he Primeira Liga Regulations
It’s the top Portuguese professional football clubs division, the winner of which is regarded as the champion of Portugal and acquires the right to participate directly in the Champions League group without playing butting matches. The tournament has been organized since 1934, and from the moment of the Primeira Liga foundation only five clubs managed to become champions of Portugal. They are “Porto”, “Sporting”, “Benfica”, “Belenenses” and “Boavista”. The first three of these clubs may boast of the lion share of championship wins – 82 out of 84.
The Championship is held according to the “autumn-spring” system. Teams play two games (one at home and one away) each during the regular season championship. The team gets 3 points for the win in a match, 1 point for a draw and null points for the loss (before the 1995/96 season the winner obtained 2 points for a game).
In cases when two or more teams have a tie score additional rates, such as the overall difference of scored and missed balls and the total amount of goals in all games, are taken into account. If these figures are equal, results of the matches that the teams played against each other are compared. The same rules apply to the process of determining a winner and teams, participating in Eurocups. With the 2013/2014 season introduction of eighteen teams instead of the former sixteen ones, he first championship matches start at the end of August, and the last – late in May. The championship is divided into two laps with the 1st one ending late in December. The two teams, taking two last places, drop out directly to the lower division (Segunda Liga), being replaced by the two best 1st division teams. The team ranked 16th competes in play-off matches with the team ranked 3rd in the Portuguese Segunda.
The association foundation: 1914
Confederation: UEFA Web-site: http://www.fpf.pt
Official name: Campeonato portugues de futebol (the Primeira Liga)
Number of participants: 18
The 1st Championship of Portugal took place in 1934 with only 8 teams participating in it. From the 1934/1935 season to the 1963/1964 season the “Porto”, “Sporting”, “Benfica” and a very strong then “Belenenses” trophy supremacy was only twice broken by the little-known “Atletico Lisbon”, having won the 3rd place twice. Only once after the 1945/1946 “Belenenses” victory the “Big Three” non-member managed to win in the Primeira Liga. That was “Boavista” in the 2000/2001 season.
The “Big Three” features the highest average attendance rates in each season in Portugal, while other teams without proper support of local fans (excluding “Vitória de Guimarães” and “Braga” being most supported non-capital clubs) suffered from the low attendance level, which influenced the championship popularity rank.
The Portuguese Football Federation takes the 5th place in the UEFA ranking and obtains three tickets to the Champions League. The champion, 2nd and 3rd places takers are entitled to participate in the Champions League (the champion and the 2nd team – on a direct basis, the 3rd team – from the qualification play-off round), the teams ranked 4–6, as well as the Taça de Portugal holder, enter the competition in the Europa League. If the national cup finalist club loses to the team ranked 1–6 in the championship, it also receives a ticket to the Europa League. Just so “Rio Ave” obtained the right to compete in the Europa League in 2014, while coming off second best to “Benfica” in the Cup final match (1:0).
“Benfica”, “Porto” and “Sporting” may boast of the lion share of championship wins – 82 out of 84. The first championship in Portugal was held in 1934 and only 8 teams took part in it. From the 1934/1935 season to the 1963/1964 season, the winning hegemony of “Porto”, “Sporting”, “Benfica” and a very strong then “Belenenses” was only twice broken by the little-known “Atletico” from Lisbon which took the 3rd place twice. After the victory of “Belenenses” in the 1945/1946 season only once the “Big Three” non-member managed to win in the Primeira Liga. This club was “Boavista” in the 2000/2001 season.
The “Big Three” has the highest average attendance rates in each season in Portugal, while other teams without proper support of local fans (excluding “Vitória de Guimarães” and “Braga” being most supported non-capital clubs) suffered from the low attendance level, which influenced the championship popularity rank.
