champions League	-
CONCACAF League	Real Estelí ; Deportivo Walter Ferretti
Matches played	130
Goals scored	400 (3.08 per match)
Top goalscorer	Apertura:; Edward Morillo – 12 goals ; Clausura: ; Gregorio Torres – 9 goals
Biggest home win	Apertura: Juventus Managua 10–0 Nandasmo ; Clausura: UNAN Managua 10–2 Nandasmo
Biggest away win	Apertura: Nandasmo 0–7 Walter Ferretti ; Clausura: Nandasmo 1–5 Diriangén
Highest scoring	Apertura: Real Madriz 8–3 Nandasmo ; Clausura: UNAN Managua 10–2 Nandasmo
Longest unbeaten run	Apertura: Real Estelí (18) ; Clausura: Real Estelí (8)
Longest losing run	Apertura: Sebaco (8) ; Clausura: Nandasmo (8)
	← 2015–16 2017–18 →

The 2016–17 season in Primera División de Nicaragua will be divided into two tournaments (Apertura and Clausura) and will determine the 69th and 70th champions in the history of the league. The Apertura tournament will be played in the second half of 2016, while the Clausura will be played in the first half of 2017.

Format

The Apertura play-off format was changed from previous years, while the Clausura will use the same 4-team play-off format. For the Apertura, the top four teams from the regular stage advanced to a "quadrangular" double-round robin instead of a play-off stage. The regular stage and quadrangular winners would have played to decide the tournament's champion, but ultimately the same team won both and the final was not necessary. The same format was recently adopted by the Costa Rican Primera División, but for both half season.

Teams

A total of 10 teams will contest the league, including 8 sides from the 2015–16 season and one sids directly promoted from the 2015–16 Segunda division. The final participant will be determined in a two-legged play-off, in which the 9th placed Primera division side ART Jalapa will play the team who finished second in Segunda division which was Sebaco. Sebaco won 4-3 on aggregate over ART Jalapa which meant they were promoted in the Primera Division.

Deportivo Sebaco (Runner-up of the Segunda Division)
Diriangén FC
Juventus Managua
Managua F.C.
Nandasmo F.C. (Winner of the Segunda Division)
Real Madriz
Real Estelí F.C.
UNAN Managua
Chinandega FC
Deportivo Walter Ferretti

Promotion and relegation

At the end of the 2015–16, Nandasmo F.C. and Deportivo Sebaco was promoted to Primera Division
At the end of the 2015–16, Deportivo Ocotal and ART Jalapa was relegated to Segunda Division.

Apertura

Personnel and sponsoring (2016 Apertura)

Team	Manager	Captain	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
Diriangén FC	Tyron Acevedo	Jason Coronel	Joma	Claro
Chinandega FC	Reyna Espinoza	Léster Espinoza	TBD	TBD
Juventus Managua	Javier Londoño	Marlon Medina	TBD	TBD
Managua F.C.	Luis Fernando Fallas	Norfran Lazo	TBD	TBD
Nandasmo F.C.	Marcos Bodán	Alfredo Pérez	TBD	TBD
Real Madriz	Sindulio Castellanos	Alvaro Bermúdez	TBD	TBD
Real Estelí F.C.	Ramón Otoniel Olivas	Elmer Mejia	Galaxia	Movistar, La Curaçao
Deportivo Sebaco	Óscar Castillo	Joel Rivera	TBD	TBD
UNAN Managua	Edward Urroz	Jonathan Donado	Joma	UNAN Managua
Deportivo Walter Ferretti	Flavio Da Silva	Denis Espinoza	Grama	Claro, Disnorte Dissur

Managerial changes

Before the season

Team	Outgoing manager	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Replaced by	Date of appointment
Diriangén FC	Jose Luis Rugamas	Resigned	2016	Tyron Acevedo	2016
Juventus Managua	Douglas Urbina	Contract finished	2016	Javier Londoño	2016
Managua F.C.	Flavio Da Silva	Resigned	2016	Amleto Bonaccorso	2016
Deportivo Walter Ferretti	José Valladares	Contract finished	2016	Flavio Da Silva	2016

During the season

Team	Outgoing manager	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Replaced by	Date of appointment
Managua F.C.	Amleto Bonaccorso	Resigned	August 2016	Jack Galindo	August 2016
Managua F.C.	Jack Galindo	Interim finished	September 2016	Luis Fernando Fallas	September 2016

Regular season

The regular season began on 2016. The top four finishers will move on to the next stage of the competition.

Scoring

First goal of the season: Rodrigo Valiente for Deportivo Walter Ferretti against UNAN Managua, 51 minutes (6 August 2016)
First goal by a foreign player: Rodrigo Valiente for Deportivo Walter Ferretti against UNAN Managua, 51 minutes (6 August 2016)
Fastest goal in a match: 2 minutes
- Remy Vanegas for Diriangen FC against Nandasmo F.C. (28 September 2016)
Goal scored at the latest point in a match: 93 minutes
- Anderson Acosta for Deportivo Sebaco against Chinandega FC (17 August 2016)
First penalty Kick of the season: Rodrigo Valiente for Deportivo Walter Ferretti against UNAN Managua, 51 minutes (6 August 2016)
Widest winning margin: 10 goals
- Juventus Managua 10–0 Nandasmo F.C. (26 October 2016)
First hat-trick of the season: Rudel Calero for Real Estelí F.C. against Nandasmo F.C. (21 September 2016)
First own goal of the season: Felix Rodriguez for UNAN Managua against Deportivo Walter Ferretti (21 September 2016)
Most goals in a match: 11 goals
- Real Madriz 8–3 Nandasmo F.C. (4 September 2016)
Most goals by one team in a match: 10 goals
- Juventus Managua 10–0 Nandasmo F.C. (26 October 2016)
Most goals in one half by one team: 7 goals
- Juventus Managua 10–0 Nandasmo F.C. (26 October 2016)
Most goals scored by losing team: 3 goals
- Real Madriz 8–3 Nandasmo F.C. (4 September 2016)
Most goals by one player in a single match: 4 goals
- Rudel Calero for Real Estelí F.C. against Nandasmo F.C. (21 September 2016)

Standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Real Estelí	18	14	4	0	45	4	+41	46	Championship Group
2	Walter Ferretti	18	9	6	3	32	12	+20	33
3	UNAN Managua	18	8	5	5	25	17	+8	29
4	Diriangén	18	7	7	4	26	22	+4	28
5	Chinandega	18	8	4	6	22	18	+4	28
6	Real Madriz	18	7	3	8	38	34	+4	24
7	Managua	18	5	7	6	26	24	+2	22
8	Juventus Managua	18	5	5	8	29	22	+7	20
9	Sebaco	18	3	2	13	13	40	−27	11
10	Nandasmo	18	2	1	15	15	78	−63	7

Updated to match(es) played on 26 October 2016. Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Results

Home \ Away	CHI	DIR	JUM	MAN	NAN	RES	RMA	SEB	UNM	WAF
Chinandega		3–1	1–0	1–1	3–0	0–2	3–0	0–1	1–0	0–0
Diriangén	1–1		1–1	1–1	3–2	0–0	1–1	2–1	0–1	2–2
Juventus Managua	1–2	1–2		2–2	10–0	0–4	4–0	1–0	1–1	1–0
Managua	0–0	2–3	1–0		4–0	1–2	3–3	3–1	0–1	1–2
Nandasmo	0–2	0–4	1–3	1–3		0–6	3–2	1–1	1–5	0–7
Real Estelí	1–0	3–1	1–1	4–0	7–0		3–0	1–0	0–0	0–0
Real Madriz	5–0	1–1	2–1	2–1	8–3	0–3		6–1	3–0	0–1
Sebaco	0–2	0–1	1–0	0–2	2–3	1–6	3–2		0–0	0–3
UNAN Managua	2–1	0–2	2–1	1–1	4–0	0–1	2–1	4–1		2–2
Walter Ferretti	3–2	2–0	1–1	0–0	4–0	0–1	1–2	3–0	1–0

Updated to match(es) played on 26 October 2016. Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Positions by round

Team ╲ Round	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Team ╲ Round
Real Estelí	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Walter Ferretti	5	5	8	9	8	7	7	7	7	4	2	4	4	4	4	2	2	2
UNAN Managua	4	3	5	3	2	2	3	2	2	2	3	6	7	7	7	5	5	3
Diriangén	6	6	4	2	6	3	5	6	6	3	5	3	3	3	2	3	3	4
Chinandega	2	2	2	4	4	5	6	3	3	6	4	2	2	2	3	4	4	5
Real Madriz	9	8	9	7	5	6	4	5	8	5	6	5	5	6	5	6	6	6
Managua	7	7	6	5	3	4	2	4	4	7	7	8	6	5	6	7	7	7
Juventus Managua	3	4	3	6	7	8	9	8	5	8	8	7	8	8	8	8	8	8
Sebaco	8	9	7	8	9	9	8	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9
Nandasmo	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10

Updated to match(es) played on 26 October 2016. Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Championship group

Standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Real Estelí	6	3	3	0	6	2	+4	12	Apertura Champion
2	Walter Ferretti	6	3	2	1	10	6	+4	11
3	Diriangén	6	2	1	3	5	9	−4	7
4	UNAN Managua	6	0	2	4	5	9	−4	2

Updated to match(es) played on 04 December 2016. Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Results

Home \ Away	DIR	RES	UNM	WAF
Diriangén		1–2	1–0	0–4
Real Estelí	0–0		1–0	2–0
UNAN Managua	1–2	1–1		1–1
Walter Ferretti	2–1	0–0	3–2

Updated to match(es) played on 04 December 2016. Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

List of foreign players in the league

This is a list of foreign players in Apertura 2016. The following players:

have played at least one apertura 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 year, that clubs can only have five foreign players in a squad.

Chinandega ✔

Marlon Barrios
Bryan Cañate
Richard Junior Charris
Johan Hurtado
Yosimar Rivera
Christian Izaguirre

Diriangén ✔

Lucas Martella
Rafael Vieira
Erick Alcázar
Armando Valdéz Caicedo
Leonel Escoto

Juventus Managua ✔

Jose Pereira da Silva
Jorge Betancur
Deybran Blanco
Juan Esteban Ospina
Juan Diego Uribe

Managua ✔

Christiano da Lima
Marlon Barrios
Darwing Güity
Arán Pazos Balado
Genlis Piñero

Nandasmo

Cristian Ortega
Willer Alexander Rodriguez

(player released mid season)

Real Estelí ✔

Juan Berdún
Jonatas Ribeiro
Maycon Santana
Jonathan Mosquera
Emilio López
Gregorio Torres

Real Madriz ✔

Eduardo Salas
Marel Steven Álvarez
Luis Valladarez
Edward Morillo
Karim Nasser

Sebaco

Evaristo González
Bryan Leal
Andrés Solarte

UNAN Managua ✔

Jonathan Donado
Luis Fernándo González
John Hernandez
Rodrigo Hernandez
Renan Lalin

Walter Ferretti ✔

Robinson Luiz da Silva
Pedro Augusto dos Santos Sousa
Allan Gutiérrez
Bernardo Laureiro
Rodrigo Valiente

Top goalscorers

Rank	Goalscorer	Team	Goals
1	Edward Morillo	Real Madriz	12
2	Gregorio Torres	Real Estelí	11
3	Daniel Reyes	UNAN Managua	9
4	Norfran Lazo	Managua	8
5	Samuel Wilson	Real Estelí	8
6	Luis Galeano	Real Estelí	7
7	Edwin Herrera	Real Madriz	7
8	Remy Vanegas	Diriangén	7
9	John Hernandez	UNAN Managua	6
10	Alejandro Ruiz	Nandasmo	6

Clausura