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| Primera B de Chile | |
|---|---|
| Name | Primera B de Chile |
| Country | Chile |
| Confed | CONMEBOL |
| Founded | 1952 |
| Teams | var. |
| Promotion | Primera División |
| Relegation | Segunda División Profesional |
| Domestic cup | Copa Chile |
| Current champion | Ñublense (example) |
| Most successful | Deportes Temuco (example) |
Primera B de Chile is the second-tier professional association football league in Chile. It operates within the Chilean football league system under the auspices of the Federación de Fútbol de Chile and feeds clubs into the Primera División de Chile while receiving clubs from the Segunda División Profesional de Chile. The competition has featured historic clubs, regional rivalries, and players who advanced to international competition such as the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana.
The competition traces its origins to reorganizations of Chilean football in the early 1950s following developments involving the Asociación Central de Fútbol and later the ANFP (Chile). Clubs like Universidad de Chile, Colo-Colo, and Unión Española influenced early structural reforms even as regional sides such as Unión San Felipe, Deportes La Serena, and Deportes Santa Cruz shaped the second tier. The league evolved through formats influenced by continental trends seen in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, with reforms during the administrations of figures linked to the Chilean Football Coaches Association and presidents of the ANFP prompting professionalization, televised matches, and changes in promotion criteria. Political contexts including the Chilean transition to democracy indirectly affected club finances and stadium policies, while international events like the FIFA World Cup hosted impacts on infrastructure for teams including Naval de Talcahuano and Deportes Concepción.
Format changes have included single-table seasons, Apertura and Clausura split tournaments modeled on systems used by Liga MX, Primera División de Argentina, and leagues across CONMEBOL. The competition typically involves round-robin play among clubs such as Santiago Wanderers, Cobreloa, Deportes Iquique, and Everton de Viña del Mar, with point systems aligned to FIFA regulations. Playoffs, known as liguillas in the style of Uruguayan Primera División and Peruvian Primera División, have been used for promotion, often involving teams with high aggregate points akin to mechanisms in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B. The season calendar has aligned with continental calendars to accommodate qualification windows for tournaments like the Copa Sudamericana.
The competition has hosted historic teams including Santiago Morning, Magallanes, Ñublense, Deportes Antofagasta, and O'Higgins (at various times). Several clubs have returned to the top flight, with alumni achieving success in the Primera División and continental competitions: Cobreloa’s rise from lower tiers, Unión La Calera’s promotions, and Huachipato’s youth development producing players who transferred to European Club Football such as sides in La Liga and the Premier League. Regional derbies—between teams like Deportes Temuco and Ñublense or Everton and Santiago Wanderers—reflect local identities tied to cities including Valparaíso, Concepción, Antofagasta, and Iquique.
Seasonal champions have ranged from well-known clubs like Universidad Católica’s reserve-associated outfits and Audax Italiano in historical contexts to provincial winners such as Barnechea and Deportes Copiapó. Championship formats have produced title races involving clubs with infrastructure investments influenced by municipal governments of Viña del Mar and provincial authorities in regions like Biobío Region and Ñuble Region. Clubs promoted after championship seasons have entered the Torneo de Primera División alongside long-established sides including Universidad de Chile and Colo-Colo, while some champions later faced relegation battles influenced by financial fair play issues monitored by the ANFP.
Promotion mechanisms have included automatic promotion for champions and promotion playoffs similar to models in the English Football League Championship and Serie B (Brazil), with ties resolved by aggregate scoring or away goals rules adopted from CONMEBOL competitions. Relegation to the Segunda División Profesional de Chile has been determined by season standings and multi-season coefficients comparable to those used in the Argentine relegation system, affecting teams such as Deportes Melipilla and San Marcos de Arica. Administrative promotions and relegations have occurred in cases involving licensing, stadium standards overseen by the ANFP and Federación de Fútbol de Chile, and financial irregularities adjudicated through national sporting tribunals tied to the Olympic Committee of Chile frameworks.
Statistical leaders have included top scorers who moved on to clubs in Europe and Mexico such as transfers to La Liga and Liga MX, while appearance records highlight veterans from clubs like Santiago Wanderers and Deportes Temuco. Goalkeeping, defensive, and unbeaten run records often enter national record books alongside performances in the Copa Chile. Attendance records for promotion-deciding fixtures have been set in venues like the Estadio Regional de Antofagasta, Estadio Elías Figueroa, and Estadio Municipal de Concepción, reflecting fanbases linked to municipal authorities and regional identities in Valparaíso Region and Biobío Region.
Broadcasting rights have been negotiated with national networks and pay-TV operators including companies that also carry Primera División matches, mirroring deals seen across South America. Sponsors have included national brands and multinationals present in Chilean sport, with kit suppliers and commercial partners similar to those used by clubs in CONMEBOL competitions. Media coverage extends to sports newspapers such as El Mercurio (Chile) and broadcasters that cover domestic football alongside international tournaments like the FIFA World Cup and the Copa Libertadores.
Category:Football leagues in Chile