2023 Primera Nacional
Matches played | 664 |
---|---|
Goals scored | 1,409 (2.12 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Alex Arce (25 goals) |
Biggest home win | Patronato 6–0 Alvarado (6 March) |
Biggest away win | Tristán Suárez 0–4 Dep. Maipú (4 March) Chaco For Ever 0–4 Quilmes (10 September) |
Highest scoring | Gimnasia y Esgrima (M) 4–3 Almagro (1 October) |
← 2022 → |
The 2023 Argentine Primera Nacional, also known as the Campeonato de Primera Nacional "Campeones del Mundo" 2023,[1] 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.[2] The other promoted side was Deportivo Riestra, who won the Torneo Reducido after defeating Deportivo Maipú in the final.[3]
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.[4] 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.[5]
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.[6] The draw to decide the fixture of the season was held on 29 December 2022 at the Argentine Football Association's Ezeiza offices.[1]