2017–18 Liga Nacional de Guatemala


The 2017–18 Liga Nacional de Guatemala was the 65th professional season of the top-flight football league in Guatemala. The season was divided into two championships—the 2017 Apertura and the 2018 Clausura—each in an identical format and each contested by the same 12 teams.

Format

The format for both championships are identical. Each championship will have two stages: a first stage and a playoff stage. The first stage of each championship is a double round-robin format. The teams that finish first and second in the standings will advance to the playoffs semifinals, while the teams that finish 3–6 will enter in the quarterfinals. The winner of each quarterfinal will advance to the semifinals. The winners of the semifinals will advance to the finals, which will determine the tournament champion.

Managerial changes

Between Apertura and Clausura seasons

TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyReplaced byDate of appointmentPosition in table
Municipal

During the Apertura season

TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureReplaced byPosition in table
Suchitepéquez

Apertura

The 2017 Torneo Apertura began on 28 July 2017 and will end in December 2017.

Quarterfinals


Cobán Imperial wins on away goals

First leg

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Second leg

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Semifinals


Antigua GFC wins on away goals

First leg

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Second leg

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Finals



Clausura

The 2018 Torneo Clausura is expected to begin in January 2018 and end in May 2018.

Quarterfinals



First leg

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Second leg

Xelaju won 3-0 on aggregate.
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''Guastatoya won 5-1 on aggregate.''

Semifinals


First leg

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Second leg

Xelajú MC won 3-2 on aggregate.
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''Guastatoya won 1-0 on aggregate.''

Finals



List of foreign players in the league

This is a list of foreign players in 2017-2018 season. The following players:
  1. have played at least one apertura game for the respective club.
  2. have not been capped for the Guatemala national football team on any level, independently from the birthplace
A new rule was introduced a few season ago, that clubs can only have five foreign players per club and can only add a new player if there is an injury or player/s is released.
Antigua GFC
Coban Imperial
CSD Comunicaciones
Guastatoya
Deportivo Malacateco
  • Rafael Lezcano
  • Jhon Hurtado
  • Juan Camilo Aguirre
  • Anllel Porras Conejo
Deportivo Marquense
  • Gerardo Putten
  • Juan Osorio Tobón
  • Danilo Suarez
  • Jonathan Piñeiro Correa
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CSD Municipal
Deportivo Petapa
Sanarate
  • Juan Lovato
  • William Zapata
Siquinalá
  • Quiarol Arzu
  • Cesar García
  • Verny Scott
  • Diego Sanchez Corrales
  • Pablo Mingorance
CD Suchitepéquez
Club Xelajú MC'''

CONCACAF Champions League playoff

After the suspension of the National Football Federation of Guatemala was lifted by FIFA in June 2018, it was decided that the representative of Guatemala in the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League would be decided by a two-legged playoff between the 2017 Apertura champions and the 2018 Clausura champions. The draw for the order of legs was held on 27 June 2018.