The 1966 Torneo Descentralizado was the 50th season of the highest division of Peruvian football. This season marked the first time the Primera División was named the Descentralizado because teams outside Lima and Callao were invited for the first time making it the first national championship in Peru.
The first match of the season was played on 13 August 1966 between Universitario and Mariscal Sucre in the Estadio Nacional. Shortly after this match, the first match to feature a team outside the Lima and Callao region was between Sporting Cristal and Alfonso Ugarte de Chiclín in the same stadium on the same day.
The champion was Universitario. Four teams were relegated at the end of the season. Carlos Concha was relegated to the 1967 Segunda División as the last placed team. In addition, Octavio Espinosa, Alfonso Ugarte, and Melgar were relegated as they needed to place seventh or higher to remain in the first division. They needed to play the 1967 Copa Perú to attain promotion to the first division. Election of teams It was established that fourteen teams would participate in this first national tournament. Given that the necessary financial support to fund a complete transformation was lacking, the process was carried out gradually. Thus, the first Descentralizado tournament retained a still centralist structure: ten teams from Lima and four from the provinces.
The four teams invited to play in the inaugural national championship were the district champions of Arequipa, Ica, Piura, and Trujillo: Melgar, Octavio Espinosa, Atlético Grau, and Alfonso Ugarte de Chiclín, respectively.
Teams Team changes Promoted from1965 Segunda División Invited Relegated from1965 Primera División Mariscal Sucre Alfonso Ugarte de Chiclín Atlético Grau Melgar Octavio Espinosa Ciclista Lima
Stadia locations
Team City Mannager Alfonso Ugarte de Chiclín Trujillo Ángel Fernández Roca Alianza Lima La Victoria, Lima Jaime de Almeida Atlético Grau Piura László Pákozdi Carlos Concha Callao Alfonso Huapaya Centro Iqueño Cercado de Lima Miguel Ortega Defensor Arica Breña, Lima Hugo Tassara Defensor Lima Breña, Lima Juan Honores Deportivo Municipal Cercado de Lima Luis Guzmán Mariscal Sucre La Victoria, Lima Clemente Velásquez Melgar Arequipa Gilberto dos SantosOctavio Espinosa Ica Pablo Pasache Sport Boys Callao José Chiarella Sporting Cristal Rímac, Lima Alberto Terry Universitario Breña, Lima Marcos Calderón
The whole tournament was played in seven stadiums:
Stadium CityEstadio Nacional LimaEstadio San Martín de Porres Estadio Teodoro Lolo Fernández Estadio Melgar ArequipaEstadio Miguel Grau PiuraEstadio Modelo de Trujillo TrujilloEstadio Municipal de Ica Ica
League table Standings
Results
Top scorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Teófilo Cubillas Alianza Lima19 2 Ricardo López Lavalle Defensor Lima 14 Ángel Uribe Universitario14
See also 1966 Peruvian Segunda División 1967 Copa Perú
References
External links Peru 1966 season at RSSSF