The 2023 Categoría Primera A season (officially known as the 2023 Liga BetPlay Dimayor season for sponsorship purposes) was the 76th season of the Categoría Primera A, Colombia's top-flight football league. The season began on 24 January and ended on 13 December 2023.
Two tournaments (Apertura and Finalización) were played in the season, each one of them being an independent championship. In the Torneo Apertura, Millonarios won their sixteenth league title after defeating Atlético Nacional 3–2 on penalty kicks in the finals after a 1–1 draw on aggregate, whilst Junior won their tenth league title in the Torneo Finalización, beating Independiente Medellín 5–3 on penalty kicks in the finals after tying 4–4 on aggregate. Deportivo Pereira were the defending champions, having won the 2022 Finalización tournament.
Format The competition format for this season was approved by the Extraordinary Assembly of DIMAYOR on 14 December 2022, which decided to keep the same system used in the previous season, with two tournaments (Apertura and Finalización) of three stages each.
Teams
20 teams took part in the season, the top 18 teams from the relegation table of the previous season as well as the 2022 Primera B champions Boyacá Chicó and the winners of the Primera B promotion play-off Atlético Huila. Boyacá Chicó were the first team to earn promotion, winning the Primera B title on 21 November 2022 after beating Atlético Huila in the season's Grand Final, while Atlético Huila themselves ensured promotion to the top flight on 29 November 2022, after winning the promotion play-off against Deportes Quindío. The promoted teams replaced Patriotas and Cortuluá, the bottom two teams in the relegation table of the 2022 season, who were relegated to Primera B.
Stadia and locations Team City Stadium Capacity Águilas Doradas Rionegro Alberto Grisales 14,000 Alianza Petrolera Barrancabermeja Daniel Villa Zapata 10,400 América de Cali Cali Pascual Guerrero 33,130 Atlético Bucaramanga Bucaramanga Alfonso López 28,000 Atlético Huila Neiva Guillermo Plazas Alcid 22,000 Atlético Nacional Medellín Atanasio Girardot 40,043 Boyacá Chicó Tunja La Independencia 20,630 Deportes Tolima Ibagué Manuel Murillo Toro 28,100 Deportivo Cali Palmira Deportivo Cali 44,000 Deportivo Pasto Pasto Departamental Libertad 20,665 Deportivo Pereira Pereira Hernán Ramírez Villegas 30,297 Envigado Envigado Polideportivo Sur 11,000 Independiente Medellín Medellín Atanasio Girardot 40,043 Jaguares Montería Jaraguay 12,000 Junior Barranquilla Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez 49,692 La Equidad Bogotá Metropolitano de Techo 8,000 Millonarios Bogotá Nemesio Camacho El Campín 36,343 Once Caldas Manizales Palogrande 28,678 Santa Fe Bogotá Nemesio Camacho El Campín 36,343 Unión Magdalena Santa Marta Sierra Nevada 16,000
Personnel and kits Team Manager Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor(s) Águilas Doradas César Farías Aerosport Alianza Petrolera César Torres Pin-Go América de Cali Lucas González Le Coq Sportif Colanta, Águila, BetPlay Atlético Bucaramanga Jorge Ramoa (caretaker) Lotto Marsbet, Pool, Clinisports Atlético Huila Diego Corredor Vicbay Electrohuila, BetPlay Atlético Nacional Jhon Jairo Bodmer Nike Postobón Boyacá Chicó Belmer Aguilar Geus Deportes Tolima David González Sheffy AK-1, BetPlay, Mercacentro, Pool Deportivo Cali Jaime de la Pava Le Coq Sportif (Apertura)Kappa (Finalización) Wplay, Pastas La Muñeca Deportivo Pasto Flabio Torres Aerosport Aguardiente Nariño, Banco AV Villas Deportivo Pereira Alejandro Restrepo Oto Ukumarí Envigado Dayron Pérez Novo Pool, Colanta Independiente Medellín Alfredo Arias Adidas Colanta, Wplay Jaguares Carlos Mario Hoyos Kimo Colanta, Pool Junior Arturo Reyes Adidas Olímpica, Águila, Tecnoglass La Equidad Alexis García Attle Cootrafa Millonarios Alberto Gamero Adidas Cerveza Andina Once Caldas Hernán Darío Herrera Hillside Colanta, BetPlay, Wakate Santa Fe Pablo Peirano Kappa Colanta, BetPlay Unión Magdalena Harold Rivera Attle Wplay, Pool
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentTorneo AperturaAtlético Bucaramanga Jorge RamoaEnd of caretaker spell30 October 2022Pre-season Raúl Armando5 December 2022Jaguares Alexis MárquezResigned1 November 2022 Carlos Restrepo16 November 2022Santa Fe Alfredo Arias30 November 2022 Harold Rivera23 December 2022Águilas Doradas Leonel ÁlvarezEnd of contract8 December 2022 Lucas González30 December 2022Once Caldas Diego CorredorMutual agreement13 February 202318th Elkin Soto13 February 2023 Elkin SotoEnd of caretaker spell5 March 202310th Pedro Sarmiento5 March 2023Junior Arturo ReyesMutual agreement14 March 202320th Hernán Darío Gómez15 March 2023Atlético Bucaramanga Raúl ArmandoSacked1 April 202313th Alexis Márquez3 April 2023Deportes Tolima Hernán TorresMutual agreement24 April 202312th Carlos Castro24 April 2023 Carlos CastroEnd of caretaker spell29 April 2023 Juan Cruz Real28 April 2023Independiente Medellín David GonzálezMutual agreement8 May 202311th Sebastián Botero9 May 2023Santa Fe Harold RiveraResigned11 May 20239th Gerardo Bedoya12 May 2023Jaguares Carlos Restrepo18 May 202318th Pompilio Páez27 May 2023Unión Magdalena Claudio Rodríguez19 May 202319th Harold Rivera27 May 2023Águilas Doradas Lucas González17 June 20234th, Group A César Farías28 June 2023Alianza Petrolera Hubert BodhertEnd of contract21 June 20232nd, Group A César Torres25 June 2023América de Cali Alexandre Guimarães22 June 20232nd, Group B Lucas González29 June 2023Torneo FinalizaciónSanta Fe Gerardo BedoyaEnd of caretaker spell28 June 2023Pre-tournament Hubert Bodhert25 June 2023Independiente Medellín Sebastián Botero4 July 2023 Alfredo Arias4 July 2023Atlético Nacional Paulo AutuoriResigned6 July 2023 William Amaral6 July 2023Deportivo Cali Jorge Luis Pinto8 July 2023 Jaime de la Pava14 July 2023Envigado Alberto SuárezSacked25 July 202315th Andrés Orozco25 July 2023Junior Hernán Darío GómezResigned17 August 202317th Arturo Reyes17 August 2023Boyacá Chicó Mario García17 August 202318th Belmer Aguilar17 August 2023Atlético Huila Néstor CraviottoMutual agreement21 August 202311th Diego Corredor22 August 2023Jaguares Pompilio PáezResigned22 August 202314th Julio Méndez23 August 2023Deportes Tolima Juan Cruz Real6 September 202316th José Arastey7 September 2023 José ArasteyEnd of caretaker spell18 September 202314th David González18 September 2023Jaguares Julio Méndez21 September 202319th Carlos Mario Hoyos21 September 2023Envigado Andrés Orozco25 September 202320th Dayron Pérez26 September 2023Atlético Bucaramanga Alexis MárquezResigned25 September 202314th Rubén Zapata Diego Vargas26 September 2023Santa Fe Hubert BodhertMutual agreement8 October 20236th Pablo Peirano9 October 2023Atlético Nacional William AmaralSacked9 October 20234th Jhon Jairo Bodmer9 October 2023Atlético Bucaramanga Rubén Zapata Diego VargasMutual agreement10 October 202316th Jorge Ramoa11 October 2023Once Caldas Pedro SarmientoSacked23 October 202317th Hernán Darío Herrera23 October 2023 Notes
Torneo Apertura The Torneo Apertura (officially known as Liga BetPlay Dimayor 2023–I) was the first tournament of the 2023 season. It began on 24 January and ended on 24 June 2023.
First stage Standings
Results
Semi-finals The eight teams that advanced to the semi-finals were drawn into two groups of four teams, with the top two teams from the first stage being seeded in each group. The two group winners advanced to the finals.
Group A
Group B
Finals
Tied 1–1 on aggregate, Millonarios won on penalties.
Top scorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Marco PérezÁguilas Doradas 13 2 Gonzalo LencinaAtlético Bucaramanga 9 Edwar LópezDeportivo Pasto Dayro MorenoOnce Caldas 5 Diber CambindoIndependiente Medellín 8 Jefferson DuqueAtlético Nacional Facundo SuárezAmérica de Cali 8 Isaac CamargoUnión Magdalena 7
Source: Soccerway
Torneo Finalización The Torneo Finalización (officially known as Liga BetPlay Dimayor 2023–II) is the second and last tournament of the 2023 season. It began on 14 July and ended on 13 December 2023.
First stage Standings
Results
Semi-finals The eight teams that advanced to the semi-finals were drawn into two groups of four teams, with the top two teams from the first stage being seeded in each group. The two group winners advanced to the finals.
Group A
Group B
Finals
Tied 4–4 on aggregate, Junior won on penalties.
Top scorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Carlos BaccaJunior 18 2 Edwuin CetréIndependiente Medellín 15 Marco PérezÁguilas Doradas 4 Dayro MorenoOnce Caldas 11 5 Diego HerazoDeportes Tolima 9 Luis SandovalDeportivo Cali 7 Marcus ViniciusAtlético Huila 8 Eric RamírezAtlético Nacional Adrián RamosAmérica de Cali 10 Jhon CórdobaAtlético Bucaramanga 7 Luis GonzálezJunior Gustavo RamírezDeportivo Cali Gustavo TorresUnión Magdalena
Source: Soccerway
Attendances
The clubs with an average home league attendance of at least 10,000 in the 2023–II season:
Source:
Aggregate table
Relegation A separate table is kept to determine the teams that are relegated to the Categoría Primera B for the next season. This table is elaborated from a sum of all first stage games played in the three most recent seasons (including the 2021–I, 2021–II, 2022–I, 2022–II, 2023–I, and 2023–II tournaments), with the points earned being averaged per match played. The bottom two teams of the relegation table at the end of the season were relegated to Categoría Primera B.
Team Relegation 1Millonarios 69 74 68 51 38 13 118 211 2Atlético Nacional 76 66 68 59 35 24 118 210 3Deportes Tolima 66 66 61 46 43 3 118 193 4 52 67 68 59 39 20 118 187 5Junior 62 63 58 46 34 12 118 183 6América de Cali 58 54 69 67 42 25 118 181 7Águilas Doradas 39 58 83 67 33 34 118 180 8Santa Fe 58 61 50 50 54 –4 118 169 9La Equidad 55 58 52 39 37 2 118 165 10Atlético Bucaramanga 51 59 46 35 43 –8 118 156 11Deportivo Pereira 51 55 44 43 53 –10 118 150 12Deportivo Pasto 39 54 54 38 41 –3 118 147 13Deportivo Cali 62 34 51 45 51 –6 118 147 14Boyacá Chicó — — 49 39 44 –5 40 49 15Alianza Petrolera 37 46 58 45 46 –1 118 141 16Once Caldas 37 56 42 38 46 –8 118 135 17Envigado 44 57 33 32 52 –20 118 134 18Jaguares 52 47 33 23 47 –24 118 132 19Unión Magdalena (R) — 40 41 37 62 –25 80 81 20Atlético Huila (R) — — 37 38 57 –19 40 37 Source: Dimayor Rules for classification: 1) average, 2) 2023 points, 3) 2023 goal difference, 4) 2023 goals scored, 5) 2023 away goals scored, 6) 2023 away goals against, 7) 2023 wins, 8) 2023 yellow cards, 9) 2023 red cards, 10) drawing of lots.
See also 2023 Categoría Primera B season 2023 Copa Colombia
References
External links Dimayor's official website