The 2023 Argentine Primera Nacional, also known as the Campeonato de Primera Nacional "Campeones del Mundo" 2023, was the 39th season of the Primera Nacional, the second-tier competition of Argentine football. The season began on 3 February and ended on 2 December 2023. Thirty-seven teams competed in the league, thirty-three of which took part in the 2022 season, along with two teams relegated from Primera División, one team promoted from Torneo Federal A and another one promoted from Primera B Metropolitana.
Independiente Rivadavia promoted to Primera División and won the competition for the first time in this season, defeating Almirante Brown 2–0 after extra time in the championship final played on 29 October 2023. The other promoted side was Deportivo Riestra, who won the Torneo Reducido after defeating Deportivo Maipú in the final.
Format For this season, the competition was played under a format similar to the one used for the 2021 season, with the thirty-seven participating teams being split into two zones, one of 19 teams and another one of 18 teams, where they played against the other teams in their group twice: once at home and once away, with one team in Zone A having a bye in each round. No interzonal or derby matchdays were played, and teams from the same city were drawn into different zones. Both zone winners played a final match on neutral ground to decide the first promoted team to the Liga Profesional for the 2024 season, while the teams placed from second to eighth place in each zone played a knockout tournament (Torneo Reducido) for the second promotion berth along with the loser of the final between the zone winners, which joined the Reducido in the second round. The teams placing in bottom place of each zone were relegated at the end of the season, with a third relegated team slated to be decided in a playoff match between the sides placing second-from-bottom in each group. However, the third relegation from Primera Nacional and consequently, the relegation playoffs, were cancelled by the Argentine Football Association on 23 October 2023 in order to have a 38-team competition for 2024.
This tournament also served as part of the qualification process for the 2024 Copa Argentina, qualifying 15 teams for that competition: the top 7 teams in each group plus the best eighth-placed one. The draw to decide the fixture of the season was held on 29 December 2022 at the Argentine Football Association's Ezeiza offices.
Club information Stadia and locations
ClubCityProvinceStadiumCapacity Agropecuario Argentino Carlos Casares Buenos Aires Ofelia Rosenzuaig 8,000 Aldosivi Mar del Plata Buenos Aires José María Minella 35,180 All Boys Buenos Aires — Islas Malvinas 12,199 Almagro José Ingenieros Buenos Aires Tres de Febrero 12,500 Almirante Brown Isidro Casanova Buenos Aires Fragata Presidente Sarmiento 25,000 Alvarado Mar del Plata Buenos Aires José María Minella 35,180 Atlanta Buenos Aires — Don León Kolbowsky 14,000 Atlético de Rafaela Rafaela Santa Fe Nuevo Monumental 16,000 Brown Adrogué Buenos Aires Lorenzo Arandilla 4,500 Chacarita Juniors Villa Maipú Buenos Aires Chacarita Juniors 19,000 Chaco For Ever Resistencia Chaco Juan Alberto García 23,000 Defensores de Belgrano Buenos Aires — Juan Pasquale 9,000 Defensores Unidos Zárate Buenos Aires Mario Lossino 6,000 Deportivo Madryn Puerto Madryn Chubut Abel Sastre 8,000 Deportivo Maipú Maipú Mendoza Omar Higinio Sperdutti 8,000 Deportivo Morón Morón Buenos Aires Nuevo Francisco Urbano 32,000 Deportivo Riestra Buenos Aires — Guillermo Laza 3,000 Estudiantes Caseros Buenos Aires Ciudad de Caseros 16,740 Estudiantes Río Cuarto Córdoba Antonio Candini 15,000 Ferro Carril Oeste Buenos Aires — Ricardo Etcheverri 24,442 Flandria Jáuregui Buenos Aires Carlos V 5,000 Gimnasia y Esgrima Jujuy Jujuy 23 de Agosto 23,200 Gimnasia y Esgrima Mendoza Mendoza Víctor Legrotaglie 11,500 Güemes Santiago del Estero Santiago del Estero Arturo Miranda 15,000 Guillermo Brown Puerto Madryn Chubut Raúl Conti 15,000 Independiente Rivadavia Mendoza Mendoza Bautista Gargantini 24,000 Mitre Santiago del Estero Santiago del Estero José y Antonio Castiglione 10,500 Nueva Chicago Buenos Aires — Nueva Chicago 28,500 Patronato Paraná Entre Ríos Presbítero Bartolomé Grella 22,000 Quilmes Quilmes Buenos Aires Centenario 35,200 Racing Córdoba Córdoba Miguel Sancho 15,000 San Martín San Juan San Juan Ingeniero Hilario Sánchez 17,000 San Martín Tucumán Tucumán La Ciudadela 30,250 San Telmo Dock Sud Buenos Aires Osvaldo Baletto 2,000 Temperley Temperley Buenos Aires Alfredo Beranger 13,000 Tristán Suárez Tristán Suárez Buenos Aires 20 de Octubre 15,000 Villa Dálmine Campana Buenos Aires El Coliseo de Mitre y Puccini 12,000
Zone A Standings
Relegation play-off tiebreaker Since Almagro and San Telmo ended up tied in points for 18th place, a tiebreaker match would be played to decide the team that would play the relegation play-off. Since the third relegation from the league was voided, this match was cancelled.
Results
Zone B Standings
Results
Championship final The top-ranked teams of each zone played a match on neutral ground to decide the champions and the first team promoted to Primera División. The losing team entered the Torneo Reducido in the second round.
GK 1 Ramiro Martínez DF 4 Ulises Abreliano DF 2 Agustín Dattola DF 6 Alan Barrionuevo DF 3 Jonathan Zacaría MF 7 Leandro Guzmán MF 5 Marcos Enrique MF 8 Juan Manuel Vázquez FW 11 Mariano Santiago FW 10 Nazareno Bazán FW 9 Martín Batallini Substitutions: DF 14 Axel Ochoa FW 15 Matías Belloso MF 17 José Luis Escurra FW 18 Germán Rivero MF 20 Diego García FW 23 Facundo Miño Manager: Darío Franco
GK 1 Maximiliano Gagliardo DF 4 Luciano Abecasis DF 2 Francisco Petrasso DF 6 Mauro Maidana DF 3 Juan Manuel Elordi MF 8 Ezequiel Ham MF 5 Franco Romero MF 11 Maximiliano González FW 7 Jonás Aguirre FW 9 Alex Arce MF 10 Alejo Distaulo Substitutions: DF 14 Santiago Flores FW 18 Ivan Valdez FW 20 Francisco Ilarregui MF 21 Brian Sánchez FW 22 Victorio Ramis Manager: Alfredo Berti
Torneo Reducido The teams placing second to eighth place in each zone, along with the loser of the championship final play the Torneo Reducido for the second and last promotion berth to Primera División, in which teams were seeded in each round according to their final placement in the first stage of the tournament. The first round was played over a single leg, at the stadium of the higher-seeded team. The second round (in which the championship final loser entered the Reducido) and the semi-finals were played over two legs, with the higher-seeded team hosting the second leg, whilst the final was played as a single match on neutral ground. In all rounds except for the final, the higher-seeded team advanced in case of a tie, with extra time and a penalty shoot-out set to be played in case of a draw in the final.
First round
Second round
First leg
Second leg
Semi-finals
First leg
Second leg
Final The winner was the second and last team promoted to Primera División for the 2024 season.
GK 1 Ignacio Arce DF 2 Jonatan Goitía DF 3 Eric Tovo DF 4 Nahuel Iribarren DF 5 Jonathan Goya MF 6 Nicolás Dematei MF 7 Fermín Antonini MF 8 Milton Céliz (c) FW 9 Lázaro Romero FW 10 Walter Acuña FW 11 Gustavo Fernández Substitutions: DF 14 Emilio MacEachen DF 16 Diego Magallanes DF 17 Tomás Villoldo MF 18 Leonardo Landriel FW 20 Ramón González Herrero Manager: Matías Módolo
GK 1 Juan Pablo Cozzani DF 4 Santiago Moyano DF 2 Felipe Coronel DF 6 Imanol González DF 3 Guillermo Ferracuti MF 8 Fausto Montero MF 7 Agustín Manzur FW 11 Luciano Herrera MF 10 Rubens Sambueza (c) FW 7 Santiago González FW 9 Ezequiel Almirón Substitutions: DF 16 Luciano Paredes MF 19 Marcelo Eggel FW 20 Emiliano Ozuna FW 21 Gonzalo Klusener FW 22 Marcelo Larrondo Manager: Luis Osvaldo García
Relegation play-off The teams placing second-from-bottom in each zone would play a match on neutral ground to decide the third and last relegated team. The losing team would be relegated to Primera B Metropolitana or Torneo Federal A according to their affiliation to AFA. Since the third relegation from the league was voided, this match was cancelled.
Copa Argentina qualification Fifteen Primera Nacional teams qualified for the round of 32 of the 2024 Copa Argentina, which were the top seven teams of each zone and the best eighth-placed team at the end of the season, which was selected according to points earned per game, goal difference, goals scored, and a drawing of lots if needed.
Ranking of eighth-placed teams
Season statistics Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Alex ArceIndependiente Rivadavia252 Gabriel BenegasDefensores de Belgrano183 Emanuel DeningSan Martín (T)154 Claudio BielerAtlético de Rafaela14 Martín PinoGuillermo Brown Lázaro RomeroDeportivo Riestra7 Alejandro MeloAgropecuario Argentino13 Luciano GiménezChacarita Juniors Lucas GonzálezDeportivo Madryn Franco CoronelRacing (C)
See also 2023 Argentine Primera División 2023 Torneo Federal A 2023 Copa Argentina
References
External links Ascenso del Interior Interior Futbolero Promiedos