BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) – Seemingly out of nowhere, Argentina’s soccer federation on Thursday declared Rosario Central the 2025 “League Champions” with the newly created title.
Star forward Angel Di Maria was on hand to receive the new trophy, a surprise for Argentina as the championship traditionally only has two competitions: the Apertura and the Clausura, both of which decide the winner in a play-off.
However, the Professional League, which is under the jurisdiction of the Football Association, announced on Thursday that its executive committee had “unanimously decided to award the title of ‘league champion’ to the team that scores the most points in the overall standings.”
Central scored the most points (66) in total in the regular phase of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments. The annual standings determine which teams qualify for the continental tournaments (Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana) and which teams are relegated.
“We are the best team this year,” Central said on its social media accounts, quickly adding a new star to its apex, the eighth of the professional era.
Pratense won the Apertura title in the middle of the year and the round of 16 of the Clausura tournament begins next weekend, culminating in the single match final on December 11th, where a new champion will be crowned.
The Football Association, led by Claudio Tapia, has featured continuous changes in tournament formats and promotion and relegation decisions in recent years. However, this is the first time a new trophy has been established during the season.
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