ANAPROF

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ANAPROF
ANAPROF 2007 Clausura

Founded
1988
Nation
Panama
Relegation To
Segunda División
Number of Teams
10
International Qualification
Copa Interclubes UNCAF
Current Champions (2007 Apertura)
Tauro FC
Website
[1]

ANAPROF (Asociación Nacional Pro Fútbol) is the top soccer league in Panama. The league season is divided into separate Opening (Apertura) and Closing (Clasura) Seasons per calendar year. Each season sees each team play 18 games (2 against each team). The top four in each season move on to a two-legged semi-final followed by a final match between the two semi-final winners.

The team with the fewest combined points from the Apertura and Clasura in the calendar year is relegated to the Segunda División, and the winner of a 4 team playoff is promoted from the Segunda División. The Segunda División playoff runner-up faces off against the 9th place team from ANAPROF in a two-leg series to determine which will play in ANAPROF the following year. The first 4 clubs participate in play-offs to decide the champion. The winners of the Apertura and Clasura competitions participate in the UNCAF Club Tournament, (see Panama en CONCACAF).

1 History & Past Formats
2 Teams in the league in 2007
3 Past Champions & Runner-Ups
4 Championships By Team
5 Top Scorers By Season
6 See also

The league was founded in 1988 after years of turmoil in Panamanian soccer. The season began on February 26th, 1988 featuring with 6 teams participating. The league wasn't split into Apertura/Clasura seasons until 2001, previously the teams played a full season with all teams playing all other teams in a home and away set as is the standard in most European leagues today.
From 1994-96 there was a schism in Panamanian soccer as both the ANAPROF and LINFUNA existed as separate leagues. LINFUNA was recognized by FIFA, but the two leagues joined together to form a 12 team, single-table league in the 1996-97 season.
In 1997-98, the league was split into two groups for the regular season with an 8 team playoff after the season was completed. The quarterfinals and semifinals were two-leg playoffs, but the final was a single match.
In 1998-99, the league was moved down to 10 teams with the best 6 teams after a home-and-away season of 18 games moved on to the secondary tournament. Each team matched up against the other qualifying teams once and the top 4 of the 6 in terms of points moved on to the home-and-away semifinals. The winners advanced to a single match final.
In 1999-2000, the league switched to a single table format for the opening round. The top 6 teams from the opening round moved on to the second round where they each played other qualifying teams once. The top 4 again moved to the home-and-away semifinals. The winners of those series played in the single match final.
The format from 1999-2000 was again used in 2000-01.
In 2001, the previous format was again used, but in both Apertura and Clasura seasons for the first time with the first round seeing each team play just 9 games and not 18. The league began using the modern Grand Championship playoff between the Apertura and Clasura winners in order to have an overall champion.
In the 2002 Apertura, 8 teams in two separate groups of 4 teams. Each team played the teams in the other group one time and the teams from its own group twice, once at home and once away. The top two teams from each group qualified for the home-and-away semifinals. The winners of those series played in the single match final.
In the 2002 Clasura, 8 teams took part in single-table home-and-away season, that saw all 8 teams play 14 games. The top 4 teams qualified for a semifinal group where each team would again play home-and-away vs all other qualified teams. The top two teams then met in a two-leg home-and-away championship, where the winner was determined by aggregate goals.
The 2003 Apertura used the same format as the 2002 Clasura.
In the 2003 Clasura, The 4 team semifinal group was dropped for a pair of home-and-away series featuring the top point getter from the 8 team, 14 game season face the fourth highest point earner and the second highest would face the third highest.
In 2004 ANAPROF increased from 8 to 10 teams.
In 2007 the Grand Championship format was abandoned, therefore there will be two champions from now on: Apertura and Clausura.

Alianza
Panama City

Arabe Unido
Colon

Atletico Chiriqui
Chiriqui

Atletico Veraguense
Veraguas

Chepo F.C.
Panama City

Chorrillo
Panama City

Plaza Amador
Panama City

San Francisco
Panama City

Sporting '89
Panama City

Tauro
Panama City

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Score
1988 Details	Plaza Amador	Deportivo La Previsora	N/A
1989 Details	Tauro F.C.	Deportivo La Previsora	N/A
1990 Details	Plaza Amador	Tauro F.C.	N/A
1991 Details	Tauro F.C.	Eurokickers F.C.	N/A
1992 Details	Plaza Amador	Sporting Colón	N/A
1993 Details	Eurokickers F.C.	Bravos de PROJUSA	N/A
1994-95 Details	San Francisco F.C.	Tauro F.C.	1-0
1995-96 Details	San Francisco F.C.	Plaza Amador	2-2*
1996-97 Details	Tauro F.C.	Eurokickers F.C.	1-0
1997-98 Details	Tauro F.C.	CD Árabe Unido	1-0
1998-99 Details	CD Árabe Unido	Tauro F.C.	3-0
1999-2000 Details	Tauro F.C.	Plaza Amador	2-0
2000-01 Details	Panama Viejo F.C.	Tauro F.C.	4-3**
2001 Details	CD Árabe Unido		N/A
2002 Details	Plaza Amador	CD Árabe Unido	2-0
2003 Details	Tauro F.C.		N/A
2004 Details	CD Árabe Unido		N/A
2005 Details	Plaza Amador	San Francisco F.C.	2-0
2006 Details	San Francisco F.C.	Tauro F.C.	1-0
2007(A) Details	Tauro F.C.	San Francisco F.C.	2-0
2007(C) Details	San Francisco F.C.	CD Árabe Unido	0-0*

[*] Won after winning a penalty shoot-out
[**] Won after extra time

Club	Winners	Runners-up	Winning Years and Runner-Up Years
Tauro F.C.	9	5	1989, 1990, 1991, 1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2003 (A y C), 2006 (C), 2007 (A)
Plaza Amador	5	2	1988, 1990, 1992, 1995-96, 1999-2000, 2002 (C), 2005 (A)
San Francisco	5	4	1988, 1989, 1994-95, 1995-96, 2005 (C), 2006 (A), 2007 (A), 2007(C)
Arabe Unido	6	3	1997-98, 1998-99, 2001 (A y C), 2002 (A), 2004 (A y C),2006 (C), 2007 (C)
Panama Viejo	1	0	2000-01
Eurokickers F.C.	1	2	1991, 1993, 1996-97
Bravos de PROJUSA	0	1	1993
Sporting Colón	0	1	1992

Season	Player	Team	Total
1988	Miguel Tello	Plaza Amador	13
1989	Alonso Pacheco	Deportivo la Previsora	18
1990	José Ardines	Eurokickers F.C.	26
1991	José Ardines	Eurokickers F.C.	13
1992	José Ardines	Eurokickers F.C.	20
1993	José Ardines	Eurokickers F.C.	12
1994-95	José Ardines	Eurokickers F.C.	20
1995-96	José Ardines	Eurokickers F.C.	25
1996-97	Patricio Guevara	Tauro F.C.	22
1997-98	Luis Calamaris	San Francisco F.C.	21
1998-99	Luis Calamaris	San Francisco F.C.	18
1999-2000	René Mendieta	Tauro F.C.	15
2000-01	Luis Parra	Tauro F.C.	16