The 2018 Primera División season, officially Liga de Fútbol Profesional Venezolano or Liga FUTVE, was the 37th professional season of Venezuela's top-flight football league. Monagas were the defending champions, but did not qualify to the Serie Final, after being eliminated in the regular season of the Torneo Apertura and by Caracas in the quarter-finals of the Torneo Clausura.
Zamora were the champions, defeating Deportivo Lara on the Serie Final, 5–1 on aggregate.
Teams Stadia and locations
Relegated to 2018 Segunda División17Deportivo JBL18Atlético Socopó
Promoted to 2018 Primera División1Estudiantes de Caracas3Academia Puerto Cabello
Gran Valencia reached the final of the Segunda División and earned promotion to the Primera División, but the team was suspended "temporarily" by the Honorary Council of the FVF after forfeiting the second leg of the final. On 15 January, Academia Puerto Cabello was announced as the replacement.
Team Manager City Stadium Capacity Academia Puerto Cabello Pedro Depablos Puerto Cabello La Bombonerita 7,500 Aragua Enrique García Maracay Olímpico Hermanos Ghersi Páez 14,000 Atlético Venezuela Vacant Caracas Brígido Iriartec 10,000 Carabobo Jhonny Ferreira Valencia Misael Delgadod 10,400 Caracas Noel Sanvicente Caracas Olímpico de la UCVa 23,940 Deportivo Anzoátegui Jobanny Rivero Puerto La Cruz José Antonio Anzoátegui 37,485 Deportivo La Guaira Daniel Farías Caracas Olímpico de la UCVa 23,940 Deportivo Lara Leonardo González Cabudare Metropolitano de Cabudare 47,913 Deportivo Táchira Giovanny Pérez San Cristóbal Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo 38,755 Estudiantes de Caracas José María Morr Caracas Brígido Iriartec 10,000 Estudiantes de Mérida Martín Brignani Mérida Metropolitano de Méridab 42,200 Metropolitanos Jhon Giraldo Caracas Olímpico de la UCVc 23,940 Mineros Horacio Matuszyczk Ciudad Guayana Polideportivo Cachamay 41,600 Monagas José Manuel Rey Maturín Monumental de Maturín 51,796 Portuguesa Raymond Páez Acarigua General José Antonio Páez 18,000 Trujillanos José Nabor Gavidia Valera José Alberto Pérez 25,000 Zamora Alí Cañas Barinas Agustín Tovar 29,800 Zulia Francesco Stifano Maracaibo José "Pachencho" Romero 40,800
Managerial changes
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentTorneo AperturaDeportivo Anzoátegui Charles LópezPre-season Francisco Velásquez24 JanuaryDeportivo Anzoátegui Francisco VelásquezSacked3 March18th Lisandro Altieri6 MarchAtlético Venezuela Alex PallarésMutual consent20 March12th Tony Franco25 MarchDeportivo La Guaira Pedro DepablosSacked19 April5th Daniel Farías23 AprilMetropolitanos Daniel de OliveiraMutual consent30 April17th Manuel Di Maio (caretaker)2 MayDeportivo Táchira Francesco Stifano22 May10th Alex Pallarés23 MayAcademia Puerto Cabello Jeremy Nowak29 May14th Pedro Depablos1 JuneMonagas Jhonny FerreiraResigned5 June15th José Manuel Rey25 JuneDeportivo Anzoátegui Lisandro AltieriReplaced7 June18th José González7 JuneMetropolitanos Manuel Di MaioEnd of caretaker spell12 June17th Jhon Giraldo12 JuneZulia Carlos MaldonadoMutual consent13 June13th Francesco Stifano17 JuneTorneo ClausuraEstudiantes de Mérida José Nabor GavidiaSacked18 June Pre-tournament Martín Brignani19 JuneAragua José Manuel ReySigned by Monagas25 June Héctor Estrada29 JunePortuguesa Carlos Horacio MorenoResigned2 August17th Raúl Vargas (caretaker)2 AugustDeportivo Anzoátegui José GonzálezMutual consent27 August16th Richard Arrieta (caretaker)27 AugustEstudiantes de Caracas José Fasciana29 August14th José María Morr30 AugustDeportivo Anzoátegui Richard ArrietaEnd of caretaker spell4 September16th Jobanny Rivero4 SeptemberCarabobo Wilson GutiérrezResigned6 September15th Gustavo Caraballo7 SeptemberPortuguesa Raúl VargasReplaced7 September18th Raymond Páez7 SeptemberAtlético Venezuela Tony FrancoSacked2 November13thAragua Héctor Estrada14 November17th Enrique García28 NovemberCarabobo Gustavo Caraballo16 November16th Jhonny Ferreira29 NovemberDeportivo Táchira Alex PallarésResigned20 November3rd, SF Giovanny Pérez3 DecemberTrujillanos Horacio Matuszyczk20 November5th, QF José Nabor Gavidia27 NovemberMineros Juan Tolisano22 November11th Horacio Matuszyczk22 November
Torneo Apertura
The Torneo Apertura is the first tournament of the season. The regular season started on 28 January and ended on 19 May.
Standings
Results
Knockout stage
Quarter-finals
First leg
Second leg
Semi-finals
First leg
Second leg
Final
Zamora won 2–1 on aggregate.
Top goalscorers
Rank Player Club Goals1 Tommy TobarCarabobo122 Edwuin PerníaCaracas113 Fernando AristeguietaCaracas8 Manuel ArteagaDeportivo La Guaira5 Jhonder CádizMonagas7 Richard BlancoMineros Cristian AlessandriniAtlético Venezuela Anthony UribeZamora Maurice CovaCarabobo Danny PérezZamora
Torneo Clausura
The Torneo Clausura is the second tournament of the season. The regular season started on 21 July and ended on 28 October.
Standings
Results
Knockout stage
Quarter-finals
First leg
Second leg
Semi-finals
First leg
Second leg
Final
Deportivo Lara won 1–0 on aggregate.
Top goalscorers
Rank Player Club Goals1 Darwin GonzálezDeportivo La Guaira132 Gustavo AsconaTrujillanos103 Anthony UribeZamora9 Enzo MaidanaAcademia Puerto Cabello Víctor AquinoDeportivo Táchira6 Junior ParedesZulia7 Rubén RojasMonagas Edder FaríasAtlético Venezuela Jesús ArrietaCaracas Robert HernándezCaracas
Serie Final The Serie Final is held between the champions of the Torneo Apertura and the Torneo Clausura to determine the champions of the season. The best team of the finalists in the aggregate table chose the order of the legs.
First leg
GK 1 Carlos SalazarRB 29 Jefre Vargas CB 4 Leonardo AponteCB 26 Giacomo Di Giorgi (c)LB 27 Daniel CarrilloCM 13 Jesús Bueno CM 5 Bernaldo ManzanoCM 20 Juan Castellanos LW 18 Freddy Vargas CF 23 Jesús Hernández RW 10 David Centeno Substitutes:GK 25 Luis CurielDF 3 Ignacio Anzola DF 11 Oswaldo ChaurantMF 15 Ricardo Andreutti MF 24 José Romero FW 16 Manuel GodoyFW 28 Yomber Camacaro Manager: Leonardo González GK 1 Joel GraterolRB 3 Carlos Castro CB 17 Kevin de la HozCB 5 Ignacio González (c) LB 12 Mayker GonzálezCM 25 Maikol Quintero CM 23 Oscar Hernández AM 13 Pedro Ramírez RW 19 Antonio Romero CF 21 Rodolfo Marcano LW 7 Erickson Gallardo Substitutes:GK 29 Daniel ValdésMF 8 José Pinto MF 26 Edixon Mena MF 27 José SotoFW 11 Juan Zárate FW 18 Ángel Osorio FW 30 Darwin MatheusManager: Alí Cañas
Match rules 90 minutes. Seven named substitutes, of which up to three may be used.
Second leg
Zamora won 5–1 on aggregate.
GK 1 Joel GraterolRB 3 Carlos Castro CB 17 Kevin de la HozCB 5 Ignacio González (c) LB 12 Mayker GonzálezCM 25 Maikol Quintero CM 23 Oscar Hernández AM 13 Gustavo Rojas RW 19 Pedro Ramírez LW 7 Erickson Gallardo CF 19 Antonio Romero Substitutes:GK 29 Daniel ValdésMF 8 José Pinto MF 26 Edixon Mena MF 27 José SotoFW 11 Juan Zárate FW 18 Ángel Osorio FW 30 Darwin MatheusManager: Alí Cañas GK 1 Carlos SalazarRB 29 Jefre Vargas CB 4 Leonardo AponteCB 26 Giacomo Di Giorgi (c)LB 27 Daniel CarrilloCM 13 Jesús Bueno CM 5 Bernaldo ManzanoCM 10 David Centeno LW 18 Freddy Vargas CF 23 Jesús Hernández RW 7 Argenis Gómez Substitutes:GK 25 Luis CurielDF 3 Ignacio Anzola DF 11 Oswaldo ChaurantMF 15 Ricardo Andreutti MF 20 Juan Castellanos MF 30 Herlbert Soto FW 16 Manuel Godoy Manager: Leonardo González
Match rules 90 minutes. If the aggregate score is level, the away goals rule is used to determine the winner. Penalty shoot-out if the tie persists (no extra time is played). Seven named substitutes, of which up to three may be used.
Aggregate table
References
External links of the Venezuelan Football Federation